Shipwrecks

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Here are some of the more popular wreck dives accessible from the beach.

Huron - Federal Gunship steamer with sail 541 tons, she ran aground November 24, 1877 with the loss of 98 crewmen. Located at milepost 11 the Bladen St. access in Nags Head in approx. 25 ft of water.

Kyzickes - (Triangle Wrecks)- Tanker, Milepost 7, Second Street access in Kill Devil Hills approximately 150 yards offshore. The Kyzikes was a 292' long Greek tanker bound for Spain from Baltimore with a cargo of crude oil in December of 1927. Caught in a heavy gale, she drifted southward, taking on large quantities of water after rupturing her aged hull. Eventually, she lost all power and became helpless to the pounding seas. By morning of 4 December, the Kyzikes had run onto a shoal off Kill Devil Hills. Nothing remains above water to mark the site although at low tide the surface is within inches of the top of the stern section. Most easily discernible in the stern section of the Kyzikes is the huge quadruple expansion engine. Also visible are the two Babcock and Wilcox Alert boilers, though their component parts have become disarticulated over time. Sand continuously covers and uncovers this site depending on the season and the intensity of storms, therefore the wreck's appearance constantly changes. Depth is about 20 ft of water.

Carl Gerhard (Triangle Wrecks)- Freighter, Milepost 7, Second street access in Kill Devil Hills. The Carl Gerhard was a 244' long freighter that ran over the bar off Kill Devil Hills on 24 September 1929 after stumbling around in a storm for 5 days. The Gerhard struck the partially submerged remains of the Kyzickes, which met the same fate two years earlier. Individuals from 4 Coast Guard Stations met at the scene and worked to rescue the crew with no loss of life. The Carl Gerhard was a total loss and quickly began to break apart.

Today, the Carl Gerhard rests just offshore of Kill Devil Hills. Known as part of the "Triangle Wreck," the site consists of the Gerhard and the two sections of the Kyzickes and is popular with surf fishermen as well as divers. Visibility is generally better at this site than at the further south USS Huron; divers can check with the nearby lifeguard for current conditions. Best dove at high tide after a period of little wind, divers can see scattered hull plates and other wreckage resting in 15' of water; the bow faces towards the beach. The site is accessible via a beach road; divers can walk south down the beach approximately 100m, until in line with the Kill Devil Hills water tower. Swimming 100m offshore should place one over wreckage which many times is visible from the surface as sections rise to within 5' of it. Tautog, sea bass, bluefish, and copious amounts of mussels can be found amongst the wreckage.

The wrecks are broken in half with the bow section of the Kyzickes lying on the outer sand bar about 200 yards offshore. The Carl Gerhard went down in 1927 carrying a cargo of plasterboard. The Kyzickes ran into the Carl Gerhard in 1929 and suncShe ran aground during a storm with a cargo of oil. Four lives were lost

Oriental - (Boiler Wreck)- Federal Transport, 210 feet long, 1,202 tons, sank May 16, 1862. She lies approximately three miles south of the Oregon Inlet, approximately 300 yds. offshore in about 35 ft of water. This wreck is reachable from the beach but can be a difficult swim. We use kayaks.

Explorer - Tugboat, went down on December 12, 1919. Located on milepost 11 at the Bladen St.. access. She is about 100 yards north of the Nags Head Fishing Pier, 150 yards offshore in about 20 ft of water. A good portion of this wreck is covered by sand.

Wreck Diving Website for future Dives