{"id":2476,"date":"2012-12-24T16:14:40","date_gmt":"2012-12-24T23:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/?p=2476"},"modified":"2012-12-24T16:16:44","modified_gmt":"2012-12-24T23:16:44","slug":"nine-extreme-scuba-diving-destinations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/?p=2476","title":{"rendered":"Nine Extreme SCUBA Diving Destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the weather here in Southern California being rather cold and rainy lately, I haven&#8217;t been in the water this month &#8211; sorry.<\/p>\n<p>However, I have been compiling a list of extreme places to SCUBA dive to help me plan future diving trips;  I thought you may be interested in my list thus far.<\/p>\n<p>If you find something inaccurate, or more &#8220;extreme,&#8221; post a (non-spam) comment so I can update my list, if proven accurate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. The Coldest, and Most Remote Place To Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.diveadventures.com\/pages\/destinations\/Antarctica\/antarctica.htm\" target=\"_new\">Antarctica<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/antartica8899js.jpg' title='Antarctica SCUBA Diving'><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/antartica8899js.jpg' alt='Antarctica SCUBA Diving' \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is one diving trip that&#8217;s on my bucket list, however, with the initial $13,000 price tag for 14 days, it currently far exceeds my budget on any planned trip.<\/p>\n<p>You have to be Advanced Open Water Certified, with at least 20 dives in a dry suit.<\/p>\n<p>You must be in excellent physical and mental health and will be required to demonstrate your diving abilities before departure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. The Highest Altitude SCUBA Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Lake Titicaca, Peru<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Almost twice the altitude of Lake Tahoe, at 12,500 feet above sea level, Lake Titicaca isn&#8217;t the highest lake in the world, and SCUBA diving here won&#8217;t set any altitude world records, but this is the highest altitude dive that an average recreational diver could hope to make; at least that I could find.<\/p>\n<p>And when I say hope, I am serious about that.<\/p>\n<p>My Spanish &#8220;es no bueno,&#8221; so I can&#8217;t refer you to any place that I know has diving trips to Lake Titicaca; however, there are plenty of people on the internet who have dove there.<\/p>\n<p>You may be able contact <a href=\"http:\/\/perudivers.com\" target=\"_new\">perudivers.com<\/a> and see if they can arrange, or know who can arrange, a trip to dive Lake Titicaca.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j06d2CjolcI\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. The Most Dangerous Place To Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Berbera, Somaliland (Officially Somalia)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Somaliland is the &#8220;safer&#8221; northern part of Somalia that declared independence in 1992; unfortunately, nobody recognizes it&#8217;s independence, so &#8220;officially&#8221; you are going to Somalia.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, there is (or a least, was) <a href=\"http:\/\/maan-soor.com\/berbera\/index.php\/East-African-Dive-Club-Maansoor-Hotel-Dive-club-somaliland-dive-club-first-dive-club-african-PADI.html\" target=\"_new\">a Diving Club run by a British guy in Berbera<\/a>, which touts some of the most beautiful and unexplored reefs in the region.<\/p>\n<p>I have emailed him to see if he is still in operation;  I have not heard from him as of this date.<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/somaliaguardwithrifles2.jpg' alt='Somalian Security' \/><\/p>\n<p>By law, to venture outside of the city, you must hire at least one armed guard with a Kalashnikov for $10 a day.  <\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll need a Visa, and be prepared to pay an entrance and exit fee along with being forced to exchange $50 into the local currency at a rip off rate once you arrive at the airport.<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/berberasecurity.jpg' alt='Berbera Security' \/><\/p>\n<p>Professional Debriefer Paul and I were watching some YouTube videos of Berbera;  he made the comment, &#8220;That place looks so dangerous, you&#8217;ll probably get jacked once you step off the airplane.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>These guys are just going snorkeling (starts at 5:30), but it gives you an idea of what to expect:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ds7K2QQQK3s\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. The Most Desperate (or Unique?) Place To Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dtmag.com\/dive-usa\/locations\/TexasMissileSiloTX.html\" target=\"_new\">Valhalla Missile Silo, Abilene, Texas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>You are in the middle of Texas, away from any lake or significant body of water and want to go diving.<\/p>\n<p>Where to?<\/p>\n<p>Well, I guess outside of diving in your swimming pool or bath tub, diving in a missile silo could be considered &#8220;desperate,&#8221; or in a way, &#8220;unique.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Midwest is very resourceful when it comes to SCUBA diving; lakes and quarries are king, and even though this missile silo isn&#8217;t the only divable one in the world, it is the best known.<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/valhallasilo9.jpg' alt='Valhalla Missile Silo' \/><\/p>\n<p>The missile silo is an old 1960s era ICBM site located 32 miles southwest of Abilene, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>As another website states, &#8220;At 2,420 feet above sea level, the site has the distinction of being a place where you can dive underground to get an altitude certification.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WGW64oKsFXQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. The Most Endangered Dive Spot<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.greatbarrierreef.org\/tourism_diving.php\" target=\"_new\">The Great Barrier Reef, Australia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/greatbarrierreefstock.jpg' alt='The Great Barrier Reef, Australia' \/><\/p>\n<p>This is probably the most famous diving destination on the list.<\/p>\n<p>Rising water temperature, over fishing and agricultural run off have wreaked havoc on this delicate ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>One Australian Scientist warns that the entire coral reef could die out within the next four decades.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. The Most Expensive Single Dive <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mandalaybay.com\/shark-reef\/dive-with-sharks\/\" target=\"_new\">Mandalay Bay Aquarium, Las Vegas, NV, USA<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Is watching sharks in an aquarium through glass getting boring?<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/mandalay_baychop6.jpg' alt='Diving Mandalay Bay Aquarium' \/><\/p>\n<p>Assuming you haven&#8217;t lost your ass in Vegas,  if you have $650 left and are a certified SCUBA diver, you can dive the Mandalay Bay&#8217;s 1.3 million gallon Shipwreck Exhibit to swim with sharks, rays, sawfish, green sea turtles and schools of fish.<\/p>\n<p>The dive lasts 45 minutes, or until you run out of air, whichever happens first. <\/p>\n<p>If you can stretch that tank to 45 minutes, your dive will cost $14.44 a minute, however, you do get an aquarium tour and some dive instructions along with the cost of the dive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. The Most Macho Place to Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Saranda and Himara, Albania<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The reason that this is the most macho place to dive?<\/p>\n<p>Because currently, the Albanian government does not recognize SCUBA diving as a recreational sport, there is no infrastructure at all for recreational diving, no medical facilities to treat diving related sickness and Albanians can&#8217;t own boats larger than skiffs or peddle boats.<\/p>\n<p>For a number of years, there was the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.albaniadive.com\/\" target=\"_new\">Polish Diving Base in Saranda<\/a>, but due to investor problems, they left in late 2011, leaving no other facility to take their place.<\/p>\n<p>This is the only diving place on the list that yours truly went on.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/readytodivealbania.jpg\" alt=\"Diving in Saranda, Albania\"><\/p>\n<p>I was fortunate enough to hook up with a diving local this last July, who knew a lot of the dive spots and had connections to air sources.<\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/?m=201207&#038;paged=7\">read about my entire trip on this blog.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>8. The Most Politically Incorrect Place To Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/divescover.com\/dive-centers\/iran\/kish-island\" target=\"_new\">Kish Island, Iran<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Well, most politically incorrect, if you are a U.S. citizen. <\/p>\n<p>This small island is a free trade zone, and the only part of Iranian soil where an American can enter Iran without a visa.<\/p>\n<p>I have made one contact on Kish Island, via the internet, and was assured, &#8220;Kish Island is beautiful and safe, even for Americans.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The problem is, to get to Kish Island, you would most likely have to enlist the help of a Travel Agent specializing in hard to get to locations.  <\/p>\n<p>Travelocity.com, Kayak.com and Expedia.com do not recognize Kish Island as a valid destination, probably purely due to political reasons.<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/kish_island29908.jpg' alt='Kish Island, Iran' \/><\/p>\n<p>Your lady, by Islamic Law, will have to cover her head while in public, and there is no alcohol allowed &#8211; unless you know a local and have money (so I&#8217;ve been told).<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oX5ZgiAyRug\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>9.  The Saltiest and Lowest Elevation SCUBA Dive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.deadseadivers.com\/\" target=\"_new\">The Dead Sea, Israel<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Although there are bodies of water that are saltier, The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water that is dove on a regular basis and, at 1,385 feet below sea level, it is hard to argue that this would also be the lowest altitude dive available.<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/wp-content\/deadseabeach.jpg' alt='The Dead Sea' \/><\/p>\n<p>The Dead Sea is so salty, a person can float without any effort or buoyancy device.<\/p>\n<p>Diving here has been described like &#8220;diving around diamonds or ice, but the heat and intense weight that you must carry reminds you otherwise.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MHTapsebg54\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the weather here in Southern California being rather cold and rainy lately, I haven&#8217;t been in the water this month &#8211; sorry. However, I have been compiling a list of extreme places to SCUBA dive to help me plan future diving trips; I thought you may be interested in my list thus far. If [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,9,10,11,31],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2476"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/psychosolodiver.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}