pelagics wanted

i am looking for some suggestions for a dive trip which will probably be between september and december 09. i would rather the trip was focussing on palaegics rather than critters. obviously good viz would be ideal, not too concerned with strong currents. i live in the UK so would prefer not to be travelling for 2 days to get to a destination, but having said that, if it is worth it, then we would.

Palau? (But 2 days' travel)...

Tim

i am looking for some suggestions for a dive trip which will probably be between september and december 09. i would rather the trip was focussing on palaegics rather than critters. obviously good viz would be ideal, not too concerned with strong currents. i live in the UK so would prefer not to be travelling for 2 days to get to a destination, but having said that, if it is worth it, then we would.

You'll have to check the exact season for the different animals, but South Africa (Sodwana, Alliwal, Protea Banks) and/or Mozambique (Ponta D'ouro, Tofo Beach) is great for big and wild. You can combine S.A. and Moz. Easy to fly from the U.K. to Johannesburgh - same time zone, just hop on the plane in the evening, sleep all night and wake up when you land in the morning. Also fairly cheap (not compared to Asia, but to rest of Africa, Carribean...). But don't expect lots of coral and gin-clear water.

good luck

/christian

i want to do palau and yap but wifey doesnt seem to keen. SA is deffinately on my list. i have a couple of pals going there in a couple of months time so i will hear what they have to say about it. cheers for the replies

i am looking for some suggestions for a dive trip which will probably be between september and december 09. i would rather the trip was focussing on palaegics rather than critters. obviously good viz would be ideal, not too concerned with strong currents. i live in the UK so would prefer not to be travelling for 2 days to get to a destination, but having said that, if it is worth it, then we would.

You should definately check out Protea Banks,Aliwal Shoal,Sodwana Bay and Tsitsikama national park in South Africa if pelagics are your thing.Protea banks already has been voted the world's best dive spot for shark diving.I live in South Africa and have dived these areas so i know they are nothing short of spectacular.Also that time of the year is summer and amazing weather.You travel down the Garden route and dive the big five shark species eventually ending up in Cape Town.Water temp about 18 to 20 degrees.Viz is not that bad in those areas but dont expect Red Sea 40m meter viz.

Now thats what you call a dive holiday.

You should definately check out Protea Banks,Aliwal Shoal,Sodwana Bay and Tsitsikama national park in South Africa if pelagics are your thing.Protea banks already has been voted the world's best dive spot for shark diving.I live in South Africa and have dived these areas so i know they are nothing short of spectacular.Also that time of the year is summer and amazing weather.You travel down the Garden route and dive the big five shark species eventually ending up in Cape Town.Water temp about 18 to 20 degrees.Viz is not that bad in those areas but dont expect Red Sea 40m meter viz.

Now thats what you call a dive holiday.

ive heard that the trip out from the beach is pretty rough and that all the divers have to help push the boat out through the breaking waves. would the cameras be ok in the rhib or would they get thrown around and damaged.

also could you suggest a dive company to go with.

many thanks, stew

ive heard that the trip out from the beach is pretty rough and that all the divers have to help push the boat out through the breaking waves. would the cameras be ok in the rhib or would they get thrown around and damaged.

 

also could you suggest a dive company to go with.

 

many thanks, stew

The launch and landing procedures in this area (Moz and SA) are quite an adventure... You need some sort of padded 'storage' for larger dual strobe slr-rigs. Some use soft beer coolers. I borrowed a plastic crate from the DC and put some old wet suits on the bottom and the inner sides of it as padding. I then placed the crate on the floor in the center of the RIB and placed the camera there before we started pulling/pushing the boat into the surf. It worked out satisfactory, except for one dive when the surf was very bad and trowed us up and down quite heavily - it made the flash contact slide slightlly off the hot shoe. No damage, but I didn't have any strobes that dive.

cheers

Christian

ive heard that the trip out from the beach is pretty rough and that all the divers have to help push the boat out through the breaking waves. would the cameras be ok in the rhib or would they get thrown around and damaged.

 

also could you suggest a dive company to go with.

 

many thanks, stew

Yip the launches along this coastline is pretty adventurous.In South Africa there are no big dive boats and liveaboards we just use a RIB or Rubberduck as they call it here.Most launches are surf launches so this entails all the divers pushing the boat into the water on the shore.Can get rough and pretty bumpy through the surf on you way to the site.Your camera gear is on the floor of the boat and space is very limited but you can take some protection for your gear like a box and wrap a towl or wetsuit around it or something.I usually keep it on the floor between my legs wrapped in something.Espeacially making sure to cover the port(scratches can happen).

There are very experienced skippers there who know the area well and are very mindfull that you are carrying very expensive gear.They take as much precation as possible to protect you and you gear.

Good places to book through are dive centres.Check out Sodwana bay lodge scuba centres,Dive South Africa also,Unreal Dive,Oceans Africa,Pisces divers are all good and offer you the option to dive the big five along the coast.

Hi

Here is my 10cents

I dived Mozambique (Ponta Mamoli) for Hammerheads, and SA (Sodwana) for whale sharks and SA (Umhlanga) for Zambezi sharks...fantastic at all locations. Protea was a bit of a wash out though, 10 days and no launches due to weather (If you follow the thread, you will see that the launches are "exciting" at the best of times, so for the South Africans to declare it to0 rough!!! It was ROUGH).

Just to spice things up a bit - think about Turks and Caicos. Easy flight from the UK to Provodenciales (although the time lag is a problem), but pelagics up the wahzoo. In 7 days we saw humpback (over and under water) Tiger shark, reef shark, dolphin, tuna, wahoo, turtles eagle rays and so on. Dived with Fifi Kunz at Caicos Adventures. This is my vote for varied pelagic life.

Cheers

Hal

[quote name='Halabriel'

Just to spice things up a bit - think about Turks and Caicos. Easy flight from the UK to Provodenciales (although the time lag is a problem), but pelagics up the wahzoo. In 7 days we saw humpback (over and under water) Tiger shark, reef shark, dolphin, tuna, wahoo, turtles eagle rays and so on. Dived with Fifi Kunz at Caicos Adventures. This is my vote for varied pelagic life.

Cheers

Hal

what month were you in SA. also where did you see humpbacks ? did you visit the silver banks for them. from what i have read you cannot dive with these, you are only allowed to get in the water and wait for them to come to you.

We where in SA many different times, used to live in Swaziland, right next door.

Protea - October 02

Ponto Mamoli - March 03

Sodwana - November 03

Umhlanga - March 04

Turks Humpback - We were there mid March this year. You are right, you are not allowed to approach the whales directly, but we where in 2 boats. The first spotted the whales crossing it's bow, so radioed to the second which dropped the divers off directly in the line of path of the whales, then retreated. We where diving with Caicos Adventures and encountered the whales off West Caicos - 45mins out from Provo harbour.

Both SA and the Caribbean are good at the time of year that you are talking about. SA is approaching high summer and the Carribean should have seen the last of the hurricane scares (July-Oct)

Cheers

Hal

Protea Banks is best dived from Mid April to end August. This is winter time in SA but KZN is still not to bad during this time.

September and October can be rainy.

November to January is the SA holiday season and you will get nice weather with the normal crouds.

As for cameras on RIBS I go for a Pelican case.

If you are still intrested in SA I can put you in contact with the operators on Protea Banks.

Aliwal Shoal can be dived during the same times.

Stew,

If you're up for it...i can organise some open ocean dives here in the Maldives. Oceanics! Sailfish and a lot of other big stuff...no cage though.

Cheers

i am looking for some suggestions for a dive trip which will probably be between september and december 09. i would rather the trip was focussing on palaegics rather than critters. obviously good viz would be ideal, not too concerned with strong currents. i live in the UK so would prefer not to be travelling for 2 days to get to a destination, but having said that, if it is worth it, then we would.

Azores?

Azores?

i have been looking into the azores recently, some of the marine life there is amazing

cheers, stew