Photographer Seeking New Destination

[Phoenix1]

My wife and I regularly dive Bonaire, Grand Cayman and Little Cayman and love all three.

Now we'd like to try something new. We've only been to a few other places.

Some facts:


Live in middle of the US
Prefer warm clear water
Caribbean or central America destinations
I shoot still (macro and WA) and video
Drift diving not our favorite
Time of year flexible
Cost moderately important
Prefer not to go during somebody's rainy season
Out of the way OK
Prefer to take only one travel day; two might be OK
Travel midweek OK
Don't want a live-aboard
Nightlife unimportant
Large marine life unimportant

I've buzzed through the discussions and found lots of interesting ideas, but none that I could find speaks to photography. (I know, you can take pictures anywhere, but some are better than others.)

What we like about Bonaire: Relatively inexpensive, fabulous shore diving, tons of little stuff.

What we like about Little Cayman: Breathtaking underwater topography, quiet, secluded, few inexperienced divers (or non-divers, for that matter).

What we like about Grand Cayman: Also great topography, some good shore diving, and (not unimportantly) we have an east end timeshare there.

We've been to Belize but found drift diving was not a photographers paradise. We've been to CocoView, but were there during the rainy season and were the only two divers not aligned with two large and impenetrable dive clubs. (Roatan probably deserves another try.) St. Thomas was OK. Two dives each at St. Barts and St. Kitts, OK.

We've got one trip on the calendar in September, but I can't wait that long. Can somebody help us?

 

[robint]

I think you have hit your best of the Caribbean/Central America already, you should head WEST. The Pacific has some great diving, but you are going to have to do some drift diving most likely, or deal with some current.

Liveaboards are really awesome, you should give one a try! The freedom of diving will spoil you.

Cozumel is the only place left in Carib/Central Am. that I can say you would really enjoy the diving - but it is drift diving.
Check out my trip report and videos from last year: Cozumel - April 2010
My husband shoots still photos underwater, I shoot video, so even though it is drift diving, we were able to get some decent stuff. SCC has a great shore diving area, perfect for macro photo (see Ron's photos) and video.
Mexico - Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula on Vimeo (check out my shore dive video, in particular)
We were able to do a 1+ hour dive there daily, which was very nice, every afternoon or night.

robin

 

[herman]

Give CCV another shot, I can put on to a really good club that is going in May and Oct if you want to join a group. I dropped the boat dives on occasion and did long macro hunting dives at the resort. Lots to see if you take your time. Curacao would also be another choice, a lot like Bonaire but bigger.
Sorry to the Coz fans but it stinks for a macro photog. Lots of nice reef but you have to shoot it on the fly. Stopping and holding one spot for minutes at a time to get that perfect macro shot is just does not go well with high speed drift diving.....I was there this month so my comments are based on recent experience.

 

[DeputyDan]

I am a part of the cocoview group (May 2011 trip date) that Herman was referring to.
Send me (or Herman) a PM if interested.

 

[Midget]

You can fly to Bali in 24 hrs.

Not only is the diving great, but topside is unbelievable.

 

[BoltSnap]

Try St. Vincent. It has all you want per your list including lots of seahorses, frog fish and the macro photo you want in fairly shallow calm water. Diving is easy and very close to the departure point. Prices are very reasonable. Bill Tewes, the owner of Dive St. Vincent, can arrange the whole thing for you including choice of accommodation, flights, etc.

DIVE ST. VINCENT
Website: DiveStVincent.com
E-mail: bill2s@DiveStVincent.com
Tele: (784) 457-4928
Fax: (784)457-4948

BTW, I have been to all of the places you have been to in addition to Curacao and many more. I find that St. Vincent is one of the best places in the Caribbean for me.

Have fun.

 

[WOODMAN]

Here I am with another vote for Roatan, specifically Reef House Resort. It seems to fit all your parameters, and has a superb house reef that you can access whenever you want. I took my best seahorse pictures there! Prices are about the best you can get for an all inclusive with superb food, and 3 boat dives a day in a part of Roatan which rarely gets any other diver traffic. What's not to like? Woody

 

[BoltSnap]

Here I am with another vote for Roatan, specifically Reef House Resort. It seems to fit all your parameters, and has a superb house reef that you can access whenever you want. I took my best seahorse pictures there! Prices are about the best you can get for an all inclusive with superb food, and 3 boat dives a day in a part of Roatan which rarely gets any other diver traffic. What's not to like? Woody

How fancy or how "rustic" is the place you are recommending? How does it compare with "Coco View"?

 

[Bubbledup]

I suggest Cocos Island, but it's expensive. The only way you can dive there is from a live-aboard, and the diving is challenging. Most dives are fairly deep, in the 90-foot range, and you will see tons of big animals, especially sharks. If you're ready to move up a notch, Cocos is the place for you.

 

[Bubbledup]

I re-read your post, and I see that u don't want to do a live-aboard, so I retract my Cocos Island recommendation. However, in your future diving career you might want to consider it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Also, I forgot to mention that it's about 250 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.