Liveaboard in Caribbean

[Damselfish]

Although I've only done Belize liveaboard, everything I know makes me believe its a pretty different experience than land based diving from someplace like Ambergris, if that's where you've been. You get to spend all your time out on the atolls where the best diving is. It's not like Utila or Cayman where you are diving pretty much the same sites as the land ops.

 

[BTravlin]

You mentioned Grenada so you might want to check out the newly refitted Wind Dancer.

Dancer Fleet - Peter Hughes Diving

Looks like a good itinerary and the price seems reasonable. Have not been on the boat myself but plan to in the near future.

 

[ronscuba]

Where in Belize did you dive ? The liveaboards typically dive around Turneffe and Lighthouse reefs which are more pristine than the reefs near Ambergris.

 

[ncchuck]

Although I've only done Belize liveaboard, everything I know makes me believe its a pretty different experience than land based diving from someplace like Ambergris, if that's where you've been. You get to spend all your time out on the atolls where the best diving is. It's not like Utila or Cayman where you are diving pretty much the same sites as the land ops.

I've been to Belize on Liveaboards twice. I've been on the Cayman Aggressor once and the Utila Aggressor 3 times. On the Cayman Aggressor you dive Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman on most trips. No land based operation does that. On the Utila Aggressor, you dive on Roatan, Utila and Cayos Cochinos on most trips. It would be impossible for a land based operation to dive all these places. I personally find the diving on the Utila Aggressor the best of the three.

 

[Damselfish]

The OP said they had been to Cayman, Belize, and Bay Islands each a number of times. Certainly doing any of these places by liveaboard will be a different experience. But my point was just that in Belize the sites the liveaboards do are for the most part not dove by land based ops because they're too far, so the OP would be getting to different and better sites on the liveaboard than they had on their land-based trips there. In the case of Cayman and Bay Islands, the liveaboards do mostly dive the same sites as various land ops - obviously not the same op for all of them!

(But I've dove all 3 Cayman Islands from land on the same trip, it's a short flight. )

 

[Papa_Bear]

What does a bird have to do with Cayman three times?

 

[Margery Mullett]

Thanks, I'm talking to Peter Hughes now, to see if I can arrange something. Margie

 

[Margery Mullett]

We stayed once on St George Key and mainly dove in that area. Lots of eagle rays, eels .. easy diving. Also stayed on Turneff Island. You don't dive too far from the island. Don't really need to. Went to The Elbow a number of times. Thought I saw hammerheads, but they were far off. Also did a night dive with a full moon right overhead. Hardly needed a light, seriously. So cool! The boat broke down the day we were heading to The Blue Hole, so I have never seen it. Sad.

 

[DeputyDan]

You mentioned Grenada so you might want to check out the newly refitted Wind Dancer.

Dancer Fleet - Peter Hughes Diving

Looks like a good itinerary and the price seems reasonable. Have not been on the boat myself but plan to in the near future.

I think this trip is mostly wreck diving.

The OP needs to check to be sure!

 

[Doubler]

The Utila Aggersor at this time of year is great for Whale Sharks. Last week, Day one of the trip they had FIVE of them. Now if you want Whales the Turks and Caicos Aggressor does week long Whale trips in December through March (I think). It is just snorkeling but they put you right in with the whales. If you like adrenalin diving with big critters (dolphins, sharks, mantas, whales) try a Socorro trip on the Nautilus Explorer or Solomar V. I've done a trip on the Nautilus and it was outstanding.