Olympus Dive Center began in 1975 as a weekend charter business under Captain George Purifoy. Since that time his hobby has grown into a thriving, full-service dive center that sponsors daily charters during the peak season.
George is a native of Morehead City and is considered a pioneer in North Carolina wreck diving. He is credited with the discovery and identification of many of the wrecks we visit, most notably the U-352 and the USS Schurz.
With the development of the Loran C, the predecessor to GPS, George decided to start running weekend charters from his first boat, the 47' Atlantis II. His business expanded to include a compressor, rentals and in the 70s with the purchase of the Olympus I.
The current dive shop was built in 1982 and the 65' aluminum hulled Olympus used today was purchased in 1986. In 1990 George's hobby became his full time career and expanded his business with the introduction of a second vessel, the 48' Midnight Express.
In 2008, George Purifoy passed away and his son, Robert 'Bobby' Purifoy, assumed the business and still runs it today. Bobby currently captains the Olympus and we are honored to have Mike Gerken as captain on the Midnight Express.
Today Olympus Dive Center runs charters year round with trips daily during the peak season. The shop has also expanded to include the sale of equipment from well known manufactures such as Scubapro, OMS, O'neill, Riffe, and Tusa. Classes from open water scuba diver through technical diving and a full service repair shop have also been added. Olympus Dive Center is committed to continually expanding to offer the best services and charters to our divers and we look forward to introducing you to the ‘Better Way to Dive North Carolina!’
Olympus Dive Center Would Like to Extend Our Thanks to Captain Mike Gerken for allowing us to use his beautiful U-352 mosaic print for our website header. Mike's photography is famous for capturing the beauty of the ocean and we're honored to have many of his works on our site. If you are interested in learning to take photos like Mike, he offers a photography class through Olympus Dive Center. Mike sells his prints online at www.evolutionunderwater.com and we carry a selection of his prints for sale in our retail dive shop.