Hi group...

Hope you are having a wonderful week!  and that you all enjoyed your
weekend.

I wanted to invite you all to join us at my friend's group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MyJournal4theworld2c_1987/

We are a small group of folks that enjoy sharing about each other and
some of the faces of life and experience.

Also wanted to let you know that This week I am featuring our friend
Rae Rae in my website's Daily Feature page at www.divhiker.com   Rae
Rae joined us from FL and soon will also have her own pages for you to
enjoy her work.  Rae Rae is an amazing looking model with a wonderful
personality and really friendly.

Hope to see you all there soon

Have an amazing day!
Jonathan
www.divhiker.com

does anyone hear dive a dry suit  if so what make model
looking at getting dry suit  thanks .

OK all I  have the domain  ncwreckdivers.net  registered to me so
now I  am looking for a web hosting company , if any one has any in
mind pass them along thanks

Hey all!

Just a quick note to tell you about the great deal we got on a Blackbeard's
Cruise.  Blackbeard's is a great sailing live-aboard that travels and dives
throughout the Bahamas chain.  Accommodations are basic, bunk beds with
privacy curtains.  These trips are always incredible and always a load of
fun.  We are planning to go February 21st through the 28th.  We will depart
from Miami.  We expect to get between 3 and 5 dives a day including night
dives. Food and drink is included in the price of $719 and port fees of $55.
We are also going to through in a free(there is a $25 fee to get the c-card)
night diver specialty course on the trip!  If you want to join the fun we
have 5 spots currently reserved.  We can get more spots on a first come
first serve basis.  If you want to go you need to get us a deposit of $150
no later then December 4th. You can then split the rest of the monies due
into 2 payments due on the 1st of January and the 1st of February. After
December 4th full payment will be due at time of reservation and space will
have to be confirmed with Blackbeard's Cruises.  Also you can register to
win a free trip with Blackbeard's on our website: www.palmettodivecenter.com
Call or stop by the shop ASAP!

Anyway I'm headed to Crystal river this weekend to dive with the Manatee.  I
will send out a longer letter after I get back, sometime next week.

Hope you and yours had a great thanksgiving!

Sea ya on the bottom!

Jason J. Owen
Palmetto Dive Center
Beaufort, SC
(843)524-1100

P.S.  Patty has procured some Gift cards for the shop.  Start dropping hints
to family, friends, and Santa today!

The Dry Tortugas Liveaboard The Ultimate Getaway is a 100' dive
vessel out of Fort Myers, Florida. It has a nice layout... with two
bunk sections in the mid and bow w/ dorm style bunks and 4 full
heads with showers. We had to bring towels, bedding and dive gear
but everything else was provided including tanks. The nitrox system
was down so I didn't need my cert (which I got for the trip) or the
nitrox for that matter when you consider the number of dives we were
able to do. The boat holds 20 divers and we had 16 on board. An
outstanding group of people and I enjoyed meeting everyone. Special
thanks to Robin for pulling us together. I decided to make the 12
hour drive instead of flying since I had to carry so much and didn't
want to risk the hassles (I am sure you know them well) of flying.
Walter was nice enough to meet me in Ft Myers, show me around and be
my dive buddy for the few dives we managed to make. The wind was
howling on Sunday night as we pulled away from the dock but we all
had hopes and the forecast called for it to subside over the next
few days ... boy were they wrong. The ride out was a little bumpy
but we were going with the seas and wind so it wasn't too bad ...
now the ride back in was another story. Woke up to rough conditions
on Monday morning so Capt Rick anchored in a protected spot between
Fort Jefferson and Loggerhead Key and after breakfast we dropped in
to see what we could see ... which wasn't much ... vis was only
about 10 ft and the current was pretty strong ... so we completed
the dive with hopes of finding a site with more desirable
conditions. The second dive was better, the vis had cleared another
20 ft, the water temp was about 79 deg. but the current was still
raging. Several in the group had to be picked up by junior (the
chase boat). Four tried to climb in on one trip and junior became a
submarine !!! The crew jumped into action and junior was saved,
thank goodness because he was needed again the next day. I believe
Walter and I were the only ones during the entire trip that didn't
take a ride in junior! We spent the rest of the afternoon walking
around Fort Jefferson and taking pics. Tuesday looked like a wash as
the seas had not calmed and the winds were still blowing strong so
off we went to Loggerhead Key. We decided to go snorkeling on the
back side and spend the morning exploring the island ... I found
several treasures including a great hat and sun visor ... both I
gave away ... after lunch we decided to dive again ... the plan was
to drop in and swim to the anchor line and descend down the line ...
I never made it. The current was so strong I was barely making any
headway ... I made it to the front of the vessel descended a few
feet only to be swept under the bow and when I looked up I was close
to being struck on the head from the bouncing boat ... so I pushed
off from the keel and came out the other side ... I was breathing so
rapidly from exertion and the thought of being hit in the head that
I could not catch my breath or slow my breathing ... Walter was soon
by my side asking if I was OK and trying to inflate my BC (I had
already filled it) as the current was rapidly taking me past the
boat I waved to the mate who threw me a line and pulled me safely to
the stern. Needless to say I called that dive as did Kathy who was
swept past the reef and spent her bottom time swimming back to the
boat. After moving to another site I decided to try it again ...
this time dropping in and descending immediately ... the current was
still strong but to me it was the best dive of the trip. We saw a
large hogfish, four lobsters, several beautiful angles, a grouper
and the typical smaller reef fish. Thanks to Walter's navigation, we
came up very near the stern ... much to my relief. We had hoped to
get in a wreck dive the next morning but the weather did not favor
us ... guess we should have made that sacrifice to the weather gods.
So we headed back to Ft Myers ... this time into the seas... four of
us in the forward bunks soon found ourselves on the back deck just
trying to find a little abatement from the pounding seas. So Walter,
April and I told jokes (well mainly Walter) soon making us forget
out discomfort, laughing until 3am ... waiting for a break to
finally get some ZZZZZ's.  We pulled back into the dock between 9 &
10am Wednesday, a little bruised and battered but all safe and
sound ... and even with all the challenges we faced I still had a
great time. I would do it again. Want to join me ...

Hi all again,
   I've been thinking about doing a web site for wreck diving...so I
thought I'd throw something together that would incorporate the NC
Wreck Divers...let me know what you think.  The main thing is the
wreck database so far. Right now you can't search it but you can flip
through the list.  http://www.dale-wright.com/wreckmaniac

let me know what you think.

Dale

Hi all,
   I uploaded some pics from a recent trip of Atlantic Beach.  Hope
you all enjoy.

Dale

Sat. Nov. 1 found my ten year old son and I driving around Chapel
Hill with it 81 degrees and the sun bright.I recalled that a friend
at Gypsy Divers, in Raleigh had mentioned that Olympus in Morehead
City had just called her. They were bragging about 120 ft. vis and
bottom temps of 77.
I had already put up my equipment for the winter and sworn to my
wife that I was done.Yea,
I jumped on the net and found that Olympus was running extended day
trips on Sat and Sunday to the Naeco.Two deep dives on the same
wreck instead of a shallow wreck on the way back in.If it was going
to be my last day I might as well go for it.
Called and found out there was plenty of room.they had 50 ft vis and
mid 70s on the bottom.As an afterthought I asked if my son could
come along for the ride,he had just finished Scuba Rangers and
wanted to come watch.The kind girl I was talking to
called the Capitan out on the boat asking if my son could
come.Captain said sure but the ride was going to be three hours each
way and the seas might be rough.
Drove down to Morehead City Sat evening and got a clean nice room at
the Best Western for under $50.00
6am at the boat,had to rent a wet suit ,forgot mine in the rush.14
divers including a mate I had seen over at Discovery.All crew and
fellow divers friendly,moderate seas,bright warm sun and a three
hour trip out.They had changed the destination to the Lobster Wreck
and were we in luck!!Dropped anchor in three to four foot
seas,received a clear and thorough pre dive briefing and over we
went.
First dive123 ft 22 min vis 100plus. Around 30 feet the wreck
started to appear,could see 40,50 ft ot onto the sand all around the
wreck.Barracuda,Pompano and amber-jacks on the way down,with some
manageable current.Sponges coral,Queen angle Fish,res snappers large
Spade-fish and many lobsters who showed me how much faster they were
than me.My buddy had a camera and with all the light and fish he had
a great time.
#2 121ft. 22min and 80 at the bottom.
Vis was still 100 plus but current had picked up some.I looked for a
nurse shark someone had seen the first dive with no luck but half
way up the wreck,down between two beams were a pair of Lion
Fish.They just sat there even with my light on them.Saw someone else
catch another lobster but with limited bottom time I looked around
until I had to go back up.Seas were 5ft but everyone got back up
safe.My son had a great time and didn't get into anybody's way .
It seems so strange that summer temps and vis are here in Nov.It was
a great trip,dive 20 and 21 for me and a wonderful end of a long
summer.
Dive Safe

Hey everybody!


I have a young lady that just completed her Open Water course and needs to
complete her dives for certification.  She really wants to go this weekend
but we need 2 more divers to make the trip.  The plan is to head to Crystal
River for Saturday and Sunday dives with the manatee.  The trip cost is $152
and includes hotel, boat, and air fills.  If your interested in going Call
me ASAP! I can be reached at the shop (843)524-1100 or on my cell
(843)575-4967.

Also don't forget the Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest for this Thursday
the 30th.  The rumor is that if we can get enough people to sign up, that
the grand prize will be a Titan LX regulator provided by Aqua-Lung.  We have
a JBL spear-gun.  We also have some prize packs from PADI that include the
Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving, the Diving Knowledge Workbook, the
AWARE :"Our World Our Water" Manual, and a Cordura Binder Logbook.
Underwater Kinetics has provided some LED penlights that make great back-up
lights.  Trident may also be sending some prizes. Entry fee is $15 Let me
know as soon as possible if you plan to attend so we can get set up.  Also
if anybody knows where we can put our hands on a tank big enough for a diver
and a pumpkin let me know ASAP!  You got to check out the pumpkin diver on
the website: www.palmettodivecenter.com

One more quick item for my HELP list.  We are planning a West Palm / Keys
trip for November 5th - 9th.  Trip includes a nitrox course and a 2 tank
dive in West Palm, Fl.  In the Keys we will be diving the USS Speigel Grove,
the USCG Duane, and the USCG Bibb.  Talk about some awesome dives. and all
for only $599 per diver. Space is limited so sign up today!

Sea Ya' on the Bottom.

Jason J. Owen
Palmetto Dive Center
Beaufort,SC 29902
(843)524-1100

Outer Banks Diving, has survived Isabel.  While they took a bit of
damage the operation is still intact and operating, regardless of
what some people are saying.  The October trips to Wilmington are
still a go.  If you have booked with them and have any questions give
them a call.  Just be patient, the phone service is still touchy at
times.

please note this has been  posted with the permission of the aurther
please check his web page out thanks
http://www.paradisesoftware.com/whiteshark.asp

Great White Shark Encounter
Location: Caribsea wreck, North Carolina
Time: July 21, 2001 approx. 11:00am
Vessel: Midnight Express, Olympus Dive Center
Skipper: Robert "Bobby" Purifoy
Photos: Click here.

Unofficial report:

We had just finished our dive on the Caribsea wreck at a depth of 85
feet, and started doing our topside surface interval. At approx
10:45, two divers, Wade Madden and <unknown diver>, had just entered
the water to begin their dive. Divemaster, Mike <unknown> grabbed his
speargun and donned free-dive gear to go after wahoo.

At approx 10:55, Mike returned to the ship in a hurry and reported
that a Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) was swimming
directly off the stern of the ship, by the trailing buoy line. Mike,
who had seen another Great White while diving in Mozambique, Southern
Africa, was certain that this was a Great White.

At approx 11:00, myself and the divers on board, who only minutes ago
had been in the water rushed to the stern to see the shark. The shark
encircled the ship several times coming within several feet of the
port side. A companion ship, Outrageous, was anchored off the port
bow and the shark also spent time visiting them.

The shark returned and swam past our ship's swim-up platform, a 12-
foot wide deck. The shark was longer than the width of the deck. The
shark cruised slowly, rolling on it's side at times, giving us a
clear view of it's white under-side. Several times, the shark's
dorsal fin broke the surface -- a truly ominous sight.

It was soon realized that the two divers were still known to be on
the Caribsea. The ship's crew quickly made plans to notify the
unsuspecting divers. The crew hastily wrote on a slate, "Great White
Shark -- No Kidding", attached the slate to a speargun, and attached
the speargun to the anchor line. By doing so, the speargun and slate
slid down the anchor line, to a depth of approx 80 feet, where the
two divers were beginning their ascent.

There was no time to do a decompression safety stop. Exit from the
water was paramount.

The shark swam back behind the trailing buoy. We could soon see the
fizzy bubbles coming to the surface indicating that the divers had
decided to make their ascent. Everyone was instructed to back away
from the stern and give the crew room. Captain Bobby loaded his
speargun and took aim at the shark to provide cover, while the divers
surfaced and hurridly scrambled hand-over-hand over the trailing line
to the awaiting ladders. You could see the look of terror on their
faces through their masks. Everyone on board shouted "Hurry! Hurry!"
but were quickly silenced by the crew, "Stop! You'll make them panic!"

Safely on board, the divers had faces of sheer excitement.

The experience of diving in the close proximity of a Great White is
an event all of us on the trip will share, and will be THE dive story
for most of us. While we didn't have the same in-water visual
experience as the the two divers and one free-diver, we were all in
the water minutes ago and only minutes away from experiencing a face-
to-snout Great White Shark encounter.
  photo link
http://www.paradisesoftware.com/whitesharkphotos.asp
-- Scott A. Keen
Rescue / EAN diver, certified 1988
scott@...

http://www.divefitness.com/