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Aeolus (wreck)

North Carolina, United States
AOW suggested26–34 m (85–110 ft) depthBoat entry3mm wetsuit typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Aeolus (wreck) at a glance

Aeolus (wreck) is an advanced boat dive site in North Carolina, United States with depths of 25.9–33.5 m (85–110 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Atlantic spadefish, Queen angelfish, and Great barracuda. Recent reports put the water around 23°C (73°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Next window today· 11:00–18:00 · moderate · sunset 17:19

Forecast for this hour · 10:00 · run 22 h ago
2.5 m (8.1 ft)waves — about two and a half meters expected (waves — about eight feet expected)

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 23°C · seasonal avg 23°C ( · Forecast 73°F · seasonal avg 73°F)

Site hazards: Depth to ~110 ft, Gulf Stream current, wreck broken into three sections by Hurricane Fran (1996) with jagged steel and swim-throughs, monofilament entanglement, sand tiger sharks present.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Mon11:00–18:00 moderate

2.4 m waves · 20 kn wind (7.8 ft waves · 20 kn wind)

Tue7:00–17:00 favorable, 17:00–18:00 moderate

1.6 m waves · 14 kn wind (5.2 ft waves · 14 kn wind)

Wed7:00–9:00 favorable, 9:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–12:00 favorable, 12:00–15:00 moderate, 15:00–16:00 favorable, 16:00–18:00 moderate

1.7 m waves · 21 kn wind (5.6 ft waves · 21 kn wind)

Thu7:00–10:00 moderate, 10:00–11:00 favorable, 11:00–12:00 moderate, 12:00–18:00 favorable

1.8 m waves · 18 kn wind (6.0 ft waves · 18 kn wind)

Fri7:00–18:00 favorable

1.3 m waves · 16 kn wind (4.2 ft waves · 16 kn wind)

Sat7:00–18:00 favorable

1.0 m waves · 12 kn wind (3.3 ft waves · 12 kn wind)

SunNot in the forecast yet

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wave and wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 5:55 · Sunrise 6:21 · Sunset 17:19 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 2.3 km from site · updated 25 Oct, 12:17 GMT-5

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Aeolus (wreck)

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Atlantic spadefish, Great barracuda, Sand tiger shark
Best time: May-October; summer for warm clear Gulf Stream water and peak sand tiger activity.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. January, 28% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 13°C (56°F), waves have typically been 1.6 m (5.3 ft), wind has typically been 21 knots
  2. February, 31% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 14°C (56°F), waves have typically been 1.7 m (5.4 ft), wind has typically been 21 knots
  3. March, 26% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 15°C (59°F), waves have typically been 1.7 m (5.7 ft), wind has typically been 21 knots
  4. April, 43% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 18°C (65°F), waves have typically been 1.6 m (5.1 ft), wind has typically been 19 knots
  5. May, 48% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 22°C (72°F), waves have typically been 1.4 m (4.7 ft), wind has typically been 19 knots
  6. June, 62% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 25°C (77°F), waves have typically been 1.2 m (4.0 ft), wind has typically been 17 knots
  7. July, 69% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 28°C (83°F), waves have typically been 1.2 m (3.8 ft), wind has typically been 16 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 53% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 28°C (82°F), waves have typically been 1.4 m (4.7 ft), wind has typically been 17 knots
  9. September, 44% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 26°C (79°F), waves have typically been 1.7 m (5.4 ft), wind has typically been 19 knots
  10. October, 41% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 23°C (73°F), waves have typically been 1.6 m (5.2 ft), wind has typically been 19 knots
  11. November, 42% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 19°C (67°F), waves have typically been 1.5 m (4.9 ft), wind has typically been 20 knots
  12. December, 35% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 16°C (61°F), waves have typically been 1.7 m (5.6 ft), wind has typically been 21 knots

July has typically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

  • Grey Nurse recorded here Jun–Jul (4 records)

    Carcharias taurusmost recent 2015

  • Centropristis striata recorded here Jun–Jul (2 records)

    most recent 2015

  • Amberjack recorded here Jul (1 record)

    Seriola dumerilimost recent 2015

  • Aplysilla sulfurea recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2015

  • Atlantic Spadefish recorded here Jul (1 record)

    Chaetodipterus fabermost recent 2015

  • Banded Butterflyfish recorded here Jul (1 record)

    Chaetodon striatusmost recent 2015

  • Bathybiaster vexillifer recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2015

  • Bigeye Scad recorded here Jul (1 record)

    Selar crumenophthalmusmost recent 2015

Newest record here: 2015. Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km (16 mi). Know one? Add it to the map.

Data updated June 2026

Site details

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.

boatwreck

Depth to ~110 ft, Gulf Stream current, wreck broken into three sections by Hurricane Fran (1996) with jagged steel and swim-throughs, monofilament entanglement, sand tiger sharks present.

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