Your shallowest dives-or-what kind of dives do you like the best?

[cleung]

I don't do deep dives just for the sake of doing deep dives. I don't need any hero badges for going down xx feet. I go where the best marine life is. If the marine life happens to be down in a wreck that's deep, okay. If the marine life is at 30 feet where the reef is, that's okay too. The reefs at Sharm el Sheik go rise up to 5 to 10 feet and that's okay as well. Even the Stingray City dive is only 12 to 15 feet deep.

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

My favourite dives have all been on the Aliwal Shoal, with viz anywhere from 3m to 30+ (occassionally!). The common denominator seems to be dives in the 12 to 18m range, with lots to see. I am not too phased with visibility (as you may have noticed already...), but I really enjoy spending as long as I can underwater on each dive. I try to end the dive with the DM, on the 60 minute mark. This means that I restrict my depth to extend my NDL time and my air supply. I don't dive as deep as the "bottom" all the time (or "bottom-hug").

Deeper dives have there place in my itinerary, especially the Produce wreck (32-36m), which is great fun. But I find diving on air at these depths really pointless. So again, I will stay shallow on the wreck and try to maximise my time there. On this particular site, I have not found much worthwhile viewing below 30m. Just lots of sand.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[limeyx]

...

I was going to specifically ask about shallow dives but then decided to add the "or" and also ask what types of dives you enjoy the most. Why discriminate on the bases of depth on way or the other?

I don't even start the timer until I hit 190 ... what's the point? (Joke)

I've had plenty of good shallow dives in the SoCal area. Malaga cove is one fine example -- most of it is about 20 feet deep but you can see plenty of lobster, giant black sea bass, rays.

 

[dherbman]

My current dive is the one I enjoy the most. I really don't compare one dive to another and can't think of a dive I didn't enjoy in one way or another.
My most memmorable dives tend to be those that challenge me the most. One of my most challenging dives this year had a max depth of 16'. My most memorable dive of all time had a BT of less than 7 minutes.
Numbers don't make the dive for me.

 

[pilot fish]

My most memorable dive of all time had a BT of less than 7 minutes. ]]]dherbman

Would love to hear about it

 

[ClevelandDiver]

7ft "salvage" dive in a creek, 2 foot viz, 10 minute bottom time in strong current. Recovered my brother's bike (which also had his wallet and keys in a pouch under the seat) from his failed attempt to carry it across a creek because the bridge was out.

While we were assessing the situation, some other bikers approached and began discussing whether or not they should cross. They were very dismissive of our warnings until they realized we were not kidding as I came back from the car with a tank on my back. I offered to recover their bikes at a mere $100 a piece if they didn't make it. They choose a different route.

Seeing that bike appear out of the murky water was like discovering a virgin wreck the "S.S Mongoose". It is one of my fondest diving memories. The fact that I got to raz my brother and tell the much longer version of the story to my family at the next gathering certainly added to my enjoyment.

 

[kidspot]

If given the choice of seeing the same thing at 80ft or 15ft ... I'd choose 15ft. My biggest gripe with deeper dives is the short (under 40 minutes) of dive time. I really enjoy 60-90 minute dives - after all I have just as much to get ready and clean up either way. My second gripe would be narcosis (which starts affecting me at approx 70ft) so I prefer shallow - did a 1 mile drift dive with PeterGuy and TSandM when they were here last - it was a great 90 minutes with an avg depth of 12 ft.

Now if there is something to see deeper I'm all for it, especially if it's unique. My favorite deep dives are watching the garden eels at 70-80ft in Molokini crater.

Aloha, Tim

 

[pilot fish]

My current dive is the one I enjoy the most. I really don't compare one dive to another and can't think of a dive I didn't enjoy in one way or another.
My most memmorable dives tend to be those that challenge me the most. One of my most challenging dives this year had a max depth of 16'. My most memorable dive of all time had a BT of less than 7 minutes.
Numbers don't make the dive for me.

There's a story here and we like to hear it, eh. Dont leave us hanging, eh?

 

[dherbman]

Wouldn't be prudent.

 

[simbrooks]

We have a whole host of dives around here that are shallow and fun. From Bradenton and Venice for fossils and a shallow wreck all around 15ft to Alexander Springs (22ft at the boil and you can see the rest of the spring in the shallows at around 4ft), down to Ft Lauderdale and some other beaches i have yet to go on where depths are in the teens as well, then down in the Keys with a few reefs less than 20ft deep. Although not particularly shallow, i enjoyed the dives i did at Peacock/OG compared with Ginnie and such which were deeper - it was only a max of 70ft, but it was such fun to be so "shallow" in a cave and having time to enjoy it rather than being restricted so much by the time at depth!

Now my wife has learnt to dive, i am happy to show her the sights and enjoy them myself from the shore or on a shallow reef from a boat ride, she is only OW, but i know there is plenty to see there for both of us.