I am hoping for some advice! My 15 year old daughter and myself are fairly new divers and love it! We have logged about 12 dives in Cozumel and loved that diving. My daughter has dove a few times in the Florida Keys. We are considering a trip in June and were thinking about Ambergris Key or the Florida Keys. I am now wondering about the Cayman Islands. Because we want to use a dive operator, I think Bonaire's shore diving benefits would be lost on us? In addition to great diving, we do have safety concerns to think about to ensure a relaxing time. I would love all thoughts!
new to scuba board and need diving vacation advice! Happy new year!
- Thread starter laurie24
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Bubblesong
Contributor
Here is the place I want to take my 17 yo daughter, because you can get in a lot of diving and really strengthen skills and confidence.
Buy One Get One Free | Anthony's Key Resort | Roatan | Honduras
My husband is a diver, but my son won't come because he just did not take to it.
There is also CocoView with unlimited shore diving. Although we have not been to either place, I am hoping we Can fit these in this summer.
So far we have done a lot of private diving so we can keep a close eye on our kid, including private Rescue certification in Bermuda with Fantasea divers near kings wharf.
Check out their website. Up north, we are also going to get Nitrox and dry suit because even in the summer New England is too cold.
Buy One Get One Free | Anthony's Key Resort | Roatan | Honduras
My husband is a diver, but my son won't come because he just did not take to it.
There is also CocoView with unlimited shore diving. Although we have not been to either place, I am hoping we Can fit these in this summer.
So far we have done a lot of private diving so we can keep a close eye on our kid, including private Rescue certification in Bermuda with Fantasea divers near kings wharf.
Check out their website. Up north, we are also going to get Nitrox and dry suit because even in the summer New England is too cold.
Last edited:
johnl45
Registered
- Messages
- 58
- Reaction score
- 18
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
Lauderdale by the Sea, Fl great shore diving with lots of Dive boats in the area if interested. goldcoastscuba.net check it out.
DebMo
New
Cabo Pulmo, East Cape Baja Sur, Mexico
AdivingBel
Diver
If it's all about the diving and budget isn't too big of a concern...Little Cayman Beach Resort. Some of the best land-based diving in the Caribbean, valet dive service, good AI food, nice pool, not much else to do. It's so easy it becomes just about the diving and Bloody Bay Marine Park (where you'll dive) is outstanding. Don't mean to be a fanboy, but it was our first dive trip beyond South FL & the Keys. It got my wife and I hooked on dive travel and we haven't looked back. We've dived all over now but a lot goes back to that first trip. The diving is completely different than Coz, but if you handled that o.k. you'll be fine at LCBR. Good luck.
drrich2
Contributor
There are a lot of places you could go. Ambergris Caye seems popular; haven't been there. Loved Key Largo, where you can get a lot of shallow reef diving with the option for deep wrecks (trip report from diving with Rainbow Reef Dive Center, no added charge guide included, main location has moved a bit since then). Viz. wasn't as good as Cozumel, Bonaire or a Belize live-aboard, but it was fine, and I round K.L. really fishy.
If you dive 'the Caymans,' it'll probably be via live-aboard (my trip report - Cayman Aggressor IV, a great trip; that thread includes an overview of the Cayman Islands from a dive tourist perspective). If you want topside stuff, consider Grand Cayman; if you want the best diving, Little Cayman Beach Resort is said to be it.
Are you determined to do land-based, or are you open to a live-aboard trip?
Picking a Caribbean Live-aboard.
How many dives per day and for the week do you want to do? How deep would you like these dives to be? What topside attractions/activities are important to you?
Richard.
If you dive 'the Caymans,' it'll probably be via live-aboard (my trip report - Cayman Aggressor IV, a great trip; that thread includes an overview of the Cayman Islands from a dive tourist perspective). If you want topside stuff, consider Grand Cayman; if you want the best diving, Little Cayman Beach Resort is said to be it.
Are you determined to do land-based, or are you open to a live-aboard trip?
Picking a Caribbean Live-aboard.
How many dives per day and for the week do you want to do? How deep would you like these dives to be? What topside attractions/activities are important to you?
Richard.
This is great information! I am going to look into Little Cayman. Not as far as Belize and we are very intrigued. I really appreciate all of the help! I think we will want 2 tanks per day. We are still pretty new at diving. We loved the currents in Coz. It will be fun to try something so different and really stop and look as we explore!
IMHO the best diving I've experienced anywhere has been in the South Pacific or Asia. Far greater biodiversity than the Caribbean. Of course as a marine biologist, I have enjoyed my diving anywhere I go. Haven't hit the Caymans yet, but I worked as a marine biologist/UW videographer on a Lindblad eco-cruise boat in Belize and Honduras and had a great time. After my 6-week stint on board, I stayed on Caye Caulker and dove there for another week plus. A bit cheaper than Ambergris at the time.
Similar threads
