Best newbie dive spots?

[Nerea]

Hoping to spark some passionate disagreements here ...
Me & my hubby just got OWD certified in the Philippines (Malapascua, Panglao) and now we're looking around for the next adventure (much more fun saving money if we know where we're going) ...
Got 11 dives under our (weight)belts so far... so the next place should ideally be fairly relaxed diving in a warm place, but with opportunities to go on with AOWD certification & to see some nice/unusual/cool critters... :turtle:
(Guess that doesn't really narrow it down much, does it...) :14:
Suggestions, anyone??

 

[Doc]

How can you beat the Philippines?

It's a bargain and it's all that the South Pacific offers at a 50% discount. I'm looking forward to my third trip.

Well, you've been spoiled so far. Maybe perfect your buoyancy skills and take another look with a really good DM, find a "Critter Gitter" kind of guy!

Don't forget night diving there, as well. It is magical.

Continue to fill out your profile- what is your time and money budget available?

From London, you see the red sea much as us Yanks perceive the Caribbean. Lots of wrecks you can enjoy from the outside or from within.

 

[Nerea]

How can you beat the Philippines?

It's a bargain and it's all that the South Pacific offers at a 50% discount. I'm looking forward to my third trip.

Well, you've been spoiled so far. Maybe perfect your buoyancy skills and take another look with a really good DM, find a "Critter Gitter" kind of guy!

Don't forget night diving there, as well. It is magical.

Continue to fill out your profile- what is your time and money budget available?

From London, you see the red sea much as us Yanks perceive the Caribbean. Lots of wrecks you can enjoy from the outside or from within.

Good points, thx for the post
After some extensive googling (after all, it's Saturday and what better time waste than to surf dive places on the old internet) I've more or less come to the conclusion that the Philippines seems tough to beat... it's relatively cheap, seems to suffer less from diver overcrowding than many other places, and there's lots of variety from the tiniest to the largest critters...
Looks like we'll be spoiling ourselves even more from now on

So, what are your recommendations...? Are you going back to the same spot(s) or trying different ones?

 

[Doc]

I've more or less come to the conclusion that the Philippines seems tough to beat... it's relatively cheap, seems to suffer less from diver overcrowding than many other places, and there's lots of variety from the tiniest to the largest critters...So, what are your recommendations...? Are you going back to the same spot(s) or trying different ones?

Firstly- to your situation. I have to say again that you need to bop on down to Sharm el Sheik. Just jump on one of the regularly scheduled "British busses with wings" and follow the well beaten route you Colonialists have to Egypt. I chartered the VIP One liveaboard with Longwood Holidays out of England.

These cuties can be seen in either place! (Sharm or Philippines)

Secondly- you asked about "going back to the same spot" in the Philippines. I follow a small group of divers when going to the Philippines. The trip leader Oceanic Venures, Inc. - Travel has taken us twice to PuertoGalera, Atlantis Resort.

I can not imagine a more elegant property located in this diver's paradise- so- with limited time for personal investigation and exploration resulting in substandard properties... they have my heart and soul.:10: How can you beat for a front yard? Or these for yummy appetizers?

The Red Sea is my solid recommendation for you. Fairly good visibility, you can have a good time never going past 90fsw, lots of very cool wrecks, most are well scattered on the sea floor, and the famous Thistlegorm with its easy swim throughs.

Nowhere near as florid as the Philippines, but lots of historical debris on the bottom. You Brits always seem to be swimming off into the blue in search of Sharks, as well.

As a sidenote- search a bit on the Maldives. Again, not a major jump for a London start, no worse than the Galapagos for us North Americans. Lots of critters, large and small- plus a bunch of wrecks. I have only done live aboards which let us do 5 a day, but we did visit several resorts which were the picture of idyllic tranquility, the diving based on a more European time schedule.

 

[DiveBarbadosBlue]

Have to ad Barbados!! We have some great diving for beginners and excellent dive choices for advanced open water certs. Our water temperature varies year round between 78 in February - 84 in August/September. We are located on the south west corner which gives us great access to the calmer reef and wreck dives of Carlisle Bay and the west coast of the island, whereas, we get great healthy reefs between 20 and 120 feet with potentially some lovely drift currents and LOTS OF TURTLES on the south coast sites. Typically you'll find that you are in a peak section or your diving careers and you will see vast improvements between logged dives 10 and 20 (everything from your buoyancy, to air consumption, to observation skills and navigation). Very exciting dives for you ahead. We have much more specific information on our website Barbados Blue Water Sports – Caribbean Diving, Scuba Diving in Barbados but we are an exotic location with several direct flights from the US including Miami and NY, and, we have some great diving options for all. Let us know if we can help further. Best of luck and happy diving!

 

[tadeotadeo]

Old Providence and Santa Catalina

The last natural refuge in The Caribbean


Seemingly lost in place and time,
blissfully bypassed by frantic mass tourism and resort development,
the islands of Old Providence and its sister island, Santa Catalina, are a cherished paradise of beauty, tranquility and authenticity.
Old Providence and Santa Catalina are the epitome of pristine,
unspoiled,
authentic Caribbean life.

The diving is the island's major attraction, boasting the world’s third largest reef eco-system and the Caribbean’s second largest. These 100 square miles of reefs surrounding Old Providence are the nucleus of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve consisting of 10% of the Caribbean.
The dry tropical rain forest,
deep sea fishing,
hiking,
horseback riding
and beach combing all vie for second position.
For anyone seeking more than that, this destination is not it.
No five star hotels, in fact, no stars.
No casino,
no nightclub,
no nothing.
And therein lies its charm and beauty.
Here is one place where the absence of amenities allows the visitor to get to know this charming island’s natural beauty and its people.