Places to avoid in the Caribbean?

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this is an interesting question. we always hear peoples recommendations but rarely see a list of places NOT to go.

we have done AI's and condos etc in various locations. since you are asking specifically about carribean AI's with nice beaches where you can dive, i will stick to that.

based on my experience i would not do an AI in.....

- st maarten - we like the diving but there are too many great beaches and food options to visit around the island to be stuck at one hotel

- saba - good diving, beautiful location, but no beaches that i am aware of

- cozumel (near town) - staying south of town would def work but there are no decent beaches near town

- jamaica - obviously they would have some great beaches. i have not been there for many years but i don't believe the diving is considered to be very good

it is always tough trying to plan for a group. but if you two are the only divers i would personally stick to prioritizing the quality of the resort itself, the food, rooms, beach, activities, and leave scuba to the last. besides, any diving is good diving right?

good luck !!
 
Very interesting thread, good reading.

Agree on avoiding Nassau, Jamaica and Cancun.

Turks and Caicos may fit the bill- there is Beaches (Sandals property) and Club Med- both AI, both include diving (and other activities) and are right on Grace Bay Beach, which is extremely beautiful, clean and offers great swimming, snorkeling, walking, etc.

There is another resort group (Turks and Caicos Collection ) that has 2 properties on Providenciales that are all AI. They are a more boutique operation, we have stayed at one of the properties and really enjoyed it. No diving included, but there are several very reputable operators that will pick you up by boat on the beach or in a van for drive to marina.



If the day boats go to Northwest Point, the boat rides are not bad and the diving can be incredible. If conditions warrant a run to further sites, there can be a longer rides, but equally great (or better) diving.

We love T & C and have been 5 times. Grace Bay Beach is stunning and there is just enough to do without being overwhelmed. Let me know if you need any other info, would be glad to help.
 
Last time I was in Jamaica, several years ago, the waters close to shore (south of Negril) were horribly polluted (raw sewage and nothing but blue urchins that colonize trashed sea bottoms; I was only poking around but got out of the water ASAP). I'll never go back to that island. Seems to be good for only reggae and ganja. Shame, since it was pretty nice in the 80s (but I didn't dive back then; only snorkeled).
 
FWIW Reefs around Jamaica have been improving a lot lately (Especially Ocho Rios, I've been diving there for 9 years). I also know a lot of divers who swear by Couples Swept Away in Negril for great diving and an amazing dive operation. All four of the Couples resorts have dedicated in house shops and boats (three have Newton dive boats and two have nitrox). Two dives daily is included in the AI (night and nitrox may be extra). I usually manage two dives and am back for lunch.

We head to Couples every two years typically and while the diving is a little limited in site selection it's more than adequate for a trip where diving isn't the primary objective. We've had a lot of fun there over the years and I've had some great dives. Asa a plus the resort staff will not accept tips as that too is included in the price. Very relaxing not having to have a stack of small bills on me constantly.

I would avoid Sandals at all costs but that's a personal ethics thing that you can DM me about... won't get into it here.

 
FWIW Reefs around Jamaica have been improving a lot lately (Especially Ocho Rios, I've been diving there for 9 years).
Interesting! When I've read about Jamaica, I got the impression it's a rough, 'stay on the reservation' (e.g.: your A.I. resort, or cruise ship excursion) kind of place. I don't know the extent to which that's true, but I'd want to know before planning a trip. In some places, like Bonaire, it's common to be off-grounds a lot; in others, like CocoView Resort in Roatan, staying on the grounds is more routine.

When you guys go to Jamaica, what is your experience with those things? Is it 'rough?' Do you mostly stay on resort grounds and stick with A.I. offerings?

Also, with the varied offerings across the Caribbean, what keeps you headed back to Jamaica?
 
Interesting! When I've read about Jamaica, I got the impression it's a rough, 'stay on the reservation' (e.g.: your A.I. resort, or cruise ship excursion) kind of place. I don't know the extent to which that's true, but I'd want to know before planning a trip. In some places, like Bonaire, it's common to be off-grounds a lot; in others, like CocoView Resort in Roatan, staying on the grounds is more routine.

When you guys go to Jamaica, what is your experience with those things? Is it 'rough?' Do you mostly stay on resort grounds and stick with A.I. offerings?

Also, with the varied offerings across the Caribbean, what keeps you headed back to Jamaica?
We do tend to stick to the resort.... my fiancé is a read on the pool deck kinda person so once I'm back from diving it's usually pool bars and pool volleyball for me. Actually that tends to be what we do wherever we go... not really interested in exploring.

There are three primary reasons we keep going back to Jamaica/Couples... and they're not easy to find around the Caribbean.
1. We like to vacation at places with clothing optional/nude pools (NOT Hedo :wink: ) and Couples has some good options (only select pools... clothes everywhere else)
2. My fiancé prefers marijuana over booze and since it's basically legal in Jamaica it makes getting it easier and less stressful
3. It's one of only a couple of countries that we can get direct flights to from Winnipeg. Since we only have a week off at a time that makes the travel days much shorter and I don't stress about dive gear making connecting flights.

Addendum: We certainly have ventured off resort in the past and never felt unsafe. No place is 100% safe especially if you get into the rough parts... Jamaica doesn't seem any rougher than walking in certain areas of my home town.
 
Dominican republic was terrible for diving
Where did you dive? North east coast near Punta Cana is not great, has rough water and big swells. I went south to the Bayahibe area around Isla Catalina and Isla Saona. It was excellent. The waters are calm on the south side of the island.

Also, Costa Rica was not good (west coast near Quepos/Uvita).
 
It's good to hear that Jamaica is getting better.

It is the biodiversity epicenter of the Caribbean, and should have the widest variety of life underwater. It did until the mid 70's or so, and I think it was pretty beat down by the mid 80's. A lot of the foundational marine research on Caribbean coral reefs was conducted by Thomas and Nora Goreau in Jamaica in the 50's and 60's. Their later papers are some of the easiest reading examples of scientific writing I came across when I was working on my thesis.


I mean look at that! Jamaica 1973, 65m depth:
Screen Shot 2022-03-22 at 2.45.09 PM.png
 
There are some things to unpack here.

1.) You can stay at an A.I. that includes diving, or an A.I. and book your diving separately. While the first might be more convenient, it might also get you a more conservative operation with a workflow tailored to relatively inexperienced divers. This topic has come up where Sandals is concerned. Compared to an in-house provider at an A.I., if you book with a separate operator you might get taken to nicer dive sites, get dives longer than 45-minutes, etc...

2.) Are you guys more after a budget, mid.-range or luxury experience? For example, if you were looking at Cozumel, Mexico, Hotel Cozumel or Scuba Club Cozumel and the Cozumel Palace might technically offer A.I. with diving services available, but when you look at the price tags...


Are these 3 other couples expecting to be entertained on resort grounds most of the time (from what I've read a Sandals Resort is like this), or is that the base for food and drinks but they plan to explore the larger area more (in which case Sunscapes Resort Curacao comes to mind)?

If they wish to get out more, are they the type who want 'cruise ship excursion' style guide-led tours with a large activity base to choose from, or who prefer exploring on their own and may appreciate more 'quaint' offerings and a quieter, relaxing vacation? St. Thomas and St. Croix are both U.S. Virgin Islands, but the former does a lot of cruise business, and the latter is quite nice but a little more laid back.

How important is a big sandy beach? That can knock some places out of the running...

I assume there are no minors on the trip, or people with serious chronic medical ailments who need ready access to 1st world medical care 'just in case.'

Which part? It's had good reviews for the Bayahibe region and an outfit called Scuba Fun, but it's my understanding that's not the region most vacationers who aren't focused on diving tend to hit preferentially. I haven't dove there, but it's on my 'maybe someday' list. There are trip reports on ScubaBoard for the area.
I did Divemaster in Bayahibe in 2019, they take tourist to the closest dive sites over the best sites to save on fuel cost. Its best to request the shop go to a specific area. The better diving is near Catalina Island but it's a little further boat ride. The normal dives are not impressive at all. The town of Bayahibe is very cool, friendly people and pretty safe. No need for a car to explore.
 
I did Divemaster in Bayahibe in 2019, they take tourist to the closest dive sites over the best sites to save on fuel cost. Its best to request the shop go to a specific area. The better diving is near Catalina Island but it's a little further boat ride. The normal dives are not impressive at all. The town of Bayahibe is very cool, friendly people and pretty safe. No need for a car to explore.
This is not true,You were just diving with the wrong dive shop. We are headed back the first of April and again in Sept for our 4th & 5th trip. The diving is very good out of Bayahibe.
 
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