Hammerheads and Mikomoto

[diverdantpt]

Hi Guys, I would be interested in any opinions you might have of the following, thanks:

1. have you dived mikomoto, are there many hammerheads there (i'm thinking of going in september)

2. anyone been with tokyoscuba http://www.tokyoscuba.com/mikomoto.htm - it looks like a nice trip, with accom etc, but not so many dives for the money :-(

3. are there other/better options for big fish diving and would i be better to save up for an okinawa trip?!

thanks v much. dan

 

[japan-diver]

Big fish diving you are looking at Ishigaki, Iriomote or best of all Yonaguni. Double the dives add meals and stuff and you are about triple the cost but I think the dives are much better in Yonaguni and you get a shot at the ruins also.

 

[Titan]

I've done around 30 dives at Mikomoto, and yes, you can swim with a school of hammerhead sharks and its a wild experience.

If you really want to see the sharks though, be warned - its a lottery. In late summer - autumn you might see sharks one dive in 4 if you go for a blue water dive. That means swimming along against the current for 30 minutes at 15 meters surrounded by nothing but blue. If you see sharks, great but otherwise, all you did was blow bubbles.

Many of my dives there have been with Tokyoscuba. Again if you really want to see sharks think about a different operation. Diving with Tokyoscuba can be real fun, but their record on finding sharks is not exactly stellar.

Don't even think of diving Mikomoto unless you are thoroughly prepared. You need to be famililar with drift diving in strong currents, proficient in the use of a safety bouy and real, capable of holding a safety stop in open water, and comfortable with the idea of waiting on the surface in heavy sea for upto 30 minutes while the boat comes to find you.

Mikomoto is a great dive, but its not to be taken lightly.

As to prices, the prices you've seen for Tokyoscuba are competitive and would be great value if they were able to deliver. You'll probably pay more with another operation. As to Japan-diver's shameless self-promotion of Okinawa diving, he's probably right, but if you're starting from Yokusuka the value proposition is not so attractive - a four day trip to Yonaguni from Tokyo was one of the most expensive trips I've ever made, and while the diving was awsome, I've had dives just as good, if not better, at Mikomoto, Tago and other sites in west Izu.

I hope this answers your questions

Titan

 

[nori1841]

Dan,

There are many sighting reports for this time of year.
It is said that this condition is pretty good by warm water.
You can see evidence photos and all necessary information in this website.

http://www.mikomoto.com/logs/

 

[Mar Scuba]

One diver who dove with us on Saturday in Atami reported hammerheads when he dove Mikomoto on Sunday. YMMV.

I won't make comments regarding Tokyo Scuba.

However, we use a 19 meter cruiser which is billed as the largest dive boat in Izu.

Budget about 20,000 yen for 2 boat dives down there, accomodations are anywhere from 8,000 yen up.

Cheers,

 

[diverdantpt]

thanks for the info guys is there a list of operators for mikomoto area or something, or an easy way to find the operators?! i had only seen that tokyoscuba dives there... hmmm.... cheers.

 

[nori1841]

Dan,

Didn't you really open the attached website? If so,try to copy and pase the url’ｓ.

Mikomoto Hammers
http://www.mikomoto.com/ http://www.mikomoto.com/logs/

phone/fax : 0558-62-4105

Mikomoto Diving service

http://www.mikomoto-ds.com/

phone:0558-62-5210 fax : 0558-62-5212

I have a plan to go Mikomoto on weekdays in September,　 to be determined later

 

[Mar Scuba]

If you are looking for English speaking dive ops, then Tokyo Scuba and Mar Scuba are the only ones.

None of the dive services in Shimoda have English speaking staff to my knowledge.

Nori, are you a DM or above? Please send me a PM.

 

[Titan]

Mikomoto Hammers used to have some Japanese DMs that could manage a limited breif in English, but I can't confirm the situation there this year.

Mikomoto Dive Service was formerly called Tatsu-Maru and definately do not have any English speakers. They are the operation used by Tokyoscuba for their tours. My comments about Tokyoscuba's records with the sharks do not necessarily reflect on Mikomoto Dive Service, but rather the way in which they conduct the dives. Many times I have been on the boat with Tokyoscuba and other Japanese led teams have found the sharks while we have not. The Japanese teams are conducting blue water dives, which Tokyoscuba does not generally do.

Titan

 

[nori1841]

at the first dive of the first trip to Mikomoto yesterday.
I must be very lucky guy. When the guide was preparing signaling float for safety-stop, one guest pointed out ahead, something was coming, we all dashed ahead, a school of Hammerheads were moving from right to left as river, number of HH's were around 88 or more. Visibility was 15m, not clear blue water but actual view were much better than phots.