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In the Caribbean, Roatan ticks all your boxes, particularly towards the northwest end of island.

I dove with Bananarama on Roatan last year, and all dives were from panga boats with less than 10 minutes run to the dive site. Roatan has done an extremely good job of reef stewardship IMO and the dive operators police reef etiquette from divers and snorkelers alike (which I am a HUGE fan of), so there is a lot of sea life (the place is LOUSY with turtles :) ). Dives are $40 a tank, but they offer a lot of different discounted packages for multiple dives. I stayed at Caribe Tesoro, a boutique hotel a 10 minute walk down the beach from Bananarama, and had a LOVELY long weekend.

In the same geographic area, I've heard Utila is fantastic for young budget 'backpacking style' divers (but do not have first hand knowledge).
 
Pass on Aruba for diving. Go to Aruba for the beaches, casinos and other touristy stuff.

I have been to Bonaire and Curacao multiple times and recommend either. Was in Bonaire just 2 weeks ago. Bonaire truly is the Diver's Island while Curacao is more of a blend of diving and typical touristy stuff. Curacao is much more European vs. Bonaire. Shore diving is excellent on both islands. More shore diving choices in Bonaire. Both great for beginners. Reasonable dive prices compared to most other Caribbean islands that I have visited. Reefs and animal life is good on either island.

Learned from another thread that Bonaire diving package is really cheap..$175 per week unlimited diving. However I found room and board are quite expensive.. Adds up to about $1000 per week. Is that right? So my theory that diving cost is proportional to living cost doesn't work here.......
 
@Trailboss123 can confirm this for you as he was recently there...

Puerto Galera! Asia Divers is great. They have a pier and all you do is get on the boat with your computer and mask. They take care of all the rest. The Philippines is just a notch below Indonesia in my experience. Asia Divers has the only pier in that bay and all the dive sites are a short boat ride away, within 5-10 minutes max. They come back between dives so if you're tired or need to rest, you can do that. The water is warm and its within the coral triangle.... :) There is enough here to keep an experienced diver entertained and there are macro and wide angle opportunities.

Easy to get to - fly to Manila and arrange for a pick up with them all the way to their pier.

It is extremely affordable - cheaper than the Caribbean, even including the flight costs for us.
 
Bonaire's accommodation costs are on par with any other Caribbean island. Lots of choices on Bonaire. You pay more for being on the ocean. If you want to go on the cheap pick a smaller hotel/condo with island views only and you are still only a 5-10 minute walk to the water and dive shop.
 
Learned from another thread that Bonaire diving package is really cheap..$175 per week unlimited diving. However I found room and board are quite expensive.. Adds up to about $1000 per week. Is that right? So my theory that diving cost is proportional to living cost doesn't work here.......
You mentioned in the first post that you were looking for affordable. It might help to know what kind of budget you have in mind. How much would you want to spend on the high end for accommodations and diving for a week (per person)? And, will you be solo or with another person?
I see you are in California- what is your primary airport? Is diving the main interest or are you also looking for topside stuff. This info will help us make better suggestions.
 
You mentioned in the first post that you were looking for affordable. It might help to know what kind of budget you have in mind. How much would you want to spend on the high end for accommodations and diving for a week (per person)? And, will you be solo or with another person?
I see you are in California- what is your primary airport? Is diving the main interest or are you also looking for topside stuff. This info will help us make better suggestions.

I am from SFO. Will be with my wife. Try to stay under $3K per week for 2 of us. And try to avoid multi stop flights.
 
Bonaire is easily doable for $3K per week (without flights). There are lots of Stay, Dive and Drive packages available for well under that price point. With flights, you are looking at $750 to $850 round trip most of the time from the West Coast. United is best option for flights. Departures are on Saturday only through Houston and returns are Sundays only back through Houston. There are also a lot of Air BNB and VRBO options on Bonaire that can make things even more affordable. If you go that route, then you'd rent your own truck and get a dive package from any number of reputable shops. Lots of us here can make recommendations for any of the above. As you know already, unlimited tanks for diving run between $175 to $200 per week. There is a $45 marine park fee (good for the year), must be paid for in cash only. Truck rentals are in the $300-$400 a week range. Air BNB for $45 to $100 a night. If you go with a resort and package deal, which may include breakfast, they can run anywhere from $800 per person and up for the week. Depending on time of year and size of accommodation. Just as an example, Den Laman Condominiums (right on the water) offers a studio condo, unlimited tanks, a rental truck from Avis and breakfast for $907 per person. Value Season in Bonaire is mid April to mid December. High Season is all other times and bumps that price up another $70 per person (not a huge hike).
Rates & Packages - Den Laman

Philippines is also doable at your price point. Although, I wouldn't go that far for less than 10 days or so (personally). Here is a link to my recent trip report. Keep in mind that my package was for 11 nights and 10 days of diving. So, do the math and deduct accordingly for a 1 week stay. Again, just an example, it could certainly be done for less, but I was extremely happy, as you will see.
Trip Report-Philippines-Puerto Galera-El Galleon/Asia Divers-April 1-14, 2019

As for Cozumel, if you only snorkeled there, then you didn't really see what it is all about. It is some of the best diving the Caribbean has to offer and can be done easily on your budget.
 
Just got my OW certificate in Tulamben

Well it's all downhill from there then :rofl3:

Just back from Tulamben a couple of weeks ago and it was so nice to have 20m vis compared to my local 2-5m vis.

My local diving off the east coast of UAE can vary between USD55 to USD96 for two boat dives depending on the dive op and own gear and tanks supplied. A Nitrox fill in Dubai costs almost USD7.

Cheapest place I ever dived was on the Saudi side of the Red Sea back in the 80s and 90s, USD1 for an air fill and whatever and approx USD0.18 for a liter of fuel and basically the whole coastline was diveable with some restrictions around military places and cities.

However, the Red Sea is available through Egypt or Jordan with some great diving if you want to leave the US, or go back to SE Asia.

Personally I'm a fan of Indonesia and Philippines for specific marine life reasons, but you can't go wrong with @outofofficebrb and @Trailboss123 recommendations for Asia Divers at Puerto Galera as I've done several trips to PG and highly recommend them.

Enjoy your new life as a diver.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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