best of not good caribbean options?

[dukeofhesse]

Good diving to me is good viz, abundant and healthy coral and lots of different animals. I did sharks off NC coast. I don't care so much for drift diving because I like to hang out and take pictures. And shallower, 60 feet or so max so I can stay down longer. (I'm a breather).

Neither of us likes Puerto Rico for a variety of reasons.

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Begging your pardon, but not true. From Wilmington to Roatan is: wilmington to charlotte, charlotte to tampa or orlando, tampa to miami. 19hour layover in miami. leave late the next day to fly to roatan at night. I've been on the phone with airline repeatedly, checked orbitz, travelocity,etc. that's it.

Grand Cayman and Cozumel are straight forward. stop in charlotte then right to the island.

Flying out of Boston is a snap because it's a hub. You can fly directly to another hub, as in Miami and from there to just about anyplace.

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I've done the drive to Raleigh for years and I dread it. Especially the return which is usually two and a half hours driving in the dead of night after an entire day of traveling. uh-uh.

 

[Wookie]

Good diving to me is good viz, abundant and healthy coral and lots of different animals. I did sharks off NC coast. I don't care so much for drift diving because I like to hang out and take pictures. And shallower, 60 feet or so max so I can stay down longer. (I'm a breather).

Neither of us likes Puerto Rico for a variety of reasons.

Your choice (and it's not a bad one) is St. Kitts. The diving under the fort is very good, as are the wrecks just outside the harbor. If I remember correctly (it's been 15 years) there is a tugboat mostly intact, a coastal freighter mostly beaten to death and a pile of bridge rubble or something. I didn't spend too much time there, but what I remember is quite good. It was the first place I ever dove with dolphins For photographers, it's quite nice, don't expect any pelagic fish, but it's nice to be surprised by the Flying Gunards, the occasional frogfish, the now and again seahorses. The vis is clear as I remember, 60-100 feet or so. I was on a liveaboard, so I know nothing about resorts or facilities.

 

[rongoodman]

Little Caymen is nice too.

 

[Damselfish]

Begging your pardon, but not true. From Wilmington to Roatan is: wilmington to charlotte, charlotte to tampa or orlando, tampa to miami. 19hour layover in miami. leave late the next day to fly to roatan at night. I've been on the phone with airline repeatedly, checked orbitz, travelocity,etc. that's it.

DEPART:
Delta 5575
Sat 7:05a ILM Wilmington, NC
Sat 8:35a ATL Atlanta, GA

Delta 483
Sat 9:50a ATL Atlanta, GA
Sat 11:19a RTB Roatan, Honduras

RETURN:
Delta 480
Sat 12:12p RTB Roatan, Honduras
Sat 5:20p ATL Atlanta, GA

Delta 5304
Sat 7:30p ATL Atlanta, GA
Sat 8:56p ILM Wilmington, NC

Flying out of Boston is a snap because it's a hub. You can fly directly to another hub, as in Miami and from there to just about anyplace.

Not true. It's easy to assume Boston is a hub. but it's really more of an endpoint due to the location (geographically not "between" anything in the US, and relatively close to NY.) Being a major airport helps, sure, but I don't think any airline uses it as a hub. Plus being further north adds just enough to the flight times that I am usually faced with flights that leave crazy early or connections that are too short for comfort, and sometimes both. I won't even get into the traffic and weather delays...


One thing we sometimes do when it makes sense, which you might also consider sometimes, is to plan an overnight layover in at least one direction. You're paying for an extra hotel night, but airport hotels are often pretty reasonable. And it can make for a much more civilized and relaxing trip than early morning departures, 25 minute connections, and late night drives. Start my trip a little early - fly someplace the evening before I was going to leave, have a nice dinner, dip in the hot tub, get a good nights sleep, leave at a civilized hour the next day. It's like adding another day to your vacation because you don't arrive wiped out. Layovers are not always a bad thing, and nothing says the travel has to be completed on the same day.

 

[Bigd2722]

As far as diving goes, Puerto Rico is not a bad choice. I assume you have other reasons to choose differently

 

[Kilili]

I think Bonaire more appealing than most of the others, but, really, you should try Southeast Asia. Flying costs are not really that bad, if you shop carefully, and other costs are usually good, and the diving is infinitely better.
After my first Asia-Pacific trip, Fiji actually, I never went to the Caribbean again, nor will I.

 

[Damselfish]

I think Bonaire more appealing than most of the others, but, really, you should try Southeast Asia. Flying costs are not really that bad, if you shop carefully, and other costs are usually good, and the diving is infinitely better.
After my first Asia-Pacific trip, Fiji actually, I never went to the Caribbean again, nor will I.

I agree Indo-Pacific is great diving - if I lived on the left coast like you I'd go there more! Starting from there makes the Caribbean less desirable and IP more appealing.

 

[Bryan Cunningham]

Don't know St Thomas, but just spent 6 years in the Eastern Caribbean, and all 4 of St Lucia, St Maartens, Antigua and St Kitts have decentd diving. Just make sure you do a little research and book with the right dive shop that dives the best areas. Antigua for example only has good diving on the S W quadrant, so people who stay with say Sandals (North) have **** poor diving.

But if you can fly into San Juan, PR, you should be able to connect to almost anywhere, it is a major AA hub.

Cheers
Bryan

 

[AggieDiver]

Based on the kind of diving you said you like, Little Cayman is exactly what you are looking for. Very shallow tops to the walls, no current to speak of, all moored location diving, so no need to follow the group. You can fly direct to Grand Cayman then take a 30 minute twin otter flight to LC on Cayman Air.