North Coast Jamaica - Help Please

[tspeck007]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202753

I posted the following above, but there's not ton of traffic.

If you could help with advice I'd be very appreciative.

We're meeting family at the Starfish Trelawny Resort in Falmouth. The location of the resort is not an option. I understand diving on the north coast of Jamaica is decent so we'd like to schedule two days to to dive.

I'd be looking for suggestions on two items.
1. We need to know who to book our dives with: should we use our resort if available or some other dive shop?
2. Once we determine who we're going with are there specific places we should request to dive at? We're thinking about doing diving on two different days.

 

[TN Traveler]

Starfish Trelawny is a SuperClubs resort and although I have never stayed there, I have stayed at several SuperClubs resorts and their on-site dive operations have always been well run.

If you did not want to dive with the on-site operation, you will have a problem since the resort is not close to any other dive operators.

I can't give you any specific dive sites for the area, but the northshore has some good diving - the problem is if you are close to town there is a lot of local fishing using fish traps that can damage the reef - but the local operators normally know where these areas are and try and avoid them. I think you might be close enough to the Cayman Trench that the operator can take you an a very good wall dive - but they normally only do that if you have proved that you are capable and when they don't have any divers along that they are not sure of. Make friends with the dive staff early - let them know what your experience level is - and if they are not loaded with "once-a-year vacation divers" - they will find you some great dive sites.

PS - We go to Grand Lido Braco at least once per year - which is just a few miles east of your location and we have some great dives there. PM me with your email address and I will get you access to my SnapFish Photo Album with pictures from the north shore.

 

[tspeck007]

Thanks for your help. I'll PM you.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[darylb]

I just returned from Grand Lido Braco (dived there day before yesterday).

The North coast does have some good diving. I've dived with both GLB and Breezes Runaway Bay. Since Starfish is a Superclubs property, you might ask if you can dive with the other 2 resorts (20 and 40 minutes away respectively).

There are some great reef dives out of GLB (fruity's reef, the caverns, white sands, gallery and the wall). With all the rain last week the viz has degraded, but when it clears up, all sights will be fantastic again!

At BRB - you can dive a few wrecks (plane, ship), others include the canyon, the nursery, public beach flats, ricky's reef, spanish anchor & more. All sites are good - both resorts have great dive crews!

BTW - I did not see any independent dive operators (resort diving only). They may be there, but I didn't see them...

Hope this helps.

 

[del_mo]

If memory serves me correctly, there is a "public" dive shop right next door to Trelawny. I did a little research a bit back and contacted some dive shops and I was told they (you'll have to do the research this time) are located within steps of Trelawny.