Best site for diveing

[Pekka]

I am about to go to the red sea to do some freediveing and enjoy the beatiful marinelife I know is in the red sea
But I have not been diveing in any other area but the Baltic sea and the red sea which both have their good and bad sides.
Where is the freediveing capital of the world? and where are the best sites to go freediveing?
And thanks for the great diveing site

[snorklebum]

I'm kind of sold on the Mexican Caribbean. The water is clean and transparent (and warm), the sealife is plentiful and pretty with a lot of variety from "aquarium" reef fish to turtles to squids, there are lots of big reefs (including the second largest Barrier Reef in the world, extending from around Cozumel down to Honduras) and a beautiful bottom geology.
The land here is limestone permeated by holes like Swiss cheese, holes ranging from tiny (giving a sort of "stone lace" appearance to cliffs) to the size of buildings (producing "cenotes"--flooded caverns which are a fresh=water diving trip in themselves.
There are alternate layers that are softer, so you get a lot of undercutting and caves and tunnels and such. Topped with trees of corals and seafans with fingerprint snails on them and teeming with parrotfish, French angles, queen angels, damselfish, cuttlefish, eels, trumpetfish, stonefish and a lot of beautiful little buggers I don't know the English names for.
Great question, man. I wish more people would post their favorite spots.
Tell me more about the Red Sea, if you would...I've heard great things about it from people I dive with here in Mexico.

[Pekka]

Originally posted by snorklebum
Tell me more about the Red Sea, if you would...I've heard great things about it from people I dive with here in Mexico.

Well sure dude, but I don't think I am the best man for the job, but I'll try.
I have been diveing at Sharm El Seikh (Ras Mohhamad) the corrals are beatiful and reach far out to the sea, the colourful fish are probaply about the same as what you told you have seen, although there I have seen The Napoleon fish and some sharks, that are the kind I remember.
The water is warm, but still I would recomend about 3mm suit to keep you diveing longer. Weather, beatiful year round at summer bit hot at day time.
I don't know if that helped snorkelbum, but perhaps there is others that have more info on that subject.

[g_atchley]

Pekka!
I have to endorse everything Snorkelbum told you. From what I've seen, the waters off the Yucatan are outstanding. Warm and clear and fish everywhere. I've travelled all over the Caribbean, and Mexico has to be one of the most beautiful, accessible, and user-friendly areas to dive that I've found. And there's so much area to cover. I've only been a few times covering from Playa del Carmen south to Tulum and I am really anxious to do more. Of course, it's a bit closer for me being in the Southeastern United States but judging from the relatively few tourists it must be fairly accessible to the U.K. and Europe. If you get a chance, you should check it out.

[Pekka]

Well I sure have to try that out, sounds pretty cool, I would like to know though if there is sharks, rays or something like that...interesting that would like to see ?
I hope to see manta ray, or hammerhead or some big fish at red sea, but soon I'll see if I get lucky..
thanks.

[Cabo Kid]

If you like manta rays, I can highly recommend the Islands off La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. (Also a good place to see seals and sea lions). There is a seamount there where manta rays circle and allow themselves to be ridden. The peak is about 85 feet down, a bit deep without tanks, but doable. You see BIG mantas here, 8 meters across at times.
Sea lions and seals are pretty much guaranteed at Cabo San Lucas, out at the tip of the cape by the arch. I have also seen a great many whales and dolphins in this area, including a Grey Whale only 20 meters off shore.