Dive Destinations a few hours flight from Miami?

[miniwid]

Hey guys, I have a work trip in Miami in mid Jan and seeing as I'm flying all the way from Hong Kong I thought I might do a dive trip in the Caribbean prior. I've dived extensively in the Philippines and Indonesia but never in the Americas.

Can you pls recommend dive destinations for early Jan within a few hours flight of Miami? LoB preferred but shore diving also an option. I've done alot of muck/macro diving recently so would like this trip to be for bigger fish if possible (sharks etc....). I am certified advanced and have about 150 dives. Boats that don't charge a single supplement would also be good.

Thanks in advance

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Ever considered diving in … maybe … southeast Florida since you’ll already be here? Key Largo, Jupiter & Palm Besch are just a short drive from Miami. Not sure why you’d need to fly somewhere in the Caribbean. If that’s what you insist on doing, pretty much everything is a 2 hr flight or less from Miami.

 

[rick00001967]

bahamas ??

 

[Christopher Kosseff]

How about Bonaire? Boat and shore diving are great there. American flies direct from MIA. If interested, I can give a bunch of recommendations for dive operations and resorts.
Chris

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Yep. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Palm Beach area. From Jupiter south to the Keys, lots of diving.
January can be "fun." Water temps will be in the low70s, and seas can be bumpy one day and flat calm the next, but more likely to be bumpy.
As for Caribbean, Cozumel, Bonaire, Roatan, Grand Cayman,...just about anywhere. That time of year is tourist season, so prices are higher.

 

[Ray and Pam]

Belize LOB to outer islands is on my short list.

 

[parzdiver]

Bahamas is going to be your closest and on a LOB you will see sharks. Check All Star Liveaboards. They have options at a few levels. Blackbeard's is the base option for their ships and doesn't have a single supplement, but you get a berth, not a room. Very shared living. On their higher end, the Aquacat is a great ship with private rooms. Cat Ppalu is somewhere between.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @miniwid

I love my diving in SE Florida in Boynton Beach, Jupiter, and Palm Beach, but the sea conditions in the winter make counting on diving very risky.

I would think about going to Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers on Grand Cayman or, for a bit more travel, going to Little Cayman Beach Resort or Cayman Brac Beach Resort. I might consider a liveaboard to Turks & Caicos or Belize.

Best of luck in your diving

 

[rongoodman]

Liveaboard to Turks and Caicos.

 

[runsongas]

if you dive in indo/PI, don't bother with reef diving in the caribbean.

focus on wrecks off florida or tigers/hammers in the bahamas.