Might be interested..what kind of depth, temp and viz. are we talking about?
Great! I hope you can join us! However, NC diving is not for everyone....most of the wrecks lie 80-120 ft with sometimes only 20-25ft of relief. Often less as these wrecks are not artificial reefs like you find in Florida but rather actual victims of war and so were cable layered to prevent them from being a hazard to shipping.
Bottom temps in Aug should be in the mid-80's ...this past weekend the temps were only 76 at the bottom so still running a bit cooler then normal for July. Vis was in the 70-80 ft range this past weekend...also slighly lower then usual as normal vis runs 70-150+ Current was slight to none this past weekend although on our 4th of July trip we had a full moon so had about a 1 knot current 2 of our 4 diving days. Seas were very calm running only 1-2 ft.
All in all...this past weekend was an easy weekend that almost any level of diver could have dove....however one of the reasons NC is considered an intermediate dive destination is because of the potential to have a few ft of seas....viz that can exceed 100+ ft until the last 20 ft and then drops like a lead weight....bottom temps that exceed Cozumel or FLorida or run brisk and surprise you being in the 70's vs. the 80's...a little current or even sometimes a brisk current (not as big of an issue if you ALWAYS stay on the anchor line to the wreck and hold onto the wreck vs. trying to swim against it!) or some combination of the above. Our boat rides are longer then usual....averaging about 2 hrs to each wreck but most people sleep or tan or otherwise relax. Over the 4th of July we got to watch and play with 3 different dolphin pods...not individual dolphins but full PODS! And of course all the cudas, rays, large gamefish and sharks.
So what is the rule of thumb? We ask that you be at least Advanced or equivelent and comfortable diving to over 100 ft. We ask that you have about 40 dives under your belt...a few less if all your dives are ocean dives....at least 40 or more if all your dives are fresh water dives. The main idea here is that after about 40 dives you are familiar with your gear...you have some idea of your air consumption...you have had time to do your Advanced class and feel comfortable diving around and beyond 100 ft and you are more comfortable with conditions that may change from the ideal.
If this sounds like its up your alley...or you still aren't sure then either pm me...email me at kamala@singledivers.com or call me at 214-350-7003 and I'll be happy to talk about your particular diving skills. We do have DM's available that you can hire to navigate for you so all you have to do is enjoy the wreck...they can also help you to just feel more at ease for the first day or so. Just let us know...we aim to please!
P.S. On the 4th of July trip we found a new ammo stash yeilding loads of US and German ammo and I even found the rounded wood casings from what would have been an ammo locker hatch.....my boat capt found the actual solid brass hatch this past weekend....1 weekend off...1 dive off....talk about the luck....or lack of!
-ww