Decade of Diving -- The List (feedback requested)

[jcrusselljr]

So, I've made the out loud commitment of doing a decade of dives -- 10 travel locations, and 10 short-ish trips.....looking for feedback and guidance on what i've pieced together.

I like the diving (prefer wrecks over reefs, and large pelagics over little guppies). For me, the best trip mixes stuff below the water AND equally above the water. So, I am not about getting 25 dives in during a week, but getting 10 good dives in with some nice sights to see.

I was fortunate in my younger days to work full-time in this business, and have already managed: Bonaire, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Freeport, NC Outer Banks, Crystal River, Florida Keys, and spots in the Mid-Atlantic.

so, here's the list for your comment and correction....thanks in advance for your input!


Decade of Dives

1. Belize (check out Hamanasi)
2. Cocos Island
3. Akumal (cenotes) & Playa Del Carmen; Riveria Maya
4. Turks & Caicos
5. Galapagos
6. Aruba (a friend says Curacao is better)
7. Roatan
8. Guadalupe, Mexico
9. Cuba
10. Hawaii

Short

1. rhode island cage diving
2. catalina or channel islands
3. megaladon tooth - cooper river? (mike says carolina beach - Wilmington)
4. bonne terre mine
5. north carolina
6. great lakes
7. Nassau
8. ??
9. ??
10. ??

 

[drrich2]

Only 2 places (Hawaii & the Galapagos) far afield; if you're into wrecks big time, shouldn't Truk Lagoon be on your radar at some point?

You've been to Grand Cayman, but Little Cayman is said to have better diving, and Cayman Brac has that deliberately placed Russian wreck to consider.

Is the wreck of the Rhone in the British Virgin Islands under consideration?

Richard.

 

[jcrusselljr]

Only 2 places (Hawaii & the Galapagos) far afield; if you're into wrecks big time, shouldn't Truk Lagoon be on your radar at some point?

You've been to Grand Cayman, but Little Cayman is said to have better diving, and Cayman Brac has that deliberately placed Russian wreck to consider.

Is the wreck of the Rhone in the British Virgin Islands under consideration?

Richard.

WOW, with a first reply like that, right out of the gate, i know i've come to the right place to ask the question!

EXCELLENT suggestions -- Truk should definitely be on there. Little Cayman also a big contender. Perhaps these take the likes of Aruba, and Nassau and relegate them to the short trip list....

Thank you so very much for the excellent feedback!!

 

[Damselfish]

As far as Curacao being better than Aruba, that's probably true for most people, it's definitely more of a dive destination. Curacao is known for the Superior Producer, but is overall more reefy/fishy diving. (And diving the Superior Producer is often restricted due to ships in port.) If you're more into wrecks than reefs, Aruba actually has more options. For more wrecks not on the other side of the planet, Bermuda might also be worth considering.

The Cayman sister islands are on average generally considered to have better diving than Grand Cayman. But it depends some on what areas of Grand you dive, and if you want wrecks there are a few more options on Grand. Little Cayman and Brac each pretty much have one notable wreck. There are a number of Caribbean islands like that, with one well known wreck but not really wreck destinations. Just like there's places you'll probably get lucky with a few big guys, or maybe not. So it depends how strong your disinterest in guppies is.

If you want Mantas (and currents) you could look into Tobago. Various places in the Bahamas for sharks, and T&C can be good for rays and sharks. Whale sharks in a few Caribbean locations but timing is important, and some are snorkel only. Whale season at Silver Banks (near Dominican Republic) by liveaboard, but I think that's snorkel only as well.

You seem to be leaning towards this side of the planet. Is that about time or cost? Obviously getting to the Indo-Pacific takes time (some places more than others) but some places can be pretty inexpensive once you're there. A liveaboard to Tubbataha in the Philippines is good for sharks and mantas and schools of fish. There's also the Thresher sharks of Malapascua and the wrecks of Coron. There's the Mantas in Yap, and Palau is known for big stuff, though that seems fairly current (tide?) dependent. Lots of other options out there. (And if you get an opportunity to see the smaller critters of the Pacific, which are just way more varied and interesting than what's common in the places you've dove so far, you may acquire a taste for the smaller stuff too.)

 

[drrich2]

Oh, wreck destinations in the U.S./Caribbean region - I just remembered bmorescuba's April 2016 report on Grenada. Haven't been myself; it's my understanding it's a good regional destination for wreck diving. Might be worth a look.

If you like big stuff, have you hit Jupiter, Florida, in either the lemon shark or goliath grouper aggregations (different times of year)? IIRC, Boynton Beach has the wreck of the Castor; Jupiter has the wreck of the ESSO Bonaire. I wouldn't head down there for wrecks (been to Jupiter once, never Boynton Beach), but that's a thought.

Some colder water wreck diving out of southern California.

Richard.

 

[kablooey]

... in my younger days to work full-time in this business....

My first response is "Take me with!"

Have you thought of promoting this idea and leading groups to these destinations? Call it Decade of Diving Tours.
I'd sign up.

Be warned, in a couple years I'll be independent enough to do my "decade of diving", then I might steal this idea.

... prefer wrecks over reefs, and large pelagics over little guppies).

Me too. I like your style.

 

[Shasta_man]

You have completely omitted Asian locations that have incredible diving. Schedule them for later in teh list because they will ruin you for subsequent trips. They are worth the travel time. Good luck.