First warm water dive vacation

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Clammy

Contributor
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Location
San Diego, CA USA
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Hi, I'm looking to take my first warm water dive vacation sometime mid summer or after and was wondering where people would recommend. I am 27 years old and the likelyhood is that I will be taking the vacation alone because it's a dive vacation and almost none of my friends dive. I am coming from the Southern California and would probably want to limit my travel time to under a half day (so somewhere within the Caribbean.) I'm thinking about taking about a week.

If you have any recommendations and also know of any group trips going, please let me know as well.

Thank you!
 
There are a great many good dives throughout the Carribean, but as far as just plain great diving you can't beat Bonaire. An entire island dedicated to easy shore diving, with resorts that cater to the diver. You will have no problem finding other divers , and if you are going you can often find other Scubaboard members who will be there at the same time.Just post an inquiry here, and see who responds.
 
Wow, so many options.

Anywhere on the Yucatan peninsula (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Tulum, etc). About a four and a half hour flight from SoCal (if you can still fly direct) and anywhere from a 15 to 90 minute shuttle. Water temp 79 to 84 degrees year round. Great diving.

Cozumel (same flight time if you get a direct flight, 10-15 minute taxi to most hotels). Lots of places to choose to stay. Same water temp. Great diving.

As far as experience, we dove Puerto Aventuras with only our OW c-card dives. Dove Cozumel with a total of 16 dives in our logbook, so pretty much the same as you.

Loreto, MX in Baja (you can be there in 90 minutes from Orange County or LAX). The water can get cooler in the winter, but mid summer to fall it is still great. Lots of sea bigger sea life.

Cabo is another option. I've had mixed reports on the diving from friends.

I'll let others chime in on Belize, Roatan, etc.
 
That time of the year in the Caribbean is gonna have to be some place very south like Aruba, Bonaire, or Curacao maybe. Unless of course you like diving in Hurricanes.
 
The chance of a hurricane is low, but it pays to take insurance. The earliest scare we've had here in northern Belize was mid-July, but the earliest actual hurricane was a couple of months after that. Otherwise it's a great time to visit, with lots of choice, relatively low prices, hot but not as much as later, calm weather and good visibility.
 
Hmm.. Thanks for the info!

What do you think about live-aboards?
 
Cozumel, Roatan, Grand Cayman, and the Aggressor fleet in Belize, Utilia, What are you willing to spend! All can be reached in your time requirements form LAX or Ont! Via Huston on Continental who lets divers still do 70lbs of SCUBA gear!
 
Don't count out Hawaii. Living in L.A. , Kona has quickly become one of our favorites. Direct flights, great diving, and lots (too many)of topside activities...
However, if you are travelling alone and want more of a party atmosphere. Club med Turks and Caicos. Great diving by Carribean standards. And great partying by any standards.....
 
Don't count out Hawaii. Living in L.A. , Kona has quickly become one of our favorites. Direct flights, great diving, and lots (too many)of topside activities...

Pricey compared to the Carribean, but we're going to Kona this year too.
 
yeah, it can get pricey. We will still go every year, though. Too easy of a hit from so cal.
 

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