Outer Banks, NC Macro?

Hey everyone-

Im headed to the outer banks on a family vacation and Im trying to get some diving in. The "Graveyard of the Atlantic" has some great wrecks including the first German sub to be sunk by americans in WW2, the U-85. At this point Im only set up for macro on my D90, due to the added cost of an extra lens, dome, and strobe. My question is do you think its worth it to shoot macro on these wrecks where WA is the obvious choice if it were possible? Thanks

Max

anyone?

I haven't been there so can't comment specifically about what you might find, but I can tell you that after a lot of years of UW photography, there's always "something" there.

My "local" diving is based in Tobermory in the heart of the Great Lakes. We have some of the best fresh-water wrecks anywhere in the world, and it's definitely WA turf. One day last week, it was very rough so the options to dive were limited. I opted to dive a shallow, sheltered wreck and test out a borrowed 60mm macro I am considering buying, and managed a few shots of some of our local beasts...

If in doubt, take your camera... if nothing else, it's more practice with it!

I was there once for diving for a short time. There would have been some interesting options for macro on the trip I was on. The sand tigers can get close enough to allow some interesting options for eyes and teeth. U-352 had a few nice options with bottom dwelling fish as well. Diving with any setup offers options that diving with no setup does not. The dives were at ~120 ft so time at the bottom is very limited.

We were diving nitrox in a blend for those depths...I think it was 28% but memory has faded.

Watch your time as the bttm time seems over nearly instantly even on nitrox.

Barracuda under the boat during the safety stop also allowed quite close approach and another chance for some macro work with teeth and eyes.

If I had been diving that trip with only the macro option available, I would have been glad to have it with me. I think I would opt for a quick focusing 60mm rather than a 105.

I have dove the U-85. Too bad you don't have a WA lens. I think that would be ideal. If you haven't dove there before, the water is cold. If memory serves me correct, it was in the low 60's. Will need something heavier that a 3mm wet suit. I think I had seen a lot of conger eels on the wreck.

Kirk