Saipan

[akdeepdiver]

Ok, here is the deal. My job (U.S Gov) is sending me to Saipan for a week in MArch, and 2 weeks in June. Yes, I know, lucky me. What I am looking for is any info people have that have dove there in the past. Any information such as dive shops, good dive sites, things I shouldnt miss seeing, availability of rental gear, tanks, nitrox, places to stay ect. Any help would be appreciated.
Myles

 

[BuoyantC]

Myles,
Here in Saipan most shops will only rent gear to you if you are diving with a guide or someone local. There are plenty of shops, but only about two if English is your choice of language. One is Korean, and the other is Russian, but English is pretty well understood at either.

There are three main shore dive spots, all good in their different ways. The Grotto is our #1 dive spot and should be considered an advanced dive. The two others are pretty easy shore dives and the area is large enough to do many dives and not get bored.

For boat diving, there are quite a few sites, though some are weather dependent. By May or June, conditions should be good for all the sites. From a boat, the best sites are on the North end or Southern end if the weather is permitting. The sites closer to the dock - central West side - can be quite good, but not so weather dependent.

PM me and I can give you more detailed or personal recommendations, and a couple web links with photos to check out.

Regards,
Dennis

 

[Gatorshark]

I am also with the 'G' and have been here for a few months now. PM me, there are a few other divers here that are co workers and friends. We have plenty of gear and can hook you up.

 

[LARCjpn]

My husband and I will be in Saipan in July. We want to do a day of shore dives and a day of boat dives. I saw it was suggested to have a guide for the shore dives, anybody want to go diving? It's been recommended we go to The Grotto, but where else should we try? We are both advanced divers (but I don't care for currents). Any suggestions would be appreciated. We are only spending a few days in Saipan and don't want to waste any land time.