Welcome To Offshore Carolina!

Offshore Carolina is the scuba diving club at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This club exists to help interested people learn to scuba dive, to organize diving trips, and to provide lots of great people with whom you can go diving! Membership is open to all UNC students, faculty, and staff members. It is common for members to bring non-UNC friends and relatives along for club trips.

Should I learn to dive?

Scuba diving is a lot of fun, and you don't have to be an expert swimmer or a top-notch athlete to enjoy it. As long as you have basic swimming skills and are comfortable in the water, you're ready to learn to dive. As a club member, you can get your open water certification (the entry-level scuba diving license) through a low-cost, club-organized certification class. Click on the "certifications" link above for more info.

Scuba diving is unlike anything else you have done. It allows you to explore a new and different world filled with interesting creatures and alien geology. Part of the fun is being weightless, free to move in three dimensions. And part of the satisfaction of diving comes from the technical expertise you gain: the ability to operate your gear and dive successfully and safely.

Most of all, though, diving is a way to meet people and make friends who are adventurous and excited about the natural world.

Okay, I'm certified. Now what?

Join us on one of our diving trips. The club tries to organize a few diving trips each year. Some are to nearby sites around North Carolina, while others are to Florida or abroad. Transportation and accommodation costs are split among all participants, and we are able to get a group rate from dive centers for equipment rental, boat usage, and a divemaster guide.

For specific details of past trips, click on the "trips" link above.

How The Club Works

Offshore Carolina currently has two co-presidents, a vice president, a faculty advisor, and a web administrator. Dues are very low (about $10 per semester). In the past, the club has not received university funding to subsidize our activities. However, we do have the use of some university facilities, such as the pool (for certification classes) and web servers (for hosting this website). We have an email distribution list over which we announce club meetings, trips, and other info about club happenings.

Any member is free to help plan scuba trips and other events. Organizing is typically done via in-person meetings and the Offshore Carolina Facebook group. When you join the club, you can ask any officer to send you an invite to this Facebook group.

How To Join

In order to join, click on the "contact" link above and send a message to one of the officers. He/She will add you to the mailing list (and Facebook Group, if you're on Facebook). You can also see us in person at Fall Fest, which is held annually in late August / early September on the UNC campus.

Have fun, and we hope to see you soon!