Maldives - best diving

In article <deek8a$ko8$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>, Nick
<nospam@here.com> writes
>Hi
>
>Looking to go to Maldives in a couple of months with the wife. She is
>certified but only just. She's a beginner. She also doesn't want to see
>sharks. (She's afraid she will freak out). She does not intend to dive every
>day.
>I have 100+ dives and want to dive every day. Seeing mantas is my big wish.
>I would love to hang around a cleaning station on a few dives. Sharks in any
>size and colour a big bonus also. I want exciting diving - not 12m sandy
>bottom only.
>In short, we are looking for the best diving the Maldives has to offer.
>Ideally we are looking for 4 star accomodation but will pay for 5 stars if
>that is where the best diving is found. Also, if the best diving is found at
>3 star accomodation then we will go there.
>
>I have only just started looking at the different atolls/ islands and
>currently I am thoroughly confused. Can someone help to clear the air.
>Thanks.

Go all-inclusive - the islands are a captive market and drinks, if you
pay for them, are not cheap.

I saw sharks (and lots of other big fish / turtles) on almost every
dive. Usually small white/black tips (1m) but on one dive saw many
hammerheads (4m) - but we went looking for them specifically at a place
called "hammerhead point".

My wife learned to dive there. Not a problem for beginners. We went to
Kuramathi (village). Last minute deal. 3+ stars. Great place, proper 3
star hotel, as you would expect in the UK - not the 3 star rubbish you
get in Spain. Got a room 5m from the sea.

http://www.rasdhoodivers.com/

Free nitrox, decompression on the island.

We went in May/June. Can be a bit rainy until May - November, though it
only rained once whilst we were there - but it really rained.

If you are determined to live it up, there was an offer on the One&Only
with an Emirates business class flight earlier in the year that I was
tempted with - looking now they've currently got one with the Hilton:

http://www.emiratestours.co.uk/Speci...cialoffers.asp
--
David Mahon

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 18:41:51 +0100, Pete Melbourne wrote:

> The DPM and I are planning to go to the Maldives around Christmas. What
> sort of area would you recommend (and which resorts if you have the
> knowledge) to see Manta's and Sharks around that time

They start appearing in Ari Atoll around that time, though it's not the
best time to see them. Didn't see them on a dive when I went to Velidhu
at that time of year, did get to snorkel with some though, which was nice.
Had to borrow the dive guide's snorkel.

Just don't be tempted to go in the first part of December. Always seems to
rain then. Monsoon changes around mid-month. So any resort in Ari would
do. There's a manta point at both the north and south ends. They're on the
west side, so it would be a shorter boat ride, but most of the UK promoted
resorts seem to be on the east.

Been to a few. Reports on my website. Not sure Fesdu is open at the moment
though.

Jason

--
See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Caribbean trip reports
to Aruba, Cuba, Grand Bahama, Barbados, St Lucia and Mexico

Nick

Your post brought back a few memories, as I was more or less in the same
situation, a few points:

I was lucky with the island and diving centre, perfect for our needs and
wishes: diving twice a day in water temp of about 30C, at 8.00 and 14.00 if
my memory does not fail from a dhoni, I recall seeing lots of mantas to the
point of turning back my eyes from them on one dive to watch an octopus for
a few minutes (!!) not a single shark, although as usual the dive we missed
was the one where a couple were spotted. I also remember drift dives,
although the current was not that strong, and as many fish in your eyes to
fulfil your wildest dreams!

If your idea of a holiday is to sunbathe, snorkel, relax, eat, read, dive,
enjoy quality time in the company of your girlfriend / wife and watch the
sunset every night without fail, the Maldives are for you, if your interest
are a bit more of the wild nocturnal side it is not for you, as apart from
the former there is not "much else" to do.

It rained once or twice, but feeling the rain in your face and seeing the
clouds passing by over your head at about 28C. made actually quite magical.
I paid about £1400 per person for two weeks half board with sea plane
transfer and I think the full board was about £300 to £400 more, but that is
pretty much what we spend as we are not heavy drinkers and our lunch were a
bit on the light side as the island's food at breakfast and dinner were
delicious and plentiful and there is so much you can at day!

The rooms were cleaned twice a day (!) and although we tried very hard to
look for some one who did not smile or have a kind word or gesture we could
not find it. I also remember some one complained about lack of intimacy on
the beach and I think the maximum amount of people we saw on our side of the
island without using binoculars were 12, that says you cannot please
everybody!

Below is the email I sent last year after coming back from the Maldives at
the end of October.

For my part I'll be next month on the Hurricane trying not to miss some
shark action this time.

Regards

Miguel


"miguel seoane" <ichota@ichota.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:...
>I just came back from two week holiday in the maldives with my girlfriend,
>the resort was the royal island, baa atoll. what can i say, ten out of ten,
>from the food, staff, wooden cabin with outside shower ( how much i miss
>it!), the weather, the seaplane, the snorkelling, seeing baby sharks in the
>jetty everyday, the magical sunsets to the diving centre. i could not thank
>enough Jorg, Zaameer, Junko, and the russian ( i always forget his name,
>sorry!) instructors, together with Mohamed, the aspiring divemaster, for
>all the magical moments that gave us, diving with mantas, sting rays,
>turtles, lion fish, scorpion fish, and thousands of fish we encountered
>every single dive.
>
> if you or anybody happens to go there i suggest not to miss nelivaru thila
> where we were fortunate to see eleven mantas flying around us and of
> course to say a warm welcome to all of them specially to our "master jedi"
> Zameer from maria and miguel, we'll carry them and the little island in
> our hearts for the rest of our lives.
>
> the only drawback is that you get so used to see so many different type of
> fish and mantas that it has spoiled our future diving holidays, what can
> compare with it? ;o)
>
> miguel
>
>
> http://www.vermillionmaldives.com/re...oyal.htm#Click
>
>
> "Victoria" <parkertew@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:8262d406.0410200238.f2f075e@posting.google.co m...
>> Myself and my husband are looking to go to the Maldives just after
>> Christmas this year but I am getting a bit confused at to where to go
>> as there is so much choice. I am wondering if anyone can give us any
>> personal recommendations in terms of how good the diving is where you
>> have been. I am particularly keen to go somewhere where there is a
>> house reef where I can snorkel and dive as I am not that experienced
>> and then also somewhere where there is more exciting diving off the
>> boats. Our only other requirement really is that it is a clean resort
>> with good food so I hope someone can help us decide? (Also maybe hot
>> water!)
>>
>> Thank you,e
>> Victoria
>
>
"Nick" <nospam@here.com> wrote in message
news:deek8a$ko8$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> Hi
>
> Looking to go to Maldives in a couple of months with the wife. She is
> certified but only just. She's a beginner. She also doesn't want to see
> sharks. (She's afraid she will freak out). She does not intend to dive
> every day.
> I have 100+ dives and want to dive every day. Seeing mantas is my big
> wish. I would love to hang around a cleaning station on a few dives.
> Sharks in any size and colour a big bonus also. I want exciting diving -
> not 12m sandy bottom only.
> In short, we are looking for the best diving the Maldives has to offer.
> Ideally we are looking for 4 star accomodation but will pay for 5 stars if
> that is where the best diving is found. Also, if the best diving is found
> at 3 star accomodation then we will go there.
>
> I have only just started looking at the different atolls/ islands and
> currently I am thoroughly confused. Can someone help to clear the air.
> Thanks.
>

[wicked_scuba]

Hey Nick,

I know that Medhufusi is good diving in the maldives, check them out.

Originally Posted by Nick

Hi

Looking to go to Maldives in a couple of months with the wife. She is
certified but only just. She's a beginner. She also doesn't want to see
sharks. (She's afraid she will freak out). She does not intend to dive every
day.
I have 100+ dives and want to dive every day. Seeing mantas is my big wish.
I would love to hang around a cleaning station on a few dives. Sharks in any
size and colour a big bonus also. I want exciting diving - not 12m sandy
bottom only.
In short, we are looking for the best diving the Maldives has to offer.
Ideally we are looking for 4 star accomodation but will pay for 5 stars if
that is where the best diving is found. Also, if the best diving is found at
3 star accomodation then we will go there.

I have only just started looking at the different atolls/ islands and
currently I am thoroughly confused. Can someone help to clear the air.
Thanks.