drrich2
Contributor
Hardly anyone gets to dive every place they'd like to; many of us get one or two 'scuba trips' per year, if that, so we have to discriminate between destinations. You don't just decide 'I want to go to Cozumel.' You decide 'I want to go to Cozumel instead of Bonaire, Belize, the Caymans, the Florida Keys, Turks & Caicos, St. Lucia,' etc...
There are different angles to approach that from. One may ask someone who posted a trip report, or ask which of 2 or 3 options others would pick. The answer is individual, and not always about the 'best' option (e.g.: I didn't quit going to Bonaire because I stopped loving it); sometimes it's about trying new places, or seeing something specific (e.g.: sharks or wrecks).
So here's my angle this time; what are the next couple of new places you plan to dive, and what led you to pick them over alternatives?
I'll go 1st. I've had 8 Bonaire trips; loved shore diving. When our toddler was smaller, wanted to stay close to U.S. health care, so tried the Florida Keys for the shallow reef diving (quite fishy, & some deep wrecks) and Jupiter, Fl for the goliath grouper aggregation & to see sharks. Morehead City, N.C., to spend time with sand tiger sharks up close, & try some off-shore Atlantic Ocean diving. The Sun Dancer 2 live-aboard out of Belize made a great 1st live-aboard, fine 'all around general' Caribbean diving.
I want to try new places/things, but in the U.S./Caribbean region (cost, 7 day limit on gone time, intolerance for plane rides over 4 hours)...). Needed to go cheaper this year, so considered a Blackbeard's cruise, but then Aggressor Fleet had a 32% off sale... Lord willing and providing, I hope these 2016 choices work out:
1.) Cayman Aggressor - should weather cooperate, hope to hit all 3 Cayman Islands. All I want is lots of diving (visited the Turtle Farm on Grand Cayman on a cruise ship stop), and live-aboards are a turn key trip. Food, housing, transport, diving...if it were much easier, a crash test dummy could do it. I've repeatedly read of Little Cayman described as the best diving in the Caribbean, with Cayman Brac perhaps a fairly close 2nd. Since this is my dive region, seems I ought to try 'the best.' Main alternative would've been LCBR, but more dives, the chance to hit all 3 islands & that sweet 32% off sale clinched it.
2.) Truth Aquatics Limited Load 5-day Trip to the Southern Channel Islands - it's cold, viz. ain't up there with the better Caribbean areas, you don't have lush coral reef, a lot of the tropical life I like to see isn't there, that nagging fear a great white will mistake me for a seal (extremely low risk, but I'll be thinking it), and they don't provide free dive guides leading reef tours. Just having to wear a thick full wetsuit, hood & gloves sounds like a downer. But California offers 'American' diving, kelp forest, seals & sea lions, a different species mix than I'm used to and a new ocean to dive, a diverse experience vs. my prior diving. I'm told the Channel Islands are some of the best California diving, I'm not likely to get blown out by weather, the southern islands water is a bit warmer, and considering the long boat rides of mainland-based day boats + cost of mainland hotels, the # of potential dives & overall trip cost of this trip looked good.
Cayman Trip Alternatives: I read Turks & Caicos might also be amongst the best Caribbean diving, but best done by live-aboard, & site walls often start deep. Good place to see sharks. Looks like both Explorer Ventures & Aggressor live-aboard options are very reputable.
California Trip Alternatives: Truth Aquatics had a strong reputation, plenty of online reviews & their website was good (except the hassle of nailing down the equipment rental pages). There's another boat, the Peace, I hear high praise about, but not as many reviews and the website wasn't as informative. I like reputable, easy and informative. Pacific diving south of California offers warmer water; the logistics of a trip to Cabo whatever (seems like everything's 'Cabo' something or other) were confusing, & trip reports varied. Sounds like Cabo Pulmo is the place to aim for. Better yet, the Socorros via live-aboard, but that's expensive, and a different kind of diving than I'm used to. And I've a mild bias towards U.S. destinations. You could make a strong argument for a Socorros live-aboard for big animal diving.
So what drives your upcoming choices?
Richard.
There are different angles to approach that from. One may ask someone who posted a trip report, or ask which of 2 or 3 options others would pick. The answer is individual, and not always about the 'best' option (e.g.: I didn't quit going to Bonaire because I stopped loving it); sometimes it's about trying new places, or seeing something specific (e.g.: sharks or wrecks).
So here's my angle this time; what are the next couple of new places you plan to dive, and what led you to pick them over alternatives?
I'll go 1st. I've had 8 Bonaire trips; loved shore diving. When our toddler was smaller, wanted to stay close to U.S. health care, so tried the Florida Keys for the shallow reef diving (quite fishy, & some deep wrecks) and Jupiter, Fl for the goliath grouper aggregation & to see sharks. Morehead City, N.C., to spend time with sand tiger sharks up close, & try some off-shore Atlantic Ocean diving. The Sun Dancer 2 live-aboard out of Belize made a great 1st live-aboard, fine 'all around general' Caribbean diving.
I want to try new places/things, but in the U.S./Caribbean region (cost, 7 day limit on gone time, intolerance for plane rides over 4 hours)...). Needed to go cheaper this year, so considered a Blackbeard's cruise, but then Aggressor Fleet had a 32% off sale... Lord willing and providing, I hope these 2016 choices work out:
1.) Cayman Aggressor - should weather cooperate, hope to hit all 3 Cayman Islands. All I want is lots of diving (visited the Turtle Farm on Grand Cayman on a cruise ship stop), and live-aboards are a turn key trip. Food, housing, transport, diving...if it were much easier, a crash test dummy could do it. I've repeatedly read of Little Cayman described as the best diving in the Caribbean, with Cayman Brac perhaps a fairly close 2nd. Since this is my dive region, seems I ought to try 'the best.' Main alternative would've been LCBR, but more dives, the chance to hit all 3 islands & that sweet 32% off sale clinched it.
2.) Truth Aquatics Limited Load 5-day Trip to the Southern Channel Islands - it's cold, viz. ain't up there with the better Caribbean areas, you don't have lush coral reef, a lot of the tropical life I like to see isn't there, that nagging fear a great white will mistake me for a seal (extremely low risk, but I'll be thinking it), and they don't provide free dive guides leading reef tours. Just having to wear a thick full wetsuit, hood & gloves sounds like a downer. But California offers 'American' diving, kelp forest, seals & sea lions, a different species mix than I'm used to and a new ocean to dive, a diverse experience vs. my prior diving. I'm told the Channel Islands are some of the best California diving, I'm not likely to get blown out by weather, the southern islands water is a bit warmer, and considering the long boat rides of mainland-based day boats + cost of mainland hotels, the # of potential dives & overall trip cost of this trip looked good.
Cayman Trip Alternatives: I read Turks & Caicos might also be amongst the best Caribbean diving, but best done by live-aboard, & site walls often start deep. Good place to see sharks. Looks like both Explorer Ventures & Aggressor live-aboard options are very reputable.
California Trip Alternatives: Truth Aquatics had a strong reputation, plenty of online reviews & their website was good (except the hassle of nailing down the equipment rental pages). There's another boat, the Peace, I hear high praise about, but not as many reviews and the website wasn't as informative. I like reputable, easy and informative. Pacific diving south of California offers warmer water; the logistics of a trip to Cabo whatever (seems like everything's 'Cabo' something or other) were confusing, & trip reports varied. Sounds like Cabo Pulmo is the place to aim for. Better yet, the Socorros via live-aboard, but that's expensive, and a different kind of diving than I'm used to. And I've a mild bias towards U.S. destinations. You could make a strong argument for a Socorros live-aboard for big animal diving.
So what drives your upcoming choices?
Richard.