Maldives - bring macro stuff or not?

[James R]

We are going to dive for 10 days in the Maldives fairly soon, and have had a few people (DSLR shooters) asking if it's worth it to bring macro lenses & ports or not?

We have heard it's almost all drift diving, which makes macro shooting very difficult if not impossible there from a few people. Others have said there's great macro to be found.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Which route are you taking?

 

[James R]

We will be cruising from Male to the northern atolls of Baa and back again.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'm sorry, I've not done that specific itinerary. Your best bet is to ask the company that owns/operates the boat you will be on. Is it Carpe Diem by any chance?

 

[large_diver]

Agree with asking the boat. My experience (n=1, August 2014, mix of north and south) was that there was a mix of some current, some calm. There was definitely some great macro = nudibranchs, various shrimp, sea horses = I would definitely bring the macro gear.

 

[James R]

We asked them...they said it depends hah! Reasonable enough answer.

 

[jmsenger]

Bring it. The trips to that area that I've been on have all had excellent macro life

 

[James R]

Thanks...added to packing list: 105vr, SMC, muliplier, focus gear, port, flip adapters, and stix float ring

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've been hooked in watching sharks, and then to notice cutest little horny octopus immediately below me. How you handle that i don't know. Same when wstching mantas, right next to my hand juvenile scorpion fish.

Best to take it, listen well to the briefings and make you decision as you go. Of course this means hauling the gear over.

 

[Hintermann]

I have been to the Maldives twice, both liveaboards of the southern islands but slightly different routes. While there is undoubtedly a lot of current around the Maldives reef. very few dives were drift diving per se. You have to occasionally swim short distances against the current and in a lot of places you will be asked to anchor yourself with a reef hook.

On both my trips I saw lots of macro stiff - nudibranchs, flatworms, tiny shrimps, occasional pygmy seahorses, colourful juvenile fish and so on. IMO, it is certainly more than worth taking your macro gear to dive in the Maldives. Of course, you have to be careful to protect the expensive fisheye dome in currents. I do not own one myself but another diver who did always entered the water with the soft cover over the dome in place and once she stabilised herself in the water removed it and stiffed it into her BCD pocket.