For those who have ever gone diving in a reef....

alianated

Member
Ok... last New Years I was on a plane that had to detour due to problems and was left in a desert town for 24 hours with nothing to do.
The result... this year I was given 2 round trip tickets to anywhere in the US (including Hawaii)
Here is my question.. I have NEVER gone Reefing... I may NEVER be able to go ANYWHERE in the US again for free (Hotel is also covered)
So I ask.. if you could look at ANY coastal reefs where would you go. At first I thought Hawaii was the best option, but someone else said the most impressive thing they saw was in Florida Keys. And yet someone else says the best fish/ray/reef experience they saw was out near the Catalina Islands.
So does anyone have any suggestions.. I just would like to make this trip count. My flash designed sites make a little money, but I live in Cali and its daaannnggg expensive out here so I cant take trips like this that often...
(btw.. the trip that went bad was a trip to San Diego.. so it was a REALLy cheap trip that went bad and so now I get to go anywhere.. not to bad a deal.. 8 )
alianated
 

sbustobante

Member
If you go to Hawaii, which I suggest if you have some coin for food and extracurricular activities, you should go to Kauai and go diving off the Napali coast. Also, the Tunnels is a good dive. Absofreakinlutely beautiful - above the water and below it as Trey says.
Actually, from Cali, tickets to Florida are more expensive, so you may getting more value if you go to FL. It'll be cheaper for stuff like food and getting a boat, too.
 

goofieones

Member
Hawaii, my vote. Never been there, but a friend just went and brought back pictures she took while diving. Many fish, you see you will know. She also spent $2000 in one week on food and other things, not inculding hotel.
 
C

coralbeauty

Guest
I have been reefing several time, just never in the US. Now if you were going to St John, St. Thomas or Grand Cayman.........
My next trip will be to Hawaii!
Connie
 

adrian

Active Member
I must agree, trunk bay on st.john has some great snorkling, my home town, err island :D We are going to the keys later this summer, I hope to get some good skin diving in there. Ian, cant go wrong with Hawaii, especially not if its free :D
 

fishgirl

Member
HAWAII!!!
I went diving there on a two week trip last summer and a I highly recommend the Kona cost of the Big Island (the one actually called Hawai'i) there are so many more fish threre than anyplace else. Florida's better for corals, but if you want fish (many of the ones in our tanks are collected from hawaii) Hawaii is the best.
Above ground, beaches are are some of the best in the world, you can go to the volcanoes national park and go on a hellicopter ride over the top, or hike around the sulfer pits. The rainforest valleies are beautiful - I like to ride to I took a trail ride through there. the adventure stuff is best on Hawai'i, but the beaches are better on O'ahu. The most famous beach there is Waikiki, but my fav is Kailua beach, an out of the way beach, non-crowded aquamarine beach with a mixture of white and golden sand. It's a short drive from Hanmua, a nice place to snorkel, but not as good as Kona. the weather is hot as it is near the equator, but it always feels cooler because of the wonderful tradwinds breezes that never stop. On Mauna Kea, the tallest volcanic mountain in Hawaii, is snow-capped, makeing Hawaii the only place you can see the coral reef, the beach, the rainforst, the volcanoes, and go skiiing!!! very cool. They say it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it won't be for me - I'm going back ASAP!! :D :D :D
 

jups1

New Member
Definitely Hawaii - because of the cost. You can go to Florida, Mexico, etc anytime and it is much cheaper. The hotel and food are most expensive in Hawaii, so take advantage of the free room there. Haven't been, but went to Cozumel in May. That was amazing. Chose Cozumel because the entire trip air, food, hotel) was $1000 less than just the hotel & air to Hawaii. The reefs were amazing, and I made friends with a very friendly parrot fish.
Hawaii will be next, though. I have to compare it to Mexico (for reefing). Have fun & tell us all about the trip.
 

little fish

Member
Are you kidding?! I have been diving in Cayman, Cozumel and the Bahamas. I think Cayman has the best reefs of all, but If I were to pick any place to dive, I would go to Australia and dive the Great Barrier Reef. It's got to be AWESOME! :D :cool:
 
Go to Maui, I just got back a couple of weeks ago and it was my third time there. There's nothing more incrdible than swimming watching sea turtles and stuff, and therre's plenty of places you can go straight in off the shore into the water with reef starting in about 2 foot of water, it's incredible. I recommend buying your equipment here rather than there. It'll be nicer than rentals and you can ALWAYS jump in the water. E-mail me if you want any more info. Funky52@pacbell.net
-Dustin
 

dugan

Member
Hawaii here too... last time I went was 6 months pregnant and on a business trip so I don't really know about the scuba or the cost of the hotels... but even without the diving I would go back there in a heartbeat. It's a beautiful place - hard to believe you are still in the U.S.
We stayed at the

[hr]
Hawaiian Village - I had a view of Diamond Head out one window and a lagoon and the Pacific Ocean out the other... not bad! That hotel is amazing if you don't mind touristy-resorty stuff.
Hanauma Bay on Oahu is supposed to have good snorkeling. Also you can see the wreck of the Arizona and the memorial, the Missouri, and countless awe-inspiring nature views.
When I was there the Kamehameha highway was flooded so we didn't get to the north side of the island but would have loved to see the Pipeline (or Pippi-lini as one of my Hawaiian friends calls it :D)
I know I am babbling now but Hawaii is fantastic.
Katie
(I also bought a t-shirt with a humu humu on it but had to say it in Hawaiian before the guy would sell it to me... humuhumunukunukuapuaa!)
 
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