Next dive trip

[Nwcid]

We are still new divers and have lots to see. We have been in the sound 3 times and plan on getting more in. We did 7 dives in HI including the night Manta Ray dive. Being on the east side of WA all we have here is to chase a fish or two in the lakes.

Starting this weekend now that the weather is nice enough we will be trying to dive at least once a week in the local lakes. Main reason is just to work the skills of diving and being more comfortable and proficient with our equipment. Of course I like the simple act of exploring too so that is what will keep it interesting.

For our next "trip" I would like to go somewhere that has wrecks of some kind to see. I dont care if it is boats, planes, ect just as long as it is cool. At this time we are not interested (or trained or geared) to do entry, but I just would like to see it. I just read an article with pics about tech divers on a B-17 and think that would be neat.

So if you could go somewhere for a week vacation to dive "wrecks" in the US where would you go and why?

[Dusty2]

For me as a stateside destination for new divers I would say the east coast of Florida and the keys. Key largo has some wonderful diving out of Pennycamp State park. There are allot of wrecks that are within safe depths and also reefs in shallow depths with lots of colorful things to see. It is all pretty much boat dive only but there are lots of good boats and crews to get you there. The big plus here is crystal clear 75+ degree water and relitivly low to non existant currents and no need to go deep. Another plus is that summer is their off season.

[LCF]

Well, not far from home is Nanaimo, with several wrecks -- but two of them are deep.

We dove a bunch of wrecks, both real and scuttled, in the British Virgin Islands.

If you really want to adventure, the Red Sea has a plethora of wrecks of all sizes and kinds, including the Thistlegorm, which is the best wreck dive I've ever done.

[eliseaboo]

How far do you want to travel? If it's wrecks you want to look at, the Great Lakes are where you want to go. The fresh, cold water preserves them extraordinarily well. Of course, there are some wrecks much closer in fresh water that are also still very nice, thanks to a lot of dedicated people. If you want to see specifically wrecks, and not what is living on them, look for some fresh water. If you want to see structure with animals using it as habitat, you're better off finding something in salt water.

[ArcticDiver]

For what you describe take a look at boat diving at Key Largo, FL. The boat operators there are relatively inexpensive. There is a wide variety of diving. Lodging and food is inexpensive and varied. I fly into either Orlando or Miami depending on which is cheapest and stay at some good examples of old time Florida motels.

[dlh]

1) Second recommendation for Nanaimo if you dive cold water.
2) How about CocoView in Honduras? It's cheap, easy travel, easy diving, and they have a wreck right off the beach. Plus lots of great reef diving.

We are still new divers and have lots to see. We have been in the sound 3 times and plan on getting more in. We did 7 dives in HI including the night Manta Ray dive. Being on the east side of WA all we have here is to chase a fish or two in the lakes.

Starting this weekend now that the weather is nice enough we will be trying to dive at least once a week in the local lakes. Main reason is just to work the skills of diving and being more comfortable and proficient with our equipment. Of course I like the simple act of exploring too so that is what will keep it interesting.

For our next "trip" I would like to go somewhere that has wrecks of some kind to see. I dont care if it is boats, planes, ect just as long as it is cool. At this time we are not interested (or trained or geared) to do entry, but I just would like to see it. I just read an article with pics about tech divers on a B-17 and think that would be neat.

So if you could go somewhere for a week vacation to dive "wrecks" in the US where would you go and why?

[ArcticDiver]

You said US so I eliminated the very fine Canadian sites. Still, at your experience level I think it would be worthwhile to go somewhere you can see wrecks and maybe crank out 20 or worthwhile dives during the week. Key Largo boat diving does that in spades. No, I don't have any financial interests in Florida. But, in Key Largo you are able to dive reefs where, literally, the only profile consideration is whether you have breathing gas in the tank and a variety of wrecks, all from the same hotel and without breaking the bank.

[Nwcid]

Thanks for the great ideas. We had been kinda looking at FL. The reason for the US destination is I don't have a passport, but know I could get one.

I would prefer warm over cold water but living in the PNW cold water does not scare us. We are also looking for stuff no deeper then ~100' at this point. I have read about a few things around the NW but they all seem to be "deep".

[Magoi]

I would support Nanaimo too - several good wreck dives there. If you get a passport another good place that is easy to get to is La Paz, in Baja California, Mexico. There is a an artificial wreck dive you can do that is a swim through type penetration with easy exits (I did it right after AOW cert) - there are several exit points throughout the penetration portion of the dive, designed for inexperienced divers - the wreck was prepared with lots of cut outs. Another dive is on a ferry that sunk in a hurricane, with truck chassis and lots of interesting stuff - no entry, but it is a real wreck. Another dive is in a sea lion rookery, where you swim with juvenile sea lions nipping at your fins. Can give you more info if you are interested. Well worth the trip.

[Beefcake]

I'm dying to dive around the WW2 planes in Truk someday, but the closest I've come so far is a fairly little-known WW2 plane in Maui called the Helldiver. B&B Scuba is the only operator I know of that dives it. It is a trainer plane that crashed during the war and was discovered recently by fishermen. The vertical stabilizer came off somehow during the crash and is laying a few yards behind the plane connected by the rudder cables, and the rest of the plane is almost entirely intact. It's only 55' deep, and there is a ton of life around it (we saw nudi's, octo's, porcupine fish, and lots more). I've been trying to find time to edit my video of this wreck, but I'm too technologically challenged to get it done yet. Oh, and for any history buffs out there, the pilot survived this crash but was later killed in the shooting gallery at Truk.

[John Rawlings]

OK - you want an inexpensive, warm water US dive destination with a lot of wrecks. I agree with what has already been said - the Florida Keys. No question!

Fly into Miami on Alaska Airlines, (non-stop). Rent a car, then drive down to the Florida Keys. US money, US laws, no passport required. The cost per dive decreases depending on how many dives you book with a particular outfitter until it can be dirt cheap. Lodging is also reasonable. Each Key has its own personality - from laid-back to partyland, (Key West), and the diving can be thoroughly amazing.

If you hit Key Largo, stop to eat at a joint called "Hobo's" and get their Yellowtail Florentine....it's to frickin' DIE for! Don't bother to order the Stone Crab claws....anyone that has eaten our Dungeness will want to spit them out, but for some unearthly reason the Floridians like them!

- John

[oldsalt]

I'm dying to dive around the WW2 planes in Truk someday, but the closest I've come so far is a fairly little-known WW2 plane in Maui called the Helldiver. B&B Scuba is the only operator I know of that dives it. It is a trainer plane that crashed during the war and was discovered recently by fishermen. The vertical stabilizer came off somehow during the crash and is laying a few yards behind the plane connected by the rudder cables, and the rest of the plane is almost entirely intact. It's only 55' deep, and there is a ton of life around it (we saw nudi's, octo's, porcupine fish, and lots more). I've been trying to find time to edit my video of this wreck, but I'm too technologically challenged to get it done yet. Oh, and for any history buffs out there, the pilot survived this crash but was later killed in the shooting gallery at Truk.

+1

Maui also provides turtles, hammerheads, humpback whales, Molikini (especially the backside), the caverns on Lanai, reef fish, and things for non-divers in the group to do.

You can't go wrong with Florida either.
-Curt