Is there a "best"?

[parrotheaddiver]

The Cayman Islands as seen from the Cayman Aggressor. Then Bonaire, Cozumel, and the list goes on...Do your homework decide what sort of diving you want to do, how much you want to spend and then start looking at destinations. All destinations mentioned above are fantastic. So many place so little money

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Hello All

We had finally decided on Grand Turk for our next dive trip....until we went to book the airfare tonight. Yikes.. $850 - $915 and higher with up to 3 layovers! Haven't given up yet....but need to look at some other options. Does anyone know of any tour companies that have package deals for Grand Turk (air and hotel)

I've been to Grand Cayman. Is the diving at Little Cayman much different? Better?
How do the two islands themselves compare? I've been reading this board for info on hurricane damage and it seems that there was very little damage to the reefs on Little Cayman. Is that correct? What would you recommend for a dive resort and dive operator? Preferably want a small Dive Operator that doesn't take more than 8 divers. The dive trip is for the end of April 2005

Thanks so much!!
Pam

I never was able to find a package for Grand Turk. I ended up waiting for the airfare to Providenciales to bottom out, booked the tickets to there and then worked from there on. The plane fare from PLS to GT is static and none of the ops/resorts/hotels worked air included packages. There are three dive ops on GT and they all use small six-pack Carolina skiffs. They are all good. We never had more than four divers including the DM on board. Hope that helps.

 

[ronrosa]

Hi There,

These kinds of "best" questions are best answered with more information from the seeker...some criteria:

1) Reefs vs. wrecks

2) Big fish vs. small vs. macro

3) Corals/reefs vs. fish life

4) Diving vs. topside activities/beauty

5) what kind of topside environment is preferable?

6) water temp a consideration?

7) current acceptable?

8) popular destination vs. less visited


etc.

Good luck in your quest!


Regards,

How ya doin' Peter ?

You're right. "Best" is different for different people. For me, having been to: Aruba once, Little Cayman once, Turks & Caicos twice, Cozumel 3 times.

1) Reefs vs. Wrecks vs. Walls: I prefer reefs or walls. Aruba had best wrecks, Little Cayman had best walls, Turks & Caicos close 2nd on walls. Coz had best mix of reefs and walls.

2) Big fish vs small vs macro: I prefer quantity and quality. Big fish are nice because they aren't common, just as unique fish/animals are nice. Abundant fish/animal life is important to me.

3) Corals/reef vs fish life: I tend to prefer fish/animal life. At least in the Caribbean. Little Cayman and Turks & Caicos had the healthiest reefs. Turks & Caicos had the most big fish. Coz had the most fish life.


4) Diving vs. topside: Diving is most important to me, topside is important to my non-diving wife. I consider both for our trips.

5) Topside environment:Not a top priority for me, however, wife likes things cushy. Our next compromise dive trip will most likely be Curacao.

6) Water temp: Don't care as long as it's above 68 degf. I'm willing to make and exception for Galapagos whale sharks.

7) Current acceptable:Drift dives are fun and easy, but a pain to shoot good video. Cozumel was a little frustrating for video.

8) Popular vs. less visited:Doesn't matter much to me, wife prefers populated.


We all have our own preferences. Curious to know, what are yours ?

 

[peterjmaerz]

How ya doin' Peter ?

We all have our own preferences. Curious to know, what are yours ?

Hey Ron!

Yeah, I suppose I should answer my own questions! These responses are for the Caribbean only (since PNG and Fiji, for that matter, by far trump any destination I've been to in the Western Hemisphere)

1) Reefs vs. wrecks: Prefer reefs. Best reef/wall diving: Little Cayman, Bonaire. Best wrecks here in So. Florida. Have been seriously considering Chuuk lately, though.

2) Big fish vs. small vs. macro: Prefer small & macro. Best fish life: Bonaire+ Little Cayman tied. Best macro (critters): no contest---St. Vincent. Would, however, love to have one dive destination experience with lots of big stuff--have not yet seen a Manta, Bumphead, or Napoleon, and sharks only during feedings, except for Nurses and a smattering of reef and white tips in the blue.

3) Corals/reefs vs. fish life. Love em both. Healthiest, most abundant reefs: LC, Bonaire and Dominica; Fish Life: Bonaire, St. Vincent

4) Diving vs. topside activities/beauty. 80/20 for me now (used to be 50/50) Best topside, Dominica by far, with St. Lucia and St. Vincent tied for second.

5) what kind of topside environment is preferable? Lush, mountainous rainforest, as undeveloped as possible with good hiking.

6) water temp a consideration? Yep, won't travel to a destination with water colder than 80 degrees.

7) current acceptable? Yes. I too enjoy drift dives, though, as you say, Ron, they're not conducive to photography. Coz was a lot of fun for drifting!

8) popular destination vs. less visited Less visited for sure!



Ron, I'm getting closer to locking in a Raja Ampat trip for next November, though there's a possibility that i'll be tied up with work at that time and unable to travel. Hope you and yours are well....


Best,

 

[Doc]

If you could choose ONE place in the greater Caribbean to go diving, where would it be? (we can't decide where to go first!)

Looking not only at your post, "where to go first" and your profile showing limited dives, I would suggest going to a destination where you can log the greatest number of experience dives at the lowest price.

Pick some place that is used to newer divers.

You will not notice anything smaller than a yellow school bus until maybe your 50th dive... if you're lucky.

None of the above should be considered a "put down". It's just plain and simple fact, but with few exceptions.

The dive ops of Nassau and Freeport and Cancun beckon. Hone your skills, perfect your buoyancy. Then go to places that have the larger creatures: Lobsters to Sharks. Then, go to places where the macro stuff hides. By then, you will have learned how to not contact the reef.

Expand your skills with shore diving, and also small boat, drift and dory diving, with surface recovery skills. Then, try considering real current drift diving. A ways down the road, you'll be ready for the likes of the Galapagos. Somewhere in the process, certain liveaboards may be appropriate.

Get many dives under your belt, vary the conditions and support equipment.

 

[del_mo]

doc....what do you mean by "You will not notice anything smaller than a yellow school bus until maybe your 50th dive... if you're lucky."?

Thanks for everyones input.

 

[Hank49]

doc....what do you mean by "You will not notice anything smaller than a yellow school bus until maybe your 50th dive... if you're lucky."?

Thanks for everyones input.

I think he means what Eddie Murphy meant when he said there is only one expression on your face when you first have sex...it's because y'u're so surprised you're doing it. Kind of like diving. floating along going ,"holy s##t...I"m diving...."

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I think he means what Eddie Murphy meant when he said there is only one expression on your face when you first have sex...it's because y'u're so surprised you're doing it. Kind of like diving. floating along going ,"holy s##t...I"m diving...."

LOL. . .that and the fact that you are busy checking gauges and equipment and worrying about things that will never happen and forgetting about things that might. Too busy to actually look for stuff on the dive.

 

[Tuckster]

May want to consider other variables such as how long the boat dives are from where you're staying. I loved Belize however the best sites were a long (1 hr or more) boat ride !!! I've heard Bonaire has most dive sites within a 5 or 10 minute boat ride.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

May want to consider other variables such as how long the boat dives are from where you're staying. I loved Belize however the best sites were a long (1 hr or more) boat ride !!! I've heard Bonaire has most dive sites within a 5 or 10 minute boat ride.

Grand Turk and Little Cayman also have great diving and really short boat rides.