Fall travel to dive destinations?

[Dirty-Dog]

We admit it. We're addicted. We've been back from our most recent trip diving in Cancun and Playa del Carmen for nearly two whole weeks, and we're feeling dry. Living in landlocked Colorado, our local options are pretty limited (ok... non-existent might be a better word). And being poor nurses, not rich Drs, we can't afford to travel every month. So, we figure we'll spend the summer exploring the mountains (as we always do) in the Jeep, and we're planning to go to Denver and dive the Shark Tank at the aquarium just to get wet.

But the fall looks like a good time to fly south again.

Just my wife and I. We're both PADI AOW but not terribly experienced yet; all our dives have been boat dives, and all in the Cancun/Playa del Carmen area. We'd like to go someplace with lots of shore diving, as that seems to be an excellent way to get experience planning and executing dives without a guide.

We've been talking going back to Cancun or Cozumel, but St Croix, Bonaire, Roatan and Curacao are also places we've been talking about.

So my questions are:
Knowing that fall is hurricaine season, when would be the best time to travel, and to where? And at those destinations, what resorts/dive shops do you recommend?

Thanks for helping our planning.

 

[OH2OD]

Bonaire is considered out of hurricane belt and is an excellant shore dive destination.
In our trips, we have stayed at Plaza Resort and dove with Toucan Divers.
They have a package that includes rental truck with full insurance.

 

[AggieDiver]

If shore diving is what you are interested in, Bonaire is probably the tops in the world. I say probably because I haven't been there yet. I have read far too many accounts of people getting their belongings stolen, rental trucks damaged, accomodations broken into, etc. I am doing my own little one man boycott of Bonaire until the authorities there actually put some effort into busting the ring or rings of thieves that have been preying on divers for many years. I am not saying you shouldn't go there; just that if you do, make sure you are aware of the types of crime that are routinely ignored by the authorities there and take precautions to protect your belongings.

As for hurricane season, it runs from June through November, but the real peak in terms of number of storms and (generally) their severity is in Septmber and October. When storms are not around, the winds are often very calm and visibility can be spectacular depending on where you are. Other locations to consider would be Curacao, Caymans (I prefer the sister islands over GC), or Cozumel. Shore diving in Cozumel, you will have to deal with the current, Curacao is not always easy to get to depending on where you are starting, and Cayman is probably the most likely of the three to get hit with a storm (or a near miss) in the Sep/Oct/Nov time frame.

 

[Rhone Man]

We admit it. We're addicted.

That's an important step - first thing you need to do is admit your problem.

Bonaire is considered out of hurricane belt and is an excellant shore dive destination.
In our trips, we have stayed at Plaza Resort and dove with Toucan Divers.
They have a package that includes rental truck with full insurance.

What he said. Hurricanes only really strike Grenada and further up. Bonaire is cheap, excellent diving, and out of the hurricane belt.

Hurricanes are actually not nearly so much of a problem as your insurance company would have you believe. Any given island will be struck by a hurricane about once every 10 years. Chance of it striking on a day that you happen to be visiting? Probably pretty darned small.

 

[robint]

like the others said.... you could have terrible weather, or great weather in fall, no guarantees either way. You do have high humidity and rain showers, that is guaranteed! So keep that in mind... vis may be down, depending on your location, due to runoff from rain.

I highly recommend both Bonaire (love Buddy Dive) and also Roatan (love Cocoview Resort). They are completely different but the tops at what they offer for both locations.

Bonaire - Buddy Dive has amazing shore diving, just walk right down a ladder into water and follow the chain out to reef, return same way. Then they give you a truck for the week, and unlimited Nitrox tanks, go shore dive any time you want 24/7. Buddy Dive Resort website
I have videos here: Bonaire, 2007 on Vimeo
You don't have to stay at Buddy Dive though, there are lots of other good hotels on the island. We really enjoyed Buddy's and plan to go back there.

Roatan - Cocoview is an all-inclusive small resort on a private island, you do 4 boat dives per day with meals in one big ClubHouse. We were there in Nov and it did rain quite a bit but we still loved it and plan to go back. Package prices are on the website, yes it is a bit more than places like Fantasy Island, but you get what you pay for.
CoCo View Resort

and if you want to go to Cozumel, Scuba Club cozumel: Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Resort and Scuba Cozumel Dive Shop We just returned from our second trip there, see my videos here: Mexico - Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula on Vimeo
there is unlimited shore diving in front of resort. Great packages are available to SCC, look here:
Scuba Club Cozumel All Inclusive Dive Packages

 

[Damselfish]

The chances of a direct hit by a major hurricane any given place/week are small. But the odds of some storm being close enough to give you crappy weather and maybe interfere with diving to some extent are somewhat higher. Different regions tend to get hit more often earlier or later in the season, you can find statistics on this if you look around. And yes, further south tends to be safer (though not perfectly safe, even the ABCs have occasionally gotten something - remember Lenny?)

 

[Straegen]

Hawaii in fall can be nice and around October you can usually find a deal or two. It is in hurricane season for them but hurricanes there are pretty rare.

 

[Doc]

The chances of a direct hit by a major hurricane any given place/week are small. But the odds of some storm being close enough to give you crappy weather and maybe interfere with diving to some extent are somewhat higher. Different regions tend to get hit more often earlier or later in the season, you can find statistics on this if you look around. And yes, further south tends to be safer (though not perfectly safe, even the ABCs have occasionally gotten something - remember Lenny?)

Well stated. Here it is in picture form:

 

[DandyDon]

It's good to plan well, but just go. I do trip insurance for international trips anyway, but storms are one of the risks to cover. I lost most of a Keys trip to high winds and waves one April, most of an Exuma liveaboard to a hard norther in January, most of a December Bahamas liveaboard to a flu relapse, and most of a Coz trip to a hurricane evacuation (ok that one I should have called the day before departure, but was too set on going), but that's just part of the adventure. I keep going.

California Channel islands are nice into the fall as are the Thousand Islands on the St.Lawrence, if you're looking for a wide range of ideas - greatly reduced chances of hurricanes altho they have hit both, and Puget Sound should still be only moderate cold water during the midst of hurricane season - an awesome dive trip to me, altho they were surprised to see me.

Wherever you head, have a great trip or adventure. ilot:

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Good advise from one and all, and I really appreciate the info on hurricaine alley.

DandyDon, I don't know about the cold water diving.... I'm not bothered overmuch, but Sue...

On our recent trip to Cancun, we did two dives at Cenote Chac Mool. I wore my 5mm jacket and was fine. Sue, on the other hand, wore a 3mm full + the 5mm jacket and was still chilled (though not shivering) by the end of the second dive.

I am all in favor of trip insurance. But although I certainly would be happy to recover the money in case a trip was thumbed, I'd still prefer to try and plan things to minimize the chances of such a thing happening. I can recover the money. I cannot recover the (paid vacation) time.