Destination guide
North Carolina, United States has 17 public dive sites on PickADive. Use the list below to compare mapped sites by depth, access, difficulty, ratings, and reviews before opening a site page.
Seasonal patterns
Typical conditions by month across dive sites in North Carolina, United States— historical patterns, not a forecast.
From 17 sites’ typical conditions · historical typicals, not a forecast
Featured dive guides
Start with these richer site pages when you want article-style planning notes, FAQs, condition context, and local logistics.
Showing 1–12 of 17
North Carolina · 27.4–33.5 m
U-85, a Type VIIB U-boat sunk by USS Roper on 14 April 1942, was the first German submarine lost off the US East Coast in WWII. The largely intact hull lies on its starboard side in about 90-110 ft of water 14 miles east of Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks, with the four forward torpedo tubes exposed. It is a German war grave for the 46 crew lost and one of the most historic recreational wreck dives on the East Coast.
North Carolina · 27.4–35.1 m
U-352, a Type VIIC U-boat sunk by US Coast Guard cutter Icarus on 9 May 1942, is the signature wreck of North Carolina's Graveyard of the Atlantic. The intact hull lists about 45 degrees to starboard in 110-115 ft of water 26 miles south of Morehead City, with the conning tower rising to about 90 ft. Gulf Stream water often delivers tropical visibility, and the site is dived several times a week in season. It is a war grave for 15 German sailors and must not be penetrated or disturbed.
North Carolina · 25.9–36.6 m
Known to divers as the Papoose, this wreck is actually the 435-ft tanker W.E. Hutton, torpedoed by U-124 in March 1942 and misidentified for decades. It lies upside down in about 120 ft of clear Gulf Stream water roughly 36 nautical miles from Beaufort Inlet. The site is one of North Carolina's most reliable sand tiger shark aggregation dives, with 20-50 sharks seen on many dives.
North Carolina · 27–39 m
The Proteus was a 390-ft luxury passenger liner that ran between New York and New Orleans, lost on 19 August 1918 in a collision with the SS Cushing about 20-25 miles south of Hatteras Inlet. She lies in 120-130 ft of water as a broad wreck site with engine, boilers and stern machinery providing relief. Bathed in Gulf Stream water, the site is a reliable aggregation point for sand tiger sharks plus big pelagics like amberjack, African pompano and barracuda.
North Carolina · 30–34 m
USS Schurz began life as the German light cruiser SMS Geier, was seized at Honolulu when the US entered WWI, and sank on 21 June 1918 after a collision with the SS Florida about 30 nautical miles south of Beaufort Inlet. The 295-ft warship lies in roughly 110 ft of water with boilers rising to about 100 ft, an intact upward-pointing stern, I-beams and deck structure. Sea fans, dense baitfish schools, big rays and occasional sharks make it one of North Carolina's signature advanced wreck dives.
North Carolina · 35–43 m
The ex-USS Tarpon (SS-175) was a WWII fleet submarine that earned seven battle stars in the Pacific and was the first US submarine of the war to sink a German raider. Sold for scrap, she foundered under tow off Cape Hatteras on 26 August 1957. The hull sits upright with a slight port list in 140 ft of water with the decks at about 110-115 ft, usually patrolled by several sand tiger sharks, and is considered an advanced dive with good visibility but frequent current.
North Carolina · 25.9–33.5 m
The Aeolus is a 409-ft former US Navy attack cargo and cable-repair ship intentionally sunk in 1988 as part of North Carolina artificial reef AR-305, south of Beaufort Inlet. Hurricane Fran broke the wreck into three large sections, creating a multi-level dive from about 85 ft down to 110 ft with abundant swim-throughs. It is a dependable site for schooling baitfish, amberjack, and resident sand tiger sharks.
North Carolina · 52–61 m
Lightship LV-71 marked the deadly Diamond Shoals for over 20 years before being shelled and sunk by U-140 on 6 August 1918 — the only U.S. lightship ever lost to enemy action; her entire crew survived. The 122-ft vessel now rests in 180-200 ft of water just off the shoals and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The depth, current and remoteness make this strictly a technical (trimix) dive visited only occasionally by expedition-level divers.
North Carolina · 40–49 m
The Lancing was a Norwegian whale factory ship, converted to carry petroleum, torpedoed by U-552 on 7 April 1942 about 14 miles off Cape Hatteras with the loss of one of her 50 crew. The wreck rests in roughly 160 ft of water, beyond recreational limits, making it a technical dive visited by experienced deep wreck divers. It is documented by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary as part of the Battle of the Atlantic battlefield.
North Carolina · 3–9 m
Historic USS Huron lies just off Nags Head in shallow Atlantic water and is managed as an NC Heritage Dive Site. The wreck is close enough for shore access in calm summer conditions, with buoys commonly marking bow and stern, and is useful for both snorkelers and shallow scuba divers. Treat it as a protected archaeological site: look, photograph, and do not disturb or collect artifacts.
North Carolina · 29–32 m
HMT Bedfordshire was a British armed anti-submarine trawler lent to the US Navy and torpedoed by U-558 on 11 May 1942 with the loss of all 37 hands; four of her crew are buried in the British Cemetery on Ocracoke. The broken, low-lying wreck rests in about 105 ft of water off Cape Lookout in three sections. It is a formally protected British war grave: divers may visit respectfully but must leave the site and all artifacts undisturbed.
North Carolina · 18–27 m
The Dixie Arrow was a 468-ft American tanker torpedoed by U-71 on 26 March 1942 about 15 miles south of Hatteras Inlet, lost with 11 of her 33 crew. She rests upright on her keel in about 90 ft of water, with portions of the bow rising 30 ft off the sand and the boilers and triple-expansion steam engine standing at the stern. The wreck is a NOAA-documented WWII battlefield site and hosts abundant marine life, including resident sand tiger sharks.
North Carolina has 17 public dive sites in the PickADive catalog. Start with the map when coastline, nearby alternatives, and travel distance matter.
Explore sites on the mapCurrent public data shows 10 advanced and 3 expert dive sites. Listed depths range from about 3m to 220m where available. Boat is the most common listed access type. Use those signals as a starting point, then confirm the plan against training, equipment, and current local guidance.
PickADive can help with research and comparison, but it does not certify that a dive is safe today. Weather, current, visibility, entry, boat traffic, and local rules can change quickly.
How condition context worksUse the ranked list on this page to compare 17 public dive sites in North Carolina. PickADive highlights ratings, reviews, depth, access type, difficulty, and mapped location so you can move from destination research to a specific site page.
PickADive does not yet have enough beginner-labeled public site data to summarize North Carolina confidently. Review difficulty, access, depth, and recent notes on each site page before deciding.
Yes. PickADive currently marks 13 dive sites in North Carolina as advanced or expert level. These dives deserve extra attention to depth, access, current, visibility, and local guidance.
Listed PickADive depth data for North Carolina ranges from about 3m to 220m. Use that as a research starting point, then verify current conditions and site-specific guidance.
Yes. Use the map link on this page to compare North Carolina dive sites by location, coastline, nearby alternatives, and individual site details.