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April 21, 2007 

Hello Divers, 

It's hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since we started to plan our volunteer dive program at the Aquarium. As you know, it has been an extremely difficult year, full of more delays than anyone could have imagined. You guys have been very understanding of our situation and we appreciate that more than you know. Now with the warm weather of spring nearly upon us, it looks like your patience will be rewarded. By early next week we should have a date for the Validation Inspection that we've been waiting for so long. If all goes well, we should have an approval to start diving before summer?!?!? Please everyone keep your fingers crossed as I hope to have good news to share very soon! In the mean time, here's some news on a few other things that you might find interesting.....

  • Wetsuits: I'm happy to report that our custom uniform wetsuits have started to arrive. Boy do they look great! The first four staff suits arrived on Friday, more staff suits are to arrive by the end of the month, and the orders for the volunteer suits are ready to submit as soon as we have the green light to dive.
  • Website: The artwork for our upgraded website is complete. Click on the following link to check it out. http://www.ncadivers.com/index.php  It's pretty cool! Please don't try any of the features though.... just look for now. It won't be fully functional for a few more weeks.
  • Special Event: Please see the press release below to learn how you can be part of history. The first annual fundraising event for the Aquarium's Dive Program will feature a very special guest of honor. Many thanks to our proud sponsor, Olympus Dive Center, for making this happen. Hope to see you there!

Many thanks,

 

SB

February 26, 2007
 
Greetings Divers,
 
You are all invited to attend the first annual fundraiser for the Eastern Carolina Artificial Reef Association. Have a look at the press release below and mark your calendar. As a special offer to Aquarium divers, the event will be priced at $15 which includes dinner and a yearly membership. Now that's an offer you can't refuse! Just contact either of the shops listed below to sign up. See you there.....
 
As for the Aquarium and our progress on diving, we have just been given approval to get in the water again. Wooooohooooo!!!!! We are conducting staff training in preparation for an inspection sometime this spring. We'll keep you posted as things progress.
 
Thanks for hanging in there!

STEVE BROADHURST
Dive Safety Officer
North Carolina Aquarium
at Pine Knoll Shores
PO Box 580
Atlantic Beach, NC  28512
Office: (252) 247-4003 / X-242
Cellular: (252) 622-5562
E-mail: steve.broadhurst@ncmail.net 

 

******* PRESS RELEASE *******

 

U-352 Survivor Heinz Richter to be Guest of Honor at the

NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores Dive Program Annual Fundraiser. 

On the first weekend in May Olympus Dive Center will be sponsoring a fund raiser weekend with the proceeds going to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores Dive Program. 

The weekend will kick off Friday evening with a catered BBQ Harbor Cruise aboard Olympus.  Olympus will cruise the Morehead City and Beaufort waterfronts while we enjoy a local favorite, Southern pulled pork BBQ. 

Saturday morning we are off to the U-352 for a dive aboard Midnight Express.  May is the 65 anniversary of the sinking of the U-352.  The first anniversary of the sinking was in 1985 when three of the U-boat’s sailors reunited to remember their lost comrades. 

Saturday Evening’s event will be held at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.  The evening will begin with a social around the otter exhibit.  After getting to know everyone, the event will move into Sound Side Hall for the re-airing of the episode of Deep Sea Detectives with Heinz Richter’s interview. 

Heinz was the machinist aboard U-352 May 9th 1942 when she sank after being depth charged by the USCG Cutter Icarus.  Heinz reviles the key reason the U-boat did not manage to escape. 

Following the Sound Side Hall presentation we will all move into the main exhibit area of the aquarium for dinner, the Living Shipwreck.  The main exhibit contains a replica of  U-352 in over 300,000 gallons of seawater. The U-boat is built to 2/3rd scale and looks identical to the shipwreck we all know and love. 

While enjoying your dinner prepared by Floyd’s 1921 Restaurant you can admire the U-352 and its many guests.  The huge 70 foot long tank is full of sharks, jacks, eels, grouper and many other local fish.  Those of you that have attended our Norwood fundraiser the past two years can expect the same great service and delicious food by Chef Floyd Olmstead, good friend of the Purifoy family. 

In addition to the dinner and Deep Sea Detectives episode there will be a silent auction and chance to have Mr. Richter sign diver’s logs and U-352 pictures. 

Several other divers aided in the discovery of the U-boat in the early 1970’s.

Some of the original searchers and researchers of U-352 will also be at the dinner. 

Author Jim Bunch will be at the dinner signing his book Germany’s U-85 A Shadow in the Sea.  The U-85, also a type VII and was sunk off Nags Head, NC April 14, 1942 less than a month before U-352’s sinking.  Joe Porter of Wreck Diving Magazine will also be in attendance. 

You can sign up for the whole package or just part of the weekend.

Package includes:         Friday Evening Catered Harbor Cruise

Diving Saturday or Sunday

Saturday Evening Fund Raiser Dinner

                                    $210.00  (Add 2 nights in Olympus Dive Lodge - $260.00)

 

Harbor Cruise Only                  $30

Aquarium Dinner Only  $55

U-352 Fundraiser Dive             $125

Proceeds go to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores Dive Program

                                               

For more information contact Olympus Dive Center @ 726-9432.

 

********* PRESS RELEASE ********** 

 

Eastern Carolina Artificial Reef Association (ECARA)

Saturday March 3rd, 2007

 

The Eastern Carolina Artificial Reef Association is having a fundraising event and dinner in the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knolls Shore, Saturday, March 3, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:45 pm.  The cost is only $25.00 per person, which includes dinner, entrance into the Aquarium, special Artificial Reef and Diving programs, and membership into the Eastern Carolina Artificial Reef Association. You can save $5.00 per person by signing up early at dive@DiscoveryDiving.com or by calling 252-728-2265 or Olympus@OlympusDiving.com or calling 252-726-9432.

 

The Eastern Carolina Artificial Reef Association wants to raise money for establishing new artificial reefs in the coming months and raise awareness of the benefits of Shipwrecks as Artificial Reefs. Since there are relatively few natural reefs in the waters of North Carolina, artificial reefs play a vital role in providing habitat for marine life. Nature’s vast array of sea life is fascinating enough, but add man’s intrusion in the form of shipwrecks and you create yet another awing dimension. Economic benefits are associated with Artificial Reefs as well. One Florida shipwreck, the Vandenberg, is expected to generate between $56 million and $168 million in commerce to their local economy.  The Spiegel Grove in Key Largo, Florida generated 14.2 million according the their chamber of commerce in one year alone. Ships are available for free from the Federal Government to be sunk as reefs. Like in Florida, we in North Carolina can do this too!

 

Features at the Aquarium will be:

  • DVD presentation on the history of Diving off of the Crystal Coast
  • Otter enrichment presentation
  • DVD presentation on the history of Artificial Reefs off of the Crystal Coast
  • Raffles for a Behind the Scenes tour
  • Presentation by Jess Hawkins on Artificial Reefs
  • Feeding the animals in the Queen Ann's Revenge Exhibit
  • Documentary on when war came to America (how the first artificial reefs got there)
  • Special presentation at the U-352 "Living Shipwreck" Exhibit
  • Rare & uncut footage on diving NC
  • Gift shop will be open from 6:30- 8:30
  • Green Screen pictures of you as a diver
  • And much more!

Please join us for an evening of fun and reminiscing while learning how to help the ecosystem, help tourism, and help the economy!  Those of you that do not dive, can experience what it is like to be below the ocean through underwater photography and exhibitory.  Those of you that do, come and see your history…and your future.

January 4, 2007 

Greetings Divers, 

I hope you all had a wonderful time with friends and family over the holidays. After an all too short break, we are back hard at work to complete the state’s inspection process and open the doors for volunteer diving here at the Aquarium. This necessary and important process has proven to be more difficult than originally anticipated. Presently we are canceling daily dive shows to devote all energy to successfully completing the inspection. If all goes well we will be ready for our final inspection in February which means that you guys will ready to start training shortly thereafter. I hesitate to predict an exact date, but feel confident that we will have put all of this astern by this spring. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delays. We realize that this has been frustrating and we really appreciate your patience and understanding. I look forward to wetter days here at the Aquarium when we are all together diving and having fun. Until then, here are a few other updates that I'd like to share.

  • AZA ACCREDITATION – Similar to the inspection process of the dive program, the entire Aquarium will undergo an accreditation inspection by AZA next week. AZA (the Association of Zoos and Aquariums) is the nation’s professional organization for zoos and aquariums. Only the best facilities are accredited by this prestigious organization.
  • DIVE LOCKER – Design is complete for our new dive locker facility and construction should begin this winter. This will be the home of our program and should prove to be quite nice.
  • T-SHIRTS & HATS – We are working on really nice t-shirts and hats for everyone and should be able to distribute these to all active divers after you complete training. Proudly wearing NCA diver apparel is a great way to show your support of the program and help recruit new divers.
  • NEW WEBSITE – The final animation work is being completed by our graphics designer and it looks really cool. As soon as that is done we will launch phase one of the ALL NEW site. At that time you will be asked to create a password protected account. The new site will be our central source for communication and will be a tremendous asset for us all.
  • WETSUITS – Henderson has completed the logo set up and is producing a prototype suit for our approval. This suit should be shipped to us next week allowing us to move forward with purchasing your wetsuits.

For now that is all the news I have. Please contact us if you have any additional questions and thanks again for bearing with us through this difficult time.

Happy New Year!!!

 

October 25, 2006
 
Greetings Divers,
 
I hope all is well in your world and that you had a safe, fun, and rewarding summer dive season. Things are progressing nicely here at the Aquarium as we begin the long awaited process of validation. Woooohoooo!!! This means that we will be ready to start you guys diving sooner than later. I should have an exact date for you on the next update. Until then, here are a few other "good news" announcements that I'd like to share.
  • NEW WEBSITE - It looks like it will be only about a week before we launch the ALL-NEW website. At that time you will be asked to create a password protected account. The new site will be our central source for communication and will be a tremendous asset for us all.
  • WETSUITS - The Aquarium has decided to raise their level of support of our program by purchasing a supply of volunteer diver uniform wetsuits. There will be more details to follow, but this is great news! Remember if you are one of the few that hasn't yet been sized for a suit, please make an appointment to do so ASAP. We will only have the "Try-On" suits here for another week. Tick-tock-tick-tock.......
  • TOTUS - "Trick Or Treat Under the Sea" will be on Thursday, October 26th from 5pm-9pm. The Aquarium will be transformed into Spook Central - complete with cool decorations, trick or treating, scary stories, wacky costumes, etc. Come one, come all, kids of all ages!
That's all for now. Please contact us if you have any questions.......
 
Happy Halloween!!!

 

October 10, 2006

Hello everyone,

 
Thank you to all that came to the Aquarium to get your wetsuit fitted!!!  It was good to see you all and I hope it won't be long before we're approved to start diving.

For those of you that missed the October 8th "deadline" to get fitted, we decided to keep the loaner suits here for another week or so.

Here are your options......

1)  Get fitted by appointment (October 15th - 31st). We will not be returning the "try on" suits until the end of the month, so you still have a chance to get fitted in advance.

2)  Wait and order your suit on your first day of diving here at the aquarium. It will take 2-4 weeks for your suit to arrive.

 
VERY IMPORTANT!!!! If you decide you want to come to the Aquarium for your fitting between October 15th - 31st, remember that you will need to make an APPOINTMENT for your fitting. To do so, e-mail our Dive Tech - Jaime Leonard at jaime.leonard@ncmail.net . With no appointment there is no guarantee that we will be available and I'd hate for you to waste a trip.

 

September 23, 2006

Greetings Volunteer Divers,

 
Here's another update on what's happening here at the Aquarium. Pretty much every day is the same with numerous construction related issues while trying to keep the public happy with show & maintenance dives. The validation inspection is still not scheduled, but it looks as if we will have a firm date sometime during the first two weeks of October. Below are several more bulleted updates.....
  • Dive Locker Construction - The design for the new Dive Locker is complete. The walk-in freezer that was blocking our area has been relocated and demolition to prepare the site will begin soon.
  • Website Launch - Our ALL-NEW website will soon be launched!!! We have all of the graphics complete and the basic functionality has been tested. I expect it will be about two more weeks at which time you will be asked to create a password protected account. The new site will be the central source for communication and will be a tremendous asset for us all.
  • Future Updates - This update letter will be the last to be "e-mailed". After that, all updates will be posted on the website. Even before the all-new site is launched, updates will be available on the current site @ www.ncadivers.com. 
  • Communication - E-mail connectivity continues to be a problem. Please continue to forward requests for info not covered in the updates and we will response as quickly as we can. Feel free to pester us if you don't get a timely response.
  • Dive Physicals - Several of you have taken advantage of the Urgent Care deal and quite a few others have sent in their physicals. THANK YOU!
  • TOTUS - What the heck is TOTUS??? It stands for "Trick Or Treat Under the Sea" On Thursday, October 26th from 5pm-9pm, the Aquarium will be transformed into Spook Central. Complete with cool decorations, trick or treating, scary stories, wacky costumes, etc.... Come one...... come all..... kids of all ages!
  • NC Aquarium Wetsuits - Last but not least!!!! We have received the complete shipment of "Try-On Suits" from Henderson and are ready to get you all fitted. Starting Monday, September 25th and continuing until Sunday, October 8th between the hours of 4pm-6pm Weekdays and 11am-1pm Weekends please pick a day to come to the Aquarium for your fitting. When you arrive, please check in at the front desk and someone will call us to come greet you. We look forward to seeing everyone in person where we can let you see the progress we're making with your own eyes.
Thanks for your time everyone and please realize how much we appreciate your patience and understanding. We can hardly wait until we're all together diving and having fun!!!
 
Until then...... Happy and Safe Diving,

 

August 14, 2006

Greetings Volunteer Divers,

We wanted to give you an update on where we stand with the Aquarium's volunteer dive program. First of all, please accept our most sincere apologies for being next to impossible to contact. The last few months have been very difficult here at the Aquarium and we very much look forward to the day that we can bring the volunteer divers on-board. Without you guys, we are having to dive everyday. So far we have logged over 1000 individual dives. We are staying very busy, very wet, and extremely tired. It's hard to get much done other than dive, so good thing we love our work so much!!!

So, what's the hold up? While the public areas of the Aquarium are about 99% complete, the "behind the scenes" areas (including the Dive Locker) are still under construction. In addition, we have learned that there is a "Validation" process that we are required to complete before you guys start diving. Our current program is only functioning under an interim approval by the Division Dive Safety Control Board. These are some of the things that stand before us.

In the updated timeline we estimate that "Validation" will occur in late September and that the new Dive Locker will be complete October/November. This means that "team-leader" in-water training may start as early as October with the remainder of the divers coming on-board shortly after. It will be fantastic when everything is complete, we're done with training, and we're all together working as a team.

In the mean time, please continue to be patient. We really appreciate your understanding. Also, be on the lookout for numerous additions and improvements to our operation including the following:

  • Website Launch - Our ALL-NEW website will be launched in mid September. At that time you will be asked to create a password protected account. The new site will be the central source for communication and will be a tremendous asset for us all.
  • Weekly Updates - This update letter will be the last to be "snail mailed". After that, weekly updates will be posted on the website. Even before the all-new site is launched, the updates will be available on the current site at www.ncadivers.com.
  • Better Communication - This is a must! Questions not covered in the weekly update can be forwarded to me, Ethan, or Jaime via e-mail. Links to our e-mail addresses will be included on the site at the bottom of each update. Remember that there are over 60 of you guys and only 3 of us, so please keep your questions as concise as possible. Since we are diving so much and it is unlikely that you'll catch us at our desks, please use our office voice-mails for the lowest priority questions. If you have an urgent need, please call my cell phone (listed below). Chris and Alex in the Volunteer Office will continue to do a great job fielding questions as well.
  • Dive Physicals - We have partnered with Urgent Care of Morehead City to offer an inexpensive and fast way of completing your required dive physical. If you are interested in learning more about this, please e-mail us.
  • CPR / First Aid / Dan O2 Training - Opportunities for training will be scheduled soon. Please stay tuned.
  • NC Aquarium Wetsuits - We have received the shipment of "Try-On Suits" from Henderson. I will send out a schedule next week of when you can come to the Aquarium to get sized and order your suit.

Thank you for your time and allowing us the opportunity to provide this update. We hope things are clearer now. When all is complete and our program is up and running, we're sure you'll agree that it was well worth the wait!

We look forward to working with you all,