Question ISO “Best” All-Inclusive Dive Resort Options in the Caribbean

[Akimbo]

ISO “Best” All-Inclusive Dive Resort Options in the Caribbean

OK, I give up. What does the International Standards Organization (ISO) have to do with dive resorts?

 

[drrich2]

OK, I give up.

I'm guessing 'In Search Of?'

 

[Akimbo]

I'm guessing 'In Search Of?'

A typo for IYO, In Your Opinion???

 

[Hoag]

I'm guessing 'In Search Of?'

That is how I read it. Having said that, humour is sometimes hard to express in writing so I honestly am not sure if @Akimbo was seriously asking or if he was just "messing with us".

 

[ScubaJoy65]

Dove AKR in March 2022. Great staff and dive op…very quiet at resort due to layout. I got DCI after day 2 of diving - freak occurrence as dive profile fine (I am a DM). On site deco chamber and great medical staff. Oh by the way always dive with DAN accident insurance.

Excellent. Thank you for the update. Love that they have a deco chamber on site. Sorry that you had to use it and hope you're feeling better. Your post reminded me to go click RENEW on our DAN insurance.

A couple other questions: how were the underwater sites? was there plenty to see and photograph? And how were the bugs? (I've heard "complaints" about both, which is why I'm asking.)

 

[Aviyes]

Turks & Caicos Explorer Venture is my favorite liveaboard, been on it 3 times, usually wait for deals to drop. Safety wise at least 2+ exits for the rooms (1 forward/1 aft), especially on the main deck with the majority of the cabins, one roving watch at all times, safety briefs on day one, etc.
Plenty of great diving, awesome crew, good food, and up to 5 dives/day, including 1 night dive each day.

 

[jd950]

I loved Bohio, but unfortunately, it appears to be closed for renovations. No word on their re-opening plans.

The "rumor" is they are closed/out of business/in liquidation. Some talk of reopening as a cruise ship-oriented beach club, maybe including dives, but don't know.

 

[Brodydog]

I really enjoyed Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia it was all inclusive with onsite diving "Scuba St. Lucia". The reef was probably the healthiest I've seen in the Caribbean.

Interesting. How was the fish life? Is looks like mostly smaller stuff on Scuba St Lucia’s video. But I would love to see some healthy coral.

I’m looking for somewhere new in the Caribbean to try. We try different places but keep being drawn back to Cozumel. And every time I try a new location in Roatan I hope for the best but Roatan just doesn’t do it for me.

 

[scubadada]

AIs I have enjoyed include Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman, Little Cayman Beach Resort, Cayman Brac Beach Resort Trip Report - Cayman Brac Beach Resort/Reef Divers Oct 23-30, 2017 and Turquoise Bay on Roatan Trip Report - Turquoise Bay Resort/Subway Watersports August 2017 We stayed at Hotel Cozumel quite a while ago on AI but did many of our dinners in town to enjoy the food and ambience. We don't do Bonaire at an AI, but almost as easy in a full apartment. We just got back from our 9th trip, here is a post of the 8th Trip Report - Bonaire: Den Laman and Dive Friends, October 20-November 3, 2021 We ate out several times on our most recent trip, as we had visitors.

Of course, many liveaboards would meet your requirements. I had a very good trip to Belize earlier this year Trip Report - Belize on the Aggressor IV April 9-16, 2022

 

[RobPNW]

There are places like Anthony's Key in Roatan that are similar, but the quality of the diving is not close to Little Cayman IMO. There are some resorts on the Atolls in Belize, like Manta Island Resort that will probably be similar as well and the diving out there is probably closer to what you get in LC. But read the fine print about accommodations are those resorts, as some of them don't have AC in the rooms, or will let you use it for a separate fee, but only at night. I have gone to a lot of places in the Caribbean and haven't really found anything that quite matches up to what you get from the Clearly Cayman Resorts on LC and Cayman Brac with Reef Divers as the dive operator. Maybe that is why we keep going back to LCBR year after year...

I took a look at some of those Cayman web sites and unless I missed something, it appeared the dive package was for a 2 tank boat dive in the morning and that's it. Did I miss something?