1. A PLACE TO START
A popular wreck dive, the Indra sits in the sand at around 65 feet. Scuttled in 1992, the 330-foot former Navy landing ship makes a great introduction to the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
2. SEE THE LIGHT
For those willing to climb hundreds of steps to the top, a series of some of America’s tallest lighthouses offers eye-popping vistas of the barrier islands.
3. SPARRING GROUNDS
Sunk in 2004, the 180-foot former U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar now rests in 110 feet of water and offers photo opps with sand tigers. The photo of the sand tiger on this page was taken on the Spar. olympusdiving.com
4. HISTORY LESSON
The is a 180-foot former buoy tender that was moved 200 feet from her original location and rolled over on her port side when Hurricane Irene struck the coast in August 2011. She weathered the storm intact.
5. BIG BEACHES
With a chain of barrier islands stretching more than 200 miles, there’s a place here for every beach lover to find a spot of sand.
North Carolina Lighthouses
6. LOVE CONNECTION
Broken into pieces by a series of hurricanes in 1996, the Aeolus is more than 400 feet long. it's also become a popular aggregation spot for sand tigers, inspiring locals to nickname it Club Aeolus.
7. LITTLE LUXURY
The Proteus, a 390-foot former luxury passenger liner, now sits at 120 feet. Divers can spot an intact rudder and a four-blade propeller partially buried in the sand, as well as pelagics such as giant barracuda and heaps of sharks.
8. CRYSTAL CLEAR
The Crystal Coast boasts a past rich with tales of Blackbeard and Civil War battles. Fort Macon State Park and the North Carolina Maritime Museum will keep your surface intervals busy.
9. STARS OF THE SHOW
Nicknamed for their ragged, toothy grins, sand tiger sharks are a staple of the Outer Banks scuba experience, both for their prolific numbers and mellow, curious demeanor.
10. FLY A KITE
If diving with a dozen sand tiger sharks isn't thrilling enough, kiteboarding might be the thing to get your adrenaline pumping. The Outer Banks offers world-class wind conditions and plentiful certified kiteboarding schools.
View a slideshow of more great North Carolina wreck diving! And learn more about the U-352!