Best Island for Scuba?

[BostonBud]

Hi all, just wondering what people's recommendations were for best diving area. I went to Turks in Jan and it was my first pleasure dive (dove for years in New England in zero viz but this was very different). Kind of disappointed that we didn't get to see much sea life but I am looking to find other islands that offer good dive spots.

[Fore67]

French Polynesia in general, but some of the smaller motu's off of Bora Bora and Moorea offer some unbelievable dives. I have only snorkeled (very clear water and very warm), but I travelled with many that dove and were amazed. Also Michel Cousteau has been there many times to dive.

 

All the best,

Mike

 

PG 2001, 2004

[Aplmac]

Are you ready for this?

 

 

 

St.Vincent, West Indies.

 

Leeward Coast.

Questelles.. just North of the Kingstown(capital) and the harbour area.

 

The WALL starts about 70 ft. over your head...yes above sea level

as a sea-cliff towering above you

It then plunges thru the waterline, down to a mere 1,300 ft. or so

and then becomes a 45-degree mud-slope!

 

................

 

How do I know this?

Back in the late 1980's I was invited on board Harbor Branch's Res.Vessel Seward Johnson.

They have/had? a small Johnson SeaLink II submersible on the stern deck.

Nice toy to play with!

 

They were headed over to St.Vincent, and asked me if I knew of any walls,there.

Charts were brought out and I put them right on the spot. :)

 

About a month later they returned, and I again went on board

to hear their enthusiastic report

on how much they'd enjoyed the wall I pointed out to them.

 

I myself have ventured down the wall to about 150 ft.

and it obviously just continued on down "ad infinitum"..

but the submersible guys are the ones who reported

that it stops its 85-90 degree plunge at around 1,300 ft. depth

and then becomes a mud-slope for at least as far down

as they could take the little JSLII sub - which is 3,000ft. max.

 

 

____________________________________

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s

when I used to dive St.Vincent like a second home

(I live in nearby Barbados)

I used to do lotsa underwater photography on that Questelles wall

(locals pronounce it like KIH-TELLS, okay?)

and there's much sea-life down to about 80-100 ft. depths:

there's also a small ledge at about 70-80 ft. if memory serves me correctly.

 

Don't have to tell you that, on a wall like that, there can be currents - running along the coast

and these are what feed the big fan-corals and other filter feeders clinging to the wall.

 

Your boat can be 15-20 feet off that wall

and the echo sounder is OFF THE SCALE dude..

because its keel is in thousands of feet of water, right under it!

 

 

 

Let me know how you like it. :)

 

 

 

DH,

Barbados.

_____________________________________________

[jetskier]

We enjoyed Roatan, Cozumel and Grand Caymen for the water clarity. Aruba, Costa Maya, Belize we found too much sand in the water which decreased clarity.

 

Dave

[barryod]

Hello BostonBud,

 

I have found Bonaire to be one of the most beautiful dive sites I've been to. There are roughly 22 sites and at any given time 3-5 sites are off limits for a few years allowing them to rejuvinate. Night diving is spectacular. Although there are a ton of places that I have yet to dive, Bonaire will always be right up there. Whatever your choice, be safe and enjoy.

 

Barry

[BostonBud]

Thanks for all the input. I'm looking forward to doing another dive next year when we get back down south. I just hope some of the places we're going have good spots however, I will keep a look out for those places listed here. Thanks again.

 

Buddy