Where to dive in September and October?

[P-Dog]

I have an opening in my schedule in September/October for a month and am looking on where to go dive. I can go anywhere in the world, but am limited to flights out of Hawai'i - I can get to Honolulu for more flight options, but it's pretty limiting having Kona as my home base. I'm at a complete loss about making a decision for this trip and would like insight from other people.

Priorities are:

Great, healthy coral
No crowds
Good divers who know how to control buoyancy and protect the reef
Large variety of aquatic life - big and little (whales and sharks to shrimp)
Not particularly expensive
Warm water

I'm a DM and more difficult conditions aren't a concern.

Places I've already been - but that doesn't mean I won't go back to one if it's ideal in September:

Fiji
Egypt (twice)
Northern Sudan
Galapagos
Raja Ampat
Cenderawasih Bay
Cozumel
Roatan
Costa Rica
Philippines
Mozambique

I thank you, in advance, for any advice you can give me.

 

[NauticalNick]

There are obviously crowds, although if you find the right diving outfit maybe it's better, but I would suggest Bali/Nusa and maybe even Komodo? I went offseason this past December / January and I wouldn't say it was crowded at all although you have to deal with worse conditions and potentially bad vis at some sites.

Kind of a basic spot but frankly you already have a bucket list of dives spots you've already been to so thought it might round out the list.

 

[Trailboss123]

I have an opening in my schedule in September/October for a month and am looking on where to go dive. I can go anywhere in the world, but am limited to flights out of Hawai'i - I can get to Honolulu for more flight options, but it's pretty limiting having Kona as my home base. I'm at a complete loss about making a decision for this trip and would like insight from other people.

Priorities are:

Great, healthy coral
No crowds
Good divers who know how to control buoyancy and protect the reef
Large variety of aquatic life - big and little (whales and sharks to shrimp)
Not particularly expensive
Warm water

I'm a DM and more difficult conditions aren't a concern.

Places I've already been - but that doesn't mean I won't go back to one if it's ideal in September:

Fiji
Egypt (twice)
Northern Sudan
Galapagos
Raja Ampat
Cenderawasih Bay
Cozumel
Roatan
Costa Rica
Philippines
Mozambique

I thank you, in advance, for any advice you can give me.

For someplace new, consider the Sea of Cortez. Water temps and sea life in September are outstanding. There are liveaboard and land based options. I think the Sea of Cortez may have the best bio-diversity outside of the coral triangle. I have been on liveaboards to the Sea fo Cortez int he summer with these guys: Mexico Liveaboards - Rocio del Mar & Quino el Guardian

Loreto in Baja CA Sur is a great land based option. Blue Nation is a great dive op there, if still in operation. They were looking to sell and not sure where that stands at the moment.

Where have you been in the Philippines? Big country with lots of destination options. Maybe consider another location there that you have not visited yet?

 

[P-Dog]

For someplace new, consider the Sea of Cortez. Water temps and sea life in September are outstanding. There are liveaboard and land based options. I think the Sea of Cortez may have the best bio-diversity outside of the coral triangle. I have been on liveaboards to the Sea fo Cortez int he summer with these guys: Mexico Liveaboards - Rocio del Mar & Quino el Guardian

Loreto in Baja CA Sur is a great land based option. Blue Nation is a great dive op there, if still in operation. They were looking to sell and not sure where that stands at the moment.

Where have you been in the Philippines? Big country with lots of destination options. Maybe consider another location there that you have not visited yet?

I have so much more to see in the Philippines. I've only been to Puerto Gallera. I had considered doing a diving tour of the country but, according to Google, it's the wrong season for Tubbataha Reef, so was thinking September might not be the best time. I'm really not familiar with the country so any advice would be appreciated. It's not hard to get to from Hawai'i, which is also nice.

 

[Trailboss123]

I have so much more to see in the Philippines. I've only been to Puerto Gallera. I had considered doing a diving tour of the country but, according to Google, it's the wrong season for Tubbataha Reef, so was thinking September might not be the best time. I'm really not familiar with the country so any advice would be appreciated. It's not hard to get to from Hawai'i, which is also nice.

Given how easy the Philippines is to get to for you, is why I suggested it. My diving there has been in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete. Months of April, October and November. September is still good, although to your point, Tubbataha is not in your window. It is a small one in the spring and early summer (US spring/Summer).

I will be going back to Puerto Galera again this October/November. I love the diving there. There are a few other places I am considering, but I just find Puerto Galera to be good, consistent diving, super inexpensive, easy to get to and my topside experiences have also been outstanding.

I am going to take another couple of weeks to check out other places this November. Namely Palawan (Coron, El Nido) and probably Panglao. Puerto Galera will be all about the diving. The other locals will be a bit more topside stuff, touring, snorkeling, etc. and seeing how the diving differs, compares.

 

[Manuel Sam]

The Tuamotus in French Polynesia - Fakarava and Rangiroa and more. World-class diving, in my opinion.

On the same trip, Tahiti and Moorea for humpback whale snorkeling. I would have also said the island of Rurutu for humpback whales but that adds another $600 in domestic airfare alone.

Just a 6 hr flight from Honolulu on Hawaiian Air to Papeete on the island of Tahiti. That's the hub to get out to the islands and atolls. Having said that, a word of caution. When I flew this route in 2005, Hawaiian Airlines only had one weekly flight to Papeete. Don't know now.

Th eproblem was that my luggage didn't show up upon arrival in Papeete, and the prospects of waiting a week when I was due to board a liveaboard in 3 days didn't sound encouraging. With much coaxing, they sent my luggage from Honolulu back to LAX, where there were daily flights going to Papeete. I got my luggage a day before boarding what was then the Tahiti Aggressor.

In any case, checks all your boxes except not cheap. Corals are healthy but like in Hawaii, pretty much all hard corals.

 

[CoralReefKate]

The Tuamotus in French Polynesia - Fakarava and Rangiroa and more. World-class diving, in my opinion.

On the same trip, Tahiti and Moorea for humpback whale snorkeling. I would have also said the island of Rurutu for humpback whales but that adds another $600 in domestic airfare alone.

Just a 6 hr flight from Honolulu on Hawaiian Air to Papeete on the island of Tahiti. That's the hub to get out to the islands and atolls. Having said that, a word of caution. When I flew this route in 2005, Hawaiian Airlines only had one weekly flight to Papeete. Don't know now.

Th eproblem was that my luggage didn't show up upon arrival in Papeete, and the prospects of waiting a week when I was due to board a liveaboard in 3 days didn't sound encouraging. With much coaxing, they sent my luggage from Honolulu back to LAX, where there were daily flights going to Papeete. I got my luggage a day before boarding what was then the Tahiti Aggressor.

In any case, checks all your boxes except not cheap. Corals are healthy but like in Hawaii, pretty much all hard corals.

I just spent 2 weeks diving in Fakarava. Great if you like a) sharks and b) current. We had decent reef fish, but often moved too fast to appreciate them. The ONLY inverts were lots of white sea stars. I'm glad I went, but probably won't repeat. A few years ago I had some great dives off Tahiti and Moorea.

 

[Grm]

Second the top comment if you want pretty inexpensive and warm water a tour of Bali maybe worth while and that time of year is still Mola Mola season though it won’t be crowd free.
In a month you could pretty much cover all the main parts from Menjangen Island (which will be crowd free) to Tulamben, Candidasa (more reliable I think for Mola Mola than Crystal Bay and defo less crowded) and over to Nusa Lembongan for current and Mantas.
If you have time perhaps even the Maratua/Sangalaki part of Indonesia - the Jellyfish lake is cool and the Baracuda dives are simply outstanding

 

[Tadpole Frogfish]

Philippines is up there for sure! It was only me and my dive guide almost every dive in Sombrero -some muck, some soft coral with currents busting with life. I wanted to head to Verde but I was not going to charter the boat that far away. Avoid Moalboal despite the Sardine Run because tons of tourist and you will have divers finishing their air early.

Another country in the region I do not see on your list is Malaysia --generally for beginners except for Sipadan. Book in advance since they are strict with permits.

 

[Centrals]

East coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Fly into Singapore and work your way up to Tioman, Tenggol, Redang and Perhentian(big and small) and out from KUL.
Diving will not be spectacular but an interesting trip.