Question ISO “Best” All-Inclusive Dive Resort Options in the Caribbean

[scubadada]

@ScubaJoy65 I know that you asked specifically about all inclusives, but what about a spot that includes your diving, breakfast & lunch, but not dinner or bar tab?

A few years ago, I went to a resort on Grand Turk called Bohio. It is run by a couple of Canadian expats named Tom and Ginny. A typical day goes something like this:

Get up & grab breakfast
Get ready for the 1st dive (including putting on your wetsuit)
Get on the boat for the (typically 5-10 minute) transit to the dive site
Do the 1st dive
After the dive, head back to Bohio for your surface interval and to place your lunch order
Get back on the boat for the (again, 5-10 minute) transit to the 2nd dive site
Do 2nd dive
After the dive, back to Bohio. Say "Hi" as you pass the restaurant. Grab a quick shower & head back for lunch. They will be bringing it out about the same time you are sitting down.
After lunch, your time is your own to nap, lounge around the pool, hop on a paddle board, whatever.
Dinner (note that dinner is not included in the price and is "a la carte")

The diving is typical of TCI, shallow (40-60ft) sand flats leading to a wall dropping of into the abyss. We saw lots of turtles and a couple sharks. (Grand Turk did not seem nearly as "Sharky" as Provo.)
I would go back to Bohio in a heartbeat! One last thing to note is that it is a fairly small resort and the owners will get to know you by name. Don't be surprised if after a couple days they greet you by name and with a hug.

Turks and Caicos

So I'll be down in Provo over Xmas with my son. I'm trying to decide between Dive Provo and Aqua TCI. Both seem to have reasonable reviews, though I am staying much closer to Dive Provo. Any reason to not just do Dive Provo? We are both AOW, just looking for some chill diving. Book with...

scubaboard.com

 

[Hoag]

Turks and Caicos

So I'll be down in Provo over Xmas with my son. I'm trying to decide between Dive Provo and Aqua TCI. Both seem to have reasonable reviews, though I am staying much closer to Dive Provo. Any reason to not just do Dive Provo? We are both AOW, just looking for some chill diving. Book with...

scubaboard.com

Thanks for the update. I hadn't seen the other thread. That is too bad, Bohio was a lot of fun.

 

[Altamira]

I’ve always been intrigued with Bonaire, but shore diving is hard on me because I’ve had my left foot rebuilt, which inhibits my range of motion and ability to bear the weight of my gear without paying for it later. So, I’m glad to know there’s an opportunity to do both shore and boat dives there.

I can do a shore dive if I have help or take each piece of gear down to / back from the shoreline piece by piece.

Re: luxury - I’m not a luxury kinda girl. If I'm following a eat-dive-eat-dive-rest-dive routine... I can guarantee you I'm not really thinking about the resort or accommodations. I'm probably thinking about my next dive, stories to tell about it, and how my photos turned out. ;-)

After reading the part of your post about difficulties with shore dives, I don't think Bonaire is your best bet. I have not been to Bonaire in twelve years, not that I did not love the diving there, but found many of the shore dive entries/exits to be pretty challenging for folks with foot/knee issues. My wife and I viewed many Bonaire shore dives as joint injuries waiting to happen. I would give strong consideration to Curacao for the best combination of boat and shore dives for divers with mobility issues, as well as numerous AIs, if that is what you are looking for. As a guy with multiple joint replacements, I had no problems with Curacao shore dives, and second the Dive Bus as a great shore dive op. Ocean Encounters runs excellent boat dives as well.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

After reading the part of your post about difficulties with shore dives, I don't think Bonaire is your best bet. I have not been to Bonaire in twelve years, not that I did not love the diving there, but found many of the shore dive entries/exits to be pretty challenging for folks with foot/knee issues. My wife and I viewed many Bonaire shore dives as joint injuries waiting to happen. I would give strong consideration to Curacao for the best combination of boat and shore dives for divers with mobility issues, as well as numerous AIs, if that is what you are looking for. As a guy with multiple joint replacements, I had no problems with Curacao shore dives, and second the Dive Bus as a great shore dive op. Ocean Encounters runs excellent boat dives as well.

I've been looking at Curacao and it appears there are some great options to consider. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

Turks and Caicos

So I'll be down in Provo over Xmas with my son. I'm trying to decide between Dive Provo and Aqua TCI. Both seem to have reasonable reviews, though I am staying much closer to Dive Provo. Any reason to not just do Dive Provo? We are both AOW, just looking for some chill diving. Book with...

scubaboard.com

Bohio sounds great. I'll be sure to check it out. Thank you for the recommendation.

 

[Hoag]

Bohio sounds great. I'll be sure to check it out. Thank you for the recommendation.

I loved Bohio, but unfortunately, it appears to be closed for renovations. No word on their re-opening plans.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

I loved Bohio, but unfortunately, it appears to be closed for renovations. No word on their re-opening plans.

Bummer

 

[mcohen1021]

We currently have a trip on hold for Roatan, but keep getting mixed reviews from a variety of sources. So we’re seeking input to see what other options are out there to consider.

Nothing wrong with Anthony's key for land based, but you'd love the Aggressor.

Cozumel has a number of A.I. resorts. I have not stayed at them. I think Secrets Aura Cozumel is adults only. I don't know what their dive op. is, if they have one, but in Cozumel some divers choose to dive with an off-site op., even if the resort they stay at has one.

Secrets Aura in Cozumel is good.

Secrets and good do not belong in the same sentence, but you shoudnt do AI on Cozumel, or anywhere else where you can help it. Especially during a pandemic.

There are places like Anthony's Key in Roatan that are similar, but the quality of the diving is not close to Little Cayman IMO

Luck of the draw. One trip to Roatan, I saw a lot, another trip I did not.

But they had "strange to us" rules that would have the dive end for the entire group is one diver bailed out.

Yes, Sandals has weird rules.

Belize, but did a day trip to Turneffe from San Pedro once and it was very good diving out there.

AGREE

For me, a liveaboard is the all-inclusive of choice.

YES!!!

I can put my gear in a bag outside my door, set it up once on a boat, and I don’t have to think about it again for a week other than to inspect it before each dive. I don’t have to schlep tanks around, I don’t have to rinse gear every day. I can have a cold drink and snacks in a cooler waiting for me at the end of a dive.

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My 02 cents:

1. Socorro - yes liveaboard, but it is incredible, I can not state that enough!!!

2. Red Sea Aggressor - Brothers Itinerary - spectacular diving

3. For a super cheap trip, get down to Cozumel, book at Casa Del Mar and dive with Underwater Cozumel.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

Nothing wrong with Anthony's key for land based, but you'd love the Aggressor.




Secrets and good do not belong in the same sentence, but you shoudnt do AI on Cozumel, or anywhere else where you can help it. Especially during a pandemic.



Luck of the draw. One trip to Roatan, I saw a lot, another trip I did not.



Yes, Sandals has weird rules.



AGREE


YES!!!





--------------

My 02 cents:

1. Socorro - yes liveaboard, but it is incredible, I can not state that enough!!!

2. Red Sea Aggressor - Brothers Itinerary - spectacular diving

3. For a super cheap trip, get down to Cozumel, book at Casa Del Mar and dive with Underwater Cozumel.

Cool - thank you for taking the time to share insights with me

 

[WarmWaterGal]

Yes, we LOVED Little Cayman and want to go back one day. But for now, we'd like to explore some other places. Interestingly, our April reservation is at AKR in Roatan. While I've read mixed reviews, part of me will always wonder if we don't try it. Ha!

Dove AKR in March 2022. Great staff and dive op…very quiet at resort due to layout. I got DCI after day 2 of diving - freak occurrence as dive profile fine (I am a DM). On site deco chamber and great medical staff. Oh by the way always dive with DAN accident insurance.