where to go now?

[chadbeck]

I have a trip to the galapagos booked next year. However with everything that is going on it looks like I need to make another choice so I am looking for ideas. I am open to all ideas with these things in mind....
1) Has to be in the summer months from may-sept.
2)nothing in the caribbean looking for something new
3)would like it to be a liveaboard or a place were I can get 3-5 dives a day
4)I only have 10 days

 

[diversteve]

Dive with the Mantas and Dolphins in Socorro. It's the Revillagigedos Islands south of Baja. Since they're protected waters, there's supposed to be excellent diversity in the region. Different than the Caribbean since the Sea of Cortez is volcanic in origin. Solmar V runs trips there. They have several departures in May from Cabo San Lucas. All 9 day trips. I may be on one...

There are lots of sharks in the Revillagigedos Islands - hammerhead schools, white tips, silver tips, silkies, duskies, Galapagos and occasionally tigers.

 

[nereas]

May to Sept simply means Northern Hemisphere. That is pretty wide open, so you have lots of choices.

1) Red Sea, Egypt
2) Elat, Israel
3) Greek Islands (Santorini, Mukynos, Lesvos)
4) Palau or Peliliu
5) Kona, Hawai'i
6) Sea of Cortez, Mexico
7) Florida Keys

Those are the best of the best, in my opinion, in the Northern Hemisphere. It all depends on how much you might want to spend. I have listed them in order of $$$$.

 

[smokey braden]

chadbeck,
would you consider the maldives?

http://www.sultansoftheseas.it/en/infoSMadivaru.php
http://www.divingtravel.com/liveaboards.htm
http://www.sunandsea-maldives.com/sitemap.php
http://www.seafari-adventures.com/index.htm

 

[Bubble Junky]

May to Sept simply means Northern Hemisphere. That is pretty wide open, so you have lots of choices.

1) Red Sea, Egypt
2) Elat, Israel
3) Greek Islands (Santorini, Mukynos, Lesvos)
4) Palau or Peliliu
5) Kona, Hawai'i
6) Sea of Cortez, Mexico
7) Florida Keys

Those are the best of the best, in my opinion, in the Northern Hemisphere. It all depends on how much you might want to spend. I have listed them in order of $$$$.

Eilat in a 'best of the best' list ?? Palau is better from October through June, after which the winds come.
What about Indonesia or the Philippines ? Sipadan might be worth a look too - not really liveaboard territory though.
If you look at the Red Sea, I'd look for the southern Red Sea liveaboards, maybe even Sudan. I'd also look into the Revillagigedos Islands/Socorro from Mexico, as mentioned earlier.

 

[robint]

I have a trip to the galapagos booked next year. However with everything that is going on it looks like I need to make another choice so I am looking for ideas. I am open to all ideas with these things in mind....
1) Has to be in the summer months from may-sept.
2)nothing in the caribbean looking for something new
3)would like it to be a liveaboard or a place were I can get 3-5 dives a day
4)I only have 10 days

Here's what I would do:
Kona Agressor
Wakatobi, Indonesia
Fiji Aggressor
Palau, Big Blue Explorer if you go in May-July (wet season starts after that)
no particular order, all on my todo list, all would be good diving that time of year! All about the same price.

robint

 

[nereas]

...

What about Indonesia or the Philippines ?

Sipadan might be worth a look too - not really liveaboard territory though.

...

I do not believe that conditions ashore are too safe in Indonesia, although the diving there would be great, yes, I agree. I just would not go there right now. Same is true of the Philippines as well.

 

[Bubble Junky]

I do not believe that conditions ashore are too safe in Indonesia, although the diving there would be great, yes, I agree. I just would not go there right now. Same is true of the Philippines as well.

That's a bit alarmist isn't it ?? Philippines and Indonesia are both huge countries, and to blanket them as unsafe is, welll, shocking. I have many friends (including a few dive shop owners), out in both countires - they are perfectly safe. The only 'problem' with the Philippines is down the very south, and even then I think it's only the UK foreign office that has any warnings. I've spent time in both countries, and had an awesome time, doing great diving in both !!

 

[mjh]

If Galapagos was on the list you might want to consider Cocos Island, others...

PNG, you burn 3-4 days getting there
Palau, Ocean Hunter
Indo
Fiji, Aggressor
Thailand, Pilkade

 

[nereas]

That's a bit alarmist isn't it ?? Philippines and Indonesia are both huge countries, and to blanket them as unsafe is, welll, shocking. I have many friends (including a few dive shop owners), out in both countires - they are perfectly safe. The only 'problem' with the Philippines is down the very south, and even then I think it's only the UK foreign office that has any warnings. I've spent time in both countries, and had an awesome time, doing great diving in both !!

If the USA currently had a more diplomatic, less belligerent president, and if the UK were of the same mind as the governments of Canada and Mexico, then you would not need to be alarmist.

To ignor the realities of the international scene is to live in a fantasy world of denial.

I still like Egypt, but when I go there, I speak a foreign language, not English, and I pretend to have nothing to do with the English speaking world. I'm sure that meets your definition of alarmist as well, whereas your definitions meet my definitions of denial-ist.