Shore Based Dive Locations with Live Aboard Type Diving Experience

[shopguy]

I'm looking for the same, although I might be more "shore dives" focus than just "shore based". My first try was a few months ago, spent a month in Puerto Rico. I knew it wasn't famous for the best diving, but it was easy with current travel restrictions, and in my home country (although it felt more like Mexico, which I also enjoy). The shore diving doesn't have enough options for me, since most of the sites require a near perfect day to be safe, and it is very often windy there. Crash Boat Beach on the west side of the island was the only place we could dive every day and have good to great conditions -- it made the trip worth doing again. If you like boat dives though, you could stay busy and have lots more options. Sadly though, Internet was hit/miss for me. I have about 5 online meetings per week, and I didn't miss any of them, but a couple times I did have to drive around to find a decent signal and call in, because the wi-fi in the AirBnb (in San Juan) wasn't working. If you can find a place with good Internet though, I'd stay on one of the smaller islands around PR, the boat dive we did just off of Culebra was awesome. I will probably try that if I go back, this time the smaller islands had extra travel restrictions making it much harder to do.

Since I'm so focused on shore diving, I'm researching Bonaire, which seems to be the "shore diving capital of the world" -- but Internet seems to be a hard thing to get a REAL feel for. I guess because most reviews so far are written by people on vacation, and getting away from the Internet. Maybe more info will be available as more people are working from home and from these vacation type places. For me anyway, knowing that I can send emails or upload/transfer files isn't the important part, it is "at exactly 5pm-6pm today, can my Internet handle an online meeting, and not drop out for even a few seconds". If it happens a couple times, oh well, but if it happens very often, that ends my freedom to work from anywhere. I don't need bandwidth either, at home I only have dialup speed Internet (literally, 256kbps upload speed, maybe 2mbps download on a good day), but it works fine, at least it doesn't cut out very often. Most reviews talking about "good Internet" are more focused on being able to stream videos/Netflix at 100mbps, not really reliability of 99.99% uptime when you need it.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Curacao has shore diving too.

 

[drk5036]

Okinawa fits this bill really well as well; also the time shift could work out in your favor, as you’re on “US time” from 8 pm to 1 am (7 am to noon EDT). Plenty of shore diving, and easy boat dives around. Lots of long term rentals available for affordable rates, and it’s like living in Japan where people also can usually speak enough English (unlike the rest of Japan).

 

[shopguy]

Curacao has shore diving too.

How is the Internet there? Not so much speed, but is it reliable?

 

[chillyinCanada]

How is the Internet there? Not so much speed, but is it reliable?

I believe that was addressed in an earlier post.

 

[Doc]

I believe that was addressed in an earlier post.

Yup. There seems to be a good bit of TLDR here.

Asking generically about internet availability is not the entire picture. On an island environment one has to consider localized coverage relative where you make your work station.

Will service be acceptable in “downtown” Kralendijk? Likely so, yes.

Will service be acceptable in the place you will afford to live in, say out in the boonies like Rincon? WTFK?

Our SB herd expertise is diving, not specific locale internet availability. Pick a possible island, then go to their ex-pat FB page and ask internet service availability questions.

 

[boulderjohn]

When I was working in online education, both as a teacher and an administrator, I had to have regular Internet access such as you describe. I went on many dive trips around the world during that era, and I was able to work well enough at all of them. That was well over a decade ago. It was often not as convenient as you describe hoping it would be--I sometimes had to seek out Internet cafes. Still, my first concern was always where I wanted to dive. Once I determined that, I checked out how I would get my work done.

Since then, I still go on such dive trips, but I am no longer working. I always take a computer, though, and I never have trouble making connections. Things are much better now than they used to be, and if I had to work again, I would assume I would be OK in all but the most remote locations.

 

[shopguy]

Our SB herd expertise is diving, not specific locale internet availability. Pick a possible island, then go to their ex-pat FB page and ask internet service availability questions.

Makes sense, point taken.

 

[John Trecker]

Actually I think Any question is a good question and this one is valid.
for example for Buceo Anilao there is NOT internet in the rooms. But a few rooms are situated where there is good coverage.
I specifically pre book one of those rooms. Last trip someone in admin moved me from that room with no notice. When I arrived luckily someone was willing to swap or I would have had to abandon the trip. This was all after arriving a long way. Get any agreement like this in writing is the rule and I had it.

Makes sense, point taken.

 

[John Trecker]

Thank you for very good suggestion . (and I used to live in Japan which is aleays a pleasure to visit)

Okinawa fits this bill really well as well; also the time shift could work out in your favor, as you’re on “US time” from 8 pm to 1 am (7 am to noon EDT). Plenty of shore diving, and easy boat dives around. Lots of long term rentals available for affordable rates, and it’s like living in Japan where people also can usually speak enough English (unlike the rest of Japan).