List of dive destinations to not go to...

[TSandM]

I think it's really hard to say a place is a place not to go, because there are a lot of factors that make up the decision to go somewhere.

On the "wow" factor scale of the places I've dived, for example, Maui isn't at the top -- but it has tons of easy shore diving, and lots of turtles and frequent sharks, and a well-developed diving infrastructure, as well as lots of pleasant lodging and good restaurants. And they speak English, which is nice for those of us who do, and take American dollars, which is also nice for Americans. And the ATMS are generally safe

The Virgin Islands were very pleasant diving -- again, mostly quite easy, lots of color, plenty of critters, and beautiful scenery and great weather. Hard to knock, really. Would I specifically book a trip there for the sole purpose of pursuing amazing diving? Probably not. But combining diving with cruising made for one heck of a vacation.

French Polynesia is someplace I won't go back to. It's remote and extremely expensive, and I did not find the diving to be inspiring at all, with the exception of Rangiroa.

But Byron Bay in Australia was and remains one of the most fascinating places I've dived, and I would go back there in a minute, except it takes forever to get to

Our local dive sites in Puget Sound tend to be murky and silty and decorated mostly in junk . . . but in that junk are Giant Pacific Octopuses, among other weird and wonderful critters.

It's hard to say a place is not a place one would dive. It all depends on what you want to see, and what you want to do.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Darnold, did you know that Delta has started nonstops from LA to Belize? I don't know hw great the schedule is or is not but if you had a hankering to go back to Belize without an overnight, that might work out for you?

 

[sooke]

Any dive is a good dive for me!

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I live in Washington St now and the water here is just too damn cold and I refuse to invest another few thousand dollars in equipment so the spouse and I can get wet or dry depending on your outlook. That money is much better spent on airline tickets.

Are you kidding? I live on East Coast and have been wanting to travel all the way to Washington to dive the Puget Sound. I just hope that people from Washington area could jump in here to convince you that you are living next to one of the best cold water diving destinations in USA. I have a friend who moved to DC from that area and all he talks about is the Giant Pacific Octopus. There are not a lot of places that offer that experience.

 

[logansar]

You are sure entitled to your opinion but I simply don't agree. I have dove 2/3s of your "may not be worth it". If you are looking for value/or a bargain diving really isn't the right sport. Not much cheap about it.

I'll give ya a great example. Just got back from Cozumel Sunday (Scuba Club). I have been going to Cozumel since 1988. I made 15 dives on the reefs, walls and the wreck. The cost was a little Nader $600 for airfare, around $1200 for resort, food and diving maybe another couple hundred for misc items - like drinks. Now now you divide dives by cost it's not real economical !

But on EVERY dive I saw turtles, sharks (nurse and reef and some of the largest I've seen), lobsters and crabs that to describe as large would be an understatement.

Sea Horses that the body alone was 7-8 inches long plus the tail. The largest I've seen there. A comment on the turtles.... I saw the largest turtle at 55 feet I have seen in the wild or captivity! It was impressive to say the least.

All this and the healthiest reef I have seen in many - many years! I scheduled a return trip for December. (Trying to get time in my Sidemount equipment prior to my Truk / Palau trip in April). And I'll bet the very expensive April trip to Truk / Palau will be worth it!

So I think it depends on the individual as to if a destination is worth it... I will say that any dive is better then doing yard work at home! Lol

Good topic of conversation though


Sarge
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Lorenzoid]

I think Sarge hits the nail on the head. Whether one destination is "worth it" in comparison with another destination depends largely on how much time and money one has.

 

[Darnold9999]

Just did some quick searches on Matrix for a Feb/March trip just for comparison.

15 hours flight time to Manila from Victoria ($1,200), 18 hours to Bonaire($950), 15 hours to Belize ($790) (but Matrix does not seem to want to route Delta through LAX so that may change) Doesn't mean I wont go to the caribbean again, but the diving in the Pacific is generally so much better with significantly more variety that from here if diving is the only criteria - i am headed west not south.

From Eastern locations or US locations all this changes quite significantly I am sure.

 

[drbill]

I find almost any dive destination works for me. As a marine biologist, I generally travel to try to understand ecosystems that are new to me. That includes not only identifying the species involved, but also trying to understand the ecological relationships between the species. Even a destination that has been adversely impacted by human activity can be of interest given my focus.

 

[DjDiverDan]

Captain Sinbad, you completely lost me in your very first Paragraph - lumping the entire Caribbean into a single category -- What's up with that? I've been diving in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Martinique, and all are very different.

I've been going to Cozumel at least once a year, often 2 or 3 times a year, since 1990, and it is by far my favorite Caribbean destination. The diving is incredible - great visibility, sharks, turtles, morays, huge groupers, vibrant reefs, awesome coral formations. It just never gets boring. And it is very affordable - at least from Dallas or Houston. And anyone who can find cheap flights into Cancun can do the bag drag thing with a bus direct from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen and a Ferry ride over to Cozumel. The lodging is very reasonable - even dirt cheap if you stay at one of the little places downtown (like Hotel Flamingo & others) where you can get a room for $25 a night or less. The Food is great, and if you go local, eat at the locally owned Loncherias (a full 3 course lunch, with Chips & Salsa, Soup, and an entrée with rice & beans, and unlimited agua fresca to drink, for 70-80 pesos, or about $6) and taquerias, you can eat well for $20 a day. Or you can go fine dining at places like Kinte, Condessa, La Cocay and others and get a great meal for $40. And, depending on the dive op, you can get a multi-day package of 2-tank boat dives for $60 a day. To say that this is "not worth it" is just looney tunes.

Now Grand Cayman is a different story. Here, the diving is great - great visibility, vibrant reefs, lots to see. But you will PAY for it. It's difficult to get your diving for less than $125 a day, and the lodging and food is EXPENSIVE. Even a small B&B will set you back $100 a night or more. For what I spend for a week in Grand Cayman, I can afford 3 weeklong trips to Cozumel.

Martinique is also very different - dead reefs, disappointing dives, and rude French people. It DOES belong on your "do not go" list.

The American Virgin Isles are a bit better than Martinique, but the diving is still disappointing. St. Johns was beautiful, but expensive. St. Thomas was just sort of dirty and grungy, not worth the cost. I've heard St. Croix is much better, but I haven't been there, so I can't comment.

Moving on to the Pacific, my experience is very limited, only Moorea, but whether or not a trip is "worth it" really depends on what you are looking for. It didn't have nearly the same coral life or reef formations as Cozumel, but we didn't do a single dive without lots of Black Tip reef Sharks and lots of Morays, and had several swimming with HUGE Manta Rays. And, to me at least, staring at the Southern Cross on a clear night sky was a "bucket list" item, so I'm very glad I made the trip. To me, the Pacific is expensive and hard to get to.

So Captain Sinbad, while you are certainly entitled to your opinion, I'll respectfully disagree.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Darnold, I understand what you are saying. When I went to Bequia, very much enjoyed that. I found the diving to be quite sweet. The trip on the other hand was brutal and I remarked upon my return that for the money and the time, I could have gone to Southeast Asia.