Diving, Dining and Hotels on Bermuda

[SandyUT]

Hi all,

Doing a little research on Bermuda for a possible trip. I have found enough info on dive ops.

The hotels looked pretty large and "fancy" for what we are used to, and a bit high priced. I looked at an all inclusive option for the Grotto and its $110 a day per person, which leads me to believe eating and drinking off the menu is costly. I cant find a menu for their restaurant anywhere. Sounds like getting around the island is a PITA, so I am curious about eat only at the resort.

Diving - I know deeper diving is not always better, but I have read some mixed reviews about the diving and ow its shallow ot the point that they don't even offer nitrox. And none of the resorts are "Dive Resorts". I love dive resorts and is it a stretch to think since there are none that Bermuda is not a dive destination?

thanks for your help and opinions!

 

[SandyUT]

interesting. that is what we are doing in bonaire. Where did you stay?

 

[Hawkwood]

The diving around Bermuda is excellent.

Bermuda is an expensive place to visit as you have discovered, but there is much more to do on the island than just diving.

Getting around? We rented a double scooter and had no issues. It is either the scooter or you will taxi or take the bus.

You might want to consider looking into renting an apartment or condo. That is what we did. Grocery shopped and cooked our own meals. No need to eat out all the time.

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[Damselfish]

And none of the resorts are "Dive Resorts". I love dive resorts and is it a stretch to think since there are none that Bermuda is not a dive destination?

Not a stretch, Bermuda really isn't a dive destination. Yes there is diving there, especially wrecks, and it suits some people. But it's simply not a major dive destination like Bonaire/Cayman/Bay Islands/Belize/Coz/etc. Keep in mind Bermuda is considered sub-tropical, not tropical; the water is much colder for part of the year than most people looking for a warm water dive vacation want. That along with the expense is probably enough to make it hard to support the typical dedicated dive resort.

 

[dfx]

Getting around: rent a scooter. Lots of fun. Keep in mind that you're gonna have to drive on the left though. That, together with not ever having rode a scooter before, makes it a deal breaker for some people. It can be quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

AI option: forget about it. The Swizzle Inn is just around the corner from Grotto Bay (walking distance), the food is great and the prices are reasonable. They have free wi-fi too. It might be a stretch to go there for lunch and dinner though.

Another option is to go for something like a guest apartment instead of a resort, which makes it a lot cheaper. We stayed at Sandpiper Guest Apartments and loved it. The other Swizzle Inn is also just around the corner from that place, and/or you can shop for groceries yourself (there's a kitchen). Downside is that there's no dive shop within walking distance, but that's not a problem if you have a scooter.

 

[tkaelin]

Bermuda is a beautiful island with some nice diving. It is not a dive destination and as far as I know no dive resorts. If you don't want a main hotel, look at a rental with a kitchen. Much more affordable than the main hotels. Bermudarentals.com or Bermudagetaways.com, or something very similar. We rented a part of a house with two bdrms, kitchen, balcony, yard on the water with a swimming and excellent snorkeling for $200 night. I would skip the scooters as your main transportation. The buses and ferry system are excellent and day and multiday passes are a value. You can't carry all your luggage or dive gear on the buses. We rented a private car to pick us up and drop us off at the airport. Not much more than a taxi. With the private car, we also stopped at a market to pick up food and bus passes on our way in from the airport. Depending on where you are diving and for how long you could also drop your gear at the dive op. We did use scooters to get back and forth to the dive op with mesh dive gear bags on our back and basket which worked out okay but I would not want to be in rush hour traffic or out at night on the scooters. Also check average water temps and visibility by month. I think the Blue Water divers website has a chart. It varies dramatically from season and it is cold in the winter and spring months.

 

[marine9]

Hi all,

Doing a little research on Bermuda for a possible trip. I have found enough info on dive ops.

The hotels looked pretty large and "fancy" for what we are used to, and a bit high priced. I looked at an all inclusive option for the Grotto and its $110 a day per person, which leads me to believe eating and drinking off the menu is costly. I cant find a menu for their restaurant anywhere. Sounds like getting around the island is a PITA, so I am curious about eat only at the resort.

Diving - I know deeper diving is not always better, but I have read some mixed reviews about the diving and ow its shallow ot the point that they don't even offer nitrox. And none of the resorts are "Dive Resorts". I love dive resorts and is it a stretch to think since there are none that Bermuda is not a dive destination?

thanks for your help and opinions!

We spent 2 weeks in Bermuda in May, diving and enjoying the island.
We stayed on a houseboat right at the DockYard for $200.00 per night.
It had a galley for making your own meals, and two TV's with cable.
Enjoy the trip!

 

[Wolfie]

I only dove one day and our "deep" dive was 45' to the sand and avg 25'. So it was close enough to the surface to be annoyed by the surge pushing you around. It was nice diving but nothing to write home about. Another plus is for a summer trip the weather is much more bearable than the southern islands.

---------- Post added August 1st, 2013 at 03:53 PM ----------

And bring lots of money.