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TRIP REPORT October 5-7, 2007
This time of year routinely presents a variety of conditions in any given weekend, and this past weekend we saw both end of the spectrum. Rough weather turned beautiful, and we’re still talking about the great diving in North Carolina. ABDS was excited to welcome back our favorite group from the Dark Side, Trailer Trash Scuba out of West Virginia. They managed to shake things up a bit by bringing chocolate, while the cookies were in absentia. Also back again were ex-birthday boy Joe Gay and his remarkable kids, Johnny and Maggie (who hit the water with a brand new set of fins). It’s been a big treat for us watching Joe’s kids develop both as divers and as people, it’s always fun to have them back with us.
The weather forecast was ugly and every now and then, the weather man gets it right. Friday was windy and rainy with winds out of the east blowing 15-20 knots. We chugged along slowly, heading southeast towards the Box Wreck, where we were unsuccessful tying in for several reasons. Many folks weren’t feeling all that great, so to minimize their discomfort, we headed back to the Hardees to have a go. Will tied is in without incident, and those that were feeling up to it geared up and headed down. Visibility was in the 40-50 foot range on the bottom, and lots of folks returned to the boat with multiple sand dollars and shells. Maggie Gay really hit pay dirt! As I was returning to the boat after my dive, I saw the assist lines had been pulled up, and knew that our crew had decided to call it a day and try again tomorrow.
Saturday gave us only a slightly better state of affairs (and even that may be a nice fat rationalization). With the sun still eluding us, we headed out to the wreck formerly known as the Papoose with our fingers crossed, and were rewarded with beautiful diving conditions! The visibility was 80+ feet, and the bottom temp remains around 79 degrees. The wreck was covered in fish, and Will and Johnny Gay both returned with two huge pompano each. The grouper, however, remained elusive. A couple divers spotted sandtigers, and the barracuda watched us all come up the line. The decision to remain for two dives was unanimous, and as Jeff Lockwood and I approached the boat after the untie, the sun peeped out and gave us glimpse of what lay in wait on Sunday.
Sunday was one of those days in Morehead that you dream about. We were out of the slip by 0615 hours and plugged in the Schurz as our destination. Once around the knuckle, we were greeted with flat seas, calm winds, and otherwise impeccable conditions. Under the water was just as satisfying: 100+ feet of visibility and warm water. Along with the baitfish, our divers spied stingrays, cobia, a couple of octopi, moray eels, and dozens of lionfish. The shell seekers weren’t disappointed either, with several returning to the boat with cowries and tulip shells. It was one of the more perfect days of diving that I can remember.
Special thanks to Jeff Lockwood for bringing his incredibly fun group of divers back for another weekend (his wife Annette even managed to make it back with him this time with her new doubles!)…they are always a hoot and a holler.
Submitted by Captain Amy Broughman
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