Best Easy Dive Destination for Buddy with Health Issues

[Rilelen]

CoCoView in Roatan is very accommodating towards divers with special health needs; it's not going to be the Phillipines or Indonesia, but the boats go out twice a day, all the gear is stored in dive lockers and DMs will set it up for her before/after every dive. They go the extra mile for folks who need extra help getting in/out of the water (passing gear up/down), or for shore dives (carrying gear down to the water, meeting divers on exit, etc). They have a nurse in residence during the day, and can arrange medical transit to the hospital if needed; there's a chamber nearby at AKR as well. I used to take my dad there when his health had become not-so-good (Parkinson's) but he still wanted to dive, and they were lovely with him and helping meet those needs and keep diving safely.

 

[therookie]

There are indeed decent (private) medical facilities on Roatan in case of emergencies.

 

[MrBlenny]

CoCoView in Roatan is very accommodating towards divers with special health needs; it's not going to be the Phillipines or Indonesia, but the boats go out twice a day, all the gear is stored in dive lockers and DMs will set it up for her before/after every dive. They go the extra mile for folks who need extra help getting in/out of the water (passing gear up/down), or for shore dives (carrying gear down to the water, meeting divers on exit, etc). They have a nurse in residence during the day, and can arrange medical transit to the hospital if needed; there's a chamber nearby at AKR as well. I used to take my dad there when his health had become not-so-good (Parkinson's) but he still wanted to dive, and they were lovely with him and helping meet those needs and keep diving safely.

Thanks, that is great to know, and it's wonderful that you and your dad could keep diving. Being able to gear up in the water is a real plus for her, especially at a leisurely pace. Everything is great once the dive starts.

 

[MrBlenny]

Thanks again to everyone for chiming in with suggestions and insights. Now I just have to see which locations have the best (shortest) flights available I didn't realize Curacao had good shore diving, so that is a real plus.

 

[lgmontgo]

Thanks again to everyone for chiming in with suggestions and insights. Now I just have to see which locations have the best (shortest) flights available I didn't realize Curacao had good shore diving, so that is a real plus.

Sorry to barge in on your post a couple months later, but I'm curious if you and your buddy decided on a location? I have similar needs due to chronic illness and am looking for some good options. I live in California, so if your profile location is still accurate, we would be dealing with a similar flight situation too.

 

[MrBlenny]

Sorry to barge in on your post a couple months later, but I'm curious if you and your buddy decided on a location? I have similar needs due to chronic illness and am looking for some good options. I live in California, so if your profile location is still accurate, we would be dealing with a similar flight situation too.

No worries, we are all here to share. Ultimately we settled on Buddy Dive in Bonaire as I was able to find cheap flights with only one reasonable layover each way (departing from SEATAC). With Bonaire, it's all about finding the right day of the week for the return flight, as some are downright hideous. We wanted to try Saba, but decided to wait until after hurricane season (never want to go through another...), so maybe next year.

 

[Bookworm11]

Saba might be difficult if there was a medical emergency. I don't know the medical situation, but you may want to keep that in mind. You may want to stick to places like Roatan, Belize (right on Ambergris Cayes, not a smaller caye), Cozumel, etc. Places where there are hospitals and a hyperbaric chamber. Possibly focusing on places where it is boat diving if mobility becomes an issue.