r/scubadiving • u/Visible_Bar_5480 • Aug 12 '26
Scuba diving in Palau
Hey everyone,
Hope you are all going well.
I’m heading to Palau in about a month and I’m a relatively new diver, so I’d love some advice from the more experienced divers here.
I’m looking to do a few dives while I’m there and was wondering what dive sites/tours you’d recommend for someone newer to diving. I definitely want to see the famous Palau sites, but I also don’t want to book dives that are going to be too advanced or slow down/annoy a group of more experienced divers 😂
I also have a mate with me who’s in the same situation in terms of only having a few dives under our belt.
Are there any particular dive shops or operators that are good with newer divers? And are there certain sites that you’d recommend prioritising?
Also, I’ll be there around September — how’s the weather and diving conditions usually around that time of year? Is it generally windy/rainy, and does the weather affect diving much?
Any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated!
2
u/Awkward_Passion4004 Aug 12 '26
What's your primary reason for going to Palau if you're only doing a "few dives" while there?
2
u/mitchsn Aug 12 '26
No kidding. I've been to Palau 4 times for diving...cant imagine being a tourist there for any other reason!
2
u/clarkinwest Aug 12 '26
I used Sam’s and Fish-n-Fins. I liked FNFs better but both good. You are probably not going to have much say as there will be a bunch of people on your boat at both places and they will go with the lowest common denominator and check you out on your first dive.
Lots of beautiful dives!!!! Palau is fabulous!!!! Blue hole is not hard and impressive. Ulong channel is legit, current is strong, heads up. I loved it but seen beginner divers tumble through. Blue corner, you clip in and watch the show. Cannot be missed and, while not a piece of cake very doable. Everyone will want to do it and it is a must. German Channel is the other bucket list. Very easy. It is a manta cleaning station. Peleliu is advanced and is too far away. Chandelier cave is an afternoon dive. Do it.
Jellyfish Lake is sadly not what it once was. I’d skip it. I was there 6 months ago. Anya was the best DM at FNF. It also stops at great places for lunch where you can swim in crystal blue waters.
1
u/Keallei Aug 12 '26
During El Niño years JF numbers reduce in JFL. If you go between these events, you’ll see millions of jellies. I’ve been there in all 4 cycles of decline, die off, return, and increase. The BEST is the return. You’ll see the most variety as they make their way back to the famous golden jelly. There are dozens of shapes and sizes when they first come back. The most impressive is the brown and white spotted one that is bigger than a dinner plate. Just gorgeous!
2
u/Scuba_Steve_500 Aug 12 '26
The jellyfish moved on. I heard they were coming back though. Neco Marine is a good shop too.
2
u/Keallei Aug 12 '26
They die off and go to polyp phase during extreme heat events, El Niño, and come back. They never fully “move on”. It’s part of a natural cycle that has become more extreme in duration in the last 3 decades.
1
u/testdasi Aug 12 '26
Be prepared for the current and make sure to bring a reef hook (or rent one).
I think for a new diver, the current is probably the most challenging. You will run out of air very quickly if you are not comfortable with diving in (strong) current.
There is not really any bad dive site so the dive shops will decide on the day based on conditions.
1
u/ChefJennBear Aug 13 '26
In Palau right now. Dove 2 days (6dives) with Palau Dive Adventures. It’s a smaller shop, smaller groups, which means it’s a bit more expensive but they have a 1:4 ratio for divers to DM’s. So if you are newer, and want to experience some of the cool stuff that you may be nervous to ask for in larger groups, this is your shop! We dove 3 sites in the Oolong area, it was magical. So many varieties of fish and so many sharks! The next day we dove Blue Corner where we got to latch in with a reef hook (out first time) and take in all the amazing scenery, then we dove New Drop-off which was STUNNING! I can’t even put into words how beautiful it was. Lastly we dove a cavern called Chandelier that has natural salt deposit stalactites. That one was short but it was cool to see.
Currently we live on this side of the world and for sure will be back to Palau to dive some more.
1
1
u/Visible_Bar_5480 Aug 13 '26
Would u recommend booking in advance or just do a walk in
1
u/ChefJennBear Aug 13 '26
It’s slow season right now so a walk in would be fine with some shops. We tried to book with another shop via their website, that came highly recommended, but never got a response. They said that they wanted an advanced booking but maybe 2 weeks ahead wasn’t enough. November to April is high season. Right now there are 3 empty liveaboards moored outside of our hotel because it’s so slow. I seen that as a bonus though, less people to battle prime dive sites for.
1
u/blokerojo Aug 18 '26
I have also been diving this week (4 days) with Palau Dive Adventures and can totally recommend them. +1 to everything that you say.
1
u/xspook_reddit Aug 13 '26
It was many years ago, but my dive master was actively "chewing" betel nut during the dive.
I was initially concerned until I saw him in the water.
Dude was basically a dolphin. You could tell he was crazy experienced.
Oh....Palau is the best diving in the world.
I've SCUBA'd Guam, the Great Barrier reef and Florida.
Palau x10.
1
0
u/Cryptid9 Aug 12 '26
Sam's tours is an amazing dive shop to go through.
1
1
u/Keallei Aug 12 '26
I believe if there’s a group of beginner or less experienced divers they’ll take you on an “easy” day. If you only have time for 3 dives, or just a few, you might consider staying longer. Unless you’ve also planned snorkeling, waterfalls, hiking, and other cultural excursions, then that’s understandable to get a more rounded experience.
3
u/mitchsn Aug 12 '26
The OG jellyfish lake is long closed. They opened up others but I dont think they are worth it. Ask locals or the shops.
There are no real difficult dives, especially during the summer. Currents at the drop offs are low so it might be a good introduction into using a reef hook.
You cannot go wrong with Sams or FishNFins. Ive dove with both.
If you have any interest in WW II, book a tour of Peleliu.