Safest locales for diving around the world?

[Wingy]

Sorry we ate your great-great grandpa: Island cannibals apologise for killing missionary 170 years ago | Daily Mail Online

 

[KenGordon]

(Really. @KenGordon . . .In the World):

Are all these "so-called publicly funded" Recompression Chambers in England/Scotland on emergency stand-by all 365 days-a-year and crewed 24/7 exclusively for the treatment of civilian recreational diving accidents & casualties only as the Catalina Chamber is here in SoCal? Is your "vaguely proper emergency helicopter system" as responsive & competent as our US Coast Guard, or even our local government Los Angeles County & City Fire Dept and Sheriff's Rescue rotary wing operations??

@KenGordon , unlike you Limeys over there across the Pond -our at sea government service rescue assets here in offshore Southern California are never subject to the whims of national partisan politics. . .

Absolutely they are publically funded. Get bent and NHS pays, the closest one to me is in an NHS hospital. They get used for co and other stuff, but there are enough that there will be a place and bent divers are always treated. There isn’t the problem I hear about on here of having to drive round lots of places to find a chamber that will let in divers. The coast guard handle finding space.

As for the helicopters, until recently it was done by the RAF, now it is done by a US company, presumably because that costs less or maybe just because of the ideological inheritance of Maggie and Ronnie. Maybe once they get it all worked out they can bid for your SAR? Or is that all too free market for the US?

 

[KenGordon]

@KenGordon , unlike you Limeys over there across the Pond -our at sea government service rescue assets here in offshore Southern California are never subject to the whims of national partisan politics. .

Apparently it is too political for me to quote cnbc while recognising that I missed the irony in this point earlier.

 

[Photo Girl]

I've been to Bonaire many times and never had a problem.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Safest dive location is......



St. Eustatius aka Statia

 

[AdivingBel]

Safest spot with some of the best diving within easy(ish) reach from U.S....Little Cayman. Lot's of places with wonderful diving, but this place is safe & EASY. That said, the world is a BIG place full of wonderful people. Lose the "bubble wrap" and get out and experience it. (I know you said you didn't want to hear it, BUT) Don't be too concerned, just use common sense and the world is your diving oyster. Go experience it...dive and let dive.

 

[Kharon]

Very accurate. I mean c'mon, a diving bear? That's silly. Bears can't get you underwater. You're safe there.

I've seen a documentary that showed grizzleys that learned to dive and snatch salmon pretty deep down.

here is few of my favorites that are very safe. also, have good diving, excellent staff, great food. and if you want, you never have to leave the resort grounds. ... anthonys key roatan, coco view roatan, splash in roatan.

I went to Roatan for two weeks. When I asked if it would be OK to walk into town they asked if I was crazy or just had a death wish. I was told that you either stay on the resort or take a taxi everywhere. Walking alone is just not safe.

Also, good diving wasn't my experience. I found the water filled with plastic & trash, the visibility poor, and the marine life lacking and very few, if any, mature fish. I guess if you like to look for tiny seahorses it's a great place. If you're looking for lots of fish and great visibility - not so much.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Where were you staying? I walk all over West End but ya, other parts of island can be sketchy!
Ya, not lots of fish but i do like the underwater landscape. Don't recall any trash and viz has usually been very good unless northers blowing through.

 

[Esprise Me]

One area I'm on the fence about is the Yucatan. Would LOVE to dive the cenotes but I've heard the further in you go off the beaten path the greater the risk. Any opinions or personal experiences would be totally welcomed.

I'm here right now! A series of mostly weather- related bummers kept me from making it to Cozumel, but I've really enjoyed diving in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area, felt very safe as a woman traveling alone, and felt reassured by the presence of a good hospital with a chamber right here just in case. The dive shop I went with was great too. I visited the cenotes and found them very tourist-friendly; we were told we could leave our valuables locked in the van at Dos Ojos, which we did. I would love to come back, especially with adequate training and experience to really explore the cenotes.

Now that my non-diving husband is here, we're focusing on stuff we can do together. The other day we went swimming at the beach and I left my bag with a small wad of cash inside on the sand (just some beer money I could afford to lose), and it was all still there when we got back.

I'm not exactly sure where you're thinking of going or what sorts of risks you've heard about, but I'd urge you to consider this place. It's beautiful, affordable, and IMO quite safe. Happy to chat more.

 

[Hoag]

@AlmightyApkallu here are some websites that may be helpful:

Government of Canada Travel Advisories
US State Department Travel Advisories and https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Government of the United Kingdom Foreign Travel Advice

I hope this helps to give you some of the information you are looking for regarding possible trips.