Best Destination for Solo Diver

[jklassy]

Where is the best destination for a woman diver traveling solo? I wouldn't mind a destination with other outdoor activities (kayaking, fishing, hiking, etc) but the primary focus would be diving. I'm not interested in anything too touristy (no cruise ship dock areas), but want to go somewhere where it's easy to interact with other travelers.

 

[mark G]

take a look at carringtons inn a bed and breakfast on st croix. they are very friendly and there is plenty of great diving. St croix is the least touristy of the three us virgin islands

 

[dogenia]

Try Lions Dive Hotel in Curacao I'd say? Curacao Hotels Lions Dive and Beach Resort

Are live links allowed?

Don

 

[DeputyDan]

Try Lions Dive Hotel in Curacao I'd say? Curacao Hotels Lions Dive and Beach Resort

Are live links allowed?

Don

I believe that live links are generally allowed!

I'm not a moderator so this is not "the final say"!

 

[robint]

Where is the best destination for a woman diver traveling solo? I wouldn't mind a destination with other outdoor activities (kayaking, fishing, hiking, etc) but the primary focus would be diving. I'm not interested in anything too touristy (no cruise ship dock areas), but want to go somewhere where it's easy to interact with other travelers.

that is really easy.... do a liveaboard! You will have no problem getting a dive buddy, people usually dive in groups or with DM, no problem with mealtime issues as everyone eats together, dive eat dive eat dive eat... Some land excursions depending on where you go, too.
Check these out:
Aggressor Fleet | The ultimate in live-aboards since 1984
Nekton Diving Cruises - Comfort, Stability, Worldclass Diving
Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Live-Aboard Diving
Expeditionfleet Scuba Diving Liveaboards- Philippines, Palau and Chuuk
Peter Hughes Diving Inc.

 

[herman]

Bonaire would be another good option. Single divers can usually find buddies fairly easily and I have had good luck on the Bonaire board finding other single divers or groups that would invite me along. Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire!

I would also suggest you refer to yourself as "a diver traveling alone" as opposed to a "solo" diver. Some ops confuse the two and think your asking about diving solo......which by the way is pretty easy to do on Bonaire as well.

 

[dvrliz1]

Herman,

I second that, both as a female diver and a resort owner. We do get a lot of single divers and they have no problem finding a buddy, they either find someone here or at the dive shop of Wannadive.

Liz

 

[Gale68]

I will second the recommendation of a liveaboard dive boat. From day one you and the other guests are together in a little floating oasis, so while it's pot-luck who your fellow travelers are, they're all there, all the time, so it's easy to get acquainted, make new friends, and identify people you'd like to dive with. Resorts offer less interaction with your fellow guests, I think.

Does ScubaBoard offer listings for people who are looking for roommates on dive trips? Like the OP, I'm a woman who sometimes travels alone, and it would be nice to have a resource to find compatible roommates to avoid the "single supplement" cost. Of course there's some risk in this, that you might get stuck with the roommate from hell....

Gale

 

[chachita]

Hear hear! I'm in the same boat...

There is a singles section here on SB, but I think it's geared to singles who would like to meet a romantic partner, not to singles who are just looking for traveling companions. I'm not totally sure of this though.

It would be a lot of fun to have a group of diving girlfriends to do chick diving trips with.

I will second the recommendation of a liveaboard dive boat. From day one you and the other guests are together in a little floating oasis, so while it's pot-luck who your fellow travelers are, they're all there, all the time, so it's easy to get acquainted, make new friends, and identify people you'd like to dive with. Resorts offer less interaction with your fellow guests, I think.

Does ScubaBoard offer listings for people who are looking for roommates on dive trips? Like the OP, I'm a woman who sometimes travels alone, and it would be nice to have a resource to find compatible roommates to avoid the "single supplement" cost. Of course there's some risk in this, that you might get stuck with the roommate from hell....

Gale

 

[jklassy]

I thought of that. I've actually done liveaboards twice before - once in Thailand and once in Palau and had excellent experiences. But this time I was kinda looking for something that would involve a little more beach/relaxation/interaction with local culture, than is typically available with a liveaboard.

Bonaire seems like an interesting option, but I definitely don't want to dive alone and would be worried that everyone is there for shore diving and already has a buddy. Is this not the case?