Share your diving/snorkeling experiences!

[diverjm]

We are utilizing tour and will be at Kealakekua bay

Diving is my biggest passion in life! I’d highly suggest the ”Blackwater Night dive” out of Kona. You are tethered to a line underneath the boat at about 50ft. It’s 3k feet to the bottom. All of the creatures from the deep come up to feed at nighttime. It’s like being in space!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Diving is my biggest passion in life! I’d highly suggest the ”Blackwater Night dive” out of Kona. You are tethered to a line underneath the boat at about 50ft. It’s 3k feet to the bottom. All of the creatures from the deep come up to feed at nighttime. It’s like being in space!

We are booked through Viator tours- we have no control on destinations/area. We have a pick up and drop off designated

 

[Cichlid Dad]

So my Grandma was a realtor on Oahu and owned a cabana at Makaha way away from tourists and always made a cabana available. My father worked for Alaska Airlines, so basically almost free, we vacationed every summer from the time I was 10. As I got older, I would spend a lot of time snorkeling around the cabana and would find octopus, sea turtles, cucumber's ECT. The last time was when I was 15. I took for granted all of this and only now realize how special that was. We would visit Hanauma bay and feed the fish. This was back in the early 80's. I knew nothing about coral or what I was looking at, I just knew it was awesome. I would just about do anything to do it all over but with my knowledge of coral today.

 

[dangles]

 

[MECOMI]

I've been diving since the early 90s. Night diving, wreck diving, etc... I've seen a lot of amazing things. Memories I'll never forget. But I think that the most awesome thing about diving is the sense of weightlessness. Every movement you make affects where you are and where you go. It's the closest thing to flying that I'll ever know. Just amazes me every time.

I have to totally agree with this ^^^

Having your very own 'swim bladder' for diving really sets it apart from snorkeling. There is just nothing like floating weightless with the fishes!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Cool you got to see sharks!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Used to dive in Indiana as part of my job.

Stolen cars in frog ponds, cold water, can’t see your hand in front of your face.

Do NOT recommend. 1 star.

I could not imagine doing that where you can't see in front of you.

 

[ErikVR]

Had lots of dives around beautiful reefs in the Red Sea. Amazing experiences!

 

[FurrierTransform]

We are booked through Viator tours- we have no control on destinations/area. We have a pick up and drop off designated

It'll still be great; I just came back from snorkeling at Na Pali coast on Kauai. If you don't have one already, get yourself a fish identifier card, hang it around your neck, then you'll know immediately what you see.

 

[pal98111]

One thing I have never done, but would at least like to try once, is going out to some of the more famous reefs and go snorkeling/diving and be able to see them. I never have had an opportunity to do it, but it is something that has always interested me. Share your experiences with diving or snorkeling here! Photos, stories or whatever you want to share!

I snorkeled in Panama City Beach in St. Andrews State Park near the Jetties on the calm side. I saw lots of fish, some purple ones I don't know what they were. Also lots of little hermits and a few stone crabs. --- At Marathon, in the Florida Keys, I snorked from the beach and saw four eyed butterfly fish, and an anemone among others. I always just snorkel from the beach in very shallow water less than about 3 feet deep. --- I hope you get a chance to try. I even snorkled fresh water in Lake Sidney Lanier and saw lots of brim.

 

[Solasis]

I got to snorkle in Hawaii at night with manta rays! It was a really unique and amazing experience.

Besides that, snorkeling in the reefs of Hawaii is just beautiful. Definitely my favorite snorkeling so far.

 

[diverjm]

It'll still be great; I just came back from snorkeling at Na Pali coast on Kauai. If you don't have one already, get yourself a fish identifier card, hang it around your neck, then you'll know immediately what you see.

I did some dives on the Na Pali coast. There is a collapsed barrier reef called Mana Crack. Very cool!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I did some dives on the Na Pali coast. There is a collapsed barrier reef called Mana Crack. Very cool!

Never heard of Mana Crack!

 

[Cajun86]

been certified since i was 12. Im 55 now. Was a dive master on a live aboard dive boat on Grand Cayman in the later part of the 80's. MANY night dives on the walls there. Absolutely spectacular. Right at 270 hours of bottom time over the last 43 years. I own a boat large enough to get to some oil rigs about 60 miles out from the coast of Louisiana to spearfish. Used to get all kinds of kritters and put in my aquarium when i was a kid

 

[Gumbies R Us]

been certified since i was 12. Im 55 now. Was a dive master on a live aboard dive boat on Grand Cayman in the later part of the 80's. MANY night dives on the walls there. Absolutely spectacular. Right at 270 hours of bottom time over the last 43 years. I own a boat large enough to get to some oil rigs about 60 miles out from the coast of Louisiana to spearfish. Used to get all kinds of kritters and put in my aquarium when i was a kid

I've always wondered what night diving would be like

 

[Reefer Reboot]

It's very dark, especially in the finger canyons. That's why we bring candles and lots of matches.

But seriously, it is super cool on moonless nights when the bioluminescent organisms are out in force. Turn the dive lights off and with a gentle surge flowing across the reef, it's like a firework show.

 

[affan]

I got to snorkle in Hawaii at night with manta rays! It was a really unique and amazing experience.

Besides that, snorkeling in the reefs of Hawaii is just beautiful. Definitely my favorite snorkeling so far.

Agree with you..snorkeling with manta rays at night sounds incredible! Hawaii's underwater world is truly stunning,

 

[ninjamyst]

My experience so far:

Maui snorkeling - turtles and fish but not much in terms of corals. Most reef require off shore boat and in deeper water

Turks and Caicos snorkeling - beach accessible reef with turtles, sting rays, all sorts of fish. Can snorkel all day in shallow water. Snuba also available to go deeper and see lobsters, nudibranches, and more.

Exuma snorkeling - Mostly gorgonians in shallow water.

Thailand (Koh Kood) Diving - Pristine untouched reef with giant clams, schools of butterflies, and landmine of long spiny urchins, and more. Beautiful.

Akuma Bay (Mexico) snorkeling - Not much corals but good fish and lots of small stingrays.

 

[affan]

My experience so far:

Maui snorkeling - turtles and fish but not much in terms of corals. Most reef require off shore boat and in deeper water

Turks and Caicos snorkeling - beach accessible reef swim with turtles, sting rays, all sorts of fish. Can snorkel all day in shallow water. Snuba also available to go deeper and see lobsters, nudibranches, and more.

Exuma snorkeling - Mostly gorgonians in shallow water.

Thailand (Koh Kood) Diving - Pristine untouched reef with giant clams, schools of butterflies, and landmine of long spiny urchins, and more. Beautiful.

Akuma Bay (Mexico) snorkeling - Not much corals but good fish and lots of small stingrays.

Your snorkeling adventures sound amazing! Have you noticed any specific differences in marine life diversity or environmental conservation efforts across these locations?

 

[cobray]

Oh Scuba how i miss thee.

I have not gone scuba diving for some time now. I was lucky in my teens that i was able to get certified and go on 34 different dives at a few different location. Turks and Caicos, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac were the most memorable.

Cayman Brac specifically i dove in a location called Butterfly Bay, a wreck dive, and a second visit to Butterfly Bay at night. The night dive was one of the most intimidating things i have ever done. I thought letting other people go first would make me feel better about jumping in but dang was i wrong.

The flashlights in the complete darkness made things even more eerie. I dove in with a helpful push from the divemaster who i stayed close to throughout. THE EXPERIENCE WAS AMAZING.

Barracuda swimming in the water column on the way down, iridescent bacteria light up with every paddle, strange invertebrates crawling all over the coral, small fish/inverts bouncing off your hands when the light got more intense near the coral, and a dark cave that i will never forget.

Scuba diving is nothing like snorkeling, if you ever have the chance, just go!

Later days,

B-Kind

Who did you dive with on Little Cayman?
I was a divemaster there for 9 years, from 2007 to 2016.
I worked for Sam McCoy, then Gladys Howard at Pirates Point.