Dive locations
The Maldives
What can I say about this truly amazing place, hot hot hot food great
People brill
And then the diving oh my god who wouldnt be in dream land diving with sharks in abundance and giant mantas every day in viz that you could die for. The island we chose, we couldnt have done any better it was byadoo island it was one of the most unspoilt of islands. From the speed boat on approach there was no accomdaton to see it was insde the trees, you could walk round it in half an hour at a gentle stroll.
To top it all at the waters edge living around the jetty were a group of baby reef sharks 4 were there at the start of the holiday and at the end of three weeks they grew to being 7, every day the adult would arrive to check out her babys. while we were snorkelling. Up to yet the best diving weve done and the most memerable, strong currents that knock your mask aff your face and pull your regs to one side while you hang on for dear life. There are dives for inexperienced so i would recomend you ask about your excperience before you embark on some of the shark dives as they love to swim in the currents when feeding.
Cuba
Cuba has a variety of diving from novice to challenging even for the experienced diver, however the waters are warm and certainly the visibility is brilliant even compared to the likes of sharm el sheik - the place we all rave about. If you like sharm you should certainly try this country.
People are friendly and the hotel we used was right on the door step to the dive center, in gaviota s.a.playa pesquuero. Hotel pasquero is right on the beaches - you only walk down a track your there for all water sports and scuba diving. We left our kit there and collected it on the way home after two weeks of diving. The only down fall is that there are a few steps like a frame to get into a pool that you have to go down so if your elderly or infirm its a bit of a trial. Diving is twice daily with no tide times to consider however if the is to bad the boat cannot always come from around the bay to collect but how often is the weather poor in Cuba.
Coral have amaizing colours, some of the best and largest weve ever seen and when you step into the water at the beach edge fish swim all around your feet. We were lucky enough to see large palagics on a couple of occasions and the colours and variety of fish were in abundance. The weather was hot in june when we went and was certainly good value for money.
Sharm el sheik
This country is ideal for divers, families, non divers. have been in the months of january, june, september and may - its always hot if not very warm, june being the hottest,very dry but most places to eat and drink have air conditioning so you tend to walk in and out of those in the evening when you want a cool down. The temperature in june never dropped below 45deg day and night. we have never had a problem with the food however in june we did have a dikky tummy but docs said it was due to the fact that our body couldn't cope with the temperature change of the air con and the heat in and out.
The diving is amazing - clear and an abundance of fish life on every site. Of course it has the well known big wreck but thats not what everyone can afford to do as it is at an extra cost so be ware. You need a visa too. the dive centres really are brilliant at providing precision when it comes down to booking trips but bear in mind that there are good and bad centres whatever country you go to, so get a recommendation from a friend if you can. be happy to recommend a couple.
Diving is ideal no matter how much experience you have a good company will offer something to suit your level. remember you can always do part training with us and finish off over there instead of studying while your on holiday. Of course there's the pyramids - amazing to say the least and a worth while trip would suggest plane transfer as the bus is a very very long trip.
We only recommend explorers for the cheapest and best deals whether diver or not. The accommodation that we choose with explorers is above basic and staff are very helpful we've stayed in the main street itself and away closer to the old town, oh yes the old town is worth a visit and try the local dishes like sheeps balls for instants and maybe a sheesha.
Kos
We had a great time, hired a moped for the duration of the holiday and travelled the whole island. the diving was enjoyable but the tapography was very grey and dead looking , not a huge amount of fish life, a lot of octopus and i got to hold one until he spurted his blank ink at me and swam off. The dives are shallow no beautiful corals to look at and no large pelagics.
We hadn't really been diving very long at this point and found the whole experience good enough for us at the time. people were great the company was very professional and we would definitely recommend them again. The accommodation was good and staff helfull. Kos main town is very beautiful and full of good restaurants, and coffee shops to sit in and watch the bustling harbour which runs along the front and has moored all the diver boats which are used as offices for booking your trips on.
Kenya
Well what can i say about kenya, the country is amazing we were there for two weeks it was hot the sandy beach was on the door step, white, soft and the people were fantastic. We did two safaris and they were brilliant to say the least. you can't go there without doing at least one. The diving then was very calm, unfortunately they were having unusual weather for the time of year and of course it was affecting the sea conditions, there was a great deal of plankton in the water and although we hoped that this would attract the palagics for us this certainly wasn't the case, in fact we didn't see very much in the way of large fish, or even colourful fish there.
There is a very long walk out to the boat from the beach so beware and the boat itself smelt the whole time of gasoline so that made a few very sick. I had to insist 3 times that they go back and get an oxygen bottle for the boat as they don't carry anything and that's always our first check before diving with any company especially if its a long way to a chamber.
We've been in a poor situation and you never know when you might need it.
Turkey
What shall i tell you about this place, we didn't like it much as a country it was ok. The people were nice, dive center staff were helpful and they tried to accommodate us by trying to make our diving what we we expected or shouldn't have expected shall we say. I think they've eaten all the fish - we dived for ages on every dive without seeing anything. The only time we saw an abundance of fish was when we visited the local fish market which was brill, you choose your fresh fish they cook it for you there and then to perfection i might add, and you eat it at one of the little restaurants that runs around the out side of the fish think we would all like to recommend the prawns which are so cheap to eat. Yum Yum
Tenerife
Stingray feeding station awesome, down at only 18 meters clear as a bell and surrounded by these rays , butterfly rays, sting rays,feeding them from your own hands. Caught on video for you to see, the dive center is well run from a place call galleatus just a short trip via jeep to them sea shore onto there own rib, run by jeff and tony great guys.
Back at lunch time for light lunch at the local before the afternoon dive. A small wreck ideal for first time divers as novice. good food, good weather fab people. Want to contact them give us a call. Tapography, very volcanic looking plenty of morays, sea urchins be careful.
