Visiting Japan... what's there to dive?

[hornetplt]

Thomas,
I just got back from my 3 month deployment.....have a 3 week old baby girl now & it is awesome! Are you planning any other Mikomoto trips besides the last weekend in August? I would be interested any weekend after that. Will give you a call soon!
Brian

I recommend a 3 or 5mm with hood. 7mm not necessary in August.

Thomas

 

[Mar Scuba]

Thomas,
I just got back from my 3 month deployment.....have a 3 week old baby girl now & it is awesome! Are you planning any other Mikomoto trips besides the last weekend in August? I would be interested any weekend after that. Will give you a call soon!
Brian

Hi, Brian, this is Matt (not Thomas). Congratulations!

We (Mar Scuba) will be going to Mikomoto this weekend and have another tour planned September 23/24/25 weekend.

Cheers,

 

[Dugongberbulu]

Let us know what you see!!

 

[Mar Scuba]

Let us know what you see!!

Just back from Mikomoto. Unfortunately no Hammerhead sightings in the water, although we did see fins on the surface.

The conditions were some of the best I have ever seen and experienced in Mikomoto on Saturday, almost flat waters, light wind.

Hope to have a full report soon, probably will ask one of the tour participants to write something.

P.S. Two of our clients are from Singapore, they had a great time.

Thanks,

 

[PavoDive]

JUE dive every weekend in Izu out of Tokyo and you are right, Mikomoto is nice.
// Thomas

Yep, Izu is nice place! Okinawa is also nice, but is far if you plan to be around tokyo. I personally recommend "Kayou Koen", very nice and easy to dive, but you better re-program your trip if it's windy, the site picks waves easily and sometimes is closed due to that (by the way, almost all diving here is shore diving, although you can get some boat diving at Oshima, Thomas can guide you on that, I think).
Shinkansen from Tokyo to Atami and then a short ride in another train will put you in minutes in the water. Expect temps around 21C under 40 ft (13mt). If 28C is cold for you (as it is for me), you may want to try a 5mm suit (a 3mm hood?)
If you decide to dive Kayo Koen, try to check the "border" between the sand and the rock, there are lots of morray eels there and anemone (anemo-nemo-na-nemone ) fishes...
The rock is of volcanic origin --I was told the three "fingers" of rock that enter the water are the product of the eruption of a near-by volcano-- (if you swim very close to the rock below, magnetism (specially at "Ichi-no-ne") makes your compass crazy) and has plenty of things in its numerous crevices.

Happy "daibingu"

 

[Mar Scuba]

I personally recommend "Kayou Koen", very nice and easy to dive, but you better re-program your trip if it's windy, the site picks waves easily and sometimes is closed due to that (by the way, almost all diving here is shore diving, although you can get some boat diving at Oshima, Thomas can guide you on that, I think).

IMNSHO, the best diving at Izu Kaiyo Koen (Izu Ocean Park, IOP) is boat diving, although they have great shore dives. It is a bit crazy during the summer which is why we prefer to dive there in autumn or winter and go to other sites during the summer.

Oshima is all shore dives.

 

[Dugongberbulu]

So excited! :jump013: Diving this weekend in Mikomoto!!! :scubadive

+ have shiny new video camera to try out.

 

[Mar Scuba]

+ have shiny new video camera to try out.
QUOTE]

I advise you to do the first dive without the video camera. Conditions in Mikomoto are challenging and this is your first dive in Japan.

Water temperature at depth was 23 degrees C, 28 at the surface. Full 5 mm. wetsuit with a hood barely kept me warm, but I am cold blooded.

Good luck,

 

[Dugongberbulu]

Thanks for the heads up!

Now hoping to even get in the water, with the Typhoon on the way and all.

 

[Mar Scuba]

Now hoping to even get in the water, with the Typhoon on the way and all.

It looks pretty iffy, I have canceled the dives for Saturday but hopefully we will go out on Sunday to Futo or Yawatano, or maybe Osezaki depending on the conditions.

Good luck and hope you get to dive,