HUP

I did some diving last year in Egypt and am looking at getting more into it when we move to Melbourne later this year. Can anyone recommend any reputable dive companies (perhaps on the Mornington Penisula)

Yes I've seen the websites about shark bites, sea snakes, blue ringed octopus, box jellyfish etc etc :scared:

gOD

Sorry to have to say this, but if you have dived in Egypt, diving nearly anywhere else in the world is going to be disapointing in many ways...

Didn't dive in Melbourne but there should be a lot of PADI companies, but it will be coldish. Still, the barrier reef is not that far away!

HUP

Yeah I had been told that but I really enjoyed the whole dive experience and I will be looking at using it to further our social life out there (As well as helping to shift a few of the office wallah pounds that I have put on)

PeteY

Don't know of any companies im afraid but...

Barrier reef IS the premier dive site in the world, and you can pretty easily fly up occasionally for a holiday

Down south....

Meant to be some good sites around portland, and i know theres great diving around mount gambier (its in SA, about 4 hrs drive from melb). In mount G there are also the limestone ponds, where you can do cave diving if you were to ever get into that..... Have to be pretty ballsey to try it though I would'nt......

Piccaninie ponds and ewans ponds are AMAZING for snorkling....just make sure you get a permit.

If you are looking to get your PADI or similar....consider flying up to QLD and doing it up there. Its cheaper and you will see more without freezing your nuts off.

The water in the southern ocean comes straight from the antarctic and its cold....even in the summer it can have a bit of a chill. Depends on where you are.

Cheers

Pete.

Don

Complete rubbish!!! I have dived Red Sea too and it was OK but I can name Honduras, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia and especially GBR as much, much better!

PADI DIVEMASTER DON.

ohsohopeful

Diving in GBR better than Egypt....... guess your idea of a good dive differs to the rest of us then or do you enjoy the cold murky water and dry suits?

Don

To be fair, Ohsohopeful, drysuits are not usually needed in Red Sea but I can't imagine why anyone would think Egypt was better than Australia for diving. (Incredible!!!)

gOD

Well, I haven't dived the Red Sea, or Australia, but I have dived NZ, Tenerife, Mauritius, Turkey, well, those are the ones that spring to mind.

Every where I go, everyone tells me that the best in the world are either the Red Sea, or the Barrier Reef. Those two always seem to be mentioned as one and two. The caribean comes a a very close third (off to Caymens next year! Woohoo!), and parts of the pacific (Indonesia I think) are excellent.

I reason I say he might be disapointed is because I learnt to dive in NZ and thought it was great. Now I can't believe how crap it was. After places like Mauritius and Turkey (Mauritius mainly) a lot of places are pale in comparison. Tenerife was good because of the stingrays and wrecks though...

Don't get me wrong, I still love it and would still dive a plain sandy beach with no fish/coral/wrecks/sharks, but at the end of the day, from what I have heard, when you have dived the best, well, you know the rest.

I don't think Melbourne will compare to Egypt. The barrier would, but not Melbourne. Not for most divers anyway!

PeteY

Confusion reigns !!

I think osohopeful thought u meant great britain when you said GBR. I take it you meant Great Barrier Reef???

Don

Yep - Great Barrier Reef. Sorry about any misunderstanding.

Roger

Only dived GBR once, but Red Sea seven times. GBR may beat land based diving in Sharm, Hurghade etc but can you see Hammerheads, Mantas, Dolphins, wrecks, two varieties of reef shark in one dive? I have off the Brothers Red Sea on a liveaboard.

Cannot beat Red Sea for accessible diving. There are better places (Cocos, Indonesia, Bikini, Palau, Truk etc) but they're more expensive.

There is an Oz dving website, similar to Brits Divernet.co.uk. Has forums with similar theme to this. Try a search

Roger

ohsohopeful

Hmm - drysuit in the Great Barrier Reef. See what you mean. I did indeed assume you meant dear old Blighty.
Apologies.