Reasonable unlimited diving in the Caribbean?

[Bubbletrubble]

@oly5050user: I waited about 5 minutes in line to pick up and drop off my rental truck on my Bonaire trips. I realize that long lines can form for things like that, and perhaps I was lucky. If you have a large group, it's clearly much easier to have the truck rental included in a package deal so that no one has to wait in line to be assigned a truck. The large group can move directly from the airport to the resort. It can be very annoying to have to wait in line after a long day of air travel. There's certainly something to be said for that level of convenience when working with a large group. Moving a crowd of vacationers can be like herding cats. I don't envy your job at all.

The included breakfast in the package deal would be wasted on me. I'm not into eating lavish breakfasts on diving days. A simple bowl of oatmeal and some tea suffices. We generally pack that stuff in our luggage with us.

I'm still young. I don't mind walking to the water's edge if it saves significantly on the trip cost. As I mentioned previously, I'm treated to nice views of the Pacific Ocean where I live.

My girlfriend and I saved a great deal more than a total of $200 by not staying at Buddy's. I conservatively estimate that we saved about $1,000. That amount practically paid for our next dive vacation. FWIW, your run-down of budget accommodations on Bonaire was hardly an exhaustive list. There are many accommodation options on the island. We looked at what Golden Reef Inn had to offer and decided to go elsewhere. Interestingly, on our first trip to Bonaire, we met another couple on a boat dive who had been staying at GRI. The Canadian couple had all of their expensive dive equipment (regs, BP/Ws) stolen after dinner when it was drying on their unit's back patio. Seems like local thieves had been preying on GRI's clientele for a number of years. I read that the owners did make an effort to increase the level of security at some point.

Pretty interesting trivia about the Flamingo being a WW2 POW camp...

 

[DeputyDan]

To the OP Both Buddy Dive on Bonaire or Coco View on Roatan will fit your needs very nicely.

I have been to both (more than once)

 

[ssummerhays]

Thanks to all who have shared their opinions. We were diving in Cozumel two weeks ago and heard about CoCo View from several other divers on our boat. Any opinions on their house wall/shore diving? Since we would be doing at least half of our diving there (between drop-offs on the return from boat dives and shore diving), I'm interested to know how expansive the sites accessible from CoCo View are, and if we can expect to do that many dives there without getting bored.

Cheers!

 

[DeputyDan]

Thanks to all who have shared their opinions. We were diving in Cozumel two weeks ago and heard about CoCo View from several other divers on our boat. Any opinions on their house wall/shore diving? Since we would be doing at least half of our diving there (between drop-offs on the return from boat dives and shore diving), I'm interested to know how expansive the sites accessible from CoCo View are, and if we can expect to do that many dives there without getting bored.

Cheers!

Dive the drop offs at differing depths.
Have a drop off directly on the Prince Albert.
Do a muck dive (down in the sand flats)
Spend 1 and 1/2 hours up in the shallows

It's only boring if you let it be....

 

[divejay]

Hello, all. My boyfriend and I are looking for a reasonably priced Caribbean dive resort or liveaboard with unlimited diving.We'd like to be doing at least three boat dives a day and then have the opportunity for additional unlimited shore diving if at a resort. Have any of you been somewhere that you can recommend? Reasonable nitrox rates are also a bonus. Thanks, all! :blinking:

There is only one place that has it all in package. That is Cobalt Coast Dive Resort on Grand Cayman. Boat trips AM/PM, unlimited shore diving on awesome house reef or their other shore dive shop 2 miles away. They make their nitrox from liquid oxygen for a unlimited nitrox dive package. Shore diving out front is a shear mini wall 30'-60' just off shore and a little farther out (200') is the deep wall 50'-4,000'. There are underwater navigation lines and markers for your peace of mind. The night dives are also great.

 

[jdcpa]

There is only one place that has it all in package. That is Cobalt Coast Dive Resort on Grand Cayman. Boat trips AM/PM, unlimited shore diving on awesome house reef or their other shore dive shop 2 miles away. They make their nitrox from liquid oxygen for a unlimited nitrox dive package. Shore diving out front is a shear mini wall 30'-60' just off shore and a little farther out (200') is the deep wall 50'-4,000'. There are underwater navigation lines and markers for your peace of mind. The night dives are also great.

Except that Cobalt Coast is a lot more expensive than Bonaire. Not in the same ball park.

Yes, Cobalt Coast is very nice.

Grand Cayman and reasonable are not in the same sentence.

Not knocking you, I like Cobalt Coast, but the OP is looking for a budget priced place with unlimited dives, including three boats dives per day.

 

[divejay]

Except that Cobalt Coast is a lot more expensive than Bonaire. Not in the same ball park.

Yes, Cobalt Coast is very nice.

Grand Cayman and reasonable are not in the same sentence.

Not knocking you, I like Cobalt Coast, but the OP is looking for a budget priced place with unlimited dives, including three boats dives per day.

The air fare to Bonaire is double the price plus the extra day of travel in both directions needed for Bonaire. Grand Cayman has direct flights from major city in the US, like 3 hours from Chicago, 2 1/2 hours from NY, 2 hours from Atlanta and etc.

Unlimited Nitrox diving for 6 days at Divetech on Grand Cayman is US$ 160.00
Unlimited Air diving for 6 days is US$ 135.00

 

[rydog]

I would disagree on those dollar figures for flying to Bonaire. It would cost me $562 to Cayman and $351 to Bonaire from Charlotte. We stayed "up on the hill" on Bonaire and definitely saved money over Buddy's. Great private house, rented a car (with less than 10 minute wait on both ends combined) and did unlimited diving for a little over $120 for the week. Good views but of course, not on the beach. But then again, we spent all days and some nights on the beach diving. It was nice to come back to the house and private pool.

 

[Tjack]

Fantasy Island Resort shares the same house reef as CoCo View on Roatan, and is less expesive.

 

[gb_williams]

Fantasy Island Resort shares the same house reef as CoCo View on Roatan, and is less expesive.

I'd give that a 2.0 out of 10 on truthfulness. FIR "shares" Newman's Wall, one of the two CoCo View house walls. If you don't mind hauling your gear from the dive shop to the gazebo and back again. And, if you don't mind a lack of easy entry or exit. And if you don't mind a long surface swim in what can often be very choppy water. During my week at CoCo View, I never saw any divers from FIR on either Newman's or CoCo View walls or the Prince Albert.

If you like small critters and exploring, and don't mind mediocre visibility, the shore and drop-off diving at CoCo View can be very nice. You can avoid being bored by going slow and exploring each wall at different depths with each dive. I was surprised by the differences in coral and species.

As for the cost differences -- you might want to thoroughly read the forum comments on FIR and CoCo View. CoCo View is very consistent. The food may not be the greatest, but it's like the McDonald's -- you'll get what you expect every time. FIR seems to run hot and cold.

My wife's and my favorite dive resort is Cobalt Coast. The diving is excellent -- two tank boat dives in the morning at various sites on Cayman's north and/or west walls and unlimited shore diving day and night. The visibility and reef populations are far better than Roatan. The shore diving at Cobalt Coast and it's "sister" location at Lighthouse Point is far better. The accomodations at Cobalt Coast are wonderful -- quiet, clean and well appointed suites with nice views and plenty of room. The food at the restaurant is excellent and will save you money over renting a car and driving to restaurants around the island. As for the bottom line, counting the airfare from Atlanta, the lodging and diving, and all the incidentals, the cost difference between CoCo View and Cobalt Coast is really a wash.