Someone needs to make a North vs South sticky thread so that we can stop having this discussion!
I love both sides of the Island. The south has the soft corals that can stand the summer trade wind wave action, but could never survive the north sides winter storms.
The North side I love for the increased fish life and generally flat calm seas. The fierce protection against poaching in the Sandy Bay West End marine park has resulted in noticeably increased quantities of lobster, conch, crab and fish in general.
I have seen many more Pipefish, Scaly tailed mantis shrimps, juvenile trunkfish drums and Seahorses on the north side but only because 9 out of 10 dives I do are on the north side, not because they are more common on the north side.
The best option, two weeks holiday one week with a south side op, the other with a north side. If you can only come for one week try to find an operator who can take you to both sides. In the coming year as the West End continues to improve its dive fleet there is going to be many more special trips from the West End to dive the best of the south side sites as well as venturing further east along the north shore. Dive prices for these trips are likely to be $50-$60 a dive but if you want to see both sides that means spending money on fuel to get there, or staying two weeks!
I love both sides of the Island. The south has the soft corals that can stand the summer trade wind wave action, but could never survive the north sides winter storms.
The North side I love for the increased fish life and generally flat calm seas. The fierce protection against poaching in the Sandy Bay West End marine park has resulted in noticeably increased quantities of lobster, conch, crab and fish in general.
I have seen many more Pipefish, Scaly tailed mantis shrimps, juvenile trunkfish drums and Seahorses on the north side but only because 9 out of 10 dives I do are on the north side, not because they are more common on the north side.
The best option, two weeks holiday one week with a south side op, the other with a north side. If you can only come for one week try to find an operator who can take you to both sides. In the coming year as the West End continues to improve its dive fleet there is going to be many more special trips from the West End to dive the best of the south side sites as well as venturing further east along the north shore. Dive prices for these trips are likely to be $50-$60 a dive but if you want to see both sides that means spending money on fuel to get there, or staying two weeks!
