Diving in Cape Hatteras, NC

 


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Diving Safety and Your Diving Skills

Dive Primer - how to dive Hatteras

Snorkels Anyone?

Safety Equipment to dive with

Beach Diving

 

 

 

 

The area of the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Hatteras, NC, provides a unique environment for the Scuba Diver to experience.  The powerful Gulf Stream pushes warm and clear waters from the south, where they collide with the waters of the Labrador Current.  Both bodies of water contribute to the diversity and abundance of marine life.  We dive with a wide variety of sea life; Giant Manta Rays, Sharks, Sea Turtles, Dolphins and a wide variety of tropical species.

Captain Dave swims next to a Nurse Shark on the HesperidesAll this sea life congregates on what is really the main attraction to Sport Divers, the Shipwrecks off Hatteras.  Due to innumerable Hurricanes, two world wars and navigational blunders, ships have gone to the bottom off Hatteras.  The shipwrecks we dive span the centuries providing the backdrop for exceptional underwater photography, spear fishing, or just cruising among the underwater ruins. 

Captain Dave floats above a shoal of baitfish on the Dixie ArrowWe typically do two dives a day, the first usually being the deepest.  Our decision on where to dive depends on what shipwrecks the divers want to dive, limited only by weather & sea conditions and the overall skill level of the divers on-board.  We are safety minded: we always carry all the required safety gear (life rafts, vests, etc.) and of course we carry oxygen (we are DAN O2 trained), first-aid gear, and are trained in CPR, as well as dive rescue.  We strongly encourage you to obtain DAN or other dive insurance!

We provide a detailed pre-dive briefing (but do not generally offer in-water dive mastering) and we will do whatever we can to ensure a great day of diving for you.  However, we expect you to know what you are doing out there!  Although the waters off Hatteras are very often tropical (warm and clear) the sea conditions vary daily.

What You Need

It is highly preferable that you provide all of your own SCUBA gear.  The open Atlantic is not the best time to become familiar with a new or rented set of gear, however, rentals are available with prior arrangement.  A wetsuit is highly recommended, even though the water is very warm in the summer months a long dive will get you chilled and protection from hydroids is a must.   All divers must have BCD, working regulator with pressure gauge, safety signaling devices and dive computers are highly recommended.  If you need tanks or weights, they are available for rental with previous arrangements being required.  Air refills are available from DiveHatteras, Nitrox is available locally.  This is certainly not a complete list of the equipment you may need during a wreck diving excursion, but meant to get you thinking and planning for your trip.

Please visit this page for procedures on the diving.

This is open ocean wreck diving - take an advanced class or a shipwreck/ocean diving class if your skills aren’t quite there yet.

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