Question Cheap Winter Dive Destinations

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OP
Ryan Neely

Ryan Neely

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Akeley, MN USA
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100 - 199
My buddywife and I have just returned from a four-week stay on Bonaire. This was our third stay on the island and, as much as we love it, we're ready to expand our horizons. Next year's vacation needs to be a far cry cheaper than this year, but the only diving destination we have experience with is Bonaire. I'm looking for recommendations or suggestions. Where can we go that has great diving, something to do on land for our days off from diving, and comes in at a price point that couldn't be used as a down payment on a house?
 
Where can we go that has great diving, something to do on land for our days off from diving, and comes in at a price point that couldn't be used as a down payment on a house?

Agree with others: Mexico. Cozumel has great diving and prices are cheaper. Grocery, restaurant and/or AI prices not as high as other islands. I'd say there is something (sights and things to do) if you were spending a week, maybe 2 on off diving days - as long as you're diving a lot of days. But if you spent 4 weeks in Bonaire and were okay there on off days, you should be fine in Coz. Taking the ferry over to the mainland opens up a lot of possibilities for something to do.
 
Consider a cruise....

Went to St. Croix, St. Kitts, Barbados, Antigua, Granada, St. Lucia, Dominica last March. (12 night cruise) I dived on 5 of the 7 islands. Could have dived on all 7 but had to spend some time with my non diving wife. It was awesome. Plus you don't have to worry about where to stay, where to eat, what to do when you aren't diving. Lots of stuff on board to do.

Just got back from an cheap* 8 night cruise to the ABCs. Dived on Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Doing a cheap 7 night cruise to Cozumel, Roatan, Costa Maya (Mexico) and Belize in Feb. Diving in the first 3 locations. Costa Maya (actually Mahauhal) has as good diving as Coz (same reef system) but only cruise ships go there. Hidden gem. It was a small fishing village, i.e, Mahauhal until the cruise lines built a dock there called Costa Maya.

Not really that expensive to cruise considering food, entertainment and a lot of activities is included in the price. You can actually cruise fairly cheap (sometimes as low as $100/night for 2 people) or you can go whole hog not to mention that cruising is a lot of fun in itself.

Diving and other excursions on shore are extra of course but you pick and choose what you want to do or stay on board or just walk around ashore. You can do everything or nothing. Sometimes I book the dives through the ship, (in some places it's easier) and sometimes privately. Never been disappointed either way.

*The cheapest time to cruise is between Thanksgiving and Christmas and early Jan through mid Feb. That's when we mostly dive. The March cruise last spring was a makeup of a canceled cruise from 2020 during covid. Originally booked in Feb, it was moved to March but the cost was the same.

And of course inside cabins are cheaper than ocean view (windows/porthole) which is cheaper than a balcony and then there are levels of suites. We tend to book insides since we tend not to stay in our cabin very much on a cruise.

Heck, I've been cruising for 30 years and started diving because of cruising.
 
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