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Trip Report - Taiwan Green Island Hammerheads
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Do it, it's worth it, lowest temperature was 26c when we were there on this trip, you have the warm currents from Japan. 5mm is all you need, the currents will keep you Superwarm, if not get an electric heated vest from Andy. Air temperature was comfortably cool but water was awesome, if you're a reefy type of person, the beach dives are awesome, amazing corals cover the floor of the ocean like a silk blanket. the hammers are awesome when you see them.. blown away, the currents we as good as Komodo.. Rockhook needed! if you're inexperienced stay off the hammer head site.. i wasted a dive trying to understand the currents (washing machine) to stay with the group, but after that it was spectacular, take a f'kin massive SMB.. the ones from OMS are big.. the swells can be even bigger.
What you need:
SMB - F'kin massive one on a reel (dont go for a finger spool)
Rock hook - 2 point contact is good, if not single point will do (it's so strong you'll loose your mask)
Dive computer!!
Open heel fins with booties (beach dives!)
5mm wetsuit (i used a hooded vest also)
Would i do it again? absolutely, met some awesome people and saw the scalloped hammerheads
Warm current from Japan in Jan/Feb!! In HK at that time of the yr the water is freezing cold.
I do have a 5mm suit + couple of vests. Have to persuade my mates to come along.
Reef hook, smb, spool, spare mask are all standard equipments.
Need to borrow a short with pocket for the spare mask.
Thank you very much, Paul.
I do have a 5mm suit + couple of vests. Have to persuade my mates to come along.
Reef hook, smb, spool, spare mask are all standard equipments.
Need to borrow a short with pocket for the spare mask.
Thank you very much, Paul.
Thomas Koenig
Registered
Hi Centrals,
What Paul said above is absolutely correct.
Water temperature was about 25-26 C. I dived the whole week in my old, worn and torn 3 mm wetsuit with a 3 mm vest and a hood. This is not to say that I felt warm and balmy after the second or third dive of a day, but it's definitely doable. Bring a wind breaker or old raincoat though, as getting in and out of the water can be chilly. The wind on Green Island can - at times - be quite strong in January/February.
Also, bring multiple kinds of signaling devices (big SMB, mirror, torch, etc.) as currents are so strong that you easily could end up a couple of hundred meters from the dive boat. Add to that 1-2 m waves and swells and you can imagine that it's easy for a captain to overlook a diver!
To get an impression of the island and what it's like to dive there, go to my photography website by clicking on any of the pics below. The first 3 images are linked to a gallery with some 200+ images of our week-long dive trip to Green Island this February. The last image links to another gallery from previous dive trips to Green Island, with a few more topside shots.
The Hammerheads
The dive site, aptly named the
'Boiling Water Point' in Chinese!
The shark dive site is located about 500 m - 800 m
out from the promontory sticking out in the far back.
Hope that helped.
Thomas
What Paul said above is absolutely correct.
Water temperature was about 25-26 C. I dived the whole week in my old, worn and torn 3 mm wetsuit with a 3 mm vest and a hood. This is not to say that I felt warm and balmy after the second or third dive of a day, but it's definitely doable. Bring a wind breaker or old raincoat though, as getting in and out of the water can be chilly. The wind on Green Island can - at times - be quite strong in January/February.
Also, bring multiple kinds of signaling devices (big SMB, mirror, torch, etc.) as currents are so strong that you easily could end up a couple of hundred meters from the dive boat. Add to that 1-2 m waves and swells and you can imagine that it's easy for a captain to overlook a diver!
To get an impression of the island and what it's like to dive there, go to my photography website by clicking on any of the pics below. The first 3 images are linked to a gallery with some 200+ images of our week-long dive trip to Green Island this February. The last image links to another gallery from previous dive trips to Green Island, with a few more topside shots.
The Hammerheads
The dive site, aptly named the
'Boiling Water Point' in Chinese!
The shark dive site is located about 500 m - 800 m
out from the promontory sticking out in the far back.
Hope that helped.
Thomas
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Hi Central, What Paul and Thomas said about the dive this year is true, but please note that the temperature can vary and some winters can be colder. A couple of years back we had a water temp of 22C which is a lot cooler. However a 5mm suit with a 3mm or 5mm vest and hood or vice versa is plenty to beat the cold. It is a good idea to bring a warm water proof jacket and hood and a wool hat for after the dive as the wind can be even colder. I am already making a list for divers to go next CNY in 2012 and I have had some questions about another trip either before or after CNY so I might put two trips together next year if I have enough interest. So let me know if you are definitely interested and I will put you on my diver list. 
Yes I understand. Most of the divers I take on my CNY dive trips are single. However CNY is the only time during winter that most people here in Taiwan can get a straight 4 or 5 days off work to visit the island. I have been askedto do weekend trips but honestly speaking a weekend is way too rushed, to have a decent shot at seeing the sharks you need to be on the island for at least 3 days.
Wantonmien
Contributor
- and have a spot of luck in it being the right week - as of course a couple of weeks after the awesome encounters with the hammerheads, I was back on the island, same conditions, same dive sites - but no sightings.
Keep me on the list for 2012
Keep me on the list for 2012
Aaah yes I forgot that point. You do have to have a bit of luck, and everything (the weather, sea state, visibility and hammerheads) have to come together at the right time. We certainly got lucky this year. Keep your fingers crossed for 2012. I will put you on the list Wantonmien. 
I am already looking forward to it.
You do have to have a bit of luck, and everything (the weather, sea state, visibility and hammerheads) have to come together at the right time. We certainly got lucky this year. Keep your fingers crossed for 2012. I will put you on the list Wantonmien. I am already looking forward to it. Similar threads
