January - where to dive?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

The thing that struck me is that you get seasick. Not sure if that is a problem for you when boating to a dive site, but the reef on the west side of Grand Cayman is about a 5 minute boat ride. That, and the diving is pretty easy - great visibility and usually no significant current. Good shore diving as well, if you have a buddy. Don't know if you get any special dispensation with Cayman being a British Overseas territory.
 
I would look at Philippines. There are many location so you can pick what you like. South Leyte is really nice coral, fish life and it's whale shark season. I used Peter's Resort and enjoyed it. Can't really beat the price.

If you are looking at Palau, there is a direct flight there from Manila.
 
You might consider a scopolamine patch for your seasickness. I use them on liveaboards and have never been seasick when others around me are. You put it on and it lasts several days then you replace it with another one. In the US, its a prescription med but my doctor will call it in without a Dr visit. I have never been seasick so not certain I need the medication. Just unwilling to find out the hard way.
I did a test for my first liveaboard, diving the Texas flower gardens. It was a ~3 day event so figured I could cope with it for 3 days. When that went well, I moved on to longer trips.
Just a thought. Use it or pitch as desired.
 
You might consider a scopolamine patch for your seasickness. I use them on liveaboards and have never been seasick when others around me are. You put it on and it lasts several days then you replace it with another one. In the US, its a prescription med but my doctor will call it in without a Dr visit. I have never been seasick so not certain I need the medication. Just unwilling to find out the hard way.
I did a test for my first liveaboard, diving the Texas flower gardens. It was a ~3 day event so figured I could cope with it for 3 days. When that went well, I moved on to longer trips.
Just a thought. Use it or pitch as desired.

I know that a lot of people have had good luck with scopolamine patches but I had a very bad reaction. I am prone to seasickness so I used the patch during a dive trip and I suddenly lost my near vision. I couldn't read anything. It took a few days but my vision returned to normal after I removed the patch - but it was scary.

Some Scop uses experience symptoms of glaucoma when wearing Scop, see below. I'm not saying that it will happen to you, just be aware that some users experience side effects.

https://www.rxlist.com/transderm-scop-drug.htm#warnings

PRECAUTIONS
Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma
The mydriatic effect of scopolamine may cause an increase in intraocular pressure resulting in acute angle closure glaucoma. Monitor intraocular pressure in patients with open angle glaucoma and adjust glaucoma therapy during Transderm Scop use, as needed. Advise patients to immediately remove the transdermal system and contact their healthcare provider if they experience symptoms of acute angle closure glaucoma (e.g., eye pain or discomfort, blurred vision, visual halos or colored images in association with red eyes from conjunctival congestion and corneal edema).
 
Don't be so quick to rule out liveaboards because of seasickness.

Most people who are susceptible to seasickness get over it after a day or so at sea.

I was in the Coast Guard for 30+ years. I've been seasick several times (I never missed standing my watch, but I've definitely been sick). Each time seasickness occurred, it was when I had been ashore for an extended time and the seas were rough on the first day I was back underway. Each time, I got over it within a day and was fine for the rest of the patrol.

When new sailors or cadets would report aboard, it was the same thing. If they got seasick, they'd generally get over it in a day or so. I only knew one guy who simply couldn't get used to the motion and had to be discharged because of it.

If you want to do a liveaboard, pick a place with comparatively calm seas and see if you can't get adjusted. You might not have as much of a limitation in this regard as you think.

Best wishes,
 
Don't be so quick to rule out liveaboards because of seasickness.

Most people who are susceptible to seasickness get over it after a day or so at sea.

I was in the Coast Guard for 30+ years. I've been seasick several times (I never missed standing my watch, but I've definitely been sick). Each time seasickness occurred, it was when I had been ashore for an extended time and the seas were rough on the first day I was back underway. Each time, I got over it within a day and was fine for the rest of the patrol.

When new sailors or cadets would report aboard, it was the same thing. If they got seasick, they'd generally get over it in a day or so. I only knew one guy who simply couldn't get used to the motion and had to be discharged because of it.

If you want to do a liveaboard, pick a place with comparatively calm seas and see if you can't get adjusted. You might not have as much of a limitation in this regard as you think.

Best wishes,

I have had some pretty bad first nights on liveaboard but I always did get better after a day, or a day and a half, and then I wasn't bothered for the rest of the trip. Most of my bad experiences were on boats that did deep water crossings on the first night of the cruise, like traveling from Florida to the Bahamas, St. Martin to St. Kitts, Grand Cayman to Little Cayman, etc.

I didn't get sick on the cruises where we flew to the island, got onboard and then cruised around island, like Kona Hawaii and St. Croix. And I don't remember getting sick on the Red Sea out of Sharm el Sheik.
 
I would look at Philippines. There are many location so you can pick what you like. South Leyte is really nice coral, fish life and it's whale shark season. I used Peter's Resort and enjoyed it. Can't really beat the price.

If you are looking at Palau, there is a direct flight there from Manila.
checking out South Leyte now...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom