Big Can of Worms: Where to dive?

[SeaWendy]

I've got a quandry, so I thought I'd open it up to all y'all. My husband and I are trying to figure out where to go diving this May, but there are a lot of possibilities, and I want to make sure we're not overlooking someplace.

Here's the situation: we will be dropping our 3 month old baby off with the grandparents in San Diego for a week. I am OW (about 20 dives), and last summer, while I was pregnant, my husband got his AOW (about 30 dives). My most challenging (and fun) dive was in Cozumel in a medium current, at about 70 feet. His most challenging dive was at the Spiegel Grove (100 feet) in Key Largo in a ripping current. We've been diving in California, Kauai, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Jamaica, and Florida.

So here's what I'm looking for:
--AOW cert. Now that the baby has been born, it's my turn to get my AOW.

--Warm water. I'm not in the best of shape, since I just had a baby three months ago, and even before the baby I cramped easily in cold water (Catalina and La Jolla), so warm water is a must.

--Flight less than 7 hours from San Diego. I got long legs!

--Not too expensive. We have a decent amount of money to spend, but something like a liveaboard or a flight to a super-exotic location isn't going to happen.

--Fun stuff to see! Manta rays in Kona sound cool. Turtles and dolphins are cool. Whale sharks are cool. The Blue Hole in Belize sounds cool. 100+ vis is cool. :14:

So there's my requirements for the trip. After searching for airfare and possible destinations, I found that airfare to Belize is cheaper than airfare to Hawaii--how crazy is that? So then I realized that I might be overlooking someplace.

If you were in my position, where would you go?
Thanks for the advice!

 

[DandyDon]

You dived while preggy? :11: Okay...

Lots & lots of possibilities. Roatan is great, depending on your taste. Not many larger fishes, but lots of little ones & things living in their great coral reefs.

 

[Chaseh]

I believe she said that while she was preggers, her husband ran off and got his AOW. Hence her wanting hers now.

 

[DandyDon]

I believe she said that while she was preggers, her husband ran off and got his AOW. Hence her wanting hers now.

Oh, ok - misread that. Ooops. :blush:

Anyway, lots of possibilities - the dive world has really opened up, and ScubaBoard.com is a great reasource.

 

[Doc]

Not many larger fishes, but lots of little ones & things living in their great coral reefs.

And they have "worms by the can-full" , too.

 

[kelpmermaid]

If you are looking at the Big Island, take a look at hotel, car, and flight packages together. One can often get the whole thing for not much more than the flight alone. How do they do that?

Dive boats are not cheap out of Kona, but there is also shore diving.

 

[mjc_ma]

I just got back from Tamarindo, Costa Rica and where I got certified and had a great time diving. I saw 4 giant Manta Rays, which are truely awesome. Also lots of devil rays, morays, jacks. Visability ranged depending on the amount of plankton, and the temperature ranged as well. The wind was out of the East which was unusal and it murked up the water so the visbility was down to 6' but as soon as the wind turned directions it got much better. Best visablity was 35'-40'. The water temp was 75 on average, a full 3mm was comfortable for me doing 2 dives 35 min a piece. If you would like more infor just ask. Hope you go, its a great country.

 

[SeaWendy]

Oh, ok - misread that. Ooops. :blush:

Silly silly! There was no diving while preggers!
But I did go out on the boat with him and go snorkeling. Even when he was on the Spiegel, I could see him swimming around and I could see the wreck pretty well. The deal was that he could get his AOW while I was preggers and he could watch the baby the next year while I got mine. But now the grandparents are itching to watch the baby for a whole week, so we get to go on vacation! I can't wait to sleep a whole night.

So here's a more pointed question: would Belize be a good choice? Remember, I'm not very advanced, although I'll be getting my AOW. Do you need to be advanced to dive Belize?

 

[Doc]

Belize is easy breezy, but dive ops and qualities therof can be a determining factor- some are easier than others.

The best way to do the far flung islands of the country of Bleize? Liveaboard. I like the Nekton.

But.... if you're dragging all the way from San Diego, I also would suggest you look at Roatan, see www.cocoviewresort.com. Dive 5 and 6 times a day, always a night dive, and a PADI 5* with female instructors. Wreck, Creature ID, everything including AI. Flop out of your room and you're in a great dive spot called "The Front Yard".

 

[DandyDon]

Yep, CCView, Fantasy Island, Anthony's Key, and others on Roatan have their pros and cons. I'm going back to Fantasy Is.

There are a number of good suggestions dealing with such international dive travel, dealing with Passports, Trip Insurance, Dive Insurance, Safety Equipment, etc. Keep reading, and let us know if we can help...?