My wife and I were in Okinawa about ten years ago and I for one wish I had never left!
Just north of Naha city (I think that's south of Okinawa City) is a GREAT beach for diving, Cebu beach. There are dive shops all along it, with lots of equipment for rent and sale (of course).
The beach is fantastic, an easy access down some stairs and into the water. The water is clear and warm, when I go again it will be with a 4mm dive skin. (If you are on the tall and thin side like me, get one at home and take it with you - all they had that would fit me was a 7mm and I was cooking!)
Depending where you are, it is usually quite warm there, the water temp for me was about 80 degrees or so. I did one dive for almost an hour just in my shorts, no suit at all.
And you don't have to go deep, one other dive I did was 110 minutes long and I still had over 1000 lbs in the tank when I came up! I don't think I went any deeper than 15 feet the whole time, there was just so much too see!
If you get a chance of course do NOT pass up the Kerama Islands. I loved them so much I named my boat "Kerama Isle" when I got home.
Take LOTS of film AND an underwater camera or you'll be sorry. Try to get one with a flash so the colors look right, otherwise the pics will come out quite greenish (learnt that from experience!)
The water , like I mentioned, was warm and clear, with TONS of colorful coral of every different shape and size, and GAZILLIONS of fish!
There are so many fish you can't even see them sometimes, they get right in your face! You actually have to push them away so you can see them.
We went to the "Pink Shark" dive shop right in the middle of the beach, we met a real neat fellow, ex US Marine dive instructor, he took us out on our first dive just to show us around. Of course he spoke english so that was real nice. He's probably gone to that big fish tank in the sky by now, but if you can find hem say Hi for me (he won't have a clue who I am of course, but you can say I told you about him.)
ABSOLUTELY make sure you get a trip to the Okinawa Marine Park (I think that;s what it's called) at the Northern tip of the island. They have the BIGGEST aquarium I have ever seen. They have Manta Rays, Sharks, even a Whale Shark there! I sat for about two hours just watching them swim around and around. It was Fantastic!
As for time of year, we went at the middle of August and came home at the beginning of September. Too much earlier and it's unbearably hot (for a pale white guy) and too much later you run the serious risk of monsoon season. While we were there they had a typhoon warning, all the airbases shut down completely, I even saw cement statues being tied down for fear of being blown away! I'm NOT kidding!
It is VERY humid there, I lost about five pounds just from sweating, so make sure you drink lots of fluid. I have been told that if you take a fingertip of salt every day that helps stop the sweating - try that if you like.
WOW! Just typing all this brings back the Greatest dive memories I have ever had. Thanks for reminding me.
Well, have to go, stuck here in Beautiful B.C. aka the Emerald Coast aka the best cold water diving spot in the world (but it is cold!). My brand new 7mm dry suit still hanging on the hook waiting to get wet! Let me know how you do!
Robert M. Gillcash
Maple Ridge, B.C. Canada
