Budget Diver, Looking for Budget Diving

[halocline]

Thanks guys. Could you guys describe your topside experience in Bonaire - food, culture, etc.
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Sure. Expensive food, no culture.

That one's likely to make me some new friends...

In Bonaire's defense, the diving is excellent and you can go whenever you want.

Cozumel might appeal to you. I'm not sure where you stayed in Roatan, but if it was the west end, IMO downtown Coz is a more interesting and the food is way better. It's an older crowd and more touristy due to the cruise ships, and just the fact that it's a much bigger population than the west end.

There's a small B&B a couple of miles south of downtown called Village tankah. That's a good budget destination; reasonably quiet, nice friendly dive op, and reasonably priced.

 

[Trailboss123]

I would definitely go to Cozumel, if I were you. Below is the link to the Dive Hostel mentioned previously. Great value. Also a link to Blue Magic Scuba that has very good prices and is a short walk from the Dive Hostel. Blue Magic is $370 for 5 days of 2 tank dives. I don't find Cozumel dirty or loud. It would also allow you the opportunity to go over and spend a day or two in Tulum/Akumal and do some cenote diving. The Dive Hostel is a block and a half walk to the ferry that takes you across to the mainland. Also, Blue Magic can hook you up for a dive operator for the cenote diving.
http://www.divehostel.com/
Cozumel Diving, Cozumel Scuba Diving, Cozumel Diving Packages, Lessons, Snorkeling, Blue Magic Scuba

 

[drrich2]

For a budget overall trip, with a few dives but fun doing other things, a cruise on one of the older and smaller ships, hitting some islands where diving is a good option, might be a good option. Single supplements can be prohibitive but maybe you could take a buddy. A cruise hitting places like Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan, St. Croix, St. Lucia, Bonaire, Curacao and St. Thomas (you won't get that all in one cruise!) might let you get in 6 dives over 3 islands.

Richard.

 

[Bladebreaker65]

Cozumel
when we went by cruise ship I thought the same thing, too busy and dirty. then had an chance to stay at Aldora thru a work contact (great place) and was able to see the sights after 4:00 pm and it is very nice laid back. all the cruise ships leave 6:00 to 7:00 pm also Blue Angel dive op very nice people. The Florida shore dive trek is great also for a budget.

 

[pepperbelly]

If I was young and single I would hit Utila in a heartbeat.

 

[dmaziuk]

Thanks guys. Could you guys describe your topside experience in Bonaire - food, culture, etc.

Also I will be traveling in May. The $1,800 estimate is for May but will likely drop.

ITYM unlikely. As I recall we booked our flights 6 months in advance, that's how you get them for half that. Bonaire's a sailboarding paradise and has some kite boarding as well, but other than that you can drive around the island on your no-diving-before-the-flight day, see flamingoes and the donkeys and the goats, and you've pretty much got all the topside experience there is.

 

[KathyV]

Sure. Expensive food, no culture...In Bonaire's defense, the diving is excellent and you can go whenever you want...

I'm always surprised when someone says that there is nothing to do on Bonaire, I have heard that before but I like the culture and the vibe.

Bonaire is an interesting place IMO. You will be on Dutch soil and visiting the Netherlands when you go there. There's not a lot of night spots or tourist attractions, but it is such an unusual environment. There are mangrove swamps, a jungle park, salt flats, a flamingo preserve, stretches of desert and cactus, slave huts that are still standing, a pink sand beach, a donkey preserve, a windmill farm, and big hills made out of white salt.

Not to mention the beautiful, warm ocean and healthy reefs with lots of sea life. Besides diving and snorkeling, you can enjoy sailing, kiteboarding, and other watersports on Bonaire. There's not a lot of beach but some, and plenty of places to relax and enjoy the island and the sea.

You can also visit a distillery and try various cactus liqueurs, but I haven't done that yet so I don't know if it is good. There are also some nice restaurants and bars and fun places to hang out.

English and Dutch are widely spoken, they drive on the right side of the road, the US dollar is accepted everywhere, and it has a wind-surfing colony. Yet it is exotic, foreign, and tropical; it's a wonderful place!

 

[diversteve]

Pepperbelly has it right - there's more of a backpacker vibe on Utila than anywhere I've been in the Caribbean (long list)

Cheap diving - boat dives like Roatan are 10/$350 - average rooms at probably a 1/2 dozen hotels in town are $20 - the hostels are cheaper and there's even an AI option - Coral View starting at $45?/nt. with a pool, dive operation and a shore dive. To town from there is a walk (20min.) bike, etc.

Really good diving - IMO better than Roatan - esp. on the north side. The coral seemed in better shape and there's at least one seamount - Black Hills just off the south side. The island itself is like a mini-Roatan - most people live in one area along the south side - almost all of it walk-able. Lots of DM trainees/dive shops - plus the $20 rooms typically are close to the music at night - kind of like the West End if you were there on Roatan.

Getting there is a little more involved. Utila's airport is a grass strip with no lights so to fly in you have to be on Roatan or the mainland by 2-3PM or so. There's also the ferries - either from Roatan or the mainland. San Pedro Sula is a cheaper flight but riskier. Best to try to stay on airport so get a local flight to Utila - takes 30mins. Alice at World Wide Travel can help - she lives there. We took the ferries from Roatan - Galaxy back to La Ceiba then Utila Princess over - they dock adjacent. Leaving Roatan at 2 you're on Utila by 5. There were 2-3x more backpackers on the ferry than divers.

Everything is covered here: www.aboututila.com or http://utilaguide.com/

 

[diversteve]

The issue with Bonaire - and Curacao - is they're not really backpacker friendly. Both are pretty sporead out along the coastline so you'd really need/want a rental car. All the waterfront resorts charge a premium for being on it plus have a house reef dive and dive facilities - and charge a large single supplement. You can find cheap places in town or south (Dive Inn or Coco Palm Gardens for ex.) but neither are waterfront.

When you add in a vehicle, besides the cost, gas prices are also a factor. You really couldn't function on either island without one. Curacao is a long narrow island and it's the better part of 45mins. drive from town to the (arguably) best diving West. On Bonaire nothing is more than 15-20mins. away but every shore dive outside of those at the resorts is isolated and often you'll be the only one there.

Also there's no facilities so you're on your own while diving - and entering/exiting over slick ironshore and coral rubble. Plus get a waterproof case for your phone because you'll leave nothing of value in the truck and the windows down so the kids can go thru it while you're diving.

Flipside is that Bonaire would be an easy place to find dive buddies - most are at the resorts/restaurants etc. are. Most on a dive pkg. have a 4-door rental truck so fitting you in is possible. We had 3 potential dive buddies just from the last Bonaire connection, flight and waiting for luggage. Saw all of them later at dive sites, restaurants etc. My buddy wears dive t-shirts on flights so it's usually a conversation starter.

You won't find that on Curacao - there's only 2-3 "dive" resorts although most hotels do have a shop on-site/affiliated. Curacao seems more about being a vacation location with good diving. There almost all the shore dive sites also have on-site dive operators/facilities also - at two of the more popular dive sites/beaches we wre asked if we needed a buddy. www.curacao.com to start.

Flights to Curacao from where I live - the western US - are 1/2 of what they are to Bonaire and generally in the 6-8hr. range (thru MIA) vis. 10-12 or more to Bonaire. Insel - the least reliable carrier to Bonaire - has most of their flights stop in Curacao first.

 

[sunshower]

I suggest you try a south Florida road-trip (or you can fly and rent a car). Spend 2-3 days between Jupiter and Miami, take a few dive charters (or shore dives), and shore dive the Blue Heron Bridge. Then drive down to Key Largo, stay at the Key West Inn and dive with Rainbow Reef. Package deal for 6 nights plus 7 days of diving for $840. Alternatively, you can make your own package (VRBO or Air-bnb plus any of the great dive ops). If you are really on a budget, buy/cook your own food.

A week at Scuba Club Cozumel is the next closest option, in my mind.

I agree with all of this. Jupiter/West Palm/BHB is great stuff; Keys are obviously nearby. Cozumel fits the bill too. You'll have a great time either way.