Need advice on next dive destination please

[FPDocMatt]

Okay, I should have said a little bit luxurious, not super pricey. Sunset House on Grand Cayman is pretty much a set of apartments with good scuba facilities, not a resort to my mind.

Also, I should have said somewhere in the Caribbean, because I don't really want to fly for 20 hours to get some place.

Several people mentioned Cozumel, but I bet we're not yet ready for drift diving.

Someone I spoke with said Belize is a great dive destination.

Don't think I'm ready yet to live on a boat.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I like the idea of going to some place with people I "know", even if only on Scuba Board. But I'm concerned that drift diving might be advanced for my skill level.

By the way, I'd like to do the Advanced Diver certification on this trip. I'm taking the online portion now.

Matt

 

[RTee]

Matt,

I just returned from one week of diving in Cozumel. It was my third time there and my second at the Iberostar hotel diving with Dressel divers. In one week, I did 21 dives. Being on Nitrox certainly helped. The beauty with Dressel is you do not pay a premium for Nitrox if you are already certified. It is provided free of charge. While I was there, there were several individuals undergoing their AOW course as well.

Cozumel drift diving…I dove 13 different sites. Only Punta Tunich had a strong current and as soon as you left the wall and went through the corral heads you were protected. All the other sites provided a light current that just transported you over the things to see. I saw newly certified divers including young teenagers on my dive boats on a daily basis and nobody had problems with the current. The particularity of drift diving there is the boat will drop the DM andhis group on the up current side of the reefs and will pick you up at the end of the dive. The only thing you need todo is adjust your buoyancy, let the current moves you through the site and admire the scenery. It cannot be easier than that especially in areas where the visibility might be close to 100 ft. If they can do it, I do not see any reason why you could not

Cozumel is also relatively cheap in terms of pricing. For a week of all inclusive including airfare from Montreal (dives excluded), it cost me less than 1K per person. As for a dive package consisting of 28 boat dives + one night night, it was around $750.

Whatever location you select…happy diving.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Don't overlook Bonaire or Roatan. Great dive conditions, lots of qualified operators and instructors, and there is "luxury" to be had for a price. Cozumel to me is great under the water and a huge disappointment above. People who love Cozumel are often those who have not dove elsewhere.
For an exotic trip, a variety of place in Fiji are worth a look. Hawaii has some good diving and certainly luxury accommodations, but in April the water will be cool (around 76 F) and there will be an issue with the prevailing trade winds making some boat rides rather rough. Reviewing your criteria, and giving priority to those considerations, I think Bonaire is your next destination.
DivemasterDennis

 

[FPDocMatt]

Matt,

Being on Nitrox certainly helped. The beauty with Dressel is you do not pay a premium for Nitrox if you are already certified. It is provided free of charge.

Well, I don't even know what Nitrox is (a different ratio of nitrogen to oxygen?), but Cozumel sounds like a great dive destination, and I can't believe how economical it is at the resort where you stayed. Sounds like the drift is not an issue. My buoyancy control is pretty good, for a beginner, if I say so myself. What was that particular resort like in other respects (amenities)? Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[FPDocMatt]

Don't overlook Bonaire or Roatan. ... giving priority to those considerations, I think Bonaire is your next destination.
DivemasterDennis

Hey, thanks for the recommendation! You're right, above the water is important to me too. And I should have added to my list of preferences: a good wireless internet connection! And you're right, warm water is very important to me. Fiji sounds like one of the best diving locales, but it's a bit far for me. The problem is, every day away from the office is reduced income for me, so I'm jealous of my time.

 

[RTee]

Matt,

I just sent you a PM with some info you might find useful. Water temp in Cozumel last week was 81F throughout. There is also plenty of other things to do there.

Bonaire...that is my next diving destination in Feb 2012 for two weeks.

 

[volauvent]

Travel Destinations Chart (TM)

Hi:

I'm in the same situation myself - new to diving, already planning the next 10 dive vacations!

I've been researching (i.e. staying up way too late reading about) dive destinations and have made the following as my personal roadmap based on general impressions:

I. EASY TRAVEL: Cozumel, Bonaire, Hawaii, Florida Keys
- reasonable airfare
- easy to find a rental condo
- nice shore diving
- good tourism and diving infrastructure
1b. non-entry-level diving: Baja

II. INTERMEDIATE TRAVEL: Honduras, Belize, Caribbean (other than Bonaire)
- takes a bit longer to get there
- potential travel issues with mosquitoes, customs
- For Caribbean other than Bonaire: less focus on diving, fewer dive operations
IIb. non-entry-level diving: Cocos Island

III. ADVANCED TRAVEL: South Pacific, Maldives, Indonesia, Phillippines
- takes longer to get there, can involve multiple local air/land transfers, risk of delays (on "island time")
- getting more expensive
IIIb. non-entry-level diving: Galapagos

IV. Local Diving: Florida springs, various quarries
- not a vacation destination, but if you find yourself there for other reasons... bring your gear.
IVb. non-entry-level diving: Northern and Southern California, Pacific Northwest, East Coast wrecks, Great Lakes

.


So my plan is to start with Cozumel, Bonaire, Hawaii, then South Pacific, Southeast Asia, then work my way up to Galapagos.

Any and all comments welcome!

Teresa

 

[RonFrank]

Key Largo sounds perfect for your travel time limits, easy diving, and nice accommodations. Dive the reefs and do 2-5 dives a day. The reefs are in 5-50 feet of water or deeper if that's what you want. The life in the Dive Park is abundant with sharks (Nurse sharks for sure), Parrotfish, Jewfish, Eels, Rays, Barracuda, Triggerfish, Damselfish, Butterfly fish, Turtles and a host of marine life. These are very commonly seen fish.

There are many good dive ops and I could recommend a few. There is also a Dolphin rescue, Key West, the Everglades and plenty of non diving activities for those days off. The food is great and accommodations go from cheap hotels (around $80 a night) to 5 star accommodations.

Flights are generally inexpensive in the US, but a car rental is required. You would want to fly into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale unless you want to visit Disney. I really enjoy FL!

 

[scubadada]

Well, my wife, son and I just got certified at Sunset House on Grand Cayman. Water temp 81 degrees Fahrenheit.

We're thinking about doing another trip in April. The question is where.

Here's what I'd like:

1. Similarly warm water
2. The opportunity for another certification (e.g. Advanced)
3. A bit more luxury
4. A few more things to see under water (especially marine life)
5. The availability of rental cameras
6. And above all, very nice people

Any suggestions? Thanks! --Matt

Grand Cayman East End with Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers
Grand Cayman Northwest with Cobalt Coast/DiveTech
Little Cayman at Little Cayman Beach Resort/Reef Divers
Cozumel at Villa Aldora/Aldora Divers
Curacao at Lodge Kura Hulanda/Go West Diving (Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland, the house reef, is fantastic)
Bonaire at Den Laman/Bonaire Dive & Adventure (Bari reef, the house reef, is amazing)

I can vouch for all of these. So little time, so many places to dive.

Good diving, Craig

PM me with any questions

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I don't know if this would meet all of your qualifications (but then not sure if any one place will?), but you might look into Turneffe Island Lodge in Belize. It's like a luxury "camp" on an atoll off Belize, so everything is taken care of. The cabins are beachside and look really nice (more "condoey" than "cabiney" if that makes sense). If you search it here you will find there are several trip reports with photos of the cabins, discussion of meals, diving, etc.

I have not dived or stayed at the lodge, but I have spent time anchored/snorkeling at a few of their destinations. The reefs (even snorkeling) were fantastic, and there was no current at all when I was there (April/May). I would love to go back there diving, now that I'm certified

Blue Sparkle