Of the three

[Rick Osgood]

My wife and I are looking for our next diving destination. We have been to Cozumel a few times and would like to try something different. If you had to choose between:

Belize
Bonaire
Grand Caymen

Which would you choose and a few notes on why would be apreciated. If it helps, I am Master Diver and my wife is OW.

Thanks

 

[oly5050user]

if you want to dive dive dive and not spend alot,go to Bonaire-Buddy dive--..want walls with 2/4 dive a day Grand Cayman..I would only recommend Belize on a liveaboard..I have a group going to costa rica april 22..

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board Rick.

You will no doubt get a wide varity of answers, everyone has their favorite. Of the 3 I have only dove Bonaire. It has great diving, good food and friendly locals. It's a lot more laid back than Coz, the major night life is sitting by the water with a cold beer....or doing a night dive. While finding most anything you need is no problem, there is not a lot of shopping or other touristy attractions. You have your choice of boat or shore diving. We rarely boat dive because the shore diving is so easy.
Another island for you to consider is Curacao. It has similar shore diving to Bonaire but is a good bit bigger with more night life, gambling and shopping.
Try a key word search on the board, there has been a lot posted over the years on many of the islands.

 

[Divingnthedark]

My wife and I are looking for our next diving destination. We have been to Cozumel a few times and would like to try something different. If you had to choose between:

Belize
Bonaire
Grand Caymen

Which would you choose and a few notes on why would be apreciated. If it helps, I am Master Diver and my wife is OW.

Thanks

If considering Belize, I agree with Oly5050user, a liveaboard is the only way to go since all the really good dives are a long way from shore and I doubt they would be done on a day trip. I went the liveaboard route. Lots of diving in Bonaire but plan alot of shore diving to get the most out of your diving $. I found the staff at the resorts on Bonaire to be friendly but IMO not so true of the locals and, unless things have changed, the crime rate there is pretty high. Grand Cayman has the most non diving activities of all four if we include Cozumel. I loved Grand Cayman but would not do a cattle boat there. But another thing to consider is that the government in the Caymans has a limit on depth of 100ft max strictly enforced by dive ops for diving which was my experience at Grand Cayman x2 and Little Cayman. You will really miss the current diving you are used to in Cozumel. Just my 2 cents worth...:05:

 

[Damselfish]

I've done all 3 multiple times and would again, just a matter of what I'm in the mood for. They're all good but so different so it really just depends on what you want, and perhaps budget & airline schedules. Agree Curacao is another good choice, and liveaboard is a good choice in Belize.

Cayman operators used to be much more uptight about limits but if you go with the right ones it is not a problem - the scuba police attitudes some had were more of a problem than the limits themselves. They loosened up the rules several years ago, including changing 100' limit to 130, though not every op chooses to follow along or even seems to be aware.

 

[Divingnthedark]

I've done all 3 multiple times and would again, just a matter of what I'm in the mood for. They're all good but so different so it really just depends on what you want, and perhaps budget & airline schedules. Agree Curacao is another good choice, and liveaboard is a good choice in Belize.

Cayman operators used to be much more uptight about limits but if you go with the right ones it is not a problem - the scuba police attitudes some had were more of a problem than the limits themselves. They loosened up the rules several years ago, including changing 100' limit to 130, though not every op chooses to follow along or even seems to be aware.

OH! Hey Damselfish which are the right ones in the Caymans so I know for my next trip... hopefully later this year. (No fan of scuba police attitude here)Also have you dove Brac? My sister went there 2 times and loved it.

 

[Damselfish]

OH! Hey Damselfish which are the right ones in the Caymans so I know for my next trip... hopefully later this year. (No fan of scuba police attitude here)Also have you dove Brach? My sister went there 2 times and loved it.

I like DiveTech but there are other good ops people have discussed here and can be found in a search. I've only dove the Brac on a daytrip from Little Cayman.

 

[Divingnthedark]

I like DiveTech but there are other good ops people have discussed here and can be found in a search. I've only dove the Brac on a daytrip from Little Cayman.

Thanks have written it in my dive log!!!!!!

 

[scubagal49]

Just a thought...if you're considering Grand Cayman, you might want to take an additional 30 minute flight and go to Little Cayman instead. I went last summer and enjoyed the easiest, best diving I've ever done. I think I went through Paradise Divers.

Have fun wherever you go.

 

[caymaniac]

Just a thought...if you're considering Grand Cayman, you might want to take an additional 30 minute flight and go to Little Cayman instead. I went last summer and enjoyed the easiest, best diving I've ever done. I think I went through Paradise Divers.

Have fun wherever you go.

How true, if you are looking for quiet, no town but some of the best diving then LC would fit the bill. If you are looking for more to do in a town then Bonaire would be a little ahead of Grand Cayman. Bonaire has perhaps the easiest diving. There is really only one resort with much of a beach on Bonaire...the Plaza. If you stay at the Plaza it's not that far to town, you could actually walk. Grand Cayman has some nice beaches a nice town and great wall diving. The next best wall would be the Brac, then the best wall...Little Cayman. (no town on the Brac...well not much of one and none on LC)