Diving location ideas?????

[Scubastl]

I am looking for some good ideas on diving locations. I am taking a group (40-60 people) on a scuba trip in July 2011, departing from St Louis Missouri. Here are some of the prerequisites:

1. All inclusive resort
2. Activities for non divers
3. Cost around $2000 (including diving)

We have been to Cozumel, Curacao, and Belize. I am out of good ideas (trying to accommodate everyone). You can see the above prerequisites and I'm not sure if there is another good dive spot out there. I've only looked in the caribbean, thinking I'm not going to find a another location within the price we need. However, I'm open to ideas anywhere that meet our needs.

Please respond if you have any good ideas.

Thanks for the help.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

Everyone raves about Bonaire. And I believe it's well within your budget. Since my interests are really wreck diving instead of reef diving, I have not visited it yet. From your post, Cozumel, Curacao and Belize, it sounds like your group really likes reef diving. I know there are forum's here on SB about Bonaire, and also you can Google it to find out everything you need. Since you are in STL, flights on American should work out well for your group. Good luck. Have fun whatever you do.

Safe diving to you.

 

[robint]

Wow... trying to please 40-60 people is really a big job. I can't imagine finding anyplace that would really work. You have been to Coz and Belize, which both have topside activities and diving and probably work the best for those requirements.
Bay Islands - Roatan and Utila both might work but not too many resorts can handle that many people. They are both more rustic, too, so I don't know if that works for your group.
Caymans are definitely out of your price range.

 

[--tom--]

I hear that Philippines is the current value destination.

Are you a Dive Master or better? If you are, you should be taking this question to DEMA.

 

[DeputyDan]

Buddy Dive - Bonaire
Coco View - Roatan

Would work if you can plan far enough out!

 

[shorediver66]

Try Divetech in Grand Cayman or Unexso in Grand Bahama.

Grand Cayman scuba diving cayman island scuba diving cayman island scuba resort cayman scuba training cayman cayman island scuba grand cayman scuba dive cayman islands scuba diving scuba diving in grand cayman scuba diving cayman scuba diving on gran

Dolphin & Scuba Diving Activities & More!

 

[Doc]

.... taking a group (40-60 people)....Here are some of the prerequisites:

1. All inclusive resort
2. Activities for non divers
3. Cost around $2000 (including diving)

We have been to Cozumel, Curacao, and Belize. I am out of good ideas (trying to accommodate everyone).

My best idea is that you have to first decide what it is that you are trying to do.

There is no such thing as a dive trip for 40~60 people, at least not one that is survivable for the "group leader".

You have to decide if you are running a dive club, or if you are running a club for "non divers".

A true "non diver" would go bull-goose-looney on Roatan and most every other rock in the Caribbean, maybe even the rest of the world. Start looking at where you have been as a model. Cozumel and Curacao are much more-so considered a vacation destination versus a "dive destination". Your experience with "non divers" in Belize tells me they enjoyed "the big cay", and most Belize dive travelers are going anywhere but.

Cayman or Lucaya Unexso would seem to be a great possibility as Shorediver66 says above.

"Good diving", as you call it, is certainly a relative term, highly subjective. What is much more quantitative... the inverse relationship between good diving and terrestrial development. The two just can not co-exist.

Split up your group, do smaller trips.

 

[diversteve]

Try Divetech in Grand Cayman or Unexso in Grand Bahama.

Cobalt Coast has 24 rooms. Divetech has 2 boats:

24 Guestrooms, Suites & Villas featuring modern Caribbean elegance. Spacious air-conditioned accommodations, most of them with spectacular unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea (your choice of 1 King or 2 Full-Size Beds),

Our custom built dive boats accommodate up to 12 recreational divers on Ten Ata and 16 on Atatude

The OP has 40-60 people. I can't see that working too well - even if only 40 of them are divers. Not sure Cobalt Coast could handle that many people either unless all were willing to double up. And it's not an ideal spot for non-divers, not much beach and pretty far from shopping along SMB or in Georgetown. Even Boatswains Beach is too far to walk.

Bay Islands - Roatan and Utila both might work but not too many resorts can handle that many people.

Where on Utila? Laguna Beach has a max capacity of 40, Deep Blue only takes 20 guests and Utopia has 16 rooms. This pretty much breaks out the Utila options: http://www.aboututila.com/AccomInfo/Resorts.htm

 

[diversteve]

Anthony's Key on Roatan might be an option. They have 56 units most with at least a double bed - some have 2 double beds - per bungalow. plus 7 (20-30 pax) dive boats. And it's a full AI. For the non-divers, the West End is a few minutes away by cab - and it's a cheap ride - I paid $6-8 for two of us. There are also 10pax vans available that would be even cheaper to Coxen Hole, the zipline tours, local villages etc. My group paid $10PP to go from the West End to the airport in one.

If Grand Cayman is of interest, you might check with RedSail. They have 9 large diveboats so should be able to easily accommodate a group of your size. But there's no AI option, they partner with several resorts and condo complexes. Grand Cayman Scuba Diving - Red Sail Cayman Locations

I agree with Robin, Cayman on $2K would be tough - especially if you want to eat out nightly. Some of the condos can accommodate larger occupancy (6-8) so that could save some $.

Plaza Resort on Bonaire might work - the resort is certainly large enough. I don't think they're an AI though. Toucan Diving could probably accommodate your group, they had about 6 boats IIRC. This might be a bad week to go though: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-ny/329439-bonaire-dny-invasion-reserve-now.html Or the Divi Flamingo? Diving is going to be very similar to Curacao though - Bonaire is just a little harder to get to.

 

[ColoDale]

For the price I would suggest Cozumel, Honduras, Belize or Bahamas. You might find deals elsewhere but might get sticky for that large of a group.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is running a free companion air program again. We took advantage of this last June to go to Exuma. The companion will probably have to pay taxes but the base air is free and was deducted immediately (no rebate thing). I think we even had companion air free from Denver not a Florida gateway.

Check the travel by dates - it might be June 30 2011. They keep exending it so maybe they will except it or extend it.

The link from the email they sent is:

Free Companion Airfare Portal - Bahamas | The Bahamas