My Best/ Worst Dive places in Caribbean

[tarponchik]

I would agree with high ranking of Bonaire, Roatan and Dominica, and poor ranking of Jamaica (though I've heard that it got a little better since our 2005 trip). I would also add Curacao into Top 5. The trick with Curacao is that lots of folks go to Habitat thinking it must be as good as in Bonaire and get disappointed. The best diving in Curacao is in the North/West of the island, not near Willemstad, where Habitat is located. And I strongly disagree with your poor ranking of Utila, based on the lack of fish. We were there in March 2009 and saw plenty of it, including those species that get fished out 1st, that is, barracudas, large groupers and snappers. Belize liveaboard is also a good idea, but staying on an atoll for a week with just 2 dives a day and no shore diving will be too boring for me.

Of note, Florida and Bahamas are not in Caribbean.

 

[Tjack]

Utila is an interesting one. Little sister to Roatan, Utila has some excellent diving. The north side dive sites provide a sloping wall with occasional Spotted Eagle Rays, Nurse Shark, Barracuda and big Dog Snapper. Black hills is a sea mount with schooling Jacks. Whale Sharks are present in season.
As part of the Central American backpacker circuit Utila had basic rooms for $5 and $20 boat dives back in the 90s. I don't know if this is the case since Utila has show up in the mainstream dive press lately. Reputedly populated by descendants of Captain Morgan's pirate crews Utila is a little edgy. It is also hard to get to, you have to fly to San Pedro Sula Honduras then catch a puddle jumper to the island. Likewise from Roatan two ferries via La Ceba. Hopefully it won't be overrun with development which has already impacted the south side diving.

Jardines de la Reina, Cuba interests me as well. I have heard mixed reviews of Cuba diving but the south side might be rockin' Who's been there? Maybe some of our Canadian friends on the board can chime in?

As far as the cost of these places it seems that the Windward Islands are more expensive. Likewise the Caymans are pricey. On the other hand drive and dive shore diving can be a great value on both Bonaire and Curacao. For a decent price on boat diving packages try Cozumel.

 

[billmcentee]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I have not had a chance to reply. They blocked this site at work and they just recently unblocked it. I apologize if I did not reply too your private posts as I was unaware that I had any.

I’ve been on a couple of more trips since my first posting.


St Lucia
Times Been: 1
Time went: February 2012
Likes: shore dive, safe island, good food
Dislikes: Most uninterested dive shop I have ever dove with. It was like a job to them. Get on the boat, dive for 40 minutes max, must follow guide who just swam until time was up, then get back on boat. No dive briefing or attempt to show you any fish. They have a marine park for the first 100 yards from land. At 101 yards, the fishermen were using nets to catch all the fish, so no big fish anywhere. Even if you were to do their shore dive at the resort, which is roped in and very safe, you had to go with one of the ‘dive masters’ and the maximum dive would be no longer than 40 minutes. I would have just liked to have done a self-guided 60 minute shore dive with my wife where we could just float around looking at the fishes.


Stayed at: ANSE CHASTANET Rating: 2 out of 5 stars. Food was very good, dive shop easy to get to. Service was very good, but everyone had the fake friendlessness about them where you can tell they hated waiting on you. I rather stay at someplace less expensive where you can relax and just hang out with the people running the place.

Go back: No.

Salt Cay and Grand Trunk (Turks and Cacaos)
Times Been: 1
Times went: November 2012
Likes: Most dives we were the only ones on the boat. Quiet laid back islands. Attentive dive masters. Good amount of fish.
Dislikes: Deep dives. Most dives were around 80 feet or more. All were wall dives and had the same fish on each dive. You could just go to the same dive site each time because they all felt like the same dive. Small boats, without anyone onboard when you dove, so if something happened to the dive master under water, you were toast. On Grand Trunk, the new ‘dive master’ was very nice, but not very experienced. He did all the dives himself every day of the week and he tended to dive very deep: over 100 feet each dive. We worry that something bad will eventually happen to him.

Stayed at: Salt Cay: Tradewinds Guest suites Rating: 3 out of 5. Very, very rustic and basic. Debbie the owner is quiet nice, but not very organized.
Grand Trunk: Bohio Rating: 3 out of 5. The accommodations were a lot nicer than the Tradewinds, but having cruise ship tourists overrun the resort each day was not fun. Food pricy and not very good. Drinks good, but pricy.

Go Back: No. I was told to give the Turks another chance because I did not care for Provo. We did and I still found I rather go back to Bonaire or Dominica.

Key Largo and Key West (Yes, I know it is not the Caribbean, but it has pretty much the same fish)
Times Been: 2
Times went August 2012 (dove) and February sometime in the 90s. (Snorkel only)
Likes: Shallow dives and warm water. Went mainly so my wife can experience what it felt like to dive without a wetsuit on. The water was 90 degrees on the surface. Self-guided dives.
Dislikes: We charted a catamaran to take us out. It took 1 and half to get to the reefs, were only allowed to dive for 40 minutes, had to drag a dive marker on rope behind me the entire time and then had the long boat ride back to shore. If you go, find the place with the fastest boat to the reefs and longest bottom time. Good thing the water is shallow because you get the feeling that the boats that take you out really don’t care if you know how to dive as long as you pay them.
Stayed at: Island Bay Resort in Key Largo Rating: 3 out of 5. It was like having your own little apartment. Basic and quiet.

Go Back: No. It did not have the feel of a true dive vacation. We rather go to a small island where you didn’t need to drive a car everywhere.

Next trip: Going back to Roatan in April

A co-worker just got back from diving in Cozumel. This was the first time she dove the Caribbean and she loved it. I mentioned that my wife and I were interested in maybe doing a live aboard in Thailand because she was there before and she told me that Cozumel blew away Thailand for diving?!? This was the first I heard someone tell me that the Caribbean was better than diving in the Pacific. She did say that she liked diving in the Red Sea the best. So if my wife and I were to sink a ton of money to go diving in the Pacific, where and when should we go? We had originally thought about doing a land and dive vacation in Thailand, but now I’m not too sure.

Thanks.

Bill

 

[CanadianTravelAgent]

This has been a really interesting post to read. Probably what's most important to remember is that everyone has their own unique interests, likes and dislikes. We love Turks and Caicos - the deep water doesn't bother us. We love to see the sharks and larger pelagics. Also, we just recently found the best snorkelling we've ever done on Smith's Reef. In the summer we saw eagle rays, nurse sharks and turtles every time! We're headed back in a couple of days and looking forward to seeing what it's like in the winter (other than colder)!

 

[Bryan Cunningham]

Hi Bill

If you want good diving in Thailand, you have to take a live-aboard up to the Samillian Islands. Most of the rest of Thailand is not that great, but Koh Phi Phi is a nice island. If you going to sink money into going that far, go to Raj Amphat, Raj4divers is a nice remote resort on pristine reef.

And thanks for posting the excellent reviews.

Bryan
SCUBA DESTINATION DEALS - HOME

---------- Post added January 27th, 2013 at 09:56 AM ----------

Utila is an interesting one. Little sister to Roatan, Utila has some excellent diving. The north side dive sites provide a sloping wall with occasional Spotted Eagle Rays, Nurse Shark, Barracuda and big Dog Snapper. Black hills is a sea mount with schooling Jacks. Whale Sharks are present in season.
As part of the Central American backpacker circuit Utila had basic rooms for $5 and $20 boat dives back in the 90s. I don't know if this is the case since Utila has show up in the mainstream dive press lately. Reputedly populated by descendants of Captain Morgan's pirate crews Utila is a little edgy. It is also hard to get to, you have to fly to San Pedro Sula Honduras then catch a puddle jumper to the island. Likewise from Roatan two ferries via La Ceba. Hopefully it won't be overrun with development which has already impacted the south side diving.

Jardines de la Reina, Cuba interests me as well. I have heard mixed reviews of Cuba diving but the south side might be rockin' Who's been there? Maybe some of our Canadian friends on the board can chime in?

As far as the cost of these places it seems that the Windward Islands are more expensive. Likewise the Caymans are pricey. On the other hand drive and dive shore diving can be a great value on both Bonaire and Curacao. For a decent price on boat diving packages try Cozumel.

PM me if you want to know more about Jardines de la Reina. I have spent the last 6 months of last year working a package with Avalon (only dive operator licensed to dive there) to fit the Canadian market. It is without doubt the best diving left in the Caribbean, but not your normal "cheap" Cuban option. I think I am the only Canadian Travel Agent that can actually make it happen for you.
Here is a link to a 60 minute documentary on it.
The Gardens of the Queen - 60 Minutes - CBS News
You can find a bit more info and prices on my website.

Cheers
Bryan
SCUBA DESTINATION DEALS - HOME

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

Bill,

From that comprehensive list of Caribbean islands, sounds like you should be writing a book, not a post on ScubaBoard...! Great info for sure.

My only comment would be, and this is very general, I have always figured that the Mesoamerican Reef system that runs from North America down thru South America covering places like Belize, Mexico, and Honduras would tend to offer similar diving. Now I say that again in a very general sense. A spotted drum in Belize is going to be much the same as one on Coz as is one around Utila. A another example would be the spread and migration of lion fish in the Caribbean. There are of course exceptional dive sites.

My recommendation, if you were willing to spend a few more bucks on air travel, look to places in Indonesia and the Philippines as well as Yap and Palau.

Bryan mentioned raja4divers (Pulau Pef) and that along with Misool Eco are probably my two favorites in Raja Ampat, but they are expensive, remote and not much to do but dive. I also recommend NAD-Lembeh, Kungkungan Bay, and Two Fish Divers (Lembeh, Bunaken and Bali) as places to consider.

On Yap and Palau... Manta Ray Bay Resort and Yap Pacific Resort, and Palau Pacific Resort with Paual Dive Adventures.

In the Philippines, too much to list but the Atlantis Resorts and Azores liveaboard are first class. Places like Aquaventure and Eagle Point in Anilao offer great packages. So many islands, so little time.

May of the places I book in the Philippines and Indonesia offer packages less than those in the Caribbean. Typically a week in the Caribbean can run $1500 or so and I have pricing on similar packages in the Pacific for $1200 or so. Raja Ampat is running about $3200 with the conversion from euros now. A week on Yap is about $1400, same for Palau.

It's a big ocean out there!

 

[vincent54]

For adventurous divers with a boat, Pickle Seamounts between the Brac and Cuba is still a undeveloped dive area. I think the reef comes up to 70 feet or so and the area is known for big game fish. I know a couple of people ,when the weather cooperates, that dive the bank area and it is expansive. Lots of big fish. I get seasick so I'll take their word for it. I am partial to Cayman Brac, and the south east wall towards end of island is spectacular, can't imagine a prettier area.

 

[Wingy]

Bryan how would you compare the coral triangle of Indo and remoter Thailand like the Similans to the Carribean? Ive heard divers from the US on bunaken island and Alor saying the colours blow the carribean out of the water? anyone dived both areas and the pacific - PNG and F. Polynesia are also favourite places ive dived and will be diving Vanuatu and Fiji in a few weeks. Trying to plan a big trip to the Americas and Africa for 2014 and I would be interested to hear any thoughts. Thanks

 

[Tjack]

The Caribbean does have some brilliant color. The variety of Sponges for color and shapes is world class, Cozumel's Rope Sponges are amazing. Stove Pipe sponges off Curacao can create a truly surreal landscape underwater. The Azure Vase sponge is a dazzler, found throughout the Caribbean.

For someone who has been diving exclusively in the Indo-pacific, the Caribbean would provide an excellent change of pace with lots of new species. I dove Philippines last year and was amazed at the healthy reefs, but compared to the Caribbean it was not that much "better" If I had to name the most colorful places I have dived certain sites off Saba and Turks and Caicos come to mind but the soft corals off Fiji are hard to beat.

Lately my favorite diving has been in the Kelp off Southern California. It just goes to show that something new is often the "best".

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Great post and thread. Glad someone else collects islands. Next year will be to St. Eustatius. I will be very happily bored there for a week with a friend of mine. I generally agree with your island conclusions with the exception of Cozumel which I personally have found to be some of the best diving in the Caribbean.