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Hey @DawnatLLS
These are very dfferent trips with their own specialties/objectives, here’s some more background that hopefully helps you decide, don’t hesitate if you have more questions:
South West Rocks is kind of unique as a destination. One of the few places where you can encounter grey nurse sharks up close, and this requires no baiting. To be honest, the sand-tiger sharks you get in the North Carolina’s wrecks look the same (but genetically different). SWR’s drawcard is its 120m long swim through cave though, photogenic and quite an experience to go through. It also has the largest wobbegong sharks in the world (quite a few of these), large stingrays, schooling fish… If you haven’t, read my love letter to SWR here. One issue with SWR is the unpredictable weather. October is normally quite good, but weather patterns are changing and there’s a very small risk that one of our 4-days trip could get cancelled due to an “east-coast-low” (mini temperate cyclone). There’s a slightly higher risk that 1, maybe 2 days out of 4 get cancelled (the operator would then refund the diving portion of these, and we’d look for fun things to do around town that day).
For anyone coming from the US/Europe this would be a big trip, and I would recommend to plan it as an Australian vacation rather than just the 4-days workshop. Happy to give recommendations of other places to visit/dive (feel free to create another thread for that). One option to consider is to book the both 4 days workshops (they’re lined up with different moon cycles so expect different experiences), and tour Australia in between (SWR is 5h drive from either Sydney or Brisbane, both having major airports). Then, if 1 gets cancelled you have the other one. Cost wise, I am expecting to land around AUD1550-1600 for 4-days (including 2 dives/day, free nitrox, accomodation), waiting on the accomodation to confirm their cost. There will be an option for a 3rd dive per day (+AUD60) but it’s weather dependent, and it’s easy to get tired over the first 2 dives (current, possibly bumpy sea).
The Dauin Workshop is very different: tropical, warmer water, resort-based, relaxed, many more dives with typical south-east asian service (people carry your tanks, etc). Dauin will be geared more towards macro, even though nearby Apo reef is good wide-angle material, and there’s a wide-angle category in the context. We’ve themed the Dauin workshop around the competition, so I’ll focus my talks about ways to stand out in competitions.
In Dauin the package includes all meals, in SWR meals aren’t included, we’ll typically go to a pub in town together.
Dauin is one of the very best macro destinations in the world, SWR is off the beaten track.
Dauin is more predictable, relaxed (even though the excitement will increase during competition days!), and with a bigger focus on macro (lots of cool subjects for your EMWL too), whereas SWR is definitely Wide-angle big animals/scenery focused (even though @MattD will take great fish portraits there), but more weather dependent: we may have a glorious 20m/60ft viz days with sharks everywhere one day, and 5m/15ft viz the following day (time to practice those slow shutter speed techniques!).
In Dauin there will be at least a talk per day + office hours (except June 27-28th when I’m judging, but I’ll have backup for office-hours). In SWR I’ll run a webinar for participants prior to the workshop, then on-location do office-hours only (grab me anytime) as facilities are more basic – then an image review webinar a couple of week after, with participants.
In Dauin we’ll be up to 14, in SWR up to 8.
In Dauin we’ll have 1 guide per 2 divers, in SWR one guide per 4 divers (buddy pairs who know the site well might dive self-guided, to be discussed on the day with dive crew, based on conditions).
In Dauin, expcet a highly productive dive trip, from a photographic standpoint. In SWR, expect to be surprised…
I hope that helps 🙂