Where to dive advice on my year long trip

[Muzzman]

Hi all

I've been a relaxed holiday diver for about 9 years, i go from bouts of loving it to can't be arsed as i have trouble with my ears, i think my tubes are small, i have trouble equalising so it takes me longer to get down, but to be fair i make it in the end in my own time.

A few months back i was made redundant from a firm in London, luckily i got a reasonable redundancy and after a month of looking for a job myself and the wife decided to bugger off traveling for a year and rented out the house.

We're two weeks into the year, currently in Kerala, India.

I have a reasonable budget but not enough to go mental, these are the countries i'm visiting with a shoreline and would like advice when weighing up cost vs what to see when diving. And if there are any must doo's!

Sri Lanka
Hong Kong
Phillipines (i want to dive here with Threasher and Whale Sharks)
Thailand
Cambodia
Vietnam
Malaysia
Borneo
Bali
Australia (East Coast)
New Zealand
South Pacific Islands, not sure where but maybe the Cooks.

I have about 40 dives, unfortunately only 18 logged and am certified up to PADI AOW with Nitrox, and Deep specialities.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT - Sorry new to this, i think i should have posted in '

General Travel and Vacation Discussions', if a mod want to move please do​

 

[Krazytomdiver]

I have lived/dived in Alona Beach,Panglao,Bohol,Philippines for almost a year. A great safe,budget friendly location,fantastic diving, with enough to keep you all busy above & below. Rent a car,motorcycle,and a nice beach house for a very reasonable living expenses plus immigration is user friendly.


"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[Muzzman]

Krazytomdiver, should be there early May, can you recommend any accommodation and places to dive with?

 

[TSandM]

Where on the Australian east coast are you going to be? My husband and I had a wonderful time diving in Byron Bay. It's still some of the best diving we have done anywhere.

 

[Muzzman]

Where on the Australian east coast are you going to be? My husband and I had a wonderful time diving in Byron Bay. It's still some of the best diving we have done anywhere.

We're landing in Sydney, but we have 3 months to check out whatever we feel like. I'll have a look at Byron Bay, thanks for the suggestion!

 

[asha]

Sydney diving is unique, incredible, and frequently overlooked.


---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?k1bctb

 

[eternaljonah]

there is some great deep diving(30-40m) in pondicherry, tamil nadu, india and the food is great too lots of italian and french food. if interested you can contact temple adventure pondicherry. or let me know. even if you don't dive here pondicherry is still worth a visit.

 

[Muzzman]

there is some great deep diving(30-40m) in pondicherry, tamil nadu, india and the food is great too lots of italian and french food. if interested you can contact temple adventure pondicherry. or let me know. even if you don't dive here pondicherry is still worth a visit.

It's a shame i didn't plan India a bit better, in Kerala at the moment off to Sri Lanka on Friday so no time to fit any in

 

[Scuba Tom]

You can use the Dive TripFinder on Dive Trip Finder - Where to go Scuba Diving - Divers: find easily your next Diving Destination

We made costs estimations including flight, 7 nights in std hotels, 10 dives and a 20% for ad. costs.
Hope it can help you:

Tom

 

[Nishan]

if you are landing in SL today and want to dive without much travel you can dive in either Negombo or Colombo. former for reefs and macro and latter for wrecks. depending on how long you are here you can check out the east coast as well as the season is just switching. PM me if you need any help.

from the other places i have been i can recommend the following:

Phils - Malapascua for threshers. maybe Donsol for whale sharks but not sure about the seasons. i have been to Sogod Bay and seen whale sharks but season is mainly from Nov-April.
Thailand - by the time you get there the Similans will be out of season but you can still dive the Andaman coast from Pukhet. or else head to the Guld of Thailand to Koh Tao.
Malaysia - Redang and Perhantian are easy options. but if you can head over to Sipadan in Borneo. some of the best in Malaysia and the world.
Australia - GBR and Coral Sea would be obvious choices but can be expensive to do liveaboards and get to the best dive sites. southern GBR might be a bit cheaper but lacks the color and diversity of the north. some great diving off NSW as well. i have had some great dives around Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour. will likely be winter when you get there so colder temps but not too cold and good marine life. great chance to see grey nurse sharks around Coffs Harbour and further south at Fish Rock.

btw, if you are on a tight budget the Pacific Islands would be a stretch.

enjoy the trip. should be a blast!