You guys are a bad influence

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I saw a recent thread on here about bze, after that I'm not sure about it at all.

I wouldn't worry about that thread, if I were you. :wink:
 
Philippines!!!

Really, you can get here for less than $600 round trip if booked in advance, and the diving is amazing for the price. You can be as cheap as $100(or less) per night including unlimited shore dives, or up to $300 per night NOT including any dives... The range is amazing, but something to fit any budget!
 
If you want to a lot of diving at a very low cost, take a look at the Blackbeard's liveaboard out of Nassau. You get a lot for the price and the sea water will be warm at that time of year. Not the best reefs but you will see lots of sharks and fishlife:
https://allstarliveaboards.com/blackbeards-liveaboard-diving/


And I will also mention one my favorites - the Clearly Cayman resorts. The Cobalt Coast resort on Grand Cayman is the least expensive of the 3 CC resorts and they are offering a summer and fall all-inclusive package for $1320 (but there may be a single supplement charge.)

The price includes 2 boat dives per day, unlimited shore dives on the house reef, accommodations, 3 meals per day, airport transfers, taxes, and hotel service charges - but not dive shop tips. You can add on afternoon boat dives for a fee. See the link below:
Carefree Cayman 7-Nights Dive Package at Cobalt Coast Resort


BTW, I'm always interested in flights between Chicago and Cayman so I looked for available flights in July and August between ORD and GCM and found that you can fly United non-stop in 4 hours from ORD to GCM for $555. There may be cheaper flights with stops - but that's very quick and easy!

upload_2019-5-8_7-50-8.png
 
What a guy! Even found the flight for it.

That's cool. How expensive are the accommodations on Bonaire? Every time Ive looked in the past the flights and everything else put it out of reach
For an inexpensive resort option in a good area, I would consider Hamlet Oasis since you are traveling solo. Dive Friends dive shop on site with a 10% discount on dive package, swimming pool, The Cliff dive site for your house reef. Rates are $750 per week + $52 in taxes. Accomodation Bonaire Apartments: Holiday Rentals, Diving Bonaire Vacation Home

You could go the airBNB route and find things pretty reasonable. Here are just a few that I pulled up quickly:
Kas Jardine - Guest suites for Rent in Kralendijk, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands

Cozy Guestroom 3 minutes stroll from the ocean - Guest suites for Rent in Kralendijk, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands

Tropical Oceanfront 2 | private room - Houses for Rent in Kralendijk, Caribbean Netherlands
(I have stayed in this place a couple years ago)

Dive Resort Beyond The Corals, studio 2 pers. - Aparthotels for Rent in Kralendijk, Caribbean Netherlands
 
Philippines!!!

Really, you can get here for less than $600 round trip if booked in advance, and the diving is amazing for the price. You can be as cheap as $100(or less) per night including unlimited shore dives, or up to $300 per night NOT including any dives... The range is amazing, but something to fit any budget!

You can actually even get 3 dives a day plus lodging for $100 per day as there are places where you can get dives for about $25-30 a tank including nitrox and/or equipment. Lodging and food are really inexpensive. And yes, from where I am in SFO you can often fly direct to Manila for 450-500 USD round trip with most about 650-750 depending on airline. Planning ahead even from O’Hare, you can get really competitive pricing - often times same or less than flying to Caribbean. It’s also good diving though I’m not sure what’s good the time of year the OP stated as I went in April/early May when I went.

As Fresh also mentioned, there are also really fancy and expensive options available, too.
 
Is SE Asia that much better?

If so I'm going to look at options. Been diving about 10 years and it may be time to go there before the coral reefs are degraded even more than now.

Same with Bonaire and T&c. They are on my soon to do list.

Yes, Red Sea, Maldives, Indonesia, Galapagos, ARE that much better.

If you have been diving 10 yrs. in the Caribbean, other Caribbean destinations will be more similar than different from what you have already seen.

If you do not have the time to travel to Asian or Pacific locations, maybe consider Socorro. You will not see colorful coral reefs, but you will see large pelagic life like manta rays, sharks, etc., in a natural non-fed setting.
 
Yes, Red Sea, Maldives, Indonesia, Galapagos, ARE that much better.

If you have been diving 10 yrs. in the Caribbean, other Caribbean destinations will be more similar than different from what you have already seen.

If you do not have the time to travel to Asian or Pacific locations, maybe consider Socorro. You will not see colorful coral reefs, but you will see large pelagic life like manta rays, sharks, etc., in a natural non-fed setting.


I wasn't thinking when I asked that, I know Indonesia, Galapagos, and Maldives are pretty good. I was more thinking of Pi, Thailand, etc when I posted that. Lol

I posted this and now I have the itch to travel even more because some of you made it worse with the information posted. :facepalm::facepalm:

I know not to post the next time I have the itch about going on another trip for the same year though. Lol
 
I wasn't thinking when I asked that, I know Indonesia, Galapagos, and Maldives are pretty good. I was more thinking of Pi, Thailand, etc when I posted that. Lol

I posted this and now I have the itch to travel even more because some of you made it worse with the information posted. :facepalm::facepalm:

I know not to post the next time I have the itch about going on another trip for the same year though.

Thailand is not as good as Red Sea which is not as good as Philippines which is not as good as Indonesia. Well, it could be worse...You could be like one of my buddies and be friends with me. He is in it pretty deep...Well into the 5 digit mark (before decimal) in the last 18 months on trips. :D
 
I wasn't thinking when I asked that, I know Indonesia, Galapagos, and Maldives are pretty good. I was more thinking of Pi, Thailand, etc when I posted that. Lol

I posted this and now I have the itch to travel even more because some of you made it worse with the information posted. :facepalm::facepalm:

I now know not to post the next time I have the itch about going on another trip for the same year though.

I have not been to Philippines or Thailand yet, but reports are the diving there is also way better than Caribbean. Philippines is in my future since I found there are direct flights from NYC to Manila.

My own experience on dive quality in order: Galapagos, Indonesia, Maldives, Red Sea. Caribbean is such a big drop off from there, I don't want to put them in the same sentence. I hear Anilao Philippines macro is right up there with Lembeh Indonesia.
 
I have not been to Philippines or Thailand yet, but reports are the diving there is also way better than Caribbean. Philippines is in my future since I found there are direct flights from NYC to Manila.

My own experience on dive quality in order: Galapagos, Indonesia, Maldives, Red Sea. Caribbean is such a big drop off from there, I don't want to put them in the same sentence. I hear Anilao Philippines macro is right up there with Lembeh Indonesia.
Did you get a chance to see my somewhat recent trip report on Puerto Galera? Can be combined with Anilao.
Trip Report-Philippines-Puerto Galera-El Galleon/Asia Divers-April 1-14, 2019
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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