Advice required please - Places to dive in the Caribbean &/or anywhere else

[spestonji]

Hi Folks

have been desperately trying to go diving since Jan this year, but due to issues at work. could not.
Have finally booked time off from Dec 20-Jan 15 2016
Am looking for suggestions for places to dive (single diver) during this time
I'd really really like to see dolphins, sharks, rays (so the big animals) . Am OW certified.
so far i've checked out
Cozumel - budget friendly, but will it be too crowded, and are the reefs still in good shape (heard from friends reefs are in bad shape?)
Belize?
Cost Rica - am a little leery about the visibility. would prefer clear visibility please
Thailand?
Philippines?
South Africa/Mozambique?

any other suggestions please?
cant do liveaboards as I am 53, and apparently snore like an elephant (or so I'm told by my significant other). so if I go on a liveaboard, I may get thrown overboard for making too much noise

budget is approx 4000

any ideas/suggestions would be really helpful

Thanks vm

 

[KathyV]

A lot of people snore and you will be in a private cabin with a door that you can shut on most liveaboards, unless you hope to share a room with another single traveler? There are a few dormitory style liveaboards like Blackbeards where it might cause a problem but the snorers usually just sleep up on deck.

Traveling as a single diver can be expensive (liveaboard or land-based) because many places include a single-supplement which may be as much as an additional 60% on top of the base cost for double occupancy.

Dive Travel Services have posted a special waiving the single supplement on selected dates in November and December at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort (formerly called the Brac Reef Beach Resort) see below, but I don't know if the selected dates include your December dates.

The resort has been closed since August for renovations and set to reopen in Nov/Dec. The resort was very clean and nice before the remodeling, we were there last fall. It is small, diver-dedicated, and all-inclusive resort with very good food and the reefs are excellent. Reef Divers are the onsite dive operation and they do a great job.

I have never been there at that time of year, the hotel may be full but it is a small hotel so I don't think the dive boats will be overly crowded, but I can't say for sure.

You will probably see a few sharks, but you will certainly see lots of groupers, turtles, rays, and morays, and loads of reef fish and corals. Brac is a small sister island to Grand Cayman. I just thought of it because of the single-supplement waiver. Good luck at finding a nice place to go diving!

Welcome to Dive Travel Services
This just in from Brac Reef Resort:
Traveling solo this year? The Brac Reef Beach Resort is waiving all single supplement fees when you travel on selected dates in November and December!

Call Janet at 248-442-2772 to book this promo or email her
at trips@divetravelservices.com for more details.​

 

[BB`]

Cozumel is a great choice.

That is considered "Off season" and many decent hotels can be had for $40 a night with a free breakfast.

The reefs are still the most amazing I have ever seen, locals are nice once they find out you are a diver and not a cruiser, bullsharks have their mating grounds over at playa del carmin (45 minute ferry ride to the mainland), and then there are the c-notes.


This is a video a buddy shot (Macado) at Play del Carmin Jan 3rd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkNvTrnH4C8&app=desktop


If you do wind up going during that time give me a shout out. I will be on Cozumel for part of that time window.

 

[scubadada]

Hi vm,

I don't know how much of your time off you plan on diving or exactly when. New Years and Christmas may make travel and/or lodging more difficult and/or expensive.

Cozumel would work fine,you are unlikely to see many sharks. The lodging options would be advantageous, especially for a single.. For sharks, you might consider Turks & Caicos. Though considered expensive, you can do it spending less. Ports of Call Resort is the least expensive lodging, its across the street from several casual, less expensive restaurants. Caicos Adventures is a good operator and picks you up there. Both places you could dive with a DM, making the buddy problem less of an issue. Not sure you are up to independent diving at this stage anyway. Air fare may not be inexpensive or convenient, don't know where you are located. From Philadelphia, I can get to Cozumel with a stop for about $650, to Providentiales, nonstop for $500.

Good luck, Craig

 

[mattlad564]

I dive in Grenada and love the diving there. Able to go and do wreck dives which are within open water depths and also there are some really nice reef dives too. Not so much on the 'big animals' but there is some great marine life to see.
If you do want to go there I would recommend Eco Dive, which is a great friendly dive centre. They are attached to a great hotel called Coyaba.

Good luck choosing

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

For $4000 I'd go to Bali. Stay in Tulamben, which has some great diving ... and branch out from there to some of the other great dive sites around the island.

There's a company called Aquamarine Diving that can put together a custom trip based on what you want to do and see. I've used them before. They can supply you with a dive guide, transportation, and basically cater a trip to your needs. And Bali, to my concern, is way better diving than anything you can get in the Caribbean.

Second choice would be Roatan (Honduras) ... they do offer dives to see dolphins and sharks there, and the diving's otherwise pretty darn good. Check out Anthony's Key Resort ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[diversteve]

Is the $4K for a week or a longer interval since you have almost a month off?

I think it's about $2500 just for flights from Canada's west coast to South Africa so that seriously limits your options. I haven't priced it but I expect Tanzania would be worse. You'll also take a bigger hit getting to the Philippines but once there things should be cheaper.

Also factor in the cost of boat dives - many islands run around 2/$100 and some don't have shore diving to offset that. And many of the places that do won't have the bigger stuff you want.

You could see the "big 3" on your list on the Big Island, Hawaii probably. Sharks are certainly present on many dives, the Manta Ray Night Dive is one of the top 100 dives in the world on some published lists and there's often spinner dolphins at some of the further south dive sites - my buddy did one dive there with about 500 of them. Plus the Humpbacks will be there at that time - not so much at dive sites but you'll probably hear them singing. Maui to a lesser extent has all 3 also. And you can puddle jump over affordably mid-week.

One advantage to either is that if you can hook up with some local people or other dive tourists you can shore dive there very affordably. A couple of shops - like Maui Dreams Dive Co. - have buddy sign-up lists. I beleive Jack's Diving Locker on Kona does also. Call ahead and get on the list b4 you go. And there's multiple guides on both available but that becomes almost as expensive as boat dives - which aren't cheap either.

Check vrbo.com for condo options on either island. Either in Kihei or south of Kona. There's some studio/1br. condos south of Kona for around $1000/wk. or less.
Of course it's high season in Dec. so you'll be paying a little more for everything - except boat diving as those prices don't change. Book a car before you arrive if wanted - you do on Kona anyway - as that can be substantially higher as a walk-in. And you have to do it about 2 weeks in advance with some companies or the rate is higher by several hundred dollars.



---------- Post added October 19th, 2015 at 07:50 AM ----------

The only shark dive on Roatan is a feed dive and the only dolphin dive is at AKR so maybe not what you're looking for exactly. Both are upwards of $100/dive also - even if staying at AKR. You will see a lot of rays, some grouper, turtles etc. Also the least expensive AKR room prices at $1300 Double occupancy and there's a Single Supplement. They have a BOGO also if your SO wants to go. AKR has enough other activities so they won't be bored if a non-diver and the West End or West Bay and other tourist attractions are a few minute cab ride - I believe AKR also organizes a shuttle for some of them. It is pretty isolated from anything else nearby though - the property is gated/secured and the Key is accessible only by boat. The bulk of the resort being on the shore side.

If Roatan has any appeal, look into something in the West End instead. It's probably substantially cheaper. You can get a decent 1br apt. with a small kitchen for around $50-60/nt. Older but generally clean and bug-free. Dives there are pretty much all boat dives at 10/$350 so that's a pretty good deal. There's a couple of small food stores, a lot of restaurants at all price ranges and you won't need a car - everything is walkable since the whole area is less than a mile long. Two miles away is West Bay, more restaurants/resorts and a nicer beach. The water taxi goes between them all day. Your fixed transport cost is $25 from the Airport.

Although we dove with/liked them also - Coconut Tree has a West End info page on their site. Roatán, West End | Scuba Diving | Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras | PADI There's also at least a dozen other operators in the same area.

 

[Yoyodyne-88]

Offshore lodges in Belize, on the barrier reef.

 

[Shugrnutz]

You can dive in multiple locations around Cuba for what you have budgeted.

 

[Cali_diver]

If you want to see big stuff, sharks, dolphins, mantas, and possibly humpbacks... I would go to the Socorros.. Boats will probably be full but you can check it out.
https://www.nautilusbookings.com/index.php?year=all&showall=1
Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard - Socorro Islands Schedule - Rates
Solmar V Diving Schedule and Prices 2015

They are all obviously liveaboards but life is short and you only have so much time to dive....