Question Caribbean Dive Recommendations - Long Weekend Options

[BoozeHound36]

Okay, there are too many posts on this site which makes searching for what I'm looking for a b****.

As part of my objectives for 2024 (I'm not going to say "resolution" because if I do that means it definitely won't happen) I want to travel more and expand my diving experiences. As a point of reference I am based out of SE Florida. I'd like to do several long weekend (think Thursday - Sunday) trips that aren't break the bank but worth doing, and it feels like Caribbean islands may be the ideal thing. There are the places that you always hear about: Roatan, Cozumel, Bonaire (which I plan to look at very hard) but what are some good places that you don't normally hear about that should be looked at.

Some places that spring to mind that I'd like to hear your thoughts about are:

01. St. Lucia
02. St. Eustacious
03. Dominca (though this doesn't look like it will be a cheap trip)
04. Bahamas - is there a good area to go?
05. Cayman - Grand Cayman, Little Cayman?
06. Barbados
07. Curacao

Am I just thinking about the ones you always hear about or are there others that I should be looking into? Are there some that are good for doing wrecks vs reefs? Some that are great for pelagics vs ones that are better for macro? I need some guidance in how to think and approach this.

Other trips I'm thinking about that are outside the Caribbean is to get up to Great Lakes and do some wreck diving there. I'll hopefully be drysuit diving soon.

 

[also_anon_dc]

Following along since I've only been to the top spots you mentioned (Cozumel, Roatan, Bonaire). I'll be going to the Bahamas in June but doing a week long liveaboard so that wouldn't count as a quick weekend trip.

You might add Belize to your list since that's a short nonstop flight from Miami. I was there in December but the coral bleaching is really bad and the reefs are in rough shape. I'm not sure how you're defining if somewhere is "worth" the trip but I won't be going back due to that.

 

[rhwestfall]

A gazillion years ago I went to San Salvador (Bahamas) - pre-Club Med. The walls were amazing. I hear it now is "sharky". While I loathe "Club MED", which came to the Island after, perhaps impacting it greatly, places like the Riding Rock Inn were catering to diving, and it was spectacular. Where you are, it should be a simple trip...

 

[Trailboss123]

Doesn't make sense unless you only want to dive for one day? Travel Thursday, dive Friday, off gas Saturday and fly home Sunday? Maybe I am missing something.

 

[rhwestfall]

Great Lakes and do some wreck diving there. I'll hopefully be drysuit diving soon.

The geographic area is huge....

Come on up. Pool is open late May to September.... Very different across the whole thing (it is massive). Some areas like the Thousand Islands don't need more than wet suits (temps can be in the 70's), even at deep depths.

 

[Marie13]

You better do some some shallower wrecks first as those will be warmer. Otherwise your FL face will fall off when it freezes. Not uncommon for bottom temps on deeper wrecks (80-100ft) to be 40-45F.

And Great Lakes wreck diving often only happens on weekends. You also need to plan way in advance.

 

[arew+4]

I get the draw of many shorter trips but like @Trailboss123 said you won't get much diving in between flights. A few of the live aboards could get you the flavor of a couple islands. Could do Roatan for 3 days and ferry over to Utila for 3 days.

I think there are some ferry's in the Grenadines and St Vincent. Also USVI and BVI.

 

[living4experiences]

Okay, there are too many posts on this site which makes searching for what I'm looking for a b****.

As part of my objectives for 2024 (I'm not going to say "resolution" because if I do that means it definitely won't happen) I want to travel more and expand my diving experiences. As a point of reference I am based out of SE Florida. I'd like to do several long weekend (think Thursday - Sunday) trips that aren't break the bank but worth doing, and it feels like Caribbean islands may be the ideal thing. There are the places that you always hear about: Roatan, Cozumel, Bonaire (which I plan to look at very hard) but what are some good places that you don't normally hear about that should be looked at.

Some places that spring to mind that I'd like to hear your thoughts about are:

01. St. Lucia
02. St. Eustacious
03. Dominca (though this doesn't look like it will be a cheap trip)
04. Bahamas - is there a good area to go?
05. Cayman - Grand Cayman, Little Cayman?
06. Barbados
07. Curacao

Am I just thinking about the ones you always hear about or are there others that I should be looking into? Are there some that are good for doing wrecks vs reefs? Some that are great for pelagics vs ones that are better for macro? I need some guidance in how to think and approach this.

Other trips I'm thinking about that are outside the Caribbean is to get up to Great Lakes and do some wreck diving there. I'll hopefully be drysuit diving soon.

Diving is not a long weekend kind of hobby. On your list:
1. Been there. Expensive.
2. Been there. Not great diving, lack of fish, and hard to reach, MIA to SXM to EUX.
3. Never been, but they're still struggling to recover from the hurricanes in 2017.
4. Been there. Exumas, Freeport, Nassau, sharky in some places, but mostly absent of fish.
5. Bleached reef
6. Been there on a cruise ship stop and it was good enough that I'd like to go back for a dedicated trip.
7. Bleached reef

A few more:
Belize-bleached reef
Bonaire-bleached reef and SCTLD (coral disease)
Roatan-overfished, not much to see.
St. Croix-overfished, dead reef, not much to see
Isla Mujeres-meh, fair diving but not good enough for me to return.
Cozumel-I was there in October and the reef was completely bleached. Looked like a layer of snow covering the ocean floor.
The Keys in Florida-you probably already know the reef is dead
The Sea of Cortez on the Pacific side of Mexico-Was there on a liveaboard last August. The diving was good.
St. Kitts-been there a couple of times on a cruise ship stop. I would have like to make a dedicated return trip, but none of the operators have Nitrox, so I won't be going back.

 

[BoozeHound36]

You better do some some shallower wrecks first as those will be warmer. Otherwise your FL face will fall off when it freezes. Not uncommon for bottom temps on deeper wrecks (80-100ft) to be 40-45F.

And Great Lakes wreck diving often only happens on weekends. You also need to plan way in advance.

How far in advance? I was hoping to schedule a trip up late august / early september. I don't really know anything about Great Lakes diving, but just the thought of visiting those wrecks is making me twitch. I'm doing my drysuit this spring with the main intention of making the cold water dive sites around the world possible.

For a first time Great Lakes diver is there any locations or operators you'd recommend?

 

[BoozeHound36]

The geographic area is huge....

Come on up. Pool is open late May to September.... Very different across the whole thing (it is massive). Some areas like the Thousand Islands don't need more than wet suits (temps can be in the 70's), even at deep depths.

Any places / operators you would recommend? I'm hoping to do a trip late august/early september. Great Lakes diving is one of the reasons why I decided to get a drysuit!