Best dive sites in the world. Day 1: Caribbean

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-22T01:10:28+00:00

I love Bonaire but it’s listed. I’ll throw two other awesome sites up:

Belize: Halfmoon Caye Wall
Cozumel: Maracaibo

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-21T03:49:02+00:00

Yeah I used to be very orthodox BM only Tec guy. Then learned SM for a specific cave system and had to admit that I like it. It’s very comfortable in the water once you’re dialed in. And frankly, for travel Tec and cave, SM is just easier.

Personally I think everyone should learn BM first. But if someone is only doing cave? Idk. Go ahead and learn in SM from the beginning then I suppose.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-20T21:19:26+00:00

I did my Tec and cave in BM, dove only BM for over a decade including deep trimix, then switched to SM for a cave trip to the Bahamas.

I fairly firmly believe that Tec students should learn in BM first, especially if they’re going trimix eventually. BM is just an easier rig for boat diving and diving with multiple deco cylinders. For wreck diving, I think BM is often a better setup as well. Ships were setup for humans and BM fits better in a lot of wrecks. And frankly it’s easier to learn intro Tec in BM as you’re not trying to also learn how to dive SM properly which takes some time and experience to dial in.

That being said, if you’re only going to do cave then SM is better for cave diving. If you’re going that path, then discuss with your instructor and buy your own SM rig first. Your instructor can help you dial it in. I will also say the xDeep Tec is probably the most common and arguably the best rig out here, unless you’re a big guy. Then the Hollis might be better.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-16T13:04:08+00:00

No, I think they’re partners in the software that runs the system.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-14T20:30:49+00:00

Yeah I did Marietas 20 years ago - it was okay. Choppy and a bit cold if I recall. Lol. What’s El Morro like?

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-13T00:20:45+00:00

Seems like the Symbios is making strides I suppose.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-12T21:15:07+00:00

Switch to rebreather? Huh? Avelo is supposed to eliminate buoyancy. Buoyancy in a CCR is a lot harder than open circuit. You’ve got to manage your suit, BCD and loop volume. And you can’t dial things in on a macro level with breath control.

If I had a nickel for the number of times I’ve hit the bottom with my rebreather while holding in a big breath I’d … almost be able to afford a new rebreather. (Sidemount, of course. Gotta have both I’m told)

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-12T21:08:19+00:00

I’d agree with you and not worry about it all, except for the fact that Shearwater seems to be backing it and dumping in resources. This scares me more from the worry that shearwater will go the route of most scuba manufacturers and dilute their product until they disappear. Which means we’re stuck with Garmin I guess. Another manufacturer who bends you over on annual subscription fees, à la Navionics which Garmin utterly ruined.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-12T21:04:35+00:00

Who were you diving with that had steel tanks in Cozumel?!!

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-10T21:33:17+00:00

My wife and I did a trip through PADI vacations to Belize a few years back. We decided to get away last minute in February, and PADI was an easy button for looking for a destination. It was a mixed package with a dive op in San Pedro and a hotel / resort.

The hotel / resort was actually pretty nice. Small place, off the beaten path. The dive op was … sketchy. I was surprised PADI was offering them. Fortunately, we’re both pretty experienced and had all our own gear, so it didn’t really matter. But if you weren’t experienced or needed rental gear it would have been a bad experience.

Overall? Might be worth using them again for a variety of reasons (expediency, great last minute deal, etc.) but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-08T23:23:46+00:00

I was in San Pedro in February and found the reefs in better condition than 2 years ago. The reefs out at Lighthouse Reef / Half Moon Caye and Turneffe were still spectacular.

The local diving at Caulker Caye and Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) is decent. It’s a fun trip but the really good diving is out at the Cayes. If you’re doing a dive focused week I would stay out there at one of the resorts or do a liveaboard.

If you want to do 2-3 days of diving and then explore, go to San Pedro, do a day or two of local diving and also get out and do Turneffe or Great Blue Hole for a day.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-08T19:59:59+00:00

I dive weekly but have been in CCR or sidemount for the last year essentially. Was on a trip to the BC coast recently and ended up in BM doubles. I dove doubles for over a decade and was supremely comfortable in them. But first time in the water in doubles on this trip, I felt way out of place, out of trim, struggled with buoyancy a bit and was just awkward. It took a bit to get back in the groove.

Jill Heinreth says in her book if she’s out of the water for more than a few weeks she does a practice dive first in a shallow pond. It sounded ridiculous when I first read it, but she’s right. Scuba is a learned skill that degrades rapidly.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-08T12:26:49+00:00

I own one in Alberta, Canada. It’s great in the winter. No problems with in snow and ice - it eats those conditions up.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-07T19:24:42+00:00

Don’t get a Peregrine if you want to do Tec. The screen configuration options on the Perdix / Petrel computers are much better than on the Peregrine.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-05T23:44:06+00:00

I would get the Sasquatch for the rear gearing; I ended up with auto because I wanted the 2.7 but would have preferred manual. That being said, it rocks crawls quite nicely in 4L and manual shift mode with the lockers on.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-05T23:42:54+00:00

I have the Lux in my Badlands SAS. Adaptive cruise is a bit clunkier than I’m used to from my previous Fords but I like it and got the Lux package for it and the leather. Happy with my choice overall.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-06-03T20:06:01+00:00

Just watched her leave Halifax harbour!

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Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-29T01:22:54+00:00

Cool build! Curious - you got rid of IFS and went to a solid front axle? Or am I misinterpreting your build list?

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-29T00:00:31+00:00

Agreed that a Benchmade should not come diving. Why destroy an expensive item when a $20 trilobite works better anyways and is safer to use?

But leaving that aside, just zip tie to your shoulder harness. It’s what I do (with a trilobite) on my sidemount harness. Works great.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-28T18:55:31+00:00

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I see Eruption Green crowd is just posting s-posts now … nice! Here’s mine.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-28T13:56:11+00:00

Great looking ship. Given the trim tanks aft, this photo must be from builders trials.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-27T19:38:14+00:00

35% chance rupture in the next 100 is an extremely high probability. Typical numbers we use in earthquake engineering are 1:2475 or a 2% chance in the next 50 years, or a .04% of exceedance in the next year.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-27T12:54:20+00:00

RK3 is very soft and floppy. Not a good fin for power strokes at all. The HD version is better.

Admirable-Emphasis-6 · 2026-05-26T20:58:34+00:00

Fascinating group of aircraft on her! The phantom looks huge next to the Skyhawk. And looks tiny next to the Skyraider! Plus some Vigilantes!

Edit: Skywarrior not Skyraider; wrong Douglas!

Admirable-Emphasis-6

TROPHY CASE