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East Timor Banda SeaLocation: 36.3KM East of Dili. The turn off for Black Rock is right before the small ridge which overlooks Dollar Beach. Turn off the road and follow the tracks between the trees to the water.
Entry: Black Rock is a beautiful dive, but can be very challenging if the currents pick up during the dive. Consult the tide charts before you go. (See Tide Charts at left). Avoid times when the tide is changing especially during neap tides. Avoid diving here if the water looks as if it is "boiling". There can be three different currents acting on this site at the same time, Northward, Eastward and Westward. The most popular entry is on the East side of the rock in order to circle around the rock to the West and then back to the beach. The first part of the entry is marked with a flat shelf of broken coral. At low tide this can make for a bit of a walk before it starts to get deep.
UW profile: There is a wall to the East of the rock with depths up to 20+ meters. There is a gradual decrease in depth going Eastward towards the rock. Once around the rock and on the return to the beach, there is a nice coral garden ranging from 3-5 meters depth.
Points of interest: Two large cracks in the wall on the East side of Black rock hold many fish in small caves in the sides of the wall. Also seen: lobster, nudibranchs (various).
Topside: There are some shade trees near the water which can make for a nice picnic spot.
Go to
website for a list of dive operators in the area.
more info about Black Rock, Dili including maps, reviews, and ratings...
East Timor Banda SeaLocation: 44.5KM East of Dili. Coming down over the ridge after Behau Village the turnoff is marked by a rock with "HB" painted on it. Follow the tracks 15-20m to the water's edge.
Entry: The beach is covered with medium sized smooth rocks. The entry is gradual starting with rocks, going to sand and then coral gardens to the West.
UW profile: To the West, a gradual slope is covered by low lying coral leading to larger coral formations, small walls and coral covered ledges.
Points of interest On entry and after the rocks there is a group of several dozen garden eels that live in the sand at about 5-6 meters depth. One of the ledges further West, is covered with two giant clams approximately 50cm in length, at 9-10 meters depth. Also seen: Napoleon wrasse, lobster, banded sea snake.
Topside: The area at the water's edge is nicely covered with trees and great for picnics.
Go to
website for a list of dive operators in the area.
more info about Behau Forest (Bob's Rock) including maps, reviews, and ratings...
East Timor Banda SeaLocation: 42.0KM East of Dili. Enter the area enclosed by a wall. The entrance is rocky and care should be taken when entering with a vehicle with low clrarance.
Entry : One can enter the water at the small gazebo-like structure in the enclosure. The first few meters is rocky leading to sandy bottom and then on to coral structures.
UW profile : To the West the coral is more of an expansive coral cover with small outcroppings whereas to the East, the area is characterized by larger coral outcroppings in a more sandy area.
Points of interest: Alternating small walls and sandy slopes. Resident Napoleon wrasse to the East of the entry.
Topside : Nice shady area with big trees and gazebo. The area is often frequented by people from the local village who are interested in watching divers.
Go to
website for a list of dive operators in the area.
more info about Behau Village 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...
United KingdomLittleton Lake (AKA pit) has been used by local clubs for training for years.
The viz can get quite reasonable (3M) when (like most freshwater) it hasn't rained recently (and thus carried mulch into the water).
For training it is fantastic year round and many land logged London divers keep their hands in here during the winter. There's a couple of cars and a platform (sunk by Hounslow BSAC 1988-ish).
There are a lot of fishermen and so a lot of fish here. I personally have seen a pike longer than me (5'5') my buddy measured me beside it. I have also seen 6 huge mirror carp in procession. On a good day (late summer) the water's warm and it is a pleasant dive. November is excellent night dive time (especially for divers afraid of the dark as nothing with attack you here!).
It's harder to get in to the little bay now. There used to be so many cars and divers walking kitted up across the blind curve on the busy road that someone closed off the entry point and stopped the parking. Check out the sailing club for the latest info.
more info about Littleton Lake 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...
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 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 KingdomLooking for great Pike shots?
Pike may be able to avoid most anglers, but they will usually allow divers to approach and study them, beating a hasty retreat only at the last moment. They are nevertheless frustratingly difficult to capture on film. As an underwater photographer, I have spent much time trying to get the pike shot - you know, the one that is a definitive expression of the popular image. Unfortunately I have not, to my own satisfaction, so far succeeded.
Kevin Cullimore, probably the country’s top freshwater u/w photographer, had long urged me to try my luck at Gildenburgh Water. He recommends a 28mm lens to capture medium to large pike on film - and plenty of patience
more info here
website more info about Gildenburgh Water 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...
Spain Mediterranean SeaGreat site, come and have a go!
Contact
website more info about Tres Picos including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Spain Mediterranean SeaGreat dive site for all level! If you would like more info contact
website more info about Marina de Este, malaga including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Saudi Arabia Red SeaAqua Flame dive sites in Jeddah has a lot to offer divers. Sites cater to a wide range of divers and interests. The warm watters and sunny days are ideal conditions for diving almost all year long without the use of thermal protection
more info about Jeddah including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Netherlands Antilles Caribbean SeaThis is the house reef for the Sunset Waters Beach Resort. The resort is very nice with excellent service.
The reef is easily accessible from a man-made lagoon and so well marked that it is a cinch to navigate day or night. You needn't stay at the resort to dive here. If you are a shore diver (like me), follow the sign to "Airplane Wreck" (adjacent site) and rent your taks at Sunset Divers (on the premises).
Seahorses and frogfish are common on the reef. Inqure at the dive shop about the latest sightings. They keep informed and will happily direct you to the latest sightings.
more info about Harry's Hole including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Cayman islands Caribbean Seaexalent dive site! thar is a 10 ft bronze statue at 15 feet and a wreck of a landing craft
more info about sunset reef including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Japan PacificSCUBA diving in Izu Oshima is somewhat unique from other dive sites at similar range of latitude world wide. Since the island is about 40km remote from mainland, and partially affected by warm Black Current from Philippine Sea, water is clear and extremely wide variety of marine lives are seen. Different creatures and different habits are observed at every time of dive even though you dive the same point repetitively.
Guided dives by extremely knowledgeable staffs are another great advantage in this island. Since those staffs dive the same place almost everyday, sometimes more than once a day, they know almost every pieces of creatures living in every holes and cracks of rocks. They not only just give you names of those creatures but also brief you how they lives, such as holding and protecting eggs, and how they grows.
The island is surrounded mostly by rocky coast, but sandy beaches are limited. There are no coral reefs along the coast, but some hard corals can be seen in limited places. Warm water current, so called Black Current, from Philippine Sea is flowing off southern end of the island, and partially reaches west coast of the island. This current brings many kinds of sea lives from tropic ocean, and those are often seen during September to December. However, as water is cooled down by strong cold wind from North in winter season, those tropical creatures die and disappears.
Another current with cold and nutrition rich water is flowing from deep see floor to east coast surface of the island. Therefore many fishes from small to big are gathering to these area. Huge school of sardines, snappers are often seen, especially during the autumn season. Jack fishes, tunas, sharks and even whales are also found chasing those schools quite often.
Water temperature rises to 24C at highest during September-October, but drops down to 14C at lowest during March-April.
I have prepared a detailed guide to Izu Oshima for foreign divers convenience at the following URL.
more info about Izu Oshima including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Malaysia Celebes Sea
Sipidan and Mabul off the coast of Borneo, Malaysia was one of the best dive locations ever.
Where else can you get the big fish and macro life just 1 island away. When Sipidan had the resorts, you could literally walk out from your beach bungalow to the pristine Celebes Sea and experience white tip and Black tip sharks, loads or huge Hawsbill turtles, Humpheads, Barracuda and nearly every colorful sea life imaginable for a sunset dive.Or take the speed boat 5 minutes to the dive sites where wall dives and reefs and the open blue offer huge sharks, including scalloped hammerheads, nurse and thrasher sharks galore.
Then onto Mabul which is a 15 minute boat ride away, one can see Corocodile fish, large Frog fish in a multitude of colors, Mantis shrimp, ribbon eels, huge Giant Morays,and finally a Pygmy Seahorse that was so hideen in the fan coral that you almost needed a magnifying glass to see it. So beautiful and delicate, its hard to imagine how it ever survives. The list goes on and on.
Truly a Paradise for Divers!!
more info about Sipidan including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Iran (Islamic Republic of) Indian Ocean
Discover The Persian Gulf start now from Kish Island !
Kish is a coral Island in the Persian Gulf,
18 km off the southern coast of Iran.
It is a 20 minutes flight from Dubai by jet aircraft;
40 minutes by turboprop.
the island is owned by Iran.
kish is a free zone so you do not require a visa to enter.
The water temperature in June is average 30 C.
With land temperatures reaching around 45 C.
The island has many coral reef dive sites
and fantastic visibility.
if you are interested to dive in PERSIAN GULF the best place is IRAN ( KISH ISLAND )
so have look at :
website
or mail me :
click here to email
more info about Kish Island IRAN including maps, reviews, and ratings...
Ghana Atlantic (South)
All new dive locations. There are schools of whales and other things to discover. Charlys Extreme Diving is not only offering diving but also relaxing on the beach having a great party at our beach house. Information about our new website will be presented soon.
Be one of the first to discover the beauty of the Golf of Guinea.
more info about Gulf of Guinea including maps, reviews, and ratings...
