The Zen of Diving^™
  

Mikomoto  —  South Izu

Mikomoto's Fukumaru 290
 

Overview

Mikomoto is most well known for its geographical location, Shimoda, and its history of the Black Ships of Commodore Matthew Perry and the opening of Shimoda port in 1854. Now it is a popular destination during the summer for its white sand beaches. The many onsen in the area serve the people from Tokyo and surrounding areas escaping for the weekend. The place has a slower pace than most of the other ports, although the dive service we use runs a tight schedule. Divers who wish to dive Mikomoto must be aware of the sometimes unpredictable and strong currents. Appropriate dive experience and skills are required to book this tour. Minimum dive experience of 50 dives and/or Advanced Open Water certification is a must. Please contact us for checkout dives if you do not meet this requirement.

Click here to view the current Mikomoto dive schedule.

Dive Sites

Ripping currents, schools of tunas, hammerhead sharks, what else could you ask for in a dive site? This is one of the few spots in Izu that you can actually do drift diving due to the swift currents which can change rapidly. We do not visit this spot very often due to the challenging nature of the diving, and also because it is the farthest point on the Izu penninsula and requires long travel times, especially returning to Tokyo. There are some great sandy white beaches on this southern tip and the minshuku in Shimoda are well known for the fresh fish, i.e. sashimi. Most dives to this site are on request by experienced divers with AOW certification and appropriate dive experience of more than 50 dives. Please check with us before booking this dive tour. We use the biggest purpose built dive boat in Shimoda, the Fukumaru 290. It has a big power lift that holds 4 divers. You swim up to the dive platform, step on, grab onto the rails, and the power lift brings you up to deck level. It is also billed as the fastest dive boat in Izu.

Click here to view the dive briefing.

Hammerhead Alley
Level: Expert Entry: Boat Type: Drift in Blue Water Depth: 24 meters	Description: There are a variety of dive sites near Mikomoto, but the most commonly requested site is any site with hammerhead sharks. The boat captain brings the divers in close and drops them in, and it is up to Lady Luck whether the divers will see the elusive sharks or not. Sightings are usually better than 50/50. We have given the nickname Hammerhead Alley to any site in the Mikomoto corridor where we can see these magnificent creatures.	Sealife: Hammerhead sharks (if luck and conditions permit), tuna, skipjack, schools of sardines.

Getting There

Pickup at Izukyu Shimoda station or Mishima station the evening before the dives.

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