Romantic Diving in August?

[Louie]

So depending on time constraints and other factors, some possibilities:

Fiji: Taveuni is great for soft corals and of course, there are all those wonderful beaches on the islands (don't spend any more time than you need to in Nadi - yuck!!)

Never been to French Polynesia but always thought it would be great - Rangiroa for diving and then off to Bora Bora, wow!!

Northern Queensland (Aus): August is the nice time of year there (drier, cooler enabling you to take in the on-land activities) and it's relatively inexpensive. You can do a liveaboard out of Cairns or Port Douglas out into the Coral Sea.

Thailand/Malaysia: Sadly, monsoon season on the Andaman side but peak season in the Gulf. Perhentians will be good in August. On land, there'll be loads to do, good food, plenty of distractions. It'll be good value for money and may meet the exotic criteria.

Or

If you can get a South Pacific excursion fare, you may be able to combine a few different places - for diving and other activities. Aitutaki in the Cook Islands has got to be one of the most beautiful lagoons I have ever seen - but diving's not top-rated. Combine Fiji or Samoa?

Good luck

 

[drbill]

Agree on the ABC islands even though I've never been there (yet). Bonaire is 99.9% diving oriented so there may not be much in the way of top side attractions. Friends who have been to Aruba and Curacao say there is more nightlife there and the diving is somewhat comparable. They are all outside the hurricane belt (south of it) except on rare occasion.

 

[dolphin adventures]

Hi: You might want to consider Fiji because it is great in August! You said you have done the Pacific Isles.....don't know if that means South Pacific. We have some great 2 week trips that are really economical and very very romantic. We specialize in the outer islands that are remote and beautiful....great diving and well priced. No obligation to purchase from me......I just love Fiji and have been sending people there for years. I go to Fiji about 3 months every year and know about 95% of all the resorts. If you want to talk about some ideas or if you want me to give you a quote on some island hopping great Fiji places just email or call: dolphinadventures2004@yahoo.com or 1-530-271-7082.

Thanks!
Mary Jane

My Fiancee and I are getting married in August next year, and want to have a honeymoon involving scuba. In August. From the 14th - 28th most likely. Which means hurricane season in the caribbean. Which is the only place I've dived except in the midwest and a little pacific coast diving. So I'm not sure where we should go!

The things we're looking for :
Good scuba
Exotic (Mexico doesn't count as exotic to Alison)
Non-scuba honeymoon romantic stuff to do as well.
Beaches.

We're planning on spending 2 weeks(ish) wherever we go, so there's plenty of time to get in some good scuba diving dedicated days, perhaps even a live-aboard!

Here's the rub : We both get seasick. I've barfed through a regulator before, and don't want to have to do it again. Or have Alison experience it. Gross. So ideally some place with calm waters in the time of year. It doesn't have to be glass, but rougher waves will mean no boat diving. If it IS glass, or has lots of great calm areas to dive even if the weather is rough, a liveaboard is an option. (An option I'd love!)

I've not been to the pacific isles, but it seems like they might be a better bet that the caribbean in August. Aruba/Curaco/etc is our 'fall back' dive area. I figure hanging out on Aruba for the honeymoony stuff and going to the other islands for a couple of scuba days would be a good plan as it's as far off the hurricane path as possible. But if there is a better place to go in August, I'd totally love doing it. Since we've got the two weeks, we can go to a further out destination. Also, we wouldn't mind island hopping and spending time on the 'touristy' island for the romance stuff and going out of the way to a smaller island for the fun scuba action.

Experience wise : I'm just your average diver. I've done Caymans and Bahamas, and some diving in Monterey, CA, as well as a bunch of lake diving. Alison is the enthusiastic beginner. (She did OW/AOW over the last month and has already started buying all her own gear so we can dive together any time we want!)

So... any of you old salts have suggestions?

 

[leelee]

Congradulations. and best wishes. Obviously i don't know you so don't what you would like but I would suggest a liveaboard. luxury liveaboard called the Aqua cat.. based out of nassau , bahamas. www.aquacat.com. it is part of blackbeard cruises fleet
anyways the reason i recomment that is cause, there is only one bumy crossing and it is only for 5 hours from 6 to 9am. then the cat is in calm waters around the exuma chain of islands. now if you want to dive, dive,, option for five a day, if you want romance you can kyak to one of the in-inhabitat islands with no bugs and the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world. have the island to yourself. ask the cook to pack you a pic-nick only constrant is getting to the next site and If you ask for captain ron , he may be able to plan the dive to benefit the newlyweds. lots of activities.
there is no romantic dinners but you will be on a boat with a great group of people and they will all treat you like kings cause of your special occasion and drink in your honor. check it out. .

 

[alibee]

I don't think I can do a liveaboard without puking my kidneys, intestines, stomach, gall bladder, etc., out into the ocean

Also, apparently Brandon did a dive with Blackbeard's in the Bahamas two years ago (I wasn't certified so I didn't go) and vomited so much on that crossing that he thought he was losing stomach lining.

MM!

 

[divetahoe]

My Fiancee and I are getting married in August next year, and want to have a honeymoon involving scuba. In August. From the 14th - 28th most likely. Which means hurricane season in the caribbean. Which is the only place I've dived except in the midwest and a little pacific coast diving. So I'm not sure where we should go!

The things we're looking for :
Good scuba
Exotic (Mexico doesn't count as exotic to Alison)
Non-scuba honeymoon romantic stuff to do as well.
Beaches.

We're planning on spending 2 weeks(ish) wherever we go, so there's plenty of time to get in some good scuba diving dedicated days, perhaps even a live-aboard!

Here's the rub : We both get seasick. I've barfed through a regulator before, and don't want to have to do it again. Or have Alison experience it. Gross. So ideally some place with calm waters in the time of year. It doesn't have to be glass, but rougher waves will mean no boat diving. If it IS glass, or has lots of great calm areas to dive even if the weather is rough, a liveaboard is an option. (An option I'd love!)

I've not been to the pacific isles, but it seems like they might be a better bet that the caribbean in August. Aruba/Curaco/etc is our 'fall back' dive area. I figure hanging out on Aruba for the honeymoony stuff and going to the other islands for a couple of scuba days would be a good plan as it's as far off the hurricane path as possible. But if there is a better place to go in August, I'd totally love doing it. Since we've got the two weeks, we can go to a further out destination. Also, we wouldn't mind island hopping and spending time on the 'touristy' island for the romance stuff and going out of the way to a smaller island for the fun scuba action.

Experience wise : I'm just your average diver. I've done Caymans and Bahamas, and some diving in Monterey, CA, as well as a bunch of lake diving. Alison is the enthusiastic beginner. (She did OW/AOW over the last month and has already started buying all her own gear so we can dive together any time we want!)

So... any of you old salts have suggestions?

Did my honeymoon diving and doing "other things" in Indonesia. Bali and Lombok have great resorts (and small out of the way places too) and the diving is awesome (especially the wreck off Tulamben, and in the Gilis off Lombok). The shopping on Bali is legendary.
For a more "National Geographic Explorer"-type trip, head a little north to Sulawesi and dive Bunaken island and explore Tangkoko park. Again, awesome.

My wife's first dives after her OW cert (in Lake Tahoe in October, brrr) were Bunaken, then Bali then Lombok. Needless to say, every dive she has done since has ended with, "that was nice, but it just wasn't as good as Indonesia."

FWIW

 

[shadowdiver]

Have you guys looked at Roatan for your honeymoon? West Bay beach is a beautiful location. If you are more of a party animal then West End is a great place and for diving is situated has the marine reserve right on it's doorstep. Visit www.roatanet.com for more information on things to do out of the water. The diving is excellent, beaches are beautiful, the weather is always great in August, maybe some late night thunderstorms or early morning rains but nothing to affect a day's diving. Don't be put off by stories of cruise shippers either, August is not the season for them. Have fun and enjoy whatever you decide

 

[Shasta_man]

Liveaboard in Palau is very good for calm waters. They anchor in a channel for multiple days while you go to dive sites five minutes away. Incredibly easy and of course, the diving is world class.

However, there is little to do on Palau besides nature/water related.

Fiji is awesome with great people but we did encounter a lot of inclement weather, particularly on Taveuni. Research shows it gets some of the most rainfall in the world. It made the strait quite a bumpy ride. You're fine underway but when the boat stops, get off! I'd also say Taveuni has little to do beside nature/water.

Tahiti is awesome as well with beautiful picturesque islands. Nothing beats overwater bungalows for luxury and access to the water. Your hut on the lagoon has a great deck with swim ladder into the lagoon. No walking in the sand and coral, just swim back to the hut. The whole wall rolls back to reveal the sunset. The mountain of Bora Bora looking down on you. Diving there is awesome as well though I heard the liveaboard could encounter so waves when transiting between islands. It will destroy your comparisons to any hotel in the future.







on the islands around.

My Fiancee and I are getting married in August next year, and want to have a honeymoon involving scuba. In August. From the 14th - 28th most likely. Which means hurricane season in the caribbean. Which is the only place I've dived except in the midwest and a little pacific coast diving. So I'm not sure where we should go!

The things we're looking for :
Good scuba
Exotic (Mexico doesn't count as exotic to Alison)
Non-scuba honeymoon romantic stuff to do as well.
Beaches.

We're planning on spending 2 weeks(ish) wherever we go, so there's plenty of time to get in some good scuba diving dedicated days, perhaps even a live-aboard!

Here's the rub : We both get seasick. I've barfed through a regulator before, and don't want to have to do it again. Or have Alison experience it. Gross. So ideally some place with calm waters in the time of year. It doesn't have to be glass, but rougher waves will mean no boat diving. If it IS glass, or has lots of great calm areas to dive even if the weather is rough, a liveaboard is an option. (An option I'd love!)

I've not been to the pacific isles, but it seems like they might be a better bet that the caribbean in August. Aruba/Curaco/etc is our 'fall back' dive area. I figure hanging out on Aruba for the honeymoony stuff and going to the other islands for a couple of scuba days would be a good plan as it's as far off the hurricane path as possible. But if there is a better place to go in August, I'd totally love doing it. Since we've got the two weeks, we can go to a further out destination. Also, we wouldn't mind island hopping and spending time on the 'touristy' island for the romance stuff and going out of the way to a smaller island for the fun scuba action.

Experience wise : I'm just your average diver. I've done Caymans and Bahamas, and some diving in Monterey, CA, as well as a bunch of lake diving. Alison is the enthusiastic beginner. (She did OW/AOW over the last month and has already started buying all her own gear so we can dive together any time we want!)

So... any of you old salts have suggestions?

 

[alibee]

My younger sister and her husband did their honeymoon in Tahiti and loved it as well; they went to Morea, Bora Bora, and the main island (I think). Unfortunately they're not wise to the ways of scuba so it's good to hear from folk who know!

OT to shasta_man -- I'm from Marin! Do people dive in Lake Shasta? We used to go boating there all the time. /me misses California....