Diving in the Maldives......

[flopnfly]

I'm revisiting these wonderful photos, and I'm still in awe.

PS808, you mentioned that the little island you stayed on could be walked in 10 minutes.  I would love to experience a small island like that, which resort or hotel did you stay at?  What was the name of the little island?  and how did you arrange the dives, was there an onsite dive operation?

[Pacific State 808]

Hi Heather

This is the Island I stayed on, it's called 'Biyadhoo'.



The Island has just one 'resort', well the Island is the resort, but it is the most wonderful of places.....a true tropical paradise island. No need for shoes as the island just has little sand paths that take you to the one beach bar, or the one resturant or finally to the dive op. What more do you need. It's really chilled out at night, everyone sitting around chatting and you make lots of friends whilst there.

The island takes 10 minutes max to walk around at a slow pace, and it is surrounded by the most amazing, pristine coral reefs that contain everything. You can just sit on the dock and watch the sharks and angel rays if you don't want to get wet !!

The diving is the best. You have the choice to go on two boat dives a day, or you can just grab a cylinder, kit up on the beach and off you go on your own into the surrounding reef. I use to get up, have an early morning dive, then go on the boat, come back and have another dive on the reef, go grab some lunch, back on the boat for the afternoon dive and come back and have a late afternoon dive on the reef....then maybe a night dive if there's one organised. I use to spend 90 minutes each dive at around the 10 - 15 metre level and I would have the time of my life....I would suck my cylinder dry before coming up, there is just so much to see. The reef is just absolutely packed with fish, lots of stuff I had wanted to see but never had before. 

The boat dives can be tricky and deep, but the DM's where very good and arranged dives for those who wanted trickier dives or those who just wanted to amble about on the reefs etc.....

This is the dive op on the island....  http://www.dive-ocean.com/310_biy_center.aspx

I am heading back to the Maldives soon, but this time I have decided to go on a dedicated dive boat (live-a-board). This is a 10 day safari around the Maldives, the boat holds just 10 divers and you live on the boat and it tours the Maldives atolls going to best sites. I will post the details etc when I have them.

PS808

[Pacific State 808]

I have uploaded 15 small diving videos I took whilst diving (they are on the pages 2 and 3 of the album link below).

http://warrens.smugmug.com/

[flopnfly]

Incredible as usual   

I see you're using smugmug, what do you think of it?

[Pacific State 808]

I really like Smugmug, I only knew this existed after Gambitt posted his holiday pictures from Jamaica. The site is really easy to use and the online albums look really nice. The best bit for me is the fact that I could upload video as well. I don't mind paying an annual fee to store pictures if the website is good and has good facilities. Well done on finding Smugmug Gambitt, you should be on comission !!

[Gambitt]

I can't even take the credit for that one.

While I was in Jamaica, I got talking to another photographer (she was interested in my big lens) and Catherine told me about it.