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Ship Wreck - Spar

The Coast Guard Cutter Spar was sunk as a diver-friendly wreck just yards from the Aeolus. The Spar is known as a popular spot for Sand Tiger Sharks. The 180 feet long and 37 feet wide Spar sits at a 45-degree angle in 100 feet of water and is completely intact, allowing many opportunities for a diver to penetrate the wreck. 

The Spar is a great wreck for penetration diving as it is very open and has plenty of places to explore. Divers who don't wish to penetrate often start their dive around the main wheelhouse and move forward to the main deck. Sand tiger sharks usually swim along the crane and divers frequently bring back a souvenir sharks tooth found laying on the wreck.

The Spar got its name from the US Coast Guard Motto "Semper Paratus, Always Ready" which was an appropriate name for the Coast Guard buoy tender commissioned June 1944. Making port at various locations up and down the Northeast US, the Spar was one of the most awarded vessels in the Coast Guard fleet and served in a variety missions during its 50-year service including submarine hunting and oceanography assignments. After being decommissioned in Feb of 1997, the ship was sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Morehead City.

Now home to Sand Tiger Sharks, the Spar is one of our most popular sites since it sits upright and has lots of opportunities for penetration. This site is visited on our Full Day Dive Trip.  

  • Name: Spar
  • Date Sank: June 2004
  • Type: Coast Guard Cutter
  • Depth: 110 feet
  • Length: 180 feet
  • Penetration: Lots
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Sharks: Yes, Sand Tigers

 Aeolus