Looking for recommendations on well-rounded diving destinations in the Caribbean.

[janosik]

I am planning to spend probably about 7-8 days of diving in the Caribbean. I have seen many "top N" dive site rankings, and I did not find them particularly useful. I would like to dive, say, in the blue hole in Belize, or the Bloody Bay wall on the Little Cayman, but maybe not for 7 days in a row. Are the other nearby sites equally exciting? Trying to sort this out on my own for each Carribean destination is hard, given the sheer number of places to choose among. Island hopping is not an option, I feel it incurs too much overhead. I am looking for a well-rounded destination that has multiple quality sites in close proximity (such as, one hour of driving), and possibly something to do other than to eat or sleep in the afternoons (more diving, good snorkeling, tropical forests to walk into, or whatever), and also quality hotels and restaurants and overall good infrastructure.

As far as the type of diving, I am looking for deeper sites with excellent visibility and some dramatic scenery, possibly more than just endless fields of coral. On some of our recent trips to Hawaii, I have enjoyed the Corsair wreck dive on Oahu, the Molokini backwall, the Reef's End drift and the Pinnacles on Maui, and Cathedrals on Lanai. So far, we have been rather disappointed by the shallower and shore dives. I found muddy green waters not quite as inspiring. We have plenty of ship wrecks here in NYC in a cold muddy water, and I am looking for something dramatically different. I think I am particularly growing to like drift diving.

 

[Codeman00]

Are you limiting your options to a land based 7-8 days of diving or are you open to doing a liveaboard?

 

[Thalassamania]

Get it over, go dive the Wilkes-Barre off Key West, that'll keep you busy for a week without quite the discomfort of the Doria.

 

[janosik]

Thank you for your responses.

@Thalassamania: It sounds interesting, but totally out of my league... I think about 100-110 feet is our limit, and we would not attempt any overhead environment.

@Codeman00: I think my wife is probably not ready yet to enjoy a live aboard. Building her enthusiasm for scuba diving takes time, we just did her AOW. I am not sure how comfortable it can get, I never did one myself. Do you have any recommendations? The first time we do it, it ought to be a buttery-smooth ride, on a sterile clean boat that smells like strawberries, with a top-notch professional and friendly crew...

 

[Thalassamania]

Then try the Oriskany or Vandenberg. You don't have to go inside, but there's a weeks of diving exploring their outside at reasonable depths.

 

[janosik]

@Thalassamania: I am tempted, I was thinking of just going to the Keys. Do you happen to know what the bottom temps there are at around 100 feet in late December and early January? Some websites mention water temp in the 69-72 range, but I think this is only at the surface?

On an unrelated note, by smoking A'a do you mean the Big Island? I loved the island and I am looking for excuses to go back. Any dive sites and places to stay there that you could recommend?

 

[Thalassamania]

I used to live in the Keys, my son was born there when I was running the Scott Carpenter Man-in-the-sea Program, so he's a real Conch. My memory (which is fallible) is that the water was no particularly stratified and was about the same from the surface down to 100 or so feet. Give Cap't Slate a call, he'll know and be glad to tell.

I do mean the Big Island, I live down at the south end of things. I dive mainly South Point and Ho'okena, but there are lots of other places ... there are lots of good B&Bs so you can move about the island staying here and there, there is also an operation that rents VW campers ... a lot of folks have fun with them staying in the County Parks.

 

[BenZed]

What about Bonaire? Excellent coral reefs and really easy to go shore diving - just rent a car and follow the signs.

For something more spectacular, contact Wannadive and ask about Lac Cai (they do it as a guided shore dive. We lost count of the eagle ray and turtles. Fit and experienced divers only, but well worth it.

 

[gb_williams]

My favorite place is Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman. I like even better than Roatan for all that it offers; great diving, great location, great variety and excellent accomodations and food.

First, the diving. Grand Cayman has 365 dive sites around the island and all with a lot of variety. Divetech, the operator at Cobalt Coast, dives the less traveled North Wall whenever possible. The wall dives have a lot to offer in coral and fish. My wife and I were there July 2 - 9 (for our fourth week-long visit) and saw eagle rays, grouper, morays and plenty of the usual reef fish. The visibility is excellent.

Along with natural swim-throughs, pinnacles, walls with deep, deep blue and the colorful reefs at shallower depths, there are wrecks, including the recently sunk Kittiwake.

Shore diving is a big plus at Cobalt. Unlike any other resort on Cayman, you have your choice of two excellent sites; right off pier at Cobalt Coast or nearby Lighthouse Point. Both are excellent for afternoon and night diving. I have yet to dive Lighthouse Point when I didn't see at least one turtle. In night dives off both, I've see squid, octopi, porcupine fish, green and spotted morays, scorpion fish, and the rest of the usual critters.

Divetech has shops at both locations, and the staff will gladly ferry you back to and from Lighthouse. Both have tanks, weights, dunk tanks and facilities.

The accomodations at Cobalt Coast are excellent. It's a boutique hotel of divers. There are about 20 suites with living room, small refrig, microwave and wet bar and a large, spacious bedroom. For the more budget minded or single divers, there are standard ocean front rooms.

Cobalt has it's own restaurant and offers a meal plan that is well worth the money. In fact, it will save you money. It's not uncommon to spend $25 per person for lunch and $50 to $75 pp for dinner at restaurants on Grand Cayman. Add onto that the rental car and gas or taxi, and eating out can quickly bust your budget. Cobalt Coast offers a full meal plan for $60 per person per day. You can order right off the menu, which has an excellent selection of appetizers and salads (I like the calamari and the ceasar salad with jerk chicken); great soups every day (like roasted potato and garlic or fish tea); vegetarian and light entrees and nice variety of dinner entrees ranging from steaks to Indian curry to seafood medley alfredo. And, then there's dessert. With the meal plan for dinner you can pick an appetizer, soup or salad; an entree and dessert.

I have yet to find a better dive location than Grand Cayman and Cobalt Coast. I hope you get to experience it.

 

[ronkoplus]

Grand Cayman. Ocean Frontiers @ Compass Point has an fantastic deal for Sept. and Oct. We have dove with them three different weeks over the years. They are on the East End. Deep wall dives to start the day, lots of tunnels and swim throughs to finish your second dive. Quiet condos right by the dive boat pier. They also go out for afternoon dives. Traveling around the island is easy.
We're going to Curacao this fall, otherwise I would immediately book another week there at the special rate they offered. $785 per diver, includes dives, your condo and a rental car. That's about 1/2 price.