Since learning to dive I've felt like seeing some other parts of the world from a diver's eye view. In the spirit of sharing the little knowledge gained with others who may want to visit the same places this is a rough guide to the places I have dived. Like any information of this nature it may be out of date now so follow links and make your own enquiries as necessary.
|
Site
|
No. Dives
|
Rating
|
Comments
|
| Catalina, California |
6
|
****
|
Some well run dives with Catalina Scuba-Luv. Good viz. Loads of interesting life. Most memorable for me were large shoals of Pacific herring and the odd sensation of being in a forest when amongst the giant kelp. I did a write up for the club's newsletter Porthole. |
| Dominican Republic |
6
|
***
|
Dived with a resort school whilst staying at an all-inclusive. Not as much of the larger life as I would have wanted or expected, but still good for me as I enjoyed being less encumbered by all that weight we need in the UK to take the insulation down with us. Local word was that the best diving was on the eastern end of the Island and at a small offshore Island called Catalina (How many Catalinas are there?!) |
| Fuerteventura |
2
|
***
|
Only had time for a couple of shore dives - one of those being a try-out dive. Still saw enough to make me think there was plenty of exciting diving there. |
| Helengeli, Maldives |
9
|
*****
|
Excellent diving, excellent dive centre with helpful staff, and equally
good snorkelling around the Island. Please don't believe me and go there,
you'll only spoil it for the for the rest of us. |
|
Jamaica - Rose Hall Reef |
2
|
***
|
Stayed in the Anchorage
Villa - superb views over Montego Bay. Diving severly curtailed by
going there in the wrong (i.e. hurricane) season. Hard to judge but equipment-wise
if I was going to dive here again I'd take everything except tanks and
weights. Almost all the dive schools are now run by the all-inclusive
hotels, which may not have the same focus as independent dive schools
(they do have annoyingly fancy web-sites that take forever to load up).
I did more snorkelling than diving, which was excellent. Don't miss a
nightime visit to Glistening Waters (nr Falmouth) - you might take snorkelling
gear for a laugh - an incredible display of bioluminesence! |
| Key West Florida |
4
|
***
|
Some good dives in water warm enough to forget the suit if you want. Friendly dive shops, a half decent sunset and excellent sea food restaurants and bars. Piccies and more info here. |
| Lanzarote |
4
|
*** +
|
Dived with Calipso Diving - another very friendly and professional bunch. A good variety of life and different dives, decent kit to hire, plus nitrox fills available. I took a camera on two of the dives and some of the best pictures are here. |
| Red Sea |
19+18
|
*****
|
1 week Liveaboard
diving from the MS Salma and 1 week on the MY Typhoon, both out of Sharm.
Excellent diving, fantastic corals, more fish species than you could possibly
keep track of. Mainly a mixture of wreck and wall dives with some more gently
shelving areas. My personal favourite dive was the Carnatic - I could have
done that one a couple more times; one to avoid had to be the Thistlegorm
once the day boats had arrived; rush hour on the London underground with fins.
2004 pics here. 2005 pics here. |
| Tenerife - Galetta |
4
|
***
|
Dived with Atlantic Divers - very friendly, the Thursday night bash at Hotel II was a highlight! Stingray city was fun, not to be missed. Otherwise good variety of life to be seen. |