What I Thought Of Scuba Diving In The Galapagos

[Merry]

Growing up diving the entire California coast, North and South Channel Islands, and off-shore seamounts I had no issues with diving anywhere in the Galapagos. Very similar in many ways. Areas of calm coves (albeit with with playful underwater penguins and marine iguanas), and areas of off-shore pinnacles and rocks with ripping current (and big-ass sharks). My opinion is that as long as you are a competent diver with cold-water experience (meaning heavier than used in the tropics exposure suits) you will do fine. Just an observation, but there were zero newbie divers on my trips to the Galapagos. There were some divers who were just plain idiots, but they were otherwise competent divers. It all depends on how comfortable you are in the water. I have known freshly certified divers with competency who would have no problem with diving the Galapagos. I have seen vacation divers (no disparagement meant) who have been diving once a year for 20 years always with a divemaster and always in 80 degree F tropical water who would likely die when the first hammerhead or Galapagos shark to come along knocked them into a barnacle-encrusted rock in a high current (and yes, that has happened to me several times in the Galapagos). So, to answer your question, some of the diving in the Galapagos is challenging, other dives not challenging at all. If you are a level headed diver with cold water experience you should do fine. YMMV. My 2 psi.

Thanks for those details. We've dove off Vancouver Island half a dozen times, which can be a tad more challenging than So Cal, but epic diving. So from what you say, we will be fine in the Galapagos.

 

[Markos Valsamis]

Sorry for the noob post, but how do I start a new thread? I can't find the option!

 

[The Chairman]

PM sent: https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/new-to-scubaboard-and-xenforo-heres-the-chairmans-user-guide.540052/

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

Thanks for those details. We've dove off Vancouver Island half a dozen times, which can be a tad more challenging than So Cal, but epic diving. So from what you say, we will be fine in the Galapagos.

If you can dive the Pacific Northwest, you can dive Galapagos!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Our main concern is that Merry has trouble clearing quickly. If we can't keep up with the rest of the divers during the descent, we were concerned that we may end up aborting a lot of the dives.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I strongly suggest Kevlar dive glove for Galapagos. There are multiple sites where you will likely need to hold on to fairly rough and sharp volcanic rock. Typical tropical gloves won't protect you enough.

Never dived the Galapagos but do dive extreme currents regularly in the tropics in WW

My first line of defence is a metal pointer stick. You can jam it in anywhere to gain purchase with minimum effort

Then if you want to hand about, while secure with the stick, find a good hole for your reef hook and then switch to that

I have a 20' extension line which when secure I can attach between me and the reef hook to fly in the blue

Before embarking on multi $000 trips, always worth getting experience in similar conditions (cool and then currents)

Currents are not to be feared - just mastered

 

[davehicks]

Our main concern is that Merry has trouble clearing quickly. If we can't keep up with the rest of the divers during the descent, we were concerned that we may end up aborting a lot of the dives.

I don't recall that many dives that had crazy currents. For those that do just get below the surface quickly and slowly kick against the current at your preferred descent rate. You'll then need the kevlar gloves to go hand over hand on the lava rock to the boulders to get out of current.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

That will be a bit tough while carrying our DSLR rigs.

 

[davehicks]

That will be a bit tough while carrying our DSLR rigs.

It's all wide angle all the time. Aim to make you rig a bit floaty. I didn't find it to be an issue with my DSLR, 8" port and long arms.

 

[cleung]

Our main concern is that Merry has trouble clearing quickly. If we can't keep up with the rest of the divers during the descent, we were concerned that we may end up aborting a lot of the dives.

This is exactly what happened to me for the dive I had to abort. No trouble clearing but it was just getting down since everyone was still experimenting with enough weight. There was no way for me to catch up to the group and the current was pushing me in the opposite direction from the group so I had to abort. This is why I wished there was a second divemaster to make sure everyone gets down and regrouped.