Heart Shaped Island
With the summer season coming to a close and we enter the cooler temperatures of autumn, the diving on Okinawa justs gets better! As the tourist crowds of summer head back to their cubicles in Tokyo and northern Japan we can continue to enjoy the tropical paradise we live in, here in Okinawa. Water temperatures will stay quite warm up through December in Okinawa and a thin suit may be all you need to extend your diving season a few more months. The fall season also is time to start planning for those off island trips and big animal encounters seen in the winter in Okinawa.
Reef Encounters will be planning a plethora of diving trips this year to explore the waters of southern Japan and beyond. We will be traveling to Ishigaki to see mantas, heading out to explore the waters of Kume for a quick weekend getaway and of course taking reservations for the January and February trips to Yonaguni. These trips fill up fast so contact us soon or get your group of 6 divers together and set up custom dates for you. Reef Encounters is the only diving service offering English speaking guides to the sometimes hazardous waters of Yonaguni and our expert guides have negotiated for extended bottom times for our divers so they can enjoy the sharks and ruins longer.
Reef Encounters will also be offering trips this year for the truly adventurous divers to explore some other amazing sites in Asia. Trips to Chuuk Lagoon, where numerous ships of the Japanese World War II fleet were sunk, are in the works and also trips to the Philippines to see thresher sharks and there are many more to come. We will also be offering a trip to Zanzibar and Pemba in Tanzania to explore some truly unique and amazing diving this December.
While we are traveling and diving, we are also offering our full range of classes and boat tours on Okinawa and the Keramas islands with daily boats still running. As the weather cools it’s a great time to take a class to improve your dive skill and get ready for that big trip. Classes in drift diving for Yonaguni, or wreck diving for Chuuk are all offered as tune ups for these trips. Nitrox class is also a good one to have to extend bottom times or as an intro to more advanced diving.
If you have particular issues with your diving, such as using your air too quickly or poor buoyancy control then a class to specifically address these issues with a dive pro is a great idea. A key point here though is that good buoyancy control should have been taught to you in your basic class so if that is the problem changing instructors may be in order. The most important thing is to meet with your instructor before committing to the course and ensure that your particular problems and training goals will be addressed. Custom classes and training schedules can be arranged with the dive pros at Reef Encounters to suit any schedule or diving goal. Whether your diving goals include being an instructor, exploring the deep wrecks on decompression dives, or just getting more comfortable on your reef dives at Sunabe seawall the pros at Reef Encounters can develop a training plan and class to meet your needs.
Remember you learn to dive by diving so getting out and enjoying the ocean is the most important part of your development as a diver. The more you dive the more you will enjoy it!!
