Nova Tech: Northern Virginia's Technical Diving Community

Dive Reports > 4/06/2002. Morehead City, NC . Dave Dalton

At noon on Friday, April 6, 2002, Todd Clagett and I (Dave Dalton) headed to Morehead City, NC to join JT Barker for his birthday celebration dives. Dives were planned for both Saturday and Sunday pending weather. Weather reports were "iffy" at best. I should point out that I have booked 5 different trips to NC over the past 30 years and been blown out every time. I was hoping that 2002 would be the year. All the way down Todd kept saying that when NC diving doesn't get blown out it is the best diving in the world. I must admit, I thought he was overstating it a bit but was hoping he wasn't. We opted to camp for the weekend at Whispering Pines Campground, a 10-minute ride from the dock where Capt. Bobby Cox's boat, the Diver Down was tied. The campground was very nice and weather was favorable for camping, no rain, cool at night, and sunny during the day.

The next morning we were up at 5 am and to the docks by 5:30 am. We put our tanks aboard to hold our places and waited to hear the verdict on whether or not the trip would go. Since we booked 2 days in a row we were hoping to get out at least one day.

By 7 am we were headed out despite a stiff chilly wind and 3-4 ft seas. Our destination was the USS Schurz, which sank in June of 1918 following a collision with the SS Florida in heavy fog. The wreck lies in 113 fsw and is inhabited by abundant marine life.

As we geared up and got ready to dive, I couldn't believe that I would finally get to dive the waters of NC. Todd and I dropped off the back of the boat, both with scooters. While I had used scooters on several occasions in the past in fresh water, this was my first try with one in the ocean and I was interested in seeing how it would affect the dive plan. We re-grouped at the hang bar and then scootered down parallel to the anchor line. Water temp was in the 70's and viz was about 60-70 ft. I've done a fair amount of ocean diving over the years but most of it was out of Ocean City, MD and during the last 2 years out of Virginia Beach, VA and I was unprepared for the abundance of marine life. Huge Stingrays including one with a 10 ft wingspan, 6 ft Sand Tiger Sharks, Spotted Moray Eels, Grouper, Amberjack, Barracuda, a big Loggerhead Turtle and Flounder everywhere. I dove in Grand Cayman in 1978 (my one and only warm water dive trip) and while the viz was excellent and marine life was not disappointing it was nothing like this! I felt like a kid in a candy store with a $5 bill in my hand, I didn't know where to turn first. Eventually we circled the wreck multiple times despite a current of considerable strength. The scooters allowed us to pretty much ignore the current and go where we pleased. After our 30-minute BT we headed up to deco and I found the scooters provide an additional advantage in the current. One only has to get neutral at their deco level and ride the scooter into the current until you are just about out of sight of the boat. Then let off the trigger and let the current carry you back past the boat in the opposite direction until you are again just about out of sight of the boat, then hit the trigger and do it again! Beats the heck out of hanging on a line like a flag flapping in the breeze! It also simplifies getting to the fin ladder. Don't know why I didn't get one of these sooner!

Unfortunately the boat had a transmission pump go out so instead of a second dive we slowly headed back to the dock. Finally after all these years I got to dive the waters of NC!

The next morning we "slept in" and didn't arrive to at the docks until a bit after 6 am. A wind was blowing so when Mike Scammon, a VB Tech diver, approached the truck and announced that the day's dive had been blown out it didn't surprise us. We both agreed that the dive the previous day was well worth the trip down and once we resigned ourselves to the fact that we wouldn't be diving that day, Mike laughed and said "Gotcha!" As it turned out the seas were calmer and the conditions better than the day before. Sunday's dives were on the Papoose and the U-352, a German U-Boat.

Upon arriving at the Papoose, a 412 ft tanker sunk by the U-124 on March 18, 1942, Todd dropped into the water first and I followed shortly behind. Again the scooters made easy work of the current and we connected at the hang bar. After doing our buddy check I looked for the anchor line to follow it down to the wreck and realized there was no need. I could see the wreck at 130 fsw from the hang bar (20 fsw). We pointed our scooters down and headed to the wreck. Once again the scooters proved to make the dive. We circled the entire wreck 5 times, penetrated a huge gaping hole and stopped at various points to look, collect sharks teeth and poke around here and there. Todd later said that he has been on this wreck 8 or 9 times, but this was the first time with a scooter. He advised that that in all those previous dives combined he hadn't seen 1/10th of what we saw in that one dive with the scooters. The 110 ft viz combined with marine life even greater than the day before made this dive one to always remember. Huge stingrays, 9 ft sharks, eels, Amberjack, sea turtles and so on. It is hard to describe it was so breathtaking. Once again the scooter proved very beneficial during the deco and made getting back to the fin ladder a joy.

After a 2 hr SI we were anchored over the U-352, a German U-Boat sunk by the Coastguard during WWII on May 9, 1942, which lies in 110 fsw. Viz and water temp remained spectacular and this was a very a very interesting dive if you have never dove on a U-Boat before. Again, the marine life was so spectacular that it took you breath away.

Well it only took 30 years to get to dive NC but it was worth all the effort. Make sure you plan a NC dive trip in your future. I know I will!

Dave Dalton