Kurt Kucera

Scuba Diver, Car Enthusiast, Outdoorsman

The Best Diving Spots In Thailand

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The best diving spots in Thailand can be hard to pick out for first-time visitors, which makes local guides your best resource. Thailand is rich in marine life and home to over more than three hundred named spots. With so much coastline and so many different areas to dive in, there is a dive spot for divers of every skill level.

These are the best diving spots in Thailand.

Hin Muang

Dive spots in the Andaman Sea are among the favorites for local guides and the type of dive spots worth traveling around the world for. Beautiful corals, rare marine life, and several species of sharks and other large fish that you only see when deep diving are all within easy diving range.

Koh Kradan Wreck

Wrecks make incredible dive sites and the Koh Kradan Wreck is definitely one of the better spots. The Japanese destroyer is entirely covered by corals, sea fans, and other underwater growth where marine life is bountiful throughout the entire year.

Hin Nok

The beauty of diving in Thailand is that the environment in each dive site is so unique that you can dive for days and see something different every time. Hin Nok features a large plateau and gullies that you can spend days exploring. Sea turtles are commonly found in this area and the elusive and strange Ghost Pipefish.

Shark Point

Named for the sharks that frequent this dive spot, leopard sharks are able to be seen here year-round. Other interesting species that can be seen here include the cute cuttlefish and seahorses. The gullies here protect divers from the strong currents making this a great dive for newer divers.

Koh Dok Mai

Koh Dok Mai is a great cave dive and night dive spot, but it is a spot for strong divers and swimmers. The cave you dive into leads to a cavern that is filled with sea snakes, leopard sharks, and eels.

While there are plenty of dive options in Thailand it is best to pick the spot that matches your dive abilities and offers you a unique experience among the many different types of dives that are offered.

The Simple Path to a Perfect Road Trip

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The best vacations are often the most self-produced. Waiting in long lines, being enslaved to a rigid itinerary, or shelling out hundreds of dollars for a stuffy flight can feel more restricting than relaxing. It’s no wonder, then, that self-guided road trips are such an alluring vacation alternative. While there are dozens of phenomenal options when it comes to planning the perfect trip, picking a direction and just driving isn’t always the best course of action (no matter how tempting it may be). There are several key considerations that can make or break the elusive “perfect road trip.”

First, it never hurts to come up with a goal for the trip, no matter how vague. Is this particular road voyage about catching some spectacular natural views, or would it be more fun to focus on visiting several major cities? A drive up the West Coast and through the Rocky Mountains might be the perfect option for the former, while an East Coast urban crawl will satisfy the desires of the latter. Setting even a simple goal can determine the tone of the trip, and help make planning out the desired destinations that much easier.

After deciding on that general goal, the next step is picking a part of the country to visit. One of the spectacular things about the United States is that its diverse topography provides both natural wonders and metropolitan centers in almost any area of the country. So, whatever the purpose of the trip, it can be fulfilled almost anywhere. The Pacific Northwest is an iconic part of the country that’s on many people’s bucket list to visit. However, the often-overlooked Midwest has its trove of hidden gems worth exploring. Because of this rich diversity, the geography of the perfect road trip is a simple matter of preference.

With a goal and a (general) location decided upon, the amount of planning to be done next is entirely up to the discretion of the travelers. While some prefer more structure to their trip, with a day-by-day plan as to the sights and destinations, others are more apt to discover their path as it unfolds before them. Regardless of the nature of travel, having these two aspects of the journey decided, the goal and the geography can turn any trip into the perfect road trip.

Best Diving Spots In Hawaii

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If you have a passion for scuba diving, look no further than the Big Island of Hawaii. The island has plenty of stellar diving spots that anyone would love, and has had the admiration of scuba diver’s around the world. Check out these great diving spots for the next time you plan to go to Hawaii!

Golden Arches

If you’re looking for a great photo opportunity, be sure to check out Golden Arches. This diving spot is known for the colorful fish who live on the reef, moray eels, whitetip reef sharks and like many other Hawaiian diving sites, you may see a group of spinner dolphins!

Naia

Speaking of dolphins, be sure to check out Naia the next time you want to go diving in Hawaii! Naia means Dolphin in Hawaii, it’s likely you’ll run into a few when you take your dive. What you’re even more likely to see are rare fish like stonefish and frogfish who live at this spectacular dive site.

Au Au Crater

If you’re looking for something a little more interesting, check out Au Au Crater. If you hadn’t guessed it by the name, Au Au Crater is a submerged volcano crater that is one of the best when it comes to showing off the unique underwater topography of the various Hawaiian islands. Be wary though, as you’re likely to spot larger ocean dwellers such as white tip and hammerhead sharks.

Best Destination Dives in August

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It can be a challenge to decide where to take your August diving trip. There is so much underwater action taking place right now; from the coasts of Australia to Mexico. Depending on whether you’d like to swim with sea lions or have the company of whale sharks, there are numerous locations offering great diving experiences this time of year.

Here are two great options for anyone looking to take an August dive trip.
Galapagos Islands
 As the weather cools throughout the Galapagos Islands stronger currents and conditions move in. However, this also means that August marks the arrival of whale sharks. On the Islands of Darwin and Wolf you can not only dive with these phenomenal creatures, but you’ll also have the opportunity to see Galapagos sharks and scalloped hammerheads.

Of course there are always turtles, eagle rays, and all types of fish to swim alongside. Sharks are what most divers are searching for this time of year, but make sure to also keep an eye out for marine iguanas, sea lions, and Galapagos penguins in the shallows.
The water will be cold so make sure you’ve packed a thick wetsuit.

 

Southern Australia

As winter begins in South Australia, the ocean offers a truly special marine life experience. In the summer as the water temperatures drop, hundreds of thousands of cuttlefish arrive to breed. If you decide to take a dive near Adelaide, along the upper ends of the Spencer Gulf you will be able to see these gigantic cuttlefish in huge numbers.

With the male fish heavily outnumbering the female, competition is fierce and the vibrant colors they display to attract a mate can be quite the show. This can be an intense, sensational dive!
 There are also a number of guided tours, helping you to find leafy sea dragons. Australia is very well known for these and because the creatures are larger than seahorses they’re especially great for any underwater photography.

Prime Scuba Diving Sites in Florida

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Scuba diving is a fun activity to explore the ocean and witness life under the sea. With so many beautiful oceans around the world, many people don’t realize that there are amazing spots to scuba dive right here in the United State. Florida, in particular, is home to some of the greatest shores to explore underwater life. These are the prime diving sites in Florida:

Ginnie Springs – Central Florida
The fresh spring waters of Ginnie Springs offers the best scuba diving destination in central Florida. It sits with a 100-foot-diameter depression and has a collection of three smaller springs. These springs are Devil’s Eye, Devil’s Ear and Little Devil. Being connected to the tannin-dyed Santa Fe River gives the spring warm and crystal clear water. The beauty of the Ginnie Springs is home to much wildlife to explore beneath the waters.

Key Largo – The Florida Keys
In the heart of the Florid Keys lies Key Largo. This prime scuba diving spot features colorful reefs and an abundance of fish life. Divers will also have a chance to see some of the shipwrecks beneath the water. While underwater, divers will be sure to see barracuda, jacks, and silversides. There is much to see and explore in Key Largo, which is why it has become one of the most popular scuba diving sites in Florida.

Venice – The Gulf Coast
In the shark tooth capital of the world, Venice will truly give divers a run for their money. Divers will have the opportunity to explore the waters and find huge shark teeth that could be potentially worth hundreds of dollars. The waters offer about 10 feet of average visibility to search the bottom of the sea for shark teeth. Even is divers are unable to find a tooth worth money, they’ll find enough souvenirs to last a lifetime.

Destin – The Florida Panhandle
Stretched across the Florida Panhandle, Destin is one of the most beautiful sites to scuba dive in Florida. Divers will be emersed in warm waters and will have the opportunity to explore amazing underwater life. They will find limestone ledges covered in corals, sponges, and fish. This site has become popular due to tub boats, army tanks, airplanes, landing craft, ships, and bridge rubble that have fallen beneath the seas and are now home to grouper, flounder, and cobia.