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Map of Cooper River Fossil Drift Dive
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ExpertBoat entry

Cooper River Fossil Drift Dive

South Carolina, United States
AOW suggested6–15 m (20–50 ft) depthBoat entry

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Cooper River Fossil Drift Dive at a glance

Cooper River Fossil Drift Dive is an expert boat dive site in South Carolina, United States with depths of 6.1–15.2 m (20–50 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Freshwater turtle, Longnose gar, and American alligator. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

No window today· next: tomorrow 12:00–19:00 · favorable & moderate

Wind forecast for this hour · 15:00 · run 14 h ago
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Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Near-zero visibility, strong tidal current especially on the ebb, submerged trees and entanglement, boat traffic, alligators near the banks, easy diver-boat separation

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

SunNo window

11 kn wind (11 kn wind)

Mon12:00–14:00 moderate, 14:00–19:00 favorable

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

Tue8:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–19:00 favorable

6 kn wind (6 kn wind)

Wed10:00–12:00 moderate, 12:00–14:00 favorable, 14:00–19:00 moderate

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

Thu10:00–13:00 moderate, 13:00–19:00 favorable

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

Fri9:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–19:00 favorable

7 kn wind (7 kn wind)

Sat8:00–10:00 moderate, 10:00–19:00 favorable

6 kn wind (6 kn wind)

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

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

First light 7:06 · Sunrise 7:32 · Sunset 18:35 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo wind · updated 25 Oct, 01:22 GMT-4

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Cooper River Fossil Drift Dive

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

Best time: Roughly April through October when charters run, timed to slack tide

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, 85% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  2. February, 84% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  3. March, 81% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 11 knots
  4. April, 89% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  5. May, 91% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  6. June, 97% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  7. July, 97% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 8 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 90% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 8 knots
  9. September, 94% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  10. October, 91% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  11. November, 96% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 8 knots
  12. December, 89% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 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 seen at this site

Species noted at this site — 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.

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

A famous blackwater drift-dive fishery for fossils northeast of Charleston, where divers comb shifting gravel beds 20-50 ft down in the tannin-stained, tidal Cooper River for megalodon teeth, whale and mastodon fossils and colonial artifacts. Light disappears within 10-15 ft of the surface and bottom visibility is typically 1-2 ft by dive light, with strong twice-daily tidal currents. Charters such as Dive the Cooper and Tooth Fairy Charters run trips from landings near Cypress Gardens in Berkeley County.

boatdriftmuck

Near-zero visibility, strong tidal current especially on the ebb, submerged trees and entanglement, boat traffic, alligators near the banks, easy diver-boat separation

Reviews

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