Where is the best solo shore diving on the planet?

[xNateX]

Depends on where you live.

I don't live anywhere.

I work on ships. Merchant mariner (large commercial ships, U.S. flagged). Once my tour is over, I roam the world. I go back to work whenever I wish, generally when my bankroll runs low. Cheaper destinations let me roam longer. Prices/inflation in the U.S. have gotten excessive. Just my opinion, but with 194 other countries out there, I think I'll just move along.

 

[Rob9876]

From places I've been:

• Agree that SE Florida (especially Blue Heron Bridge) has some really good diving, and no problem doing solo. BHB is tide-dependent, so that governs your dive schedule -- just once a day except for a few days when the night high tide is such that you can do a dive before the park closes. Finding reaonably priced lodging can be a challenge, even with AirBnB, and it could be hard to get by there without a rental car -- and cars are on the high side there. Food's a bit high too.
• 
  
• Curacao -- decent shore diving, not the best viz or variey of critters. Most things there are pretty pricey. There is a dive bus that runs to different shore diving sites, so depending on where you stay that might be an option to avoid renting a car.
• 
  
• St. Croix -- I actually liked the shore diving better than boat diving there. There are good wall shore dives on the north side of the island (Cane Bay, Northstar, Davis Bay), and the Frederiksted Cruise Pier is truly a great and easy dive site -- may be better than Blue Heron Bridge, and really nice that it is not tide-dependent (just can't dive it when Cruise ships are docked there). The island can be expensive, but honestly, I could spend a cheap week there just staying in the sleepy town of Frederiksted (there are some cheap lodging options there) where I could walk to the Pier and dive day and night (Adventures in Diving STX has 11-tank rental discount punch-cards for $75) -- that would be a good sleep late, dive whenever, lazy week. Could even do that without a rental car, though you'd need one if you wanted to do much of anything else (not many taxi options, and they are expensive).

 

[lowwall]

Adelaide, Australia?

List of shore dive locations within 2 hours drive from Adelaide – Marine Life Society of South Australia Inc.

mlssa.org.au

Wildly Underrated - South Australia - DIVER magazine

Words by Heather Creech A rich mix of marine life diversity, stunning colour and killer capuccinos make the South Australia a diver’s dream Serene and regal, Adelaide stands near the edge of the Southern Ocean, bordered by miles of pristine sand beaches on one side and some of the best vineyards...

divermag.com

 

[Cthippo]

I won't say it's "world class" or "the best" of anything, but there is some damn fine shore diving on Puget Sound.

 

[happy-diver]

A bit east of Adelaide out the front of my place has been quite pleasant over the past few days

I think I might drive though

 

[andrespp]

I have been doing solo diving in Tarifa (Spain) for about 20 years. Water is 15 centigrades +/- 2 degrees depending on the season, lots of sealife, wrecks, archeological sites, wonderful reefs. Just need to be cautious with the currents and the wind , it is a high wind, high currents area. Used to dive with CCR and scooter, about 3 hours dive, 50+ meters max. deep. It was a diving paradise. After the dive, there are very nice bars and restaurants to go , and it is a nice lovely town , however in the last years things have gone south: a invasion of algae (Rugulopteryx okamurae') has filled the sea bottom and shores, has spoiled the visibility , and then they removed most parking spots close to the beach and applied a lot of non sensical restrictions for shore dive. In addition, the area is becoming more and more crowded by tourist, so prices have skyrocketed.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I also recognize that solo diving is the black arts of scuba diving. I've read the posts. Just not interested in rehashing any of that. 2 simple questions, answered, if you please.

I don't think it's that way anymore. Just a few years ago, maybe it was. SB represents a broad cross-section of diving--"the world at large" as you put it--and around here solo diving is accepted as just another form of diving. You're not the rebel.

 

[jadairiii]

with 194 other countries out there, I think I'll just move along.

Of those 194, how many actually have access to beach diving? Sure, I bet there is some awesome beach diving off the Skeleton Coast, Namibia or off Somalia.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Mark Hiebert

Mark Hiebert is a member of Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

vimeo.com

 

[Germie]

I did recently solodiving on Bali, that is also very nice. Have done good solodiving in my own country, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Bonaire, Curacao and Malta.