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Australia PacificBrilliant dive site, safe for all levels, has a cave going right through the rock. Deep enterance is at 23 meters that comes up to about 16 meters inside the cave, dark for about 40 meters or so and light for the rest, come out at about 10 meters at the shallow end. The cave is about 100 meters or so long with turtles, crayfish, sharks, lots of tropicals, normally houses three to five large black cod. Plenty of soft corals, cowries and nudis and spanish dancers.some very friendly bat fish and blue grouper. Other sites in the vicinity are Murrays Passage, which is great for deep diving and some penatration. The aquariam, which is 8 meters to 17 meters or so that houses schooling fish small tropicals, turtles and sharks and nudis. Great machro site. King wrasse corner, shark gutters, fish and chips are deeper sites, all on the southern, eastern and western side and when the conditions are good, the pinnacle on the northern side is an awesome dive for big fish and sometimes up 70 sharks, great tropicals and brilliant vegetation. I know this sounds a little amazing, coz it is. I have been diving there for about 10 years and it never ceases to amaze me. Green Island has much the same life, depth is about 12 meters to 17 meters, the island houses the red indian fish, anglers, nudis, sharks, turtles, schooling drummer. Black rock, 12 metes to may be 15 meters if you have a shovel, once again plenty of tropicals, turtles, hordes of wrasse and blue angels, butterflies everwhere. Bait reef, 9 to 12 meters and ladys reef, 10 meters, awesome machro.. Temp ranges from normall 22 degrees to 26/28 degrees over summer.
The boys at South West Rock Dive Centre have 3 boats, accomodation, hire gear, guided tours and great diving.
0265 666474
website has all the info.
more info about fish rock cave, south west rocks including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Costa Rica PacificMurcielago or Bat islands
This dive spot is for experienced divers and really worth taking the 1 hour and 15 minutes boat trip.
A free decent and you are in a wonderfull place. In the season May - November this place is famous for it's bull sharks.
My firts trip to these islands was awesome.....16 bull sharks!
The biggest Murene eels and big schools of rays. It's just a magnificent place to dive!
Your saftey stop has to be made in mid water without reference, this can be tricky because sometimes the currents are strong; therefore the experienced dive certification.
If you plan to go, be prepared, bring a saftey tube for the boat to spot you.
Bat islands is a national park and an entrance fee of $6 needs to be paid, make sure you take a diveshop that has legal permission because alot of divecenteres will take you on this trip and then you end up returning without any dives because the coast guard interfered with the plans.
One of the dive shops with a permit is Rich Coast Diving in playa del Coco.
website more info about Bat Islands including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Barbados Caribbean SeaThe SS Stavronikita is the wreck of a 365ft Greek freighter which ran in to trouble off the coast of Barbados in 1976. The ship caught fire and was severely damaged. It was towed into the port of Bridgetown where she sat for almost two years.
In 1978 The Greek Government disowned her, so the Barbados government decided to deploy the ship as an artificial reef in the calm tranquil waters of the west coast, just off of Fitts Village in the Parish of St James. The shipwreck lies bolt upright with her bow facing East and the prop is at 40m/130ft. The top of the mast is at 6m/20ft. The house and main deck are to be found at 24m/80ft. The huge forward and aft cargo holds, and the cabins, stairways and engine rooms can be penetrated. This dive is rated as one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean. Hightide Watersports visit this site approx 3 times a week.
more info about SS. STAVRONIKITA West Coast including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Maldives Indian OceanThe most awesome Night Diving experience. In fact I can't think of a single experience in my 45 + years experience of life that comes close to the action on this underwater hill every night.
The biggest, meanest looking, Barracuda I have ever seen.
Sharks run scared of him.
Fantastic.
more info about Maaya Thila including maps, reviews, and ratings...
South Africa Indian OceanBest of both worlds... underwater and land safaris on the same trip! Great visibilty, very little surge. lovely dive!
more info about Sodwana Bay including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Bermuda Sargasso SeaThe largest wreck in Bermuda, at originally 500ft long, the wreckage is spread over close to 1000ft. It was a luxury liner from Spain, which ran aground in 1936. There were no fatalities, at least at the time of the wreck. The entire crew (all 160+) were believed to be sympathisers to the Cuban (or Puerto Rican, can't remember which) revolution, and were all executed on their return to Spain.
Very photogenic site, starting from the stern, where the prop shafts and propellers are still visible. There's a lot of fish life, (including a lion fish, seen on my last dive, and a moray eel that lives in the bow), and coral is doing very well colonising the wreck itself. There are other wrecks nearby, caused by the original wreck - the Colon was seen sitting in the water, and other captains assumed it was a safe passage...
more info about Cristobal Colon, North Rock including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Japan East China SeaAwesome site... visibility on a bad day 30ft, 60ft on a good day. Depth ranges 20-60ft evenly, old junk yard dump site, good coral wildlife
more info about Junkyard including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Guam Philippine SeaThis wreck is along the breakwater 4 miles from the USO and is a great wreck training dive from shore or boat.
It's an old barge sunk in the 1960's when the breakwater was buiilt and is covered in coral growth,
On shore there is parking and an obvious entry. Follow the cables underwater to 50 feet then swim out.
The wheelhouse is on the stern and there are plenty of open entry points. As with all wrecks, watch the silt and never take your reg out in an air pocket.
more info about American Tanker, Apra harbor including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom North SeaIs this is the ultimate UK shore dive?
Drive to the end of Eyemouth caravan park, kit up, and go down the steps. You enter in a sheltered gully but can get some surge.
The gully is a dive in itself but usually you turn right along a wall with plumose anemones, dead mans fingers. Of you're lucky you might see wolf eels, if you're unlucky you'll still see more marine life than anywhere else in the UK!
If you are energetic and the sea is calm you can swim all the way around the headland and get out in the next bay but plan it, don't just decide on speck. Many experienced divers have got into trouble when the sea blows up. If you use the gully you can get in and out in any conditions.
more info about Weasel Loch, Eyemoth including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Spain Mediterranean SeaL’Estarti can be overcrowded, cattle boat diving at peak times so avoid holidays and weekends in high season. Dutch, Belgian, German, and French divers have already discovered L’Estarti and flock from their inland cities at holidays and weekends.
The marine reserve takes 280 divers per hour at peak periods with the various dive operations having allotted slots on specified sites and times – a bit like a landing slot at Heathrow. However, the system works. The multitudinous Gorgonia are not kicked to bits as you might expect, though they are more profuse and pristine at greater depths.
see also
website more info about Medas Islands, L’Estarti on the Costa Brava including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Israel Red SeaNot actually caves (well a small one) but what aussies call a 'bommy'
There are a couple of coral outcrops 200 yards offshore with masses of marine life. Hard and soft corals, stonefish, shoals of Anthias.
Some say Stingray City Cayman is the World's best 10 foot dive. They haven't dived here! This site has won more photo contests for more underwater photographers than any site in the Red Sea. It is the u/w photographers ideal studio. Shallow (so you can stay down a long time) easy access and everything typical of the Red Sea (color, life etc.)
Keep it a secret!
more info about The Caves including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Portugal AtlanticGreat diversity of macro subjects, especially nudibranchs and other opistobranchs (a.k.a. sea slugs).
Large wreck in poor conditions provides good subjects for wide angle. Due to the very poor visibility (with exceptions) it's very rare to be able to use wide angle lenses with effective results.
Only a couple of dive centers in the vicinity 3km away.
more info about Baleal including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United States AtlanticThe Odonga is a 275' freighter that sunk in 1918.
Typically of harbor wrecks she was blown up as a hazard to shipping but there is still loads of recognizable wreckage including plenty of hull
Loads of marine life in and around the wreck
more info about Wreck of the Ondonga, Long Island Sound including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom Irish SeaDon't be put off by all the local industrial plants. This bay is a corker and pretty sheltered in most blows.
I dived this with a club squidgey boat. I can't remember the name of the wreck but it was the easiest wreck I've ever found and only 3M at the top. Next to a buioy I think.
Second dive was a drift over a flat seabed. Everyone else though it was crap but if you looked close it was gopping with macro life
more info about Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom Sea of the HebridesThis was my first 50M dive!
I remember sliding down a fantastic wall, getting narked at 50M and ascending pulling at all the sea pens, which quickly retracted!
On the surface the seals look at you like 'what are you doing' as they sit undisturbed on various rocks. If you're lucky they'll follow you underwater too.
Fantastic stuff
more info about The Sound Of Mull including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United KingdomSwanage pier is the ideal night dive. Even though the pier itself closes at dusk it remains easily accessible from the beach in front of the adjacent yacht club. The marine life on the night shift differs considerably from that found during the day. Even barren ground, such as the sand flats, plays host to flatfish, baby cuttle, and squid.
Tompot BlennyAt night the wall where the hardboats moor is accessible with out the danger of a prop behind the ear, it comes alive with prawns squat lobsters, and tompot blennies.
On one night dive last year I was attracted by the frenetic swinging beam of my buddy’s torch and, upon investigating, discovered the object of his attentions was the largest conger eel I have ever seen! It was inhabiting a discarded drainage pipe that, on a dive earlier that day, I was poking my arm into!
more info here
website more info about Swanage Pier night diving including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United KingdomAnother popular site at St Abbs is Seagull Rock, which has a large cave cut out of the seaward side. Unlike the well-known Cathedral Rock, this site is best dived at high water, as the lower the state of tide the more slippery rocks you have to negotiate. The best route is to swim out along the sewage pipe that is clearly visible from the car park. Raw sewage is discharged from this pipe so if you use the toilet on the harbour front before your dive there is a very good chance that you will meet anything you put down it again on your way out. Still, the fish seem to like it, so don’t be put off; just keep your DV firmly in your mouth!
Further up the coast, just around St Abbs head, is Petticowick Bay, a picturesque cove boasting a Divers Only car park. Petticowick is reached either by a short drive through the nature reserve, or by boat from St Abbs harbour. This is an interesting site, mostly kelp, but with reefs where rare marine life has been recorded. Probably the most spectacular sights observed here though are the diving seabirds ‘flying’ underwater. This site is completely sheltered from southerly winds and a good alternative to St Abbs at such times
more info here
website more info about St Abbs, Seagull Rock including maps, reviews, and ratings...
United Kingdom AtlanticThe shore diving is some of the best in Britain. Shore diving is especially good in the vicinity of Bovisand Fort (the old national diving centre) but it is often ignored in favour of the offshore wrecks. However, this area is, in fact, immensely scenic, especially the rock-pools and gullies immediately in front of the bar.
Rockpool Scenic seascapes scenery Devon England Britain tidal
In the shallows, stringweeds such as bootlace weed and throngweed reach to the surface in many places, forming a canopy with the falling tide. See
website more info about Plymouth Shore Diving including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Italy Ionian SeaThe activity unfolds the long of the coast ionic of Catania until Taormina and inside the reserve marinade "Isole Ciclopi" and in Ustica reserve marinade. The Diving Center "Cassiopeasub" is found in Catania and Ustica island. It is a diving center PADI. One organizes there daily exits during which it is possible to undertake several plunges.
website more info about Catania coast including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Thailand South China SeaHaad Yao Divers offers trips to these site 3 x a week. Different kind of cameras can be hired at their shop. They offer the Underwater Specialty Course.
more info about Sailrock: Koh Phangan including maps, reviews, and ratings...