Diving off the beaten path

[Tonita]

Hello!

I'm starting to prepare for the dive trip of a lifetime!

Next spring I'll be visiting Australia, and thought I might as well buy an around the world ticket to visit dive sites in the South Pacific & the Red Sea before returning to Denver, Colorado.

Since it's a big trip, I'd love to find out about smaller, more rustic dive locations that are, of course, safe. I'm thinking Thailand & Marsa Alam or Dahab by the Red Sea. I have my own equipment, although I'm wondering if renting a BC is a good option since it takes up a lot of suitcase room.

I'd love to hear experiences and any suggestions. I'll be doing a lot of research of course, but any ideas are most welcome!

 

[robint]

if you are going to be in Australia diving, I would hop over to Fiji for a week!

 

[georoc01]

Hello!

I'm starting to prepare for the dive trip of a lifetime!

Next spring I'll be visiting Australia, and thought I might as well buy an around the world ticket to visit dive sites in the South Pacific & the Red Sea before returning to Denver, Colorado.

Since it's a big trip, I'd love to find out about smaller, more rustic dive locations that are, of course, safe. I'm thinking Thailand & Marsa Alam or Dahab by the Red Sea. I have my own equipment, although I'm wondering if renting a BC is a good option since it takes up a lot of suitcase room.

I'd love to hear experiences and any suggestions. I'll be doing a lot of research of course, but any ideas are most welcome!

I'd look for a travel BC rather than renting one after my experience in Australia. It may be a comfort level with my own equipment, but the older bc that I had as a rental really was dissapointing. I had no failures, but I won't do it again and would rather reduce something else out of my bag first.

 

[Doc]

.... find out about smaller, more rustic dive locations that are, of course, safe. I'm thinking Thailand & Marsa Alam or Dahab by the Red Sea. I have my own equipment, although I'm wondering if renting a BC is a good option since it takes up a lot of suitcase room.

Rustic comes in all flavors, but not much around the Red Sea is going to be all that "rustic".

I would rent the gear as you go, but first- work with your local LDS and have them teach you what to look for and what to examine on rental gear that will help you in deciding if it is safe for use~ before you jump in to try it!

Little points to check on a BC are always good information, as well as getting instruction on how to handle BC inflator hose issues that may come up. What to look at on the regulators, what to worry about- what scary looking things are okay to ignore. This is really nothing new- it was touched upon in your OW Course, but a refresher and concentration on this narrow area would be good if you wanted to rent gear waaaaaay waaaaay out there.

Our trained mentality places high value on "owning life support gear". There is nothing wrong with using someone elses as long as it is operational. This is not that hard to determine.

In the end- you'll have to decide... are you taking a dive vacation or a vacation with some diving?

 

[Tjack]

Hey Tonita, sounds like an awsome trip! I have been to a couple of places you mentioned so I thought I'd chime in. As Robint sugested Fiji is on the way to Australia and has awsome diving. especially the further you get from Nandi. Fiji suprisingly is quite cheap. Marsa Alam Egypt is remote, but they do have Scuba camps which are way primitive and off the beaten track. They take you out in small Zodiaks from the beach. If I went back to dive the Red Sea I would either do a livaboard or stay on the Sinai. Dive Travel is dificult and expensive in Egypt, but the Pyramids are worth it. Thailand is awsome, cheap, friendly, you can't go wrong there. Ko Tao has plenty of rustic lodgings and is a backpacker/diver meca. For even better diving in S/E Asia you might consider Suluwasi or Phillipines. Bali would also be an awsome stop and close to Australia. Indonisia is reputed to have some decent diving. I have not been diving in Australia but hear the Coral Sea is ok too. How much time do you have? You could fly Fiji/Australia/Bali/Thailand/Egypt I also hear there is great diving in Yemen, Maldives, South Africa..............

Is this a dedicated dive trip or do you want to see other stuff? I would not carry gear other than mask, fins, computer and signaling devices if I ani't diving most of the time.

Have a great trip, we will look forward to a trip report.

 

[almitywife]

dive Vanuatu

a shore dive wrek the size of titanic (the coolidgee in santo) or via Port Villa lots of reefs plus wrecks

enjoy

 

[japan-diver]

Safe and rustic- come visit us in southern Japan. Underwater ruins, schooling hammerheads great reefs and a few wrecks also.

 

[Tonita]

This is great stuff, thanks! I'm thinking about two weeks in Australia (SCUBA & family), then I'm hoping to do four weeks with a definite focus on SCUBA!
I've done some snorkeling in Fiji so I'll put it back on my list...bula!