Diving Destinations from Taiwan?

[tangfish]

I'll be headed out to Taiwan in a couple of weeks, I was wondering what your opinions were on a diving destination nearby that is very good wouldn't cost an arm and a leg to go to for a week from Taipei. I was thinking possibly Philippines (nearby- but from what I hear its not the safest place at the moment), Vietnam, Malaysia or Indonesia. I don't know how much flights are to those places but how is the diving, proximity of sites to major airports and costs? Any hypothetical iteneraries would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! :dazzler1:

 

[japan-diver]

Okinawa is just a short flight away, very safe and the diving is great. Know some operators who offer great packages for a week of diving.

 

[tangfish]

please do share the info on the operators you speak of!

 

[nori1841]

Hi,
Asia countries are safe because many Japanese often go to but Japan is the best from viewpoint of security and safety diving.
Taiwan people usually visit Okinawa so I think convenient flight is available.

 

[tangfish]

What are the water temps on Okinawa this time of year?

 

[japan-diver]

Just got out of the water and my computer read 75F(24C) and will be climbing even higher in the next month. Summer temps are in the 80'sF(30C).

 

[tangfish]

brrrrr....75 can be quite chilly by that second dive in the 3mm. I've heard good things about okinawa though so far, I may just have to invest in a hood and head on over that way. What kind of sea life do you see around this time of year?

 

[japan-diver]

Out in the Keramas yesterday we saw a few turtles, lots of fish- puffers, clown fish, damsels, triggers, morrish idols, goat fish, emperors, angel fish, bat fish, moray eels, trevally, jacks, and a few small tuna. Garden eels, sea snakes and more are seen almost all the time also depending on the site visited.

A huge variety of soft and hard corals are also seen.

 

[tangfish]

That sounds splendid, I don't know why I hadn't heard of diving off of Okinawa before researching this trip. What about average costs for 2 tank boat dives? I have all my own gear. Is there any shore diving to be had? How long are the boat rides out on average, and are the seas rough? I tend to get seasick easily.

 

[japan-diver]

Okinawa is the best kept secret in the diving world unless you speak Japanese. There is great shore diving all over the island although the absolute best diving is done in the Kerama islands - about a 45 minute boat ride in the better dive boats. Many Japanese shops use modified fishing boats that only cruise at 15-16 knots and can take over an hour to get there. The better shops have custom dive boats that cruise from 25-30 knots and make the trip much faster and more comfortable. They also add amenities such as fresh water heated showers, seats, heads, dry cabins, sun decks for surface intervals, actual swim platforms for entry/exit all the things to make the dive more pleasant.

To get the best price decide on number of days coming and get a package quote for dives, mix some shore and boat dives out to the islands and three or four days of diving can be relatively cheap.

Guided dives w/rental average Y6-7,000 for a two tank day and boats average Y10-11000 for a two tank w/lunch