This last weekend (9/7-8/02), a group from Patowmack Divers traveled south on our annual pilgrimage (dive trip) to Morehead City, NC, to dive with George Purifoy and crew on the dive boat Olympus. This year, we had a record number of divers (14) from the club and one guest. Participating were: Members: Bruce Baker (Pres), Bob Boling (VP & Trip Coordinator), Eric Dornick (Secy), Brad Amador, Paul McIlvane, Nicole Parfitt, Melissa Westgate, Eric Slinkman, Jack Osborne, Dave Overeem, Steve Halbert, Guilhem Molines, Rod Rivers, and Jeremy Harris, along with Tommy Hooks from Raleigh, NC. As usual, we shared the boat with a group from Undersea Explorers Club of Richmond. Our ideal plan was to dive the Caribsea and Atlas on Saturday, and follow up with the two "must-see" wrecks, the U-352 and perhaps the Papoose on Sunday. The plan seemed solid for Saturday (the Richmond guys had already discussed the Caribsea with the Captain, and all agreed). In fact, the Captain had requested that we depart early (6:45 instead of the usual 7 AM) due to the added distance to the Caribsea.

On Saturday morning early (6:15 AM), we checked in at the dive shop, picked up rental equipment, and departed around 6:50. As we left Bogue Sound, the Captain informed us that the NE winds were kicking up (6-8 foot seas beyond about 10 miles), and the Caribsea was definitely out. We agreed to go to an inshore wreck, the Suloide, and hope for better weather later. As usual, Captain George Purifoy ran the safest and best dive boat on the east coast (maybe in North America.) The boat was unusually full –25 divers - but still adequate room to suit up and stow gear. The conditions were good – about 85 degree air, maybe 2-3 foot seas, and the trip was only an hour to the Suloide. With 78-80 degrees top to bottom, no current, and good viz (about 60+ feet horizontal, but only about 30 feet vertical), it was a nice easy dive. The Suloide sunk in 1943 as a result of a collision with the submerged wreck of the Hutton, and subsequently has been blown and dragged, leaving a couple of large boilers as the highest relief at about 25 feet above the sand. At less than 70 feet, the wreck provided an extended, easy dive (almost an hour NDL on EAN30.) The wreck was quite large, and provided a lot to see (although much was just rubble in the sand.)

For the second dive, because the winds were picking up even more, we voted to go to the Hutton, another WWII casualty of a German U-Boat, which was also a shallow in-shore wreck. However, because no Morehead City dive boats could go out very far, the Hutton and all other options were already crowded with other dive boats. Accordingly, after a surface interval of about 2 hours, we again dove on the Suloide, and encountered another nice long dive in a warm clear ocean.

Saturday evening, both clubs were invited to a cookout at the beach house of Diane and Hank Parfitt (Nicole's parents) in Morehead City. What a great evening – great food, and a very nice atmosphere to talk diving with other divers from Richmond and Hank, who dove the same day on the Midnight Express (the other dive boat operated by Olympus). Thanks for the invitation, Nicole! On Sunday morning, the skies and winds looked ominous at 6 AM, but we ventured to the dock, expecting to be informed of a cancellation. However, the sea conditions were about the same as Saturday, and so we ventured out to the Hutton – again a short trip – for another leisurely long dive in clear, warm waters. The sun came out and the surface weather turned out to be just perfect. The Hutton was a little more interesting than the Suloide, and a ray was spotted off the bow. Someone spotted a bullshark off in the distance, and a sizable turtle was sighted and followed by Eric S., Guilhem, and Jeremy. For the second dive, we went to the Indra, an artificial reef project ship, which had been cleaned, opened up, and intentionally sunk in 1992. Although the wreck had little growth yet, it was large, providing many easy swim-through opportunities. Some rooms were literally filled with small fish. Prior to the dive, we were briefed by the Captain about a shelf (looked like a mini-reef to me) on the starboard side out about 100 feet from the bow. This shelf proved to be a virtual zoo of wildlife. I spotted several small (8-10" tentacles) octopi, 2-3 toadfish, arrowhead crabs, even a few juvenile highhats (drums) – still not sure where all the bicycles came from. During the deco hang, several divers noticed a large (7') barracuda and several of his friends hanging around about 15 feet below the hang bar.

The costs of the dives were $95 per diver each day for the boat, and the room costs were $71 (+ tax) per day double occupancy, making the basic costs $261 plus food, rentals, and transportation for the 2-day dive trip. We have already booked half the Olympus for the weekend of September 6-7, 2003. The Undersea Explorers Club of Richmond has again booked the other half-boat.