North Carolina: Graveyard of the Atlantic Specialty

PADI Wreck Diver Specialty in Raleigh, NC

North Carolina is world-renowned as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to hundreds of historic WWII U-boats, tankers, and coastal shipwrecks. Learn to explore these living time capsules safely.

Course Quick Facts

Program Snapshot & Logistics

Prerequisite
PADI Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water
Minimum Age
15 Years Old
Dives Required
4 Wreck Training Dives over 2 Days
Skills Focused
Wreck Mapping, Guideline Reels & Limited Penetration
Training Sites
Fantasy Lake Submerged Wrecks & NC Coastal Charters
Lead Instructor
Kevin Alexander (PADI Master Instructor #33230)

🛡️ The By The Shore Training Advantage:

Unlike crowded dive shops that rush 10–12 students through pool cattle-calls, By The Shore SCUBA limits class sizes to low student-to-instructor ratios (typically 4:1). You receive individual coaching from PADI Master Instructor Kevin Alexander in a heated indoor Raleigh pool and calm Fantasy Lake spring quarry.

✓ Small Class Sizes • ✓ Heated Indoor Pool • ✓ Stress-Free Pace • ✓ Authentic Competence

Detailed Course Curriculum & What You Learn

Module 01

Module 1: Wreck Research, Hazards & Law

Understand the legal, historical, and environmental protections surrounding shipwrecks, including the Abandoned Shipwreck Act and artifact preservation ethics.

  • Historic wreck research & layout diagrams
  • Sharp metal, entanglement, and surge hazards
  • Preserving historical artifacts (look, don’t touch)
  • Marine life aggregation on artificial reefs
Module 02

Module 2: Guideline Reels & Navigation Mapping

Master the deployment, tie-off, tensioning, and retrieval of penetration guideline reels to maintain a continuous, unbreakable path to open water.

  • Primary and secondary tie-off techniques
  • Continuous guideline deployment & line-following blind drills
  • Wreck dimension sketching & hazard mapping
  • Silting prevention using modified frog kicks
Module 03

Module 3: Limited Penetration Protocols

Execute safe, planned entries into the ambient-light “light zone” of shipwrecks, maintaining strict gas reserves and zero-silt finning techniques.

  • Rule of Thirds gas management for penetration
  • Redundant dive light handling & light signaling
  • Entanglement response & line cutter access
  • Simulated zero-visibility exit drills

Equipment & Gear Guidelines

Provided For You

Heavy Life-Support Scuba Gear

Specialty wreck penetration reels, practice guidelines, and training cylinders.

Student Provided

Personal Snorkel & Dive Kit

Full scuba equipment, primary dive light, backup dive light, guideline reel/spool, and cutting device (line cutter / shears).

Frequently Asked Questions

What wrecks do we dive in North Carolina?

North Carolina offers premier historic shipwrecks including the German U-352 submarine, the Atlas, the Spar, the Aeolus, and the Papoose. Training starts with submerged structures at Fantasy Lake before coastal charters.

Does this course allow full commercial cave penetration?

No. The PADI Wreck Diver course certifies limited penetration within the ambient light zone (within 130 linear feet of the surface/opening). Full dark-zone technical wreck penetration requires technical overhead certifications.