Anyone else like shore dives?

[Makhno]

. . . Where in Taiwan? I always wanted to try diving in the Kenting area ... just haven't had the opportunity yet. Also wondered what it would be like up north ... around Yeliu ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yeah, most of my Taiwan dives have been in Kenting, as that's been the most convenient -- I get there about one weekend per month, on average -- but I think the best diving in the country is at Green Island, where I've gone 5 or 6 times for 4- or 5-day long weekends or longer vacations. Healthy reefs, lots of critters and not as overfished as the main island of Taiwan [The famous Green Island hammerheads are hit-or-miss (and only at one dive site, only in the winter), and I've only had a couple of truly outstanding hammerhead dives, outnumbered by dives in empty blue water with no sharks to be seen, and a few dives with only one or two lonely sharks passing through . . .]

Truth be told, I wouldn't travel to Kenting from outside Taiwan if I could instead go to some better diving destinations in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, etc., but it's a good destination for folks who are already here. Just as I don't need to dine at a 4-star restaurant to enjoy my dinner, likewise I don't need to dive world-class reefs to enjoy my diving.

I've only done a handful of dives on the northeast coast, but really enjoyed them all: so different from down south. In the winter it gets too cold up there to support hard corals, so it's a different ecosystem from what we see in Kending, Green Island, etc. I'm moving up north to Taipei next month, so over the next year I'll get to know the northeast coast dive sites -- really looking forward to it.

Bob, if you happen to be in the neighborhood, get in touch and hopefully by then I'll be able to show you around some good dive sites up north.

Cheers,
M

 

[geoff w]

I'm fortunate to live within 15 minutes of several very nice shore dive sites, including a few within walking distance (just not with scuba gear), including a nice MPA (marine protected area). I try to do one or two beach dives every weekend, conditions permitting. One of my all time most spectacular dives was a shore dive less than 5 minutes from home. Shore dives can be done on your schedule for the cost of gas to get there, an airfill and maybe parking. So most of my diving during the last few years have been beach dives. Because you're providing the propulsion to the dive site and back for the walk across the beach and surface swims, I found I don't get as cold shore diving compared to boat dives.

When I'm on vacation, whether somewhere in Hawaii, the south Pacific, Caribbean or wherever, at least 99% of my dives will be boat dives. I'm on vacation, diving is a treat in so many tropical locations, and there's no reason to spend all the time and money getting there to chintz out for poorer dive conditions. Between waves and sand, it's hard to get as good conditions off the beach as you get farther off shore only accessible by boat in most cases. Also, with a boat, there are so many places you can go that aren't accessible from shore. For me, going on a boat to Catalina or any of the other Channel Islands off So Cal where I live is a treat, because the dive conditions are usually so much better, even if a day of boat diving takes the whole day and costs at least 20 times what shore diving costs

---------- Post added June 18th, 2014 at 05:28 PM ----------

I do believe that, every single time we have ever taken the boat out for diving, something has broken that has necessitated a trip to the boat hospital, and their rock bottom fee, as far as I can tell, is $1000.

Don't, for the life of you, buy a boat unless: You are an electrician, a mechanic, a woodworker, a welder, and someone experienced in detailing vehicles. AND you enjoy doing all those things. We aren't, we don't, and the financial hemorrhage has been frightful.

You know what they say about the two happiest days of a boat owners life...

(I started to google "two happiest days" and Google filled in the rest as the top suggestion )

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I love beach diving. I have 300 dives at my favorite site, Marineland. It can be challenging with a rocky entry/exit, waves and poor vis, but I've had some incredible dives there. When I had my last boat I still made beach dives at Marineland because it was faster than bringing the boat around from L.A. Harbor. Of course, having a boat opens up a lot of sites unavailable from shore, and I can often dive nearshore reefs on days when waves make beach diving impossible.

I met Merry while beach diving at Marineland. We made many dives together there, but she did not seem to enjoy the pounding she took from the rocks and waves, not to mention the 1/4 mile surface swim to the better reef. She will turn 66 in two months. I didn't want to see her get hurt or quit diving with me, so we bought a boat together. I still enjoy beach diving, but I've only made a dozen or so since we got the boat.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Cheng is 66 as well, and since her car accident a couple years ago the uphill walks after the dive are a struggle for her. She leaves for Nepal in early September, and since she'll be nearly 69 years old when she gets back I suspect her days of cold-water diving ... particularly our favorite shore dives ... will be over ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[AfterDark]

All but < 100 dives of my >2000 are NE shore dives. I can't say I like shore dives in the sense that I would turn down a boat dive! However it has been my main vehicle to the water for 44 years now, it that sense I love'm! I've had some great shore diving here in NE as good or better than some warm water diving I've done. The down side is if I can reach the site every other diver can too. It limits where I can dive. Forty years ago there where a lot more places that where accessible for diving than today. So it's a love hate with me these days, my knees are failing and walking with all that gear hurts more and more, but once I'm in MAN was it worth it!

 

[Storker]

Because you're providing the propulsion to the dive site and back for the walk across the beach and surface swims, I found I don't get as cold shore diving compared to boat dives.

OTOH, if your exposure protection is a DS, a hike - any hike - from the parking to the shore sucks big time in the summer.

I don't own a WS, and even suiting up in the summer with air temps of >20C is a pain in the a$$, not to mention the waddle from the parking down to the water...

 

[geoff w]

OTOH, if your exposure protection is a DS, a hike - any hike - from the parking to the shore sucks big time in the summer.

I don't own a WS, and even suiting up in the summer with air temps of >20C is a pain in the a$$, not to mention the waddle from the parking down to the water...

A long set of 50+ stairs before waddling across a long sandy beach makes it all that much more fun, whether diving wet or dry. The nice thing about dive boats is there are usually no more than 5 steps from the water to the deck. More than that and one of the concierges will be there to carry your dive gear after handing you a drink to help you stay hydrated

 

[gbf]

OTOH, if your exposure protection is a DS, a hike - any hike - from the parking to the shore sucks big time in the summer.

I don't own a WS, and even suiting up in the summer with air temps of >20C is a pain in the a$$, not to mention the waddle from the parking down to the water...

And not only will you sweat your axx off getting there in the drysuit, The drysuit then becomes a sweat-containment suit where you can freeze your axx off in the water after sweating yourself soaking wet...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

OTOH, if your exposure protection is a DS, a hike - any hike - from the parking to the shore sucks big time in the summer.

I don't own a WS, and even suiting up in the summer with air temps of >20C is a pain in the a$$, not to mention the waddle from the parking down to the water...

... seems to contradict what you said in reply #27 ... apparently you do understand why a shore dive takes more effort than a boat dive after all.

Were you just trolling?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TMHeimer]

... seems to contradict what you said in reply #27 ... apparently you do understand why a shore dive takes more effort than a boat dive after all.

Were you just trolling?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Again, depends on the shore dive. I consider my dives here at home WAY less work than a boat dive. And I wake up my usual time (10-11 A.M., not 5-6....) and am well rested. Either way, you still have to load/unload the car, rinse after, etc. Not bad if the shore site is 10 minutes away (or at your house). The boat also may include a lot more driving time & gas. With the boat you also have to haul it all from the car to the boat and vice versa. But the actual dive from the boat IMO is way better.