12/22/2017
Best Dive Places to Spend New Year's Evewith Funcreed
New Year's Eve is the world's biggest party that travels from time zone to time zone — pretty much everyone and every place parties this night. Casting about for a memorable way to celebrate New Year's Eve with a bang — and a dive or two?
The Place: Sydney, Australia
The Party Vibe: Sydney is the first major city to usher in the New Year. It's warm (seasons are reversed Down Under), you can bring your own alcohol, and a magical fireworks show lights up the sky over Harbour Bridge and the famed Sydney Opera House. Before the midnight boom and blast show, there are also aerial displays and a Harbour of Light parade that features 55 illuminated vessels. And the party goes on until dawn.
The Diving: If you thought Aussie diving was confined to the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland and big animal encounters off Western Australia, consider this: At Fish Rock Cave, along the northern coast of New South Wales, divers have the chance to encounter humpback whales, and turtles and sharks congregate off Lord Howe Island's Balls Pyramid. Leopard sharks are among the pelagic visitors to Julian Rocks Marine Park, near Byron Bay. All you need to celebrate in Oz is your mate and your favorite Australian lager.
The Place: Cozumel, Mexico
The Party Vibe: Live bands on the town plaza in San Miguel. Margaritas served in huge glasses. Traditional food like romeritos with shrimp and red mole sauce. It's a Sunday tradition in Coz for locals to gather in the plaza for live music, food and fun, but it turns into a raucous party on New Year's Eve.
The Diving: It's easy to get the party started underwater, too. The protected west coast of Coz has dozens of dive sites, each one packed with marine life, punctuated by dramatic coral formations and drenched in vibrant color. There are two easily accessible main reef systems, Colombia and Palancar, that start as plateaus in less than 30 feet of water and then drop off into the abyss.
The Place: Fiji
The Party Vibe: Fire dancers, Samoan drummers, hula girls and yummy tropical drinks served in a festive atmosphere. This South Pacific paradise offers New Year's Eve parties throughout the islands, and most feature pool or beach parties, light shows and entertainment. Some of the parties at the resorts and on live-aboard vessels are weeklong extravaganzas.
The Diving: Brilliant soft corals may be Fiji's signature dive attraction, but there's much more to the underwater story here. With more than 320 islands, divers never run out of options. The largest island of Viti Levu offers easy access to the widest range of sites, including the world-famous Beqa Lagoon and the high-octane shark encounters off Pacific Harbour, and has the most extensive diving infrastructure.
The Place: Jost Van D**e, British Virgin Islands
The Party Vibe: The beach is the island's main street. A two-day party at one of the most famous places in the Caribbean, Foxy's. It's OK to sleep on the beach. And with BVI drinks such as the Pain Killer or Bushwacker, you're sure to remember this New Year's Eve party - or not.
The Diving: Playtime continues underwater off JVD at Pirate's Purchase, The Matrix and Rainbow Reef. The wreck of the Rhone off Salt Island is a must-dive for wreck lovers.
The Place: Key West, Florida Keys
The Party Vibe: A conch shell lowered from Sloppy Joe's Bar like the dropping of the ball in Times Square in New York City. Plus, spectacular fireworks over the Atlantic.
The Diving: Historic Key West is at the western end of the Keys and is protected from the harsh north and northeastern winds, which allows marine species to thrive. But the the 523-foot USS Vandenberg is also here. A former military troop transport that was converted to a missile-tracking ship, its massive radar dishes are one of the highlights of this dive.
Pick one and go for the new adventure!
Happy Christmas, diver community!
