I'm Hooked

[Gdog]

Agree with Mossman.....on the limiting. Disagree on Maui over the Big Island! Will be on both next winter again, but have to say, prefer most anyplace else tropical to dive over either, and including Kauai. And as far as the limiting goes, was like the OP, went to Coz, fell in love, and didnt go any place else for like 9 years. Then, Hawaii, then, Bonaire. Now I feel like each has their place. Coz rocks for several reasons. But other places rock in their own right. I will return again and again to Coz, it is special to me. But I will also return to Bonaire, and the other places on my bucket list. And lets not forget the awesome diving here in the Pacific Northwest USA....

 

[Mossman]

Agree with Mossman.....on the limiting. Disagree on Maui over the Big Island! Will be on both next winter again, but have to say, prefer most anyplace else tropical to dive over either, and including Kauai. And as far as the limiting goes, was like the OP, went to Coz, fell in love, and didnt go any place else for like 9 years. Then, Hawaii, then, Bonaire. Now I feel like each has their place. Coz rocks for several reasons. But other places rock in their own right. I will return again and again to Coz, it is special to me. But I will also return to Bonaire, and the other places on my bucket list. And lets not forget the awesome diving here in the Pacific Northwest USA....

Hawaii basically has monotonous hard corals and limited species of fish due to its extreme location in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, it has endemic species galore. Yes, the turtles are plentiful on Kauai, but only because they like to eat algae and the reefs are covered in the stuff (and I see more and more turtles every time I'm in Coz). The Big Island is all new reef since it's a relatively new island. I prefer Maui because of Molokini's back wall, availability of decent shore diving, and some amazing dive ops like Ed Robinson's. Also, Lanai is doable with ops out of Lahaina, like Extended Horizons. Also, Maui easily has the best restaurants of the three islands. But it is very expensive to dive in Hawaii, to stay in Hawaii, and to eat in Hawaii.

The Caribbean, including Cozumel, can have excellent diving. Water clarity in Cozumel is almost as good as it gets. But the diversity is rather limited. Nothing compares to the Indo-Pacific region for diversity since Wallacea is the underwater Garden of Eden. From there, it all goes downhill. Unfortunately it takes a good 16 or so hours just for the first leg of flying to that part of the world from the west coast, obviously even more time from points east of the west coast, and then your journey is only starting.

 

[Abaco24]

Come drift dive and "fly" as an Aquanaut in South FL!

 

[Mossman]

Come drift dive and "fly" as an Aquanaut in South FL!

Where the diving is so lousy you have to advertise it as flying?

Actually, Boynton isn't half bad as long as you like "flying" in murky green water but I sure prefer my "flying" in the clear blue underwater skies of Cozumel.

 

[cbm32]

I certainly wouldnt say that turtles are scarce diving Coz, but I saw far more turtles diving two weeks off Kauai than two months diving Coz. It is really like night and day when it comes to turtles. However, that is the one advantage I would give to Kauai over Coz. I would note that I was not able to get over to Niihau during my stay on Kauai though.