VuDuLou
July 20th, 2006, 12:53 PM
6/23 - My DB, Neal, and I head east on I-40 to Camp Lejune, NC to visit daughter, son in law and grandson, arrive noon, 6/24, ambushed by platoon of Marines at cook out in their back yard...
6/25 - Check into the lodge/ Olympus - are given bad news, will probably be weathered out on 6/26...
6/26 - weathered out - drown ourselves in seafood
6/27 - weathered out - road trip to Fantasy Lake Scuba Park - Rolesville, NC...quarry, set up for diving, airplanes, cars boats and buses on bottom...on return trip to Morehead City we purchase red snapper filets, jumbo shrimp, scallops, potatoes, corn on the cob...and beer...tail gate/ cook out in parking lot of Olympus' lodge...
6/28 - load up on Olympus go to the Schurz - "tall ships" are sailing into harbor for "Tall Ship" fest following weekend...cool sight to see...arrive at Schurz...vis 80', botoom temp 76, moderate current, awesome marine life...boat votes to do a second dive on Schurz due to unreliable vis at other sites due to storm...George and crew are very accomadating, good time had by all...many seasick passengers...during surface interval I pull out crackers and kipper snacks in mustard sauce and am threatened with being thrown over board...trail mix for lunch...celebration that evening in Raps (next to lodge)
6/29 - load up go to Papoose - vis 60+, temp 76, moderate current, awesome marine life; baracuda, porpoises, dolphin, amberjack, skate, lion fish (no kidding) and others...I was only person not to see a shark, sand tiger and bulls reported...found some sand tiger teeth on wreck...U-352, same conditions but bait fish were like a dense cloud over wreck, anchor line looked like descending through a tunnel...again awesome...due to the "moderate swells" getting back on boat was an adventure...later described to me as a "Carolina Ladder Ride"...
the folks at Olympus are top knotch...George gives a great safety briefing and thumbnail history lesson before each dive about the wreck...
I'm currently saving up to go back...
...our group here is the "Round Table Dive Team" and our next trip is planned for 9-12 Oct to the Oriskany...
6/25 - Check into the lodge/ Olympus - are given bad news, will probably be weathered out on 6/26...
6/26 - weathered out - drown ourselves in seafood
6/27 - weathered out - road trip to Fantasy Lake Scuba Park - Rolesville, NC...quarry, set up for diving, airplanes, cars boats and buses on bottom...on return trip to Morehead City we purchase red snapper filets, jumbo shrimp, scallops, potatoes, corn on the cob...and beer...tail gate/ cook out in parking lot of Olympus' lodge...
6/28 - load up on Olympus go to the Schurz - "tall ships" are sailing into harbor for "Tall Ship" fest following weekend...cool sight to see...arrive at Schurz...vis 80', botoom temp 76, moderate current, awesome marine life...boat votes to do a second dive on Schurz due to unreliable vis at other sites due to storm...George and crew are very accomadating, good time had by all...many seasick passengers...during surface interval I pull out crackers and kipper snacks in mustard sauce and am threatened with being thrown over board...trail mix for lunch...celebration that evening in Raps (next to lodge)
6/29 - load up go to Papoose - vis 60+, temp 76, moderate current, awesome marine life; baracuda, porpoises, dolphin, amberjack, skate, lion fish (no kidding) and others...I was only person not to see a shark, sand tiger and bulls reported...found some sand tiger teeth on wreck...U-352, same conditions but bait fish were like a dense cloud over wreck, anchor line looked like descending through a tunnel...again awesome...due to the "moderate swells" getting back on boat was an adventure...later described to me as a "Carolina Ladder Ride"...
the folks at Olympus are top knotch...George gives a great safety briefing and thumbnail history lesson before each dive about the wreck...
I'm currently saving up to go back...
...our group here is the "Round Table Dive Team" and our next trip is planned for 9-12 Oct to the Oriskany...