South Africa/Mauritius

[Danie]

Anyone been diving in Mauritius? Any recommendations for equipment hire/dive guides etc.
What's the best time of year to go - we'll have a 'almost-qualified' diver with us so would be looking for a dive school/instructor and tending towards the 'easier' dives.

 

[Thistle]

Hi Danie!
I've been there at the beggining of the year. As far as the period I went during the worse possible one (cyclon period) Unfortunately it came just when we arrived and was done by the time we left. Therefore I can not tell you a lot about diving. I've been able to dive cople of times on the east coast of Mauritius. There are couple of interesting wrecks, a very famous cave called "The Cathedral" (on the south-west coats if I remember well) plus the usual and beautiful coral reefs with their ecosystem. More info you can get from books like "Diving in Mauritius", I am sure you can find it on the net.
It is quite easy to travel from a part of the island to the other, normally using a rented car with a diver and they are not very expensive.
You can find good diving centers integrated with the hotels or resorts. They can offer all the stuff you may need. Top hotels have well equiped diving centers with reasonable quality gear available for renting. I would not advise you to try independent diving centers if they don't have a good recomandation, at least from the reception of the place were you are going to stay.
If you need more onfo make a post or mail me directly.
Victor

 

[Danie]

I guess the cyclones/weather are the real problem - I lost out on a week's diving due to a hurricane in the Caribbean last year.
When is 'wet' season for Mauritius?

The book is on order.

The main concern is to provide the newbie with fairly simple dives while giving the rest of us some interesting sites. I heard that the currents and winds are very strongly affected by the time of year - this would influence which side of the island we stay and hence which hotels.

Although I must confess I'm toying with the idea of a slight detour while we're in Africa for a dive or two as well.

 

[Thistle]

I thought that I posted a replay to your last post but it looks like something went wrong.
As far as I know the dive centers are organizing 2-3 dives a day. One of them should be an easy one. As you will see in the book there are a lot of yasy dives/locations. n the other hand you find also "five star locations". My advise is to look for advise on site, a foreigner living there for couple of years shold be the ideal guide.
There are a lot of things to be seen downthere from wrecks or caves to nice coral "gardens" etc. The book shall give you a better ideea.
I can not guarantee but they say Mauritius has some of the best dives in the area.
As far as the weather trouble is in December-February. There is a site of the Mauritian Diving Association. You may find some usefull info.