cozumel, belize or bonaire? Help?
- Thread starter phislet
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Fishkiller
Contributor
- Messages
- 1,169
- Reaction score
- 1
- # of dives
- 100 - 199
I think that your money would best be spent going on the LIVEABOARDS that go to Socorro islands. that time of year
LARGE mantas whale sharks etc.
LARGE mantas whale sharks etc.
Phislet,
A little more information on you and your better half would help. Info such as when you were certed and how much diving you have done. Also, where you have dived would help. Having said that I will take a stab in the partial dark...
I have had the most experience with Cozumel and think it would be a good choice. The dives are mostly drift dives and the water is wonderfully warm. There are numerous places to stay and numerous dive shops. Additionally, there are lots of flights into Cozumel. Of the three places you mentioned, it is probably the easiest to get to.
Belize has fewer hotel and flight options--and fewer dive shop options--than Cozumel. But the diving is excellent and it would be a good choice, too. There are some current issues farther out. One of our Board members, a fellow named Zagnut, dove there recently and he was very happy. Zaggy is fairly recently certed as I remember. Why not look up his report under the Caribbean section of Travel on the Board.
I have not been to Bonaire, but know lots of folks who have. It is a fine place to dive with a reasonable selection of hotels/resorts. The flights are on a par with Belize. One of the highlights of Bonaire is the shore diving. In fact, all the folks I know who have gone there tell me they never do boat diving: they get a rental jeep and take tanks to all the dive sites. They claim all the shore dives are a piece of cake in terms of navigation. However, if unguided diving makes you a little nervous at this stage of your experience, save Bonaire for another day.
If you choose Cozumel or Belize, I would be happy to give you some guidance on dive shops and hotel/resorts. Let me know.
I hope this has helped.
Joewr...travel guide to the world...and the price is right!
A little more information on you and your better half would help. Info such as when you were certed and how much diving you have done. Also, where you have dived would help. Having said that I will take a stab in the partial dark...
I have had the most experience with Cozumel and think it would be a good choice. The dives are mostly drift dives and the water is wonderfully warm. There are numerous places to stay and numerous dive shops. Additionally, there are lots of flights into Cozumel. Of the three places you mentioned, it is probably the easiest to get to.
Belize has fewer hotel and flight options--and fewer dive shop options--than Cozumel. But the diving is excellent and it would be a good choice, too. There are some current issues farther out. One of our Board members, a fellow named Zagnut, dove there recently and he was very happy. Zaggy is fairly recently certed as I remember. Why not look up his report under the Caribbean section of Travel on the Board.
I have not been to Bonaire, but know lots of folks who have. It is a fine place to dive with a reasonable selection of hotels/resorts. The flights are on a par with Belize. One of the highlights of Bonaire is the shore diving. In fact, all the folks I know who have gone there tell me they never do boat diving: they get a rental jeep and take tanks to all the dive sites. They claim all the shore dives are a piece of cake in terms of navigation. However, if unguided diving makes you a little nervous at this stage of your experience, save Bonaire for another day.
If you choose Cozumel or Belize, I would be happy to give you some guidance on dive shops and hotel/resorts. Let me know.
I hope this has helped.
Joewr...travel guide to the world...and the price is right!
Hi Phislet,
I can't help with Coz or Belize but Bonaire I can. I have been to Bonaire the last 3 years in a row and will go again (twice if I can swing it)in 2002. My dive buddies and I love the place. The people are great, the food and water are safe to eat, the diving is world class and I don't find the prices on the island to be overly expensive. If you are looking for a lot of night life and tourist type shopping then it's not the place to go. There are plenty of places to buy anything you need and a lot of good resturants, just not a lot of T-shirt shops and NO street vendors. The diving is very easy, park within 50 ft of the water at over 80 marked locations, suit up , snorkle out 30 ft or so, drop into 10 ft of water, swim out another 200 ft or so and you are diving on a wall that has about a 45 deg slant down to around 100 ft. The top of the dropoff is at about 35 ft and that is where we usally stay as max bottom time is my main goal. The navagation is actually very easy, because the dropoff is so pronounced, you simply go straight out to it, determine which way the current is going and head up current( a 90 deg left or right turn). We go up current to about 1000 psi(from experience I know this is the correct time to turn for us, it gives up plenty of air to return on, your results will vary), turn 180 , return to the spot where we started on the wall, make another 90 deg turn , go in to about 15 ft to play with the fish, do a looong safety stop and then walk out. Most of our dives have a profile of 35 ft for 60 to 75 minutes. It's that easy. You can do boat dives if you wish but we like the freedom of the shore dives. If you want to do a wreck dive, there is a 100 ft deep, 275 ft ship sunk, the Helma Hooker, beside the reef that you can dive from shore as well. Here are a couple of web sites to check out http://www.buddydive.com (the place we stay) and http://www.BonaireTalk.com/newsgroup/messages/board-topics.html (another board similar to this one dedicated to Bonaire). Hope this helps, drop me an email via the board if you have specific questions.
I can't help with Coz or Belize but Bonaire I can. I have been to Bonaire the last 3 years in a row and will go again (twice if I can swing it)in 2002. My dive buddies and I love the place. The people are great, the food and water are safe to eat, the diving is world class and I don't find the prices on the island to be overly expensive. If you are looking for a lot of night life and tourist type shopping then it's not the place to go. There are plenty of places to buy anything you need and a lot of good resturants, just not a lot of T-shirt shops and NO street vendors. The diving is very easy, park within 50 ft of the water at over 80 marked locations, suit up , snorkle out 30 ft or so, drop into 10 ft of water, swim out another 200 ft or so and you are diving on a wall that has about a 45 deg slant down to around 100 ft. The top of the dropoff is at about 35 ft and that is where we usally stay as max bottom time is my main goal. The navagation is actually very easy, because the dropoff is so pronounced, you simply go straight out to it, determine which way the current is going and head up current( a 90 deg left or right turn). We go up current to about 1000 psi(from experience I know this is the correct time to turn for us, it gives up plenty of air to return on, your results will vary), turn 180 , return to the spot where we started on the wall, make another 90 deg turn , go in to about 15 ft to play with the fish, do a looong safety stop and then walk out. Most of our dives have a profile of 35 ft for 60 to 75 minutes. It's that easy. You can do boat dives if you wish but we like the freedom of the shore dives. If you want to do a wreck dive, there is a 100 ft deep, 275 ft ship sunk, the Helma Hooker, beside the reef that you can dive from shore as well. Here are a couple of web sites to check out http://www.buddydive.com (the place we stay) and http://www.BonaireTalk.com/newsgroup/messages/board-topics.html (another board similar to this one dedicated to Bonaire). Hope this helps, drop me an email via the board if you have specific questions.
Especially for relatively new divers, Bonaire wins hands down.
Rick
Rick
buff
Contributor
I have been to Cozumel many a times and this year I went to Bonaire with my wife. The diving in Bonaire was SSSSSSSSOOOO EASY it made me weep with joy! Right from shore - rent a truck and drive to the dive destination of your choice, at the time you want, at the pace you want...and for less than you would if you were boat diving in Cozumel. We paid about $400.00 for the brand new truck rental and unlimited tanks for a whole week!!!!!!! That's cheaper than Cozumel.
Bonaire drawbacks:
1. It has the nightlife of an assisted living home.
2. It is a desert and unless your really into donkeys, goats and lizards there ain't much else to see on the island except that which is underwater.
3. I found the night diving to be a bit meager-not like Cozumel with all the huge lobster and crab and in general there are not as many bigger animals in Bonaire as in Cozumel. Though I did see a turtle and bat-nosed ray(I think that's what it was, it moved through the water like a bullet) right while diving right off the hotel dock.
4. Dining out is expensive.
5. It takes a long time to get there from Minnesota-and according to classical physics about the same time to get back. However, this copious air time provided me ample opportunity to figure out my Cobra dive computer and read how to take underwater photographs-though judging by the quality of the photos many will say some additional air/study time would have done me good!
Would I go back again?
Not for a long time......there is Australia, Monterey CA. North Carolina, Mexico's cenotes, Galopagos, Red Sea, Alaska, Sea of Cortez, Ginnie Springs, ......too many other places to dive in the world. But I love Boniare and have many photos to last me until I return.....someday.
Bonaire drawbacks:
1. It has the nightlife of an assisted living home.
2. It is a desert and unless your really into donkeys, goats and lizards there ain't much else to see on the island except that which is underwater.
3. I found the night diving to be a bit meager-not like Cozumel with all the huge lobster and crab and in general there are not as many bigger animals in Bonaire as in Cozumel. Though I did see a turtle and bat-nosed ray(I think that's what it was, it moved through the water like a bullet) right while diving right off the hotel dock.
4. Dining out is expensive.
5. It takes a long time to get there from Minnesota-and according to classical physics about the same time to get back. However, this copious air time provided me ample opportunity to figure out my Cobra dive computer and read how to take underwater photographs-though judging by the quality of the photos many will say some additional air/study time would have done me good!
Would I go back again?
Not for a long time......there is Australia, Monterey CA. North Carolina, Mexico's cenotes, Galopagos, Red Sea, Alaska, Sea of Cortez, Ginnie Springs, ......too many other places to dive in the world. But I love Boniare and have many photos to last me until I return.....someday.
Buff,
You had me right with you until you mentioned Monterey! But I guess a Minnesota diver would think nothing of 65 deg water! Probably Alaska is in the same category, but I have not stuck my little toe in that water!
We keep talking about Bonaire and I guess we gotta try it soon...
Joewr...trying to remember that he just got back from a month away four days ago...
You had me right with you until you mentioned Monterey! But I guess a Minnesota diver would think nothing of 65 deg water! Probably Alaska is in the same category, but I have not stuck my little toe in that water!
We keep talking about Bonaire and I guess we gotta try it soon...
Joewr...trying to remember that he just got back from a month away four days ago...
mighty
New
Hi i saw your question about what to choose. I can recommend you Curacao above Bonaire. since the shores at Curacao are really really nicer and - to see it in a 'Dutch' way: Curacao is A LOT cheaper than Bonaire. The good thing of Bonaire is that it is really really quiet. If you like to switch the diving with a good night out, Curacao is a better place.
I have been to all three locations. Cozumel has been my favorite and I have been there fifteen times. The Hurricane did major damage to the island infrastructure. Cozumel is much tougher diving due to the currents. The boat rides can be longer than many prefer.
Bonaire is excellent for new divers. There really aren't currents, the visibility is terrific, the diving is close, and the colors are brilliant.
Belize is good too but new divers will really like Bonaire more.
Bonaire is excellent for new divers. There really aren't currents, the visibility is terrific, the diving is close, and the colors are brilliant.
Belize is good too but new divers will really like Bonaire more.
Similar threads
