About Scuba Diving in South Carolina

South Carolina is a vacation paradise four seasons of the year. For the diver who is looking for some real adventure at times when the weather in other parts of the country make scuba diving not a very good idea, South Carolina steps up to the plate.

  1. Geography

    • In addition to the coast line beaches, South Carolina has many lakes and rivers. The Edisto River, Pee Dee River, Santee River, Savannah River and Lake Greenwood, Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie are the largest. The weather in South Carolina is perfect for scuba diving. The summers are long and hot and the winters short and mild.

    Features

    • Devils Fork State Park in has some of the best water for scuba diving. Lake Jocassee has six scuba dive sites ranging in depth from 30 feet to 70 feet including Stalk Canyon at 35 feet and a sunken boat at 60 feet. There are scuba shops like The Scuba Shop and the Jocassee Outdoor Center where you can buy or rent equipment or go on a guided dive.
      Coastal Scuba operates in Myrtle Beach and they will take you diving at sites like The Sherman, a 120 year old sunken ship, Barracuda Alley and artificial reef when you actually can see barracuda, the "Governor" a sunken paddle wheeler and Angel's Ledge, a natural reef where you can see angel fish, grouper and other fish.
      Deep South Rivers operates out of Charleston and will take you on a scuba diving adventure to the Cooper River where you can hunt for fossils and artifacts such as teeth and bones from animals that have not walked on the face of the earth for millions and millions of years.

    Benefits

    • Why choose South Carolina for a Scuba diving adventure? The variety of diving spots is one reason. There are hundreds of companies throughout the state that will take you on scuba diving trips. No matter where you are, there will be ocean lake and or river sites. The ocean off the South Carolina coast has one of the largest number of ship wrecks, from old ones to new ones and on most of them you can go treasure hunting.

    Considerations

    • Be mindful of the laws. For instance, in Devils Fork State Park, you cannot dive anywhere near the boat launches. Make sure you have the proper certification. If not, there are plenty of diving schools that will help you. Know the system of dive flags. And never dive alone.

    Warning

    • There are times in the winter when you may have to use a dry suit as opposed to a wet suit, but they are few and far between. Check the weather before you come. South Carolina can have hurricanes, check with the location before you come. There are many things that can happen that can make an outdoor area out of bounds.