List of dive destinations to not go to...

[mathauck0814]

What's wrong with the people in Coz?

There are a lot of them.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

This thread seems to have reached its end. I have been on this forum for a while and yet this is one of those threads that I have enjoyed the most. Special thanks to:

a. Those who shared their personal experiences about Caribbean destinations and also provided information on where to find better prices. If I ever feel like going for a quick diving trip and not wanting to sit on a plane for an extended period then I have a short list of places that I could go to.

b. The guys who wrote to me in person and provided rates for Egypt, South Africa and Mozambique. It is because of them that I have canceled my deposit at my LDS for Caymans and am considering going to Africa instead. Whether it will be Egypt or South Africa I do not know yet.

My apologies to the booking agent from Maldives. Information about your live-aboard rates came to me rather late. By that time the discussion on this forum had evolved from "which distant destination can be reached in the same money as Caribbean" to "What is the point of this thread?" While your liveaboard rates can match those of Thailand, the travel costs from DC are about 200 USD higher that Thailand. This makes a liveaboard trip to Maldives not in the same price bracket as Thailand but still equal to some of the higher-end Caribbean destinations. BTW... I have enough air-miles to not worry about the flight costs so do not be surprised if I end up diving with you.

Cheers -

Captain Sinbad

 

[captboob]

Wrong pocky21. Fl Gulf diving is pretty good. The vis stinks compared to the atlantic, lobsters are very seldom found but I have speared some pretty awesome fish. I have also witnessed some huge grouper nearly as big as a VW bug. The only problem I have is traveling at least 10 miles off shore to get to 50-60 ft of depth... That's off say Sanibel Island. My dock is 8 miles Inland from Sanibel so a decent trip is well over 75 miles round trip and fuel prices are not good with my 2 stroke.
I guess you haven't dove here enough to be a judge yet.. :cool2: not flaming just a fact.

 

[charlier]

My apologies to the booking agent from Maldives. Information about your live-aboard rates came to me rather late. By that time the discussion on this forum had evolved from "which distant destination can be reached in the same money as Caribbean" to "What is the point of this thread?" While your liveaboard rates can match those of Thailand, the travel costs from DC are about 200 USD higher that Thailand. This makes a liveaboard trip to Maldives not in the same price bracket as Thailand but still equal to some of the higher-end Caribbean destinations. BTW... I have enough air-miles to not worry about the flight costs so do not be surprised if I end up diving with you.

Cheers -

Captain Sinbad

I am coming in here really late in this tread. I find it incredible to compare diving in Thailand and the Maldives. These two areas are completely different with respect to the fish, macro, corals, currents, people, culture, and fishing pressures.

How do I pick dive sites? Silimlar to TS&M, although I use Komodo Is equivalents. I try to find the best dive experience that has pristine corals, inverted apex predator ratio, far from the crowds and fishing pressures (less bubbles and boats and no dynamite), isolated and remote islands, and the overall vision of trip. Do I want to see large pelagics or great macro?

As other posters have mentioned, vacation days to travel ratio is important to me. It's super easy for me to dive in Bali, so longer trips have to satisfy the pristine environment and ecosystem factor. As far as I am from Soccoro Is., I would love to dive on a LOB that caters to similar experienced divers. As with any one week dive trip, one rolls the dice on conditions.

Lastly, many posters write off a dive location based on a single week dive trip. To me this is misleading and a bit silly. Dive conditions change in a daily basis, change with the lunar cycle and tides, with tseasonal changes in ocean temp and currents. charlie

 

[adamp69]

ok ppl. i"ve just been skimming thru this thread, and my head is spinning. I've been trying to figure out where to take my gf on her first diving vacation. Ive been to the caribbean a few times, and i really want to do something different. So. After reading all this about South Africa, and egypt. where should i go?>? wheres the best value for my money. I dont care what it costs if i'm getting the best bang for my buck. i'm completely lost on what to do.

 

[drrich2]

Adam, I notice you started a fresh post asking about a destination for you, and it's probably better to switch to answering your questions there than adding another dozen posts to this thread.

Here's a link to the the thread you started. I include it for others convenience.

It's worth noting that Sinbad's thread was on 'dive destinations.' That calls to mind a dive-focused vacation, where other concerns besides overall trip cost and quality/quantity of dives are rather incidental.

People seeking a multipurpose destination with diving, on the other hand, have a different agenda and different needs. For them, laying around on a sandy beach, a bar scene with potential sex partners, 'nightlife' with dancing, casinos, deep sea fishing, enticing local restaurants, rain forests, hiking, deep sea fishing and snorkeling are potential desires.

Run that stuff by me when I'm planning a Bonaire trip, and expect to get a blank look, a pause and then 'Huh?'

Richard.

 

[irenedabanian]

Edmonds underwater park in spring or fall is awesome even in a wetsuit. But I am with you on the COLD.
Still it is worth about five to ten dives a year to keep in diving shape.

Bonaire has lots of thief so it is off my list until resolved.

Lived in Hawaii for 6 years and got in a ton of diving. It is bland and has zero color. But it has Tinkers Butterflies, Banded Angels, Dragon Morays along with great Tuna, Mahi and Marlin fishing. 6 hour plane ride from the mainland.

Lived in Florida for several years, Largo and Marathon are way to touristy but Fort Lauderdale by the Sea north and the Dry Tortougas make it awesome. Cave country in the winter time was sweet.

I live in Washington St now and the water here is just too damn cold and I refuse to invest another few thousand dollars in equipment so the spouse and I can get wet or dry depending on your outlook. That money is much better spent on airline tickets.

 

[Divehollio]

I dove the 'Two Eyes' cenote near Playa del Carmen, it was an amazing dive, almost mystical with the color and sunlight poking through the surface in areas. The vis was incredible, it felt like one was floating on air at times. If you return there I would not pass it up.

 

[mikeycanuk]

I found out I posted early in this thread a year ago, funny his things change in one year.

We have one trip to Carriacou this Dec, but our next 2 are "out there". The Solomon's and Raja Ampat. We liked Cozumel and will go back, it's easy, decent diving, relatively cheap and easy to avoid the madness by using 5th vs the strip.
Had the points for the Pacific trips and simply thought "why not?"

Apart from Coz I'm not sure if we will go back to other Caribbean destinations after this Dec trip. Bonaire has no appeal, not easy to get too from YYZ, using points anyway.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[grf88]

ok ppl. i"ve just been skimming thru this thread, and my head is spinning. I've been trying to figure out where to take my gf on her first diving vacation. Ive been to the caribbean a few times, and i really want to do something different. So. After reading all this about South Africa, and egypt. where should i go?>? wheres the best value for my money. I dont care what it costs if i'm getting the best bang for my buck. i'm completely lost on what to do.

My favourite dive location is about 95km from you by road, about a third of that by boat. Bell Island Wrecks out of Conception Bay South.