Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
Since we are off-topic...Re: Diving at Bikini Atoll...wasn’t that where nuclear tests were conducted in the 1950’s? What became of all the deadly radiation we were taught would last for hundreds of years? Just another myth?
I'm not sure about your three choices. Palau is fine. Truk is much more serious diving, and you'd better like wrecks. Do you? Have you dived any? Bikini is a major investment of money and time and effort to get the requisite training and experience.. Maybe you ought to stick with Palau, and do Yap for your second segment. Also, you get very little bottom time in Truk...it is deep diving.When I went to Micronesia a few years ago, I stopped along the Island Hopper route for sightseeing and ended up in Palau. I did my DSD 2nd to last day in Palau (fell in love with scuba), dived at Yap for the mantas under supervision, and then did my proper Open Water in Saipan.
Now, I am thinking going back to that region on UA miles in late 2019/early 2020 (one of the best use of UA miles imo). I can visit maximum 2 places and have maximum 2 weeks to spare. I have narrow it down to Palau, Chuuk and Bikini Atoll.
Would appreciate any advice - especially for folks who have dived them all.
- Palau: I really enjoyed my snorkeling and DSD in Palau/Rock Islands, but I did not get to dive more advanced sites last time. Because my love for marine life and corals, it is very appealing for me to go back there - even though I prefer checking off new places
- Chuuk: I would normally choose coral reefs or big fish over wrecks. But a few folks I know who have been there all loved the dives and call them "top dives ever". My concern is 1) the typical length of the liveaboard 2) the hassle/time of getting there via Guam or HNL, 3) the recommended TEC40/50 (I do have about 100 dives and went down 50 meters on air at the blue hole and 40 meters on nitrox at los Cabos, and generally very conformable with deep dives in warm water. However, I've never done planned deco dives - what is the best way to bridge that gap in training?)
- Bikini: It is more mysterious / exotic for me compared to Chuuk, and I liked Majuro last time. My concern is: 1) mandatory tech certification - which will be challenging for me to do in Toronto and likely just for this trip 2) relatively long liveaboard that will likely take up 2+ weeks including travel time. 3) if I choose to continue onto FSM/Palau, the Island Hopper flight schedule is limited and I am not sure I want to endure UA154/155 so many times in 5 years.
Thanks a lot!
I'm not sure about your three choices. Palau is fine. Truk is much more serious diving, and you'd better like wrecks. Do you? Have you dived any? Bikini is a major investment of money and time and effort to get the requisite training and experience.. Maybe you ought to stick with Palau, and do Yap for your second segment. Also, you get very little bottom time in Truk...it is deep diving.
That's why I think I will like those WWII wrecks, compared to the cold fresh lake wrecks locally.Remember,those WWII wrecks have been down there a long,long time. Having not been there myself,I have only seen photos. At this point in time,many look more like reefs than warships.