I have spent several weeks at both GC and Coz over the past 10 years and love diving the walls on both. Unfortunately the wife and kids are ready to explore a new location top side. I would like to keep the diving as close to comparable as possible. They will want nice beaches and a variety of restaurants but doesn't have to as busy as either GC or Coz. Have looked into Turks and St John but recent hurricanes have me worried. Any suggestions appreciated, hard to go elsewhere when I know I will get I Grand Cayman and Living the dream. Have also looked at Curacao but don't know about the wall diving.
Looking for an alternative to GC and Coz wall dives
- Thread starter bmculver
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I'll be interested in replies. T&C is one location that has what you want. I would do it by liveaboard if I go back, rides to West Caicos and French Cay are just too long. Grace Bay is very nice, good restaurants, as expensive as Grand Cayman. Not many places fit the bill.
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I can only think of 3-4 and 2 are maybe's.
Provo - Turks/Caicos will remind you of a smaller version of Cayman. Equally pricey and Grace Bay Beach is so nice it has it's own website. Lots of upscale condos and villas which leads to good restaurants. I only spent about 2 days total there pre/post Explorer liveaboard.
As mentioned, the best diving is about an hour boat ride away off un-inhabited West Caicos and tiny French Cay which several shops do regularly. Parts of NW Point off Provo do go deep also.
The 2nd, much quiet4er option is Grand Turk. Limited everything there and the cruise port is there also. The wall in a couple spots is so close you can shore dive it with a decent swim out but the boat operators dive along it's length daily.
There's also wall diving on Nassau if you can get to it. Nice beaches, lots of tourist infrastructure. The issue there is there's only 2 dive operations and Cove's may do the shallower walls near their property occasionally but they're more the put-down wreck/movie sets and shark dive operation. Also a 45-60 min. ride south daily via their van shuttle. Cable Beach is an obvious choice and Paradise Island also has some decent beach as well as the Atlantis mega-resort. Bahama Divers is the other operation but IDK how much wall diving they do.
Andros is a still quieter option - from there you can dive the Tongue of the Ocean which has to be the ultimate wall - 3000 meters deep. I have no idea who or if anyone dives it - the only shop I know there is Small Hope Bay Lodge who do other deep dives near their all-inclusive resort. I've seen mentioned diving it from Nassau also - maybe with Cove;s?.
A few other options I know nothing about: Wall Diving
Provo - Turks/Caicos will remind you of a smaller version of Cayman. Equally pricey and Grace Bay Beach is so nice it has it's own website. Lots of upscale condos and villas which leads to good restaurants. I only spent about 2 days total there pre/post Explorer liveaboard.
As mentioned, the best diving is about an hour boat ride away off un-inhabited West Caicos and tiny French Cay which several shops do regularly. Parts of NW Point off Provo do go deep also.
The 2nd, much quiet4er option is Grand Turk. Limited everything there and the cruise port is there also. The wall in a couple spots is so close you can shore dive it with a decent swim out but the boat operators dive along it's length daily.
There's also wall diving on Nassau if you can get to it. Nice beaches, lots of tourist infrastructure. The issue there is there's only 2 dive operations and Cove's may do the shallower walls near their property occasionally but they're more the put-down wreck/movie sets and shark dive operation. Also a 45-60 min. ride south daily via their van shuttle. Cable Beach is an obvious choice and Paradise Island also has some decent beach as well as the Atlantis mega-resort. Bahama Divers is the other operation but IDK how much wall diving they do.
Andros is a still quieter option - from there you can dive the Tongue of the Ocean which has to be the ultimate wall - 3000 meters deep. I have no idea who or if anyone dives it - the only shop I know there is Small Hope Bay Lodge who do other deep dives near their all-inclusive resort. I've seen mentioned diving it from Nassau also - maybe with Cove;s?.
A few other options I know nothing about: Wall Diving
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drrich2
Contributor
You may be compromising on something along the way, but still have a good time. Sometimes when you venture away from 'Old Faithful' (dive destination), you can find things you didn't get back there. I love Bonaire but after a number of trips there, decided to try a broader sampling of scuba's offerings. Nothing's 'beaten' Bonaire, but because I ventured down the road not taken, I've dove with sand tiger sharks on deep wrecks off the coast of North Carolina, seen a bunch of other sharks (varied species) elsewhere, dove with sea lions and a harbor seal, experienced Jupiter, FL's goliath grouper aggregation...and enjoyed the famous Blue Heron Bridge in FL and Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix for a dive each.
St. Croix's got sandy beaches and it's large enough to mess around on for a week, with some variety. Not 'busy' or touristy. Viz. wasn't as good as what you're used to I believe, and I wouldn't put the diving quite at that level, either, but it was good, I had a fine time, and we also enjoyed the topside.
Richard.
St. Croix's got sandy beaches and it's large enough to mess around on for a week, with some variety. Not 'busy' or touristy. Viz. wasn't as good as what you're used to I believe, and I wouldn't put the diving quite at that level, either, but it was good, I had a fine time, and we also enjoyed the topside.
Richard.
Freeport, Grand Bahama offers some unique adventures underwater with a lot to do above. If you've never been in a cenote or enjoy diving them arrangements can be made for guided dives of Ben's Cave, Owl Hole and Mermaid's Lair. There is an extensive underwater cave system, but if you are not a cave diver UNEXSO guides such as Cristina Zenato can take you on a tour of the daylight zone. The Big 5 package includes a shark dive, dolphin dive, Theo's wreck, night dive, and reef dive. There is a lot to do above water for the family and lots of water sports not involving scuba. It won't be like the walls of the Caymans. I lived in the Caymans and Bahamas and I'd take Freeport over the Caymans for overall adventure and fun.
I agree with the suggestion for St. Croix. Good diving - maybe not as dramatic as the Cayman and Cozumel walls, but the Fredricksted Pier is an all-time favorite shore dive. And lots of nice stuff to do topside as well. Take a look at the live webcam at the Christiansted Harbor (link below) and you will see that St. Croix is a lovely place to visit:
Official Page for Live St. Croix Web Cam in Christiansted
But check on current conditions around the island. I think St. Croix was hit by one of the hurricanes a few months ago, but I don't think that it was as badly damaged as some of the other Caribbean islands.
Another suggestion is Hawaii. There's some very lovely diving available in Hawaii, different from the Caribbean but nice; and great beaches, restaurants, and topside activities are readily available.
Official Page for Live St. Croix Web Cam in Christiansted
But check on current conditions around the island. I think St. Croix was hit by one of the hurricanes a few months ago, but I don't think that it was as badly damaged as some of the other Caribbean islands.
Another suggestion is Hawaii. There's some very lovely diving available in Hawaii, different from the Caribbean but nice; and great beaches, restaurants, and topside activities are readily available.
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I'd recommend the walls of the La Parguera - Guanica region of Puerto Rico, but afraid that the hurricane damage may prevent it for some time.
Provo's grace bay beach is beautiful and I think it is nicer than 7mb (and 7mb is pretty darn nice). The lodging and dining options are comparable. The diving is comparable, a little more expensive and takes a bit more time. Diving Grace Bay is the shortest trip but between the hotel pick up, to the shop, to the marina, back to the shop, back to the hotel it will take a full morning. Trips out to West Caicos will take pretty much all day. I think the diving and trip out to West Caicos is worth it and I enjoy the time out on the water but you need to know what you are in for if booking a trip out to WC. The plus on diving Provo is reef sharks on just about every dive.
What would you suggest between Cayman Brac and Grand Turk? I drove with a lady who did some research on Grand Turk for a couple years. Her opinion was that it was similar to Grand Cayman north wall dives. I just question if their will be enough beach/ restaurants to occupy a week. Doesn't have to be to the level of Grand Cayman or Cozumel, just would be nice to have more than one place. I can't do all inclusive, like to move around and see the whole island, try new stuff.
jonhall
Contributor
+1 for St. Croix
I've only dived the walls in Salt River Canyon in St. Croix, which I recall having some different topography. Have only snorkeled in Cane Bay which has, probably, the more popular wall on the island.
The pier is a great dive day or night. Not a bad diving locale for shore, wall, reef, and wrecks.
Cane Bay has one of the nicer beaches to relax, snorkel, shore dive, and enjoy their restaurant. The nicest beach (has been on some of those top 10 lists) is Turtle Beach on Buck Island. Accessible by boat, the beach has soft white sand and you can tie the boat trip in with snorkeling in the protected National Marine Park.
Pretty good restaurant choices are in Christiansted and Frederiksted (opposite sides of the island about 30-35 minutes apart)
Tours (ATV tour is fun), hiking, historical sites, botanical garden, and shopping are topside.
Have been to GC, Coz, and St. Croix several times and love the diving at all. St. Croix is not as commercialized as the other islands but probably has as much to do topside for a week as Coz (if you don't consider going to the mainland) but not as much as GC.
AS KathyV alluded to, St. Croix was hit by the hurricanes, and the 2nd one was bad. Haven't heard updates lately, but getting electricity to all parts of island was an issue. My aunt-in-law is still in the U.S. as cleanup/repairs are taking place. N2theBlue dive op is operating though. If you are interested in going, I would contact them for the current conditions on the island.
I've only dived the walls in Salt River Canyon in St. Croix, which I recall having some different topography. Have only snorkeled in Cane Bay which has, probably, the more popular wall on the island.
The pier is a great dive day or night. Not a bad diving locale for shore, wall, reef, and wrecks.
Cane Bay has one of the nicer beaches to relax, snorkel, shore dive, and enjoy their restaurant. The nicest beach (has been on some of those top 10 lists) is Turtle Beach on Buck Island. Accessible by boat, the beach has soft white sand and you can tie the boat trip in with snorkeling in the protected National Marine Park.
Pretty good restaurant choices are in Christiansted and Frederiksted (opposite sides of the island about 30-35 minutes apart)
Tours (ATV tour is fun), hiking, historical sites, botanical garden, and shopping are topside.
Have been to GC, Coz, and St. Croix several times and love the diving at all. St. Croix is not as commercialized as the other islands but probably has as much to do topside for a week as Coz (if you don't consider going to the mainland) but not as much as GC.
AS KathyV alluded to, St. Croix was hit by the hurricanes, and the 2nd one was bad. Haven't heard updates lately, but getting electricity to all parts of island was an issue. My aunt-in-law is still in the U.S. as cleanup/repairs are taking place. N2theBlue dive op is operating though. If you are interested in going, I would contact them for the current conditions on the island.
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