Relative Newbie Looking for Shallow, Low Key, but awesome Caribbean divesites!

[bigbrisf]

I am a relatively new diver, with only about 10 dives under my belt. I am looking for some low key, shallow diving to help build my experience and confidence. Would like to stay around 40' or less. I am looking for an abundance of sea life, fish, corals, maybe rays, turtles, sharks, wrecks... I am looking for a low key spot, where people are friendly and don't hassle you on the beach. Since I am traveling solo, would prefer a location off the beaten path, that is not too crowded, but not so isolated that I won't meet other people. I had my heart set on Little Cayman, but it seems that the wall there is geared more towards experienced divers wanting to go deep (unless I hire a private DM, which is too expensive.)
Have been diving in Aruba (loved the warm water and the ability to find decent, shallow dives), Bequia (colder waters and ok diving), Tobago Cays (pretty awesome diving), Grenada (colder waters, and ok divng).
Ideal: warm, clear water and an abundance of sea life. Off the beaten path, safe, friendly, low key. A place where I could meet other people to hang out with...
Thanks for any suggestions you might have!!
Best,
Brian

 

[marcaumarc]

Saint Martin might be a good place for you. There are a number of nice sites that are also shallow. Although it is not off the beaten path, the French side of the island is much less developed than the Dutch side. I live in Grand Case, which is a small town on the French side that is low-key, but has friendly beach bars and such. The Dutch side is totally different, with big hotels and casinos and such, and definitely not what you are looking for.

I'm doing my divemaster internship at Octopus Diving in Grand Case, and I would highly recommend them. They have a maximum of six divers on the boat and do guided dives, so I think they are great for new divers who would appreciate the extra attention. I can think of four sites here that are around 30' and there is a nice wreck at about 45'. Generally speaking, it may be hard to find too many shallow wrecks because they can be a hazard for boats. We don't see sharks here very often, but there is quite a lot of sea life, including sting rays, eagle rays and turtles. Their web site is here: http://www.octopusdiving.com You can also see lots of photos on my web site, which is in my signature.

Another suggestion is Bermuda, which is not off the beaten path, but is pretty low-key and has lots of shallow diving, including many wrecks. I'm not sure if there's a shop there that does small groups, though. Last time I was there there were loads of people on the boat and it was basically, jump in and we'll bang a weight on the ladder when it's time to come back, which I think isn't best for new divers.

 

[Blow.Fish]

Have you considered Bonaire ?

 

[TSandM]

The British Virgin Islands have a lot of sites that meet your criteria. We did some delightful reef dives in 30 feet of water.

 

[driftwood]

I second Bonaire. The reef at thirty feet is as good as the reef at sixty feet. We have only stayed at Buddy's, but if their house reef was the only reef on the island it would be worth the trip to dive it (just north of the Bari reef, highest species diversity in the Carib, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) | Diving That Counts). Look under the Database tab at Top Ten stats, Boniare has 8 out of ten. There is a very small "wreck" to the north at Captain Don's at 45' you can reach from Buddy's dock on a single tank. Karpata is an easy dive from a boat and has some old mooring anchors.

 

[cruiser]

I would suggest Coco View Resort on Roatan. Do a search here on scubaboard and you'll find lots of info.

 

[seacreatures]

BONAIRE without a second thought

 

[doctormike]

Bonaire. It doesn't get easier than that. Have stayed at Buddy Dive and Eden Beach, both were terrific. As far as the rest of the Netherlands Antilles, I have been to Curacao and Aruba, neither comes close IMHO.

 

[joyceschur]

I'm voting for Curacao. Just returned from a 2-week trip (my first time there) and had a fabulous time. I'm a divemaster (travel solo) with lots of Caribbean experience. The majority of my dive buddies on this trip fit your description. The bulk of my trip was spent in Westpunt (off the beaten path, great diving, friendly and low key). I used Ocean Encounters West and stayed at All West Apartments, it was very cost effective ($150/day for studio apartment, 6-2tank boat dives, unlimited shore dives AND rental car).

The big advantage Curacao has over Bonaire is what you can do topside when you're NOT diving. And if, by chance, you get tired of being off the beaten path, you can visit the charming city of Willemstad.

 

[LynnB]

We are leaving in a few weeks for Roatan. This will be the 3rd time we having been diving there.
Great dives. This time staying at Fantasy Island Beach Resort. You might want to check that out.