Hi,

I will be in Okinawa in early October and am looking for any recommendations for dive operators in Naha that cater well for photographers. I have Kerama day trips on the agenda and depending on how that goes and how much of Okinawa we feel like exploring, travel up the coast(s) and do some shore dives and perhaps some smaller boat dives. Will have both wide angle and macro in mind.

Actually, any recommendations on localaities, sites, operators in Okinawa would be most welcome.

TIA.

Hello again Dan - we've already exchanged by FB pm on Okinawa so I won't be much more help as i dive independently, but I think @shokwaav 's been diving with local operators (39ers?) quite a bit if I'm not mistaken!

I've just returned for two days diving Ie island, and the coral was really super healthy (but fished out, unfortunately). Ie, then Nakijin have had the best coral coverage on main island so far.

cheers
ben

Dai from 39ers is really cool. He seems to go to the Keramas quite regularly based on his instagram posts.

Most Japanese dive operators are quite camera friendly because underwater photography is a big part of the culture there.

Edited September 15Sep 15 by shokwaav

Thanks guys, this is helpful and 39ers current schedule looks great for the time we'll be there.

Hey guys,

we are in early November in Okinawa's main island and one day in Zamami.

Unfortunately, we don't have much time for more than one day of diving.

Is this a good time for diving? Any recommendations? Are there any easy dives?

thanks

rachid

Hi,
I'm on Okinawa main island and yes, early November should be fine though the northern winds might start blowing, difficult to predict in the current situation. Water should still be somewhere between 28° and 25°C. Viz should be getting better with less plankton in the water, and typhoon season is over.

Local diving is divided between shore dives (and yes there are easy dives, even if the wind has picked up, like Gorilla Chop, and otherwise the Seawall dives, the East coast for macro) and boat dives (wave/wind dependent).
Best coral will be in the Keramas (boat), but it's the end of the season, so you might end up doing local boat dives like Manza, Nakijin, Minna, etc...

Zamami I'm less familiar with as I shore dive here. Quite a few shore entries are tricky, and with only one day of diving the weather might not cooperate.

cheers!
ben

Edited October 1Oct 1 by bghazzal

Thank you for your informative reply. Today I landed in Naha. Weather is hmpf :/

Looks like tomorrow will be also Rain.

Could you recommend some diving Center?

Cheers

Rachid

11 hours ago, rachid said:

Thank you for your informative reply. Today I landed in Naha. Weather is hmpf :/

Looks like tomorrow will be also Rain.

Could you recommend some diving Center?

Cheers

Rachid

Hi Rachid
Unfortunately the weather's been really bad for diving the past 10 days, with strong northern winds making it very difficult to dive the west coast, and not many boats are running.

Keramas will also be difficult to reach, though I saw on FB that English Empire divers did make it over a few days ago (very bumpy ride).

Most operators will stick to Gorilla Chop in Motobu (north), which is a shore dive and flat and has a big school of sardines and juvenile frogfish at the moment. But it can get crowded (avoid the weekend if possible), and is almost 2 hours away from Naha.

Operator-wise, maybe try Okinawa 39ers (Naha), English Empire Divers (Yomitan), Bubble Addicts (Nakijin) or Piranha Divers (Onna).
The weather's really not on your side, but you'll have no issues squeezing a couple of dives at Gorilla Chop I think.

Edited Wednesday at 12:55 AM2 days by bghazzal

Hey Ben,

Arigato goisamasu!

Yep. The weather is bad. Wind and rain.

We went to the Aquarium and choose to stay in the north.

Tomorrow should be better.

Cheers

Rachid

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