North Carolina Wreck Expedition

Me on the Aeolus in North Carolina!
Me on the Aeolus in North Carolina!

The coast of North Carolina is a ship graveyard, and the sea is filled with beautiful shipwrecks and warm, semi-tropical water.  East Coast Divers sponsered me to go, and it was the most amazing diving I have ever done.

We drove down to North Carolina and then dove for the next three days.  Prior to the trip, I did my wreck certification with Alex Dulavitz, one of the owners of East Coast Divers.  Alex is a wonderful teacher, and has a lot of experience with technical diving.

I spent my first two days of diving in North Carolina doing the checkout dives for the wreck class, and the third day I got to practice the skills I learnt.  I have never dove in such clear water, and I was awed by the life.  I love the schools of fish, and I got to see so much sea life that I have never seen before.

Christian Ponce took some amazing photos on the trip, including this one of a shark with a weight caught on it's lip.
Christian Ponce took some amazing photos on the trip, including this one of a shark with a weight caught on it’s lip.

We dove five wrecks.  Each was unique and interesting.  The Sparr was a beautiful.  It was an artificial wreck sunk in July of 2004 as part of North Carolina’s artificial reef project.  It was a deep wreck, and it was a hang out for sand tiger sharks.

I dove the U-boat on the third day, and it was everything a dive should be.  It was deep and clear and warm.  It was one of the best dives of my life.

Me on the U-boat!
Me on the U-boat!

It was my first time diving out of the North Shore, and an experience I will never forget.

For more photos from the expedition, check out some of Christian Ponce’s pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisponce/with/14086788017