Okay here is the deal, I have been diving for three years doing Discovery Scuba and have been OW certified since April with 40 logged dives since from Key Largo to St. John to Cayman Islands to Turks and Caicos. I live in NY and usually only get an extended weekend to dive so I hang around the Caribbean since the flights are shorter and I can get more dives in. In April I will be able to take two weeks off!!! Here is my big question- if you were given two weeks and could go anywhere in the world to dive, where would you go?? Now that I have the time to take 14+ hour flights I can actually go further places. It would also be cool to be able to experience on land things too- looked into diving in Egypt so day trips could be the pyramids... Just looking for advice! Not sure the next time I will have this much ample time and want to make the most of it. Keep in mind also what I would like to see are sharks (hammerhead, and larger variety, etc) whales, whale shark, giant mantas... Basically bucket list stuff. I have considered liveaboards in Cocos Island Costa Rica or Galapagos Island so I'm not throwing out the idea of that. Just convince me!!!! TIA
If you had two weeks anywhere in the world where would you go!? SELL ME
- Thread starter Diver13
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This OP, on its face, is an odd premise with no objectifiable, quantitative conclusion.
You're telling us you have unlimited money and two weeks in April.
If that was the premise, I got nothing. If you could move that to August, I'd say do Antarctica. Maybe your dive history would be a limitation. The number of dives one has is irrelevant, but you've already logged more than the majority of divers who have gotten through the process. Odd, but a fact.
Maybe add to your skil set, do some step by step progressions into "advanced diving" slowly. It would be more prudent to figure out THAT list before you decide where you're going.
You want to be convinced. I dunno, is this going to be your one and only...final dive trip ever?
The world is your oyster. I could be your dive buddy ( if you're buying)
Philippines? Best AI Resort I've seen there would be Hotel Atlantis Sabang Beach. Top level property and operation. Exotic property, superb food, a dive-op for noobs to extreme metal heads, crazy nutty currents if you want them, insane macro, perfect muck diving, must-do every night dive.
But that's just the Philippines. Not much else to do there but dive. You could get a wife. Buy a fake Rolex. That's it.
You're about to get a list. Do them in the order to actually build your skills, step by step. Maybe save Antarctica for later.
You're telling us you have unlimited money and two weeks in April.
If that was the premise, I got nothing. If you could move that to August, I'd say do Antarctica. Maybe your dive history would be a limitation. The number of dives one has is irrelevant, but you've already logged more than the majority of divers who have gotten through the process. Odd, but a fact.
Maybe add to your skil set, do some step by step progressions into "advanced diving" slowly. It would be more prudent to figure out THAT list before you decide where you're going.
You want to be convinced. I dunno, is this going to be your one and only...final dive trip ever?
The world is your oyster. I could be your dive buddy ( if you're buying)
Philippines? Best AI Resort I've seen there would be Hotel Atlantis Sabang Beach. Top level property and operation. Exotic property, superb food, a dive-op for noobs to extreme metal heads, crazy nutty currents if you want them, insane macro, perfect muck diving, must-do every night dive.
But that's just the Philippines. Not much else to do there but dive. You could get a wife. Buy a fake Rolex. That's it.
You're about to get a list. Do them in the order to actually build your skills, step by step. Maybe save Antarctica for later.
Kensei
Master Fin Sharpener
I'd go with a week in Palau and a week in Truk... Use Neco Marine in Palau and a live aboard in Truk.
If you want to go to just one of those... then a live aboard in Palau for the 2 weeks. Make sure you go to Peleliu.
If you want to go to just one of those... then a live aboard in Palau for the 2 weeks. Make sure you go to Peleliu.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
For lots of sharks (including hammerheads, reef sharks, an whale sharks), Tubbataha is your bet. April is Tubbataha liveaboard season in the Philippines. We saw sharks on every dive. Many whale sharks as well and dives with mantas.
Malapascua has Thresher sharks.
While Puerto Galera’s Atlantis was recommended above, I did not see a single shark the whole week I was there but the reef and muck diving is decent there. I’m told this is normal and expected. Don’t miss Verde Island. I suggest Asia Divers/El Galleon instead of you are interested, primarily given the value and service as Atlantis was over a 50% premium. I had a great time there.
April is a good time for Komodo where you will find Komodo dragons on land and many, many, many mantas underwater along with some of the best reef diving I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of experiencing. You do need to be quite comfortable with currents and ensure you get a company/liveaboard/resort that is very familiar with the park and has experienced guides.
Red Sea has whale sharks, mantas, and sharks (Oceanic white tips!) but I am not familiar with whether April is the best time for any of the above. Do note that the dive areas are quite far from the pyramids and areas you may want for a land tour so you would be doing a chunk of diving and a chunk of land tours separately.
Closer to home, lots of tiger sharks, bull sharks, great hammerheads in the Bahamas.
I suggest waiting on Cocos and Galapagos primarily because I’m thinking back to the diver I was when I had 40 dives. I would have done fine but I don’t think that I would appreciate it and enjoy it as much as I would now from an experience standpoint, many more dives later. I would be able to relax and enjoy the scene rather than having to focus on my buoyancy, air, skills, etc. each diver is different in how they feel about this and have different personal experiences so that is just my suggestion and personal take on it.
I hope this helps!
Malapascua has Thresher sharks.
While Puerto Galera’s Atlantis was recommended above, I did not see a single shark the whole week I was there but the reef and muck diving is decent there. I’m told this is normal and expected. Don’t miss Verde Island. I suggest Asia Divers/El Galleon instead of you are interested, primarily given the value and service as Atlantis was over a 50% premium. I had a great time there.
April is a good time for Komodo where you will find Komodo dragons on land and many, many, many mantas underwater along with some of the best reef diving I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of experiencing. You do need to be quite comfortable with currents and ensure you get a company/liveaboard/resort that is very familiar with the park and has experienced guides.
Red Sea has whale sharks, mantas, and sharks (Oceanic white tips!) but I am not familiar with whether April is the best time for any of the above. Do note that the dive areas are quite far from the pyramids and areas you may want for a land tour so you would be doing a chunk of diving and a chunk of land tours separately.
Closer to home, lots of tiger sharks, bull sharks, great hammerheads in the Bahamas.
I suggest waiting on Cocos and Galapagos primarily because I’m thinking back to the diver I was when I had 40 dives. I would have done fine but I don’t think that I would appreciate it and enjoy it as much as I would now from an experience standpoint, many more dives later. I would be able to relax and enjoy the scene rather than having to focus on my buoyancy, air, skills, etc. each diver is different in how they feel about this and have different personal experiences so that is just my suggestion and personal take on it.
I hope this helps!
There are several liveaboards in Egypt that offer different itineraries and the Red Sea has wonderful diving with beautiful reefs, sharks, wrecks, big and small stuff, and lots of life. It's pretty easy diving in an amazing destination.
The Aggressor fleet runs 2 LOBs in the Red Sea with different itineraries. Or if you want to do a combo of diving and touring, the Aggressor also runs the Nile Queen riverboat cruise that visits the famous historical sights of Egypt.
The Red Sea is not near the pyramids, they are near Cairo, so you can't really dive during the day and visit the pyramids at night as you've suggested. Many of the historical sites are along the river not the sea. Or you could do a combo of LOB and land-based diving and then spend a few days touring if you'd like. At least try to visit the Cairo museum, it's amazing!
I've never dived Cocos or the Galapagos so I don't know this for sure, but they don't sound like the best destinations for someone that only has 40 dives, at least not to me; it might be best to get more experience now and save those destinations for later.
Also, you haven't mentioned whether you will be traveling alone or with a dive buddy? That makes a difference, places with a lot of shore diving like Bonaire are best with a buddy IMO - unless you are solo certified and experienced.
A liveaboard would be a good way to do a lot of great diving and meet other divers, and at the end of 2 weeks of LOB diving, it is likely that you will have at least doubled your current number of dives and greatly broadened your experiences.
The Aggressor fleet runs 2 LOBs in the Red Sea with different itineraries. Or if you want to do a combo of diving and touring, the Aggressor also runs the Nile Queen riverboat cruise that visits the famous historical sights of Egypt.
The Red Sea is not near the pyramids, they are near Cairo, so you can't really dive during the day and visit the pyramids at night as you've suggested. Many of the historical sites are along the river not the sea. Or you could do a combo of LOB and land-based diving and then spend a few days touring if you'd like. At least try to visit the Cairo museum, it's amazing!
I've never dived Cocos or the Galapagos so I don't know this for sure, but they don't sound like the best destinations for someone that only has 40 dives, at least not to me; it might be best to get more experience now and save those destinations for later.
Also, you haven't mentioned whether you will be traveling alone or with a dive buddy? That makes a difference, places with a lot of shore diving like Bonaire are best with a buddy IMO - unless you are solo certified and experienced.
A liveaboard would be a good way to do a lot of great diving and meet other divers, and at the end of 2 weeks of LOB diving, it is likely that you will have at least doubled your current number of dives and greatly broadened your experiences.
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