Best diving in the area?

Hey All,
I'm planning a 3-month trip to South Africa, Namibia, and Tanzania and really wanted to get some good diving in. I have dived in Sipadan, the Maldives, and Komodo in Indonesia, and the Blue Hole in Belize. What I mean to say is I've done some of the best diving in the world and don't want to settle for something that is just OK. Has anyone done diving at any or all of the following?

Madagascar, Mozambique, Zanzibar?

I'd like to cut one out of the itinerary so I have more time and feel less rushed during my three months in the region. Would love some advice on where the best of the best is. Thanks!

There is fresh water cave diving in south west of madagascar...pretty insane. Look up Madagascar underground....they will give you some more infos...

There is fresh water cave diving in south west of madagascar...pretty insane. Look up Madagascar underground....they will give you some more infos...

Have you done it? What did you see?

I spoke to some people that dived off of Ile St Marie in Madagascar and they were not impressed. I snorkelled in a few spots off of the east coast such as Ile St Marie, Ile Aux Nattes and Tampolo Marine Reserve and they were not great to be honest. I'm not sure what the west/ south coasts are like, but if you have dived Sipadan/Komodo I don't think you will find anything too impressive.

Much appreciated. It's hard not to be a diving snob after doing some of the best in the world! I've heard Zanzibar is great though so I might opt for that instead.

you want some of the best diving in the world then come to my home town of Santa Barbara off of the Channel islands and then you can relax with the rest of us snobs in Santa Barbara. Santa Cruz Island
Anacapa Island
Santa Rosa Island
San Miguel Island
San Nicolas Island

you want some of the best diving in the world then come to my home town of Santa Barbara off of the Channel islands and then you can relax with the rest of us snobs in Santa Barbara. Santa Cruz Island
Anacapa Island
Santa Rosa Island
San Miguel Island
San Nicolas Island

I went to school at UCSB. Good diving. Frigid water. Completely off topic! Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Isle Vista and good diving is never off subject. So you know my neighborhood of Montecito home of Opray and kardashians douglas family and a hundred other snobby movie stars.
Madagascar and diving is way cool and just do it so you can put another notch on your tank.
I have relatives who dive for a living and you are just doing it for fun. getting in deep into diving I can put you in touch with my brother law who takes a pirogue of the waters of Madagascar where no white man( or girl ) goes.

send private message if you are ready

Bemytravelmuse I also recommend that you look for Madagascar Underground on Facebook. The owners of this place until recently ran an excellent diving centre in the south west of Madagascar and they can advise you on cave diving and other exciting things.

The east coast of Madagascar is not for diving. The west coast, in the warm clear coral-fringed waters of the Mozambique Channel, are where you need to go. Plenty of sites along the west coast from Anakao in the south all the way north to Nosy Be. You could also ask for info from the NGO Blue Ventures, which is based in Andavadoaka on the west coast, they run a reef and marine protected area program and have been instrumental in the very recent declaration of the Barren Isles as Madagascar's newest (and biggest, marine or terrestrial) protected area, declared by the President of Madagascar just a few weeks ago at the International Parks Congress in Australia.

I dived a fair bit off Nosy Be, some great diving to be had off there. Several well run dive operations too. Nosy Tanikeli just off nosy Be is a marine reserve and worth the fee for a dive there. I've also dived many of the other places you mention and I still feel this is pretty good, especially if you see the manta rays etc. I've not dived Zanzibar or Mozambique so cant compare Mada to them. As said by others the east coast isn't as good.