Best Caribbean Scuba Vacations

[RICHinNC]

Check your PMs.

 

[theduckguru]

Always looking for unique locations, but after checking transportation to Saba air or ferry is rather expensive. The airport doesn't support GA aircraft with it's 1200 ft strip. Too bad.

For my money, best diving in the Caribbean is either Saba or Turks & Caicos. But (not trying to be rude here), if you are new to diving, everything is going to look pretty cool at first, so no need to hijack your trips for diving just yet (that comes later...).

For example, in Saba, there really is very little else to do other than dive. Same might be said of Bonaire. Turks and Cayman are more balanced (and have superb diving), but they are pricey. Some more out of the way places are great to visit, but you may not like the idea of catching small airlines in the Caribbean to get there.

Whether you like cruises or not is really a personal thing. I have done exactly that Carnival cruise that you mentioned - it was a lot of fun, and I did get some decent diving in (PM me if you want details), but you actually see very little of the Caribbean but you see a lot of the cruise ship you are on. I prefer to pick a spot and do it properly from a land base. But my family like cruises so I do them. They also usually work out much cheaper.

Where do I take my Caribbean vacations (being a person who has lived his whole life in the Caribbean)? St John, USVI. Love it over there. Diving is good but not great; rest of the island is lots of fun too.

 

[Johnmpcny]

1. make a listing of airlines and flights to locations you can get to easy and less costly. I do my list so I have a clue on how I can get there with only 1 or 2 stops and not add extra dead days. As I am in Syracuse NY that is not easy. I can add 2-4 times the cost in picking the wrong day to leave or location. Use any travel site with flexible days in the search. U

2. use hotwire to check flights and priceline. First go and read all the FAQ's on BiddingForTravel.com - The informed Priceline Travel Bidding Forum is the #1 way to cut your costs and what others have paid for air- hotel and rental's.

3. Next ask about some of the locations for diving here. Narrow your choice based on where you want to go, see and dive.

4. Look for all inclusive dive/eat/stay deals here on Scubaboard. I find many trips are high priced seems like to pay for leaders to get to go on your dime. Others are great deals. Cross check here for deals and then add diving All Inclusive Vacations, Resorts, and Packages | Cheap Caribbean

5. Take a look at condo/villa's and look for a local dive master on Scubaboard. You get some great contacts here and many will help you find apartments/condo's. You can find to be your private divemaster, more money but very cool. I do not like big boats with 20+ divers I look for groups of 8 or less + DM.

6. If you get a condo you do not need eat out 3 meals a day and can cut way down on food costs. Also you get more room and privacy most times.

7. Some dive locations offer shore diving you can get more dives for less money than boat dives.

8. Look for off season deals On rooms and dive trips. Call up book in advance and tell them you want o dive for 3-5 days of 2 tank dives and ask for discount.

9. Bring your own gear you have a better experience and save money as you dive more.

10. ask lots of questions here you get locals and people who have been there. I tip well to the local group I hire and treat them with respect.

11. I picked this up from our friends when asking for local recommendations from people you meet on the trip has never failed us. Ask where if you were taking your "best date" would you go for the best -view, dinner, sunset, beach, drink, or local experience.

Last trip was to Tobago for 10 days at condo on the beach and 10 dives. This year Curaceo for 10 more days and villa. Airfare paid for by Amex points and villa same way. Good luck.

 

[Rhone Man]

Always looking for unique locations, but after checking transportation to Saba air or ferry is rather expensive. The airport doesn't support GA aircraft with it's 1200 ft strip. Too bad.

Best way to do Saba is on the liveaboard (I think it is the Aggressor) which comes out of St Kitts / St Martin alternately.

 

[Mike]

if you are new to diving, everything is going to look pretty cool at first, so no need to hijack your trips for diving just yet (that comes later...).

I agree. If you're just getting certified, it doesn't matter where you go, if you see some fish, some coral and maybe a moray or nurse shark or two you'll be peeing you pants with excitement. Going to one of the best places for diving like - Roatan, Belize, Bonaire, Little Cayman, Cozumel etc... because you want the best place for diving is really not going to be your best reason to go, frankly you'll miss 90% of why their the best at this point.

Just go to Cozumel for your first trip, not because it's one of the best places to go, which it happens to fall into, but because it's easy and you'll just about be guaranteed a great 'dive' vacation even if you don't have any idea what that really is at this time.

On Cozumel, there basically are no bad dive spots, really hard to stumble upon a terrible dive op, enough to do above water there also. Relatively easy and inexpensive to get to, very tourist friendly and relatively inexpensive to dive and stay and the diving is very easy. You'll get your feet wet, have a great time above and below water and have some perspective for choosing the 'best' dive place in the Caribbean after that, and will have gotten over all the 'issues' that must be overcome for new divers on their first dive trip.

 

[falcon125]

Cozumel.
Cheap flights
Cheap hotels, All inclusive
Great diving with a lot of service geared toward beginners.
A real town with night life.

 

[dolesorchard]

My wife and I did two weeks at Buddy Dive in Bonaire for $1800 each with air. I tried everything I could and Continental Vacations was the best deal I could find.

 

[theduckguru]

Yes, but Aggressor doesn't meet the economical or location requirements of the OP.

 

[WOODMAN]

As I see it, the two main points here are fairly cheap and good for beginners. With those two criteria in mind, both Cozumel and Roatan immediately pop up. Cozumel is one of the best places to start your diving career, and the selection of hotels, restaurants, activities, etc. is extremely varied and second to none. It is drift diving, but if this bothers you it can be worked around if you ask the operator to find you a calm area. A lot of people actually prefer this, however, as you don't have to swim much and the boat follows you and is waiting when you come up. Roatan is also great for beginners, with several good choices for resorts and dive operations. Some of the best liked are all inclusives, with everything included in the price, including diving. An all inclusive is really nice for keeping the budget under control, as you know going in what the vast majority of your costs are going to be. Both of these areas should provide you with what you want for within your stated budget, (depending on airfare, of course. That is a real wild card these days...) and in some cases, for considerably less than your budget. I recently found a air/hotel deal for Cozumel for 7 days that ran about $550 (per person double occupancy), and I got a superb all inclusive deal at Reef House in Roatan for roughly $800/week (PPDO, of course) about a year ago. I don't know if these deals are still there, but all I'm saying is that it can be done if you look around enough. Vast amounts of material on these two areas are available here in the appropriate forums, and we are at your service with advice if we can help you further. Good luck. Woody

 

[Zsuzsika]

We do a dive cruise every year - though a cruise combined with diving is not for everyone, it will give you a good idea of what the Caribbean has to offer. Good luck!