Recomendations - Caribbean Destinations

[khatley]

Hello, first time post. My wife and I used to do quite a bit of diving and have not been in about 2 years(new baby). We have received round trip tickets anywhere in the Carribean or Mexico and are looking at where we want to go dive for our anniversary. We have been on about 10 or 12 trips to Cozumel and that is where we got married and absolutely love it there but I am thinking I want to try something new. I have heard of true dive trips to Belize and Honduras and am considering these destinations but do not know where to start. We are both pretty experienced divers but like what we get in Cozumel. We have also dove in Bahamas and Cayman but had pretty bad experiences in both locations. These were cruise destinations and I think being that we went with the cruise package was our biggest mistake. The basically pulled up dropped anchor and said be back in 45 minutes. We are looking for something a little more premitive but somewhere that they cater to us and like a dive master to go with us to show us where to go. any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[matt_unique]

Primitive is such a relative term Primitive to some means a Hotel 6!

Have you ever been to Costa Rica? The best diving is on the western coast and specifically the Gulf of Papagayo (unless you want to dive a liveaboard out to Cocos Island). I have vacationed in Playas Del Coco (near Liberia) twice and went diving with the following outfit: http://www.scuba-diving-in-costa-rica.com/ .

After my first vacation I became friends with the owners. They are American expats and they provide excellent service. Terry (instructor) can show you more sealife than you would believe. The larger animals are hit or miss of course depending upon the time of year. Lot's of jungle type topside activities as well.

--Matt

 

[Dave Zimmerly]

I suggest you look into going to either Bonaire or Roatan. The following links are two travel agencies that I have used for several years, and both have provided excellent dive trips.

http://www.bayadventures.com/
http://www.divetrip.com/

Hope this helps.

Dave (aka "Squirt")

 

[scubajoh44]

Belize sounds like what you are describing..... just my 2 cents.

 

[ghostdiver1957]

Roatan Honduras, The Inn of Last Resort...

 

[khatley]

Well, I was wanting to do Honduras and my wife wants Belize...unfortunately American does not fly to either of these destinations. anyone have any other recomendations as to where we can go that AA flies? http://aav7.aavacations.com/Consumer/aavspcfc.asp?BROCHURE=B7&TOINDEX=1

 

[khatley]

Looks like my options are Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Canouan, Curacao, and Dominican Repulic...we love Cozumel and are looking for something similar. I love Caves and anything I can swim into, my wife loves drift diving but we are open to try something new. Thanks for your suggestions

 

[scubajoh44]

Cozumel and Cancun are always great. If you stay at either one of these places, you can take a bus or ferry and do the cavern diving close to Playa Del Carmen. There are also more "low profile" hotels on the Mayan Riviera "strip".

Oh.....if your wanting a DM to go around places with you and go to Cancun....contact Nautilus diving in Cancun. They are pretty cheap and have good DM's at good prices. They will really cater to your diving preferences.

 

[khatley]

Thanks but I have been to both of those Destinations, I was looking for something different

 

[Damselfish]

I'd also consider going back to Grand Cayman since American flies there (or perhaps hop over to Little Cayman.) Cayman can be a great dive destination (with lots of things to swim through!), one lousy experience off a cruise ship is not something to judge it by. Stay at Cobalt Coast and dive with Divetech, or stay on the East End at the Reef or Compass Point and dive with Ocean Frontiers.

Or go to Little Cayman, extra ticket for the interisland flight as American doesn't do that part. But if you like out of the way you should like that, and stay which ever of the places sounds most appealing. Each good in their own way just a matter of what you want. If you can take more than a week, maybe do both islands.

You can also go to Turks & Caicos. (If Provo seems too much like civilization, take an interisland flight to Grand Turk.) Or how about Tobago, Grenada, Dominica, BVI - AA flies all those places.