The diving was great! Sharks, wrecks, and schools and schools of fish! We also saw eels and octopuses! Josh and Heather were very approachable and easy going organizers who made space for everyone to opt-in to the group dinners but definitely gave no pressure. They addressed any problems immediately and with grace, and generally added to the experience. While the staff were all very kind and friendly, the NC dive shop (Olympus) offers very little in terms of included amenities and services. You do everything yourself: analyze and record your own EAN, put your tanks on the boat, set up your equipment, and the dives are self-guided. Lunch and refreshments are not provided on board (but there is plenty of space to put your own in the coolers and minifridge, plus a toaster oven and microwave). This was all fine and communicated ahead of time, but is quite different from my experiences elsewhere, so worth noting, especially since the prices were higher than I am used to. Most sites were about 2 hours offshore, so I assume much of the cost can be attributed to fuel. Two of the three days, we did both dives on the same site. The first day, the other Olympus Dive Shop boat was anchored on the stern of the huge wreck and our boat was anchored on the bow. It seems to me that we could have at least switched locations of the two boats during our hour plus surface interval to get a somewhat different dive in for the second tank, but instead we did the exact same dive twice (which albeit was a great dive). Only two people from our group stayed in the dive lodge, which I highly recommend for those with a tolerance for hostel living. It was very well located, an easy walk to most of the restaurants and (crucially) to the dive shop. Lots of space in the fridge and a chill living room area, plus the bathrooms were clean. I could see it getting a little crowded if at capacity, but we only had 6-9 people staying there any given night. Definitely a good budget option! Plus you get to meet some other divers, hear their stories, and get their advice on the sites. All in all, a great trip! I would definitely recommend it to experienced divers who like sharks, wrecks, and fish galore!
