February destination

[DreamingOfScuba]

Hi,

I still trying to sort out a diving holiday / relaxing holiday for the end of February within a certain budget. This will be out first holiday diving after getting OW certified in the UK in 5C water temp so I want it to be a nice experience. We also don't want it to all be about diving although we are aiming to do around ten dives over 14 nights.

So far in my radar I have:-

Red Sea - I can easily afford this but want somewhere perhaps a bit warmer for this time of year.

Cancun, Mexico - Is this a good place for diving, not sure? Good reefs etc?

Jamaica - Is this a good place for diving?

Just out of my reach are Barbados, Maldives. Having done snorkelling in the Madives before this is the type of dive I would like to experience in terms of reefs and fish.

Anyone help me with some suggestions on the above.

Thanks..

 

[shugar]

go to the philippines... it's one of the most inexpensive places to dive in the world PLUS is one of the best (if not THE best) place for diving in the world...

it's easily reachable from the UK and (if i'm not mistaken) won't need you getting a visa

visit the philippine paradise divers forum in the regional section and we'll be happy to set you up and all

Jag

 

[DreamingOfScuba]

Hey,

Thanks for the idea but for this vacation philippines is way out of the budget unfortunately.

Thanks,

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Southern Red Sea is still warm in February.
Dahab will be a bit cold, Sharm El Sheikh will be better, but of course Marsa Alam will be just fine.
Feel free to PM me in case you need any help.

 

[Fionab]

Yep have to agree I would do the Redsea as well, in fact I am considering one for March. I only do liveaboards but you might prefer a landbased trip, however a liveaboard would get your dive tally up.

You will probably need 50 logged dive for some of the trips out of Marsa Alam but we did St Johns last September and this would be ideal.

Otherwise try for something out of Hurgarda if you want a liveaboard if you want landbased I would stick with Sharm.

 

[reeldive]

Check out Salt Cay, TCI. it is British for starters. My wife and I will be there from 26 Feb to 05 Mar. Might even get to do a whale watch as the Hump back should still be migrating. www.Saltcaydivers.tc

 

[Mantasscareme]

I've never been to the Caribbean, but I after doing some of my own vacation planning, this is what I've found. There are several Caribbean destinations that are worth considering. Grand Cayman, a British island south of Jamaica is supposed to be great, I'm going there this April. A lot of American divers like Cozumel, an island off the coast of Cancun. Cozumel has some serious currents though, so it may not be the best spot for beginners. Diving in Jamaica is considered pretty poor by Caribbean standards.

 

[frogoutofwater]

We're going to Oman and the Canaries this spring. We chose Oman because the diving is supposed to be very good (not as good as parts of the Red Sea, but much less crowded) and there are other interesting things to do and see when you're not diving. Flights are about 350 pounds in economy from London. Hotels seem to be rather expensive, but you can camp at the Al Sawadi Beach Resort and there are a few moderately priced hotels in Muscat.

The Canaries would be less expensive: no more than about 175 pounds for a flight (if you're careful with the dates you pick) and you can find hotels for around 50-75 euros a night all-inclusive (or rent an apartment). There are probably cheaper options if you book charters with hotels included. It probably wouldn't be as warm as the Caribbean at this time of year, but it will be warm enough for a hardy soul like you. In addition to diving, there is supposed to be some interesting hiking on some of the islands (we're going to Tenerife and La Gomera) - although you have to be careful about the elevations and make sure you don't ascend too high too quickly after diving. (We figure that dealing with the "ascending after diving" issue will make us relearn our dive table calculations.)

 

[DreamingOfScuba]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I had decided on Marsa Alam but then found out I can't get any flights to there, looked everywhere. I can only fly after 3PM 18th, anytime 19th and the 20th which is proving to be a real pain to find anywhere.

I really don't fancy Sharm as I would prefer somewhere with a beach were you don't need a 30 minute commute.

Not having much luck at the moment, I might have to increase my budget and try Barbados which seems fair.

 

[frogoutofwater]

We were in Barbados in February in 2004. Unfortunately, I caught a cold on the flight and didn't get to dive, but Mr. frogoutofwater did. He wasn't knocked out by the diving, although, to be fair, he only managed two dives.

Also, don't rule out the Florida Keys (fly to Miami and then drive down). You might find a good deal for a trip there. Accommodation and food costs would probably be a lot lower than Barbados.