Best Dive destination for Oct 7-14

[ohardin]

The wife and I are newly certified divers. We are looking for our first dive vacation. We would like to avoid the Hurricanes as much as possible. Our Dates are very solid as this is the only time I have free child care.

After doing some searching on SB it seems:

Cozumel has great boat diving and above water activates, but not shore diving
Bonaire has great boat and shore diving, but not a lot of above water actives.
Grand Caymens has a good mix of all.

So my question is this, considering our in experience, hurricanes and we aren't wealthy. Where is the best warm, clear water, where the prices are good, and the wife has something to do other than hear me ramble on about scuba when we are out of the water and has some great dives?

 

[Kat]

Curacao
The diving is similar to Bonaire. There is nightlife. There are small dive hotels & also the mega chain all-inclusive types. Price should be cheaper than Grand Caymen.

 

[DeputyDan]

Curacao or Bonaire

Pretty much out of the hurricane belt and very - very good easy - easy diving.

Did I mention very good and very easy diving... The being out of the Hurricane belt is nice too.

I was at COCO View during Wilma - Hurricanes make for exciting vacations but lousy diving.

 

[diversteve]

we aren't wealthy

That leaves out Grand Cayman. It has to be the most expensive dive destination I've been to. It is the offshore banking capital of the Caribbean in addition to being a dive destination. Also, didn't Ivan trash Cayman a couple years ago in October...or was it September.

Although I've not been there, I'd go with Curacao, same diving as Bonaire and much more to do topside. Nice thing about a place like Habitat is that they have easy entry to their private reef when you're not on a boat. Curacao should have better prices than Bonaire also, everything comes from there to Bonaire.

Although Bonaire tries really hard to portray itself as a tourist destination, it's really mostly a dive destination. We covered all the shopping options one afternoon and probably most of the good restaurants during a week - mostly because that's all there is. Don't get me wrong, I loved Bonaire, the diving was outstanding - but we're divers not tourists.

 

[JohnyGoilo]

Best dive destination: That would be at the "Kenepa Grandi" on Curacao. Which has nice coral reefs. And which is knowned to have a large variety of diferent types fishes.