What would be your BucketList#1dive trip?

[Fin Finder]

It would have to be a very big bucket.

 

[gypsyjim]

The best bucket is one we draw from and add to as we go along, rather than putting things that we wish or hope to do off for too long.

 

[sweir]

Seriously. I have just a 2-day window to dive the Great Barrier Reef. What is the one (or two) sites that I MUST dive before I fly back to Canada this winter. stephen@stephenweir.com

 

[gypsyjim]

Seriously. I have just a 2-day window to dive the Great Barrier Reef. What is the one (or two) sites that I MUST dive before I fly back to Canada this winter. stephen@stephenweir.com

You might try posting a new thread, asking that question directly in this forum, too:
Australia

 

[george_austin]

Farnsworth Banks. Truk. Guadalupe.

 

[FindingMenno]

The bucket list trip I hope to be blessed with someday is a 10-day live-aboard dive trip to Komodo. Seems to me as a recreational diver, it'd be nice to at least once in my life experience what's said to be the best. Of all those exotic locations that at one time or another seemed to be in the running (e.g.: Palau, PNG, Fiji, maybe the Maldives), the 2 most consistently rated at that level are (from what I can tell reading forum threads) Raja Ampat and Komodo, a neck-and-neck race with some preferring the former a bit.

But I've historically held an interest in reptiles and dinosaurs, and personally visiting the home of wild Komodo dragons (ideally seeing some) would be special. I'm hopeful it might inspire our little girl to view the world as a place she can reach out to, if she wishes. Maybe someday be watching a nature show with somebody and say 'You know, my Dad's been there.' How often do you watch t.v. or go to the zoo & see Raja Ampat mentioned?

That'd be a whole lot of travel time (expected to be miserable), and a bunch of family money spent on just me, so I figure it'd be a one time thing.

Time will tell.

Richard.

Love the feeling of the post. The world is out there to see, and it is not as hard or expensive as people make it out to be. Just do it!

Having worked in Komodo, and with many friends worked both Komodo and Raja, it would say the preference is 50/50 between the two. Just don't get too excited on the dragons though, they're easy to see (usually waiting for scraps under the ranger stations kitchen hut!) and once you've seen one... If you want to have a more 'wild' encounter, get a 'south' itinerary as there is a better chance to see them in more natural setting (heard stories of them hunting on the beach, swimming)

Moneywise it doesn't need to be that much:
*Ticket US - Bali on offer - max 1,000 USD
*Ticket to Labuan Bajo/Komodo - 100 USD
*'budget' liveaboard 8 days/24 dives North/Central/South combo - 1500 USD
*Maybe another 100 USD for a few nights in a hotel along the way.

To save budget you can also go shore based, the North/Central divesites are the same for the dayboats and liveaboards. Only south can't be reached by day boat.

For what it's worth, PNG blew my mind and that was after working in Komodo - but then you're talking different kind of budget...

 

[FindingMenno]

Marshall Islands
More of PNG!
Raja
Alor
Banda Sea, Forgotten Islands
Tuamotos
Oriskany wreck
Sudan
Galapagos
Helen Reef (Palau) came so close, just a few miles off but no time to stop....

 

[admikar]

I would suggest that we all would benefit from seeing today as that "bucket list phase of life", since that long away "tomorrow" is promised to no one, no more than the good health to complete the list when that time arrives.

^^^^This.
Since I have low dive count, I will wait for more experience, but my bucket list is:
Red Sea Egypt/Sudan, Maldives, Indo, Scapa Flow and kelp forest at US west coast.
Or should I say, at my level every dive is a bucket list?

 

[xmass-Eve]

The Sardine run...!!! After that Coco Island... And I wouldn't mind retiring at Lembeh...

 

[drbill]

QUOTE="george_austin, post: 8113730, member: 432572"]Farnsworth Banks. Truk. Guadalupe.[/QUOTE]

Farnsworth.... My favorite Catalina dive. Guadalupe was cool, too. Personally, I'll forego Truk as I've done too much deep diving already (including at Farnsworth... lots to see at 150-200 fsw there) but I understand the appeal!