Instigator Fishing and Diving Charters

If you’re considering a North Carolina dive booking with Instigator is the way to go (believe me, I’ve tried others!!!)
Instigator FAD was so good to us during our wildlife adventures in Swansboro, NC. Weather (and wildlife) can be unpredictable, but their owner, Cindy was amazingly hospitable and communicative every step of the way. Our guide, James, and Captain, Ryan, were 2 of the most helpful, patient and experienced guides I’ve had the pleasure of diving with. Absolutely will be making this a regular dive trip. 10/10 would recommend booking with this amazing crew

I would HIGHLY recommend this dive charter for diving North Carolina!!! Cindy, the owner, was fantastic and made herself very available to responding to my many phonecalls and emails as I planned my dive trip to NC months in advance. She was very honest and thorough with the dive conditions and what we could expect, especially in the week just prior to our arrival.

Our dive guide, James, was fun and personable and he was great at pointing out unique features of the wrecks, concealed marine life, and hidden shark teeth. Ryan, our boat captain, was also excellent in answering any questions or concerns we had. The entire staff at IFAD made our entire dive experience relaxing and fun. They made us very comfortable during our dives, helping us with gear as needed. We came for the sand tiger sharks and they surely delivered them to us!!

While my friends and I just wanted to see sand tiger sharks and be done with diving NC, IFAD has made it such a pleasurable experience that we plan to return!

Absolute favorite dive charter in NC! This group single handed makes me want to dive North Carolina more than Florida. Captains Cindy and Ryan treat experienced divers with respect, guide and coach newer divers so they are comfortable, and share their passion for diving with everyone.
If you want to visit wrecks, see sand tiger sharks, collect shark teeth, spearfish, hunt for the biggest lobsters I’ve ever seen, or anything else underwater THIS is the charter to book!
Every effort is made to run the trips that are booked while keeping everyone safe. Communication is excellent and they are responsive.
There is lodging that is usually available. A beautiful cabin that can sleep up to 8-10 people with a full kitchen and outdoor grills. Super comfy beds for a good nights sleep after a long fun day on the water.
Quit scrolling, you just found the best there is! Call Cindy and Ryan, pack your dove gear, and go enjoy amazing diving with incredible people.

My 13-year-old daughter and I had a great time diving with Captain Cindy, Captain Ryan, and Dive Master Daniel of Instigator Fishing and Diving Charters. They are fantastic! The dive crew went above and beyond taking care of us, making our comfort and safety their #1 priority. The 45' boat was beautiful, with plenty of room to lounge in style in the A/C, and it even had a hot shower! We dove the W.E. Hutton wreck twice, and it was amazing. Captain Cindy even found us an octopus! We highly recommend Instigator Fishing and Diving, and we will definitely dive with them again!

What an amazing outfit!!!
We dove with them after searching all of NC for someone willing to take some newly certified divers to see a wreck or two. We were not sure what to expect but they were phonemonial. Five stars isn't enough.
Respectful. Energetic. Hard working. Knowledgeable. Safe. Experienced. Kind. Professional. Reasonable.
It is evident they love what they do.
Thank you Instigator crew for an awesome experience- even with the sea sickness!

By far the best dive charter out there. Cindy really put us on the fish. Great boat and crew. Thanks again!

I went on the Instigator to complete my diving certification and I have to say that it was the best experience ever! The entire crew was beyond professional and fun! Plenty of space to relax on the ride out. And more importantly I've gotta say, the deckhand was amazing. Confident in everything he did and helped more than you could ask for. 10/10 look forward to going out again! TIP HIM $$ He's good at what he does and deserves it!

Outstanding service, boats, and crew! I really appreciate their dedication to safety, and also their efforts to ensure everyone on their charters has a fun day on and in the water. Capt Cindy and her crew are personable, knowledgeable, and friendly. They make everyone feel welcome whether you have 1,000 dives or are a new scuba student. You can't go wrong with Instigator!

Hands down the best charter we’ve been on in Beaufort. Diving (and fishing) with Cindy is incredible. It’s a smaller boat that you get the private attention of the crew and they take you to all the good wrecks without 25 other divers on top of you. Also make sure you do a Meg dive. They also do fishing which is awesome and I can’t tell you how much my husband loves to go out with them. Again small numbers and great customer service. I can’t say enough about these guys!!!!

Cindy is a AMAZING Captain who will put you on some good fish! Super nice and friendly atmosphere through out the whole diving trip! Cindy and Ryan will accommodate to your diving experience and help you/ keep you safe if you need anything at all! Super professional and friendly people. Best diving/spearfishing crew in the world!

This is a top notch dive operator you can choose as an alternative to crowded boats or operators who will not do drift dives for experienced, capable divers. We had huge success at the Meg Ledge with numerous teeth found along with fossilized whale ears, horns, and bones. We did wreck dives for two days and had outstanding clarity. Cindy and Ryan are fantastic people and really fun to dive with. When you finish your dives you are always greeted with a smile. 😁 I highly recommend this boat and crew and I will definitely be back myself! Thanks Guys!!!

Truly a top notch outfit. They have expanded my world of diving recently by teaching me under water hunter skills. Their spearfishing charters provide you would plenty of opportunity to be successful. I dove with many of other diving operators but enjoy the camaraderie and personalized attention their trips offer. Cindy and Ryan are extremely knowledgeable, resourceful and dependable. They’re friendly approach makes you feel welcomed from the start.

I recently moved to North Carolina from California. I had been looking for a dive charter that wasn't too crowded or restrictive. I found what experienced drivers love in Instigator Charters. The crew is friendly and helpful. The boat is clean and fast. The diving was awesome. I came home and instantly booked 4 more trips.

Instigator dive charter are the best of the best. They went above and beyond to make me comfortable in and out of the water. James Bell was so nice and took the time to teach me some extra skills and made it so fun. The shipwrecks were amazing. Will definitely dive with them again.

This is a great dive operation for all experience levels! I have 200+ dives, and went with my friends who are newly AOW certified with about 30 dives under their belts, and we all had a blast. The boat itself is spacious for a 6-pack. I felt like I had enough room to relax on the way out/in, and the bench in the middle has enough space for 6 divers, 2 tanks each, making it easy to gear up. As for the captains, Cindy and Ryan, they were the nicest and most accommodating captains - they put a lot of effort in to help everyone out as much as they could. They were very happy to help hand things down and grab things up out of the water so getting in/out was as painless as possible. They also picked 3 great sites that allowed good surface interval between each one, so by the time we got anchored in at the next site, it was time to gear up and head into the water with adequate bottom time. It was very obvious that they wanted each of us to have the best time, and helped out as they could with advice/teaching how to catch lobster, and even gave me recommendations of where to go from the anchor line to find more fish to spear. I will be booking charters with them in the future!

Top notch outfit! If you have a destination in mind off the south east coast of North Carolina to dive or fish they can make it happen for ya. Captain Cindy and crew are very accommodating. Me an my wife are new divers and this was our first charter. Cindy said no problem and didn't charge a dime to be our dive guide. Was very reassuring to know we had an instructor with us in case something went wrong.

Cindy gave us some pointers that wasn't covered in our open water classes and made us better divers! Since then we have made several dives in Bonaire and Florida but as for diving in NC that's who we dive with!

My time on the Instigator has been incredible each and every time I go out with them. Captain amd crew are all top notch professionals, literal masters of their craft. Cindy has a way of making a long day of boat rides fun and educational. I learn something new everytime I go out, thanks to her I have dove some major bucket list wrecks. She knows how to find every fish in the ocean, and that is huge if you are a spearfisherman like me. There is no cattle boat rush in amd out of the water, on the instigator, it is very laid back and takes all the anxiety out of technical and challenging dive conditions. I would recommend her to anyone who wants an amazing day or even overnighter of incredible diving. The price and service are out of this world, and unmatched anywhere else. Bonus points for awesome music selection amd the beanbag chairs!!

I dive with this outfit on a regular basis. I have found Megladon teeth and caught lobsters. The boat is comfortable and we always have a good time. Captain Cindy is a NC native and is willing to share knowledge with you so you can have an awesome experience. I highly recommend this charter.

WOW! Is all I can say. I don’t usually leave reviews but this had to be an exception. I’m a beginner diver and they treated me with respect and was very curious of me being a beginner. I learned more on these Diving Charters then any of the courses that I had taken to get certified. Thank You Captain Cindy and Ryan for such a great experience into the Diving world. Consider me a regular. Can’t forget them putting us on fish, will never fish for Grouper above water again.

Cindy and Ryan run a great operation for both fishing and diving. They know where to take you if you want to spear fish or just look at wrecks off the nc coast.The boat has more than enough room for a 6 pack, and a large downstairs area. I highly recommend them for your fishing and diving charters.