WHEN to dive WHERE in SEA?

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billt4sf

Contributor
Messages
2,561
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Location
Fayetteville GA, Wash DC, NY, Toronto, SF
# of dives
500 - 999
I am searching for a comprehensive view of the "best" and "worst" diving seasons in the major dive areas of SEA. Something that would be of continuing use to everyone, as opposed to the constant drumbeat of "Is this a good time to go to X?"

I am thinking that the major concerns for divers are: wind (surface chop), viz, currents, and typhoon risk. I am setting aside travel concerns like price, crowding, etc. for which each person will have their own preferences.

I am thinking that the major areas for diving are: Bali (Amed), Bali (Padang Bai & Lombok strait), Komodo North, Komodo South, Alor, Banda Sea, NE Borneo, Raja Ampat South, Raja Ampat North & Dampier strait, Philippines Cebu, Philippines Palawan. Did I miss any? Can some be bundled together?

I am wishing for a matrix of concerns (columns) vs. Dive ares (rows).

Maybe it's too much to ask, but I KNOW the experience is on this board!

Can we do this, or is it a stupid idea?

Thanks in advance.

Bill
 
It's a great idea, I was just thinking of something like this.

Happy to help on this, I think we can start with a basic Google spreadsheet.
 
Hi,

just a quick word on this subject to say that I have recently started a spreadsheat that ressembles that, but with a few caveats:

- I'm a relatively new diver, and haven't been to a lot of places. Therefore, this document is not based on experience, but research I've done, and I'm only at the start of this research. So it might not be very exact, nor complete, and is still a work in progress.
- what I did is simpler that what you mentionned, with a spreadsheet with only place VS month. No detailed mention of wind/viz/current/typhoon.
- my idea when I started that document was to have some research ready for whenever I wanted to have a sudden short dive weekend abroad. I would just pull out the doc, see where was diveable at that period of the year, and go there. So it is not based on the best/most famous dive places in SEA, but places reacheable by a short direct flight from Shanghai (where I currently live).

If you're interested, I can try to see how to share this spreadsheet. It's on Google, but in a document with several sheet, and I don't think the others will interest you (nor am I willing to share those). Is it possible to share only one sheet of a Google spreadsheet? If not, I can copy it to an independant document.

But anyways, I'll keep a close eye on this thread, it's a great idea!
 
Hi,

just a quick word on this subject to say that I have recently started a spreadsheat that ressembles that, but with a few caveats:

- I'm a relatively new diver, and haven't been to a lot of places. Therefore, this document is not based on experience, but research I've done, and I'm only at the start of this research. So it might not be very exact, nor complete, and is still a work in progress.
- what I did is simpler that what you mentionned, with a spreadsheet with only place VS month. No detailed mention of wind/viz/current/typhoon.
- my idea when I started that document was to have some research ready for whenever I wanted to have a sudden short dive weekend abroad. I would just pull out the doc, see where was diveable at that period of the year, and go there. So it is not based on the best/most famous dive places in SEA, but places reacheable by a short direct flight from Shanghai (where I currently live).

If you're interested, I can try to see how to share this spreadsheet. It's on Google, but in a document with several sheet, and I don't think the others will interest you (nor am I willing to share those). Is it possible to share only one sheet of a Google spreadsheet? If not, I can copy it to an independant document.

But anyways, I'll keep a close eye on this thread, it's a great idea!

You can click publish and publish only a specific sheet, then share the link.
 
You can click publish and publish only a specific sheet, then share the link.

Good to know, thanks! But since I had a lot of flight comments too, that are useless to anyone else and cluttering the document, I decided to copy it in an independant file. I haven't published it yet to the web, but here is a link to the document for those interested.

Since now, I have one copy for private use and this "public" one, I'm ready to let people here modify it as you wish if you find it a suitable base for what you are trying to do. Just PM me with your email for editing rights.

Just a reminder, I selected the sites based on ease of access from where I live, not how interesting there are. And the greener the color, the more "divable" the place is at that time. I started this really recently, so it's still a work in progress and there's a lot of improvements that can be made on it I'm sure. But I'd love to pick all your brains here on diving in the area (and not only limited to the sites I chose for my document)!
 
It's a great idea, I was just thinking of something like this.

Happy to help on this, I think we can start with a basic Google spreadsheet.

I'd be happy to start (and keep updated) the document if people think it's useful. But I want to hear from more experts first -- I'm looking at you Luko, Wingy, Dan, WetPup, CharlieR, etc.... :)

- Bill
 
Good to know, thanks! But since I had a lot of flight comments too, that are useless to anyone else and cluttering the document, I decided to copy it in an independant file. I haven't published it yet to the web, but here is a link to the document for those interested.

Since now, I have one copy for private use and this "public" one, I'm ready to let people here modify it as you wish if you find it a suitable base for what you are trying to do. Just PM me with your email for editing rights.

Just a reminder, I selected the sites based on ease of access from where I live, not how interesting there are. And the greener the color, the more "divable" the place is at that time. I started this really recently, so it's still a work in progress and there's a lot of improvements that can be made on it I'm sure. But I'd love to pick all your brains here on diving in the area (and not only limited to the sites I chose for my document)!

Thank you!

I may be tempted to do the same for Singapore / Kuala Lumpur / Jakarta, where I live and work (and those routes may be useful for international travellers).

I have requested access to edit.
 
I'd be happy to start (and keep updated) the document if people think it's useful. But I want to hear from more experts first -- I'm looking at you Luko, Wingy, Dan, WetPup, CharlieR, etc.... :)

- Bill

Great!
 
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