Best diving sites in November?

[divinglover]

Hi everyone


I am looking for some advice on diving locations for 5th-15th November....really hope some of the more experienced divers can help me with destination.


Ideally the diving would be:
- warm water
- decent visibility
- preferrably large pelagics, large scholls of fish, abundant marine life.
- mantas or whalesharks or mola mola - would be a massive bonus
- white sandy beaches either on the site, or close buy

I am happy with both Liveaboard or land-based. (Ideally would like few days on a lob, then few days to chill on the beach).

What i don't like:
- I am not into macro/muck diving
- I am not into wrecks
- generally don't like windy/rainy weather. (am ok with tropical afternoon/night showers etc).

I have looked at Sipadan and Bali, but sounds like November is not the best time for them, and too risky in terms of the weather/viz. As i only have 10 days, i wouldn't want to risk spending them in the rain/wind, and low viz.

Also looked at Maldives/Palau, but also looks like Feb/March would be better season for those.

am I right about these destinations? Or is it still worth going in Nov?

Could anyone recommend the best diving locations that meet my criteria at the beginning-mid November?

I have about 100 dives, and am fairly comfortable with currents. Have dived few challenging locations, including Similans, Galapagos (which was the best!)

thank you in advance!!

 

[Quero]

Thailand is in season in November. It's early in the season, though, so there will normally still be space on the boats for a late booking like this (only a little over one month out). It's not the time of year for large pelagics because the water is typically too clear at this time of year (the big pelagics come in to feed on plankton in the late winter/spring). We have lots of short liveaboard trips (4 days) and we have lots of beaches.

But you've already dived at the Similans, you say, so maybe you don't want to go back there. You could go down to the southern islands, though, to Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe.

 

[itempleton]

I was in Palau last November and I thought the diving was excellent. Warm water, large schools of fish, mantas, etc...

[video=vimeo;55497917]https://vimeo.com/55497917[/video]