short boat rides and shore diving suggestions?

[tkaelin]

From what you describe, look at Bonaire and diving thru Capt Don. Shore diving at the house reef could not be easier and they do 3 1 tanks a day. They way the schedule is unique. When you register you get a dive number. They have a chalk board next to the dive shop with where they will list where each boat is going the next day. In the listing there are squares representing the number of divers they can take. If you like one, put your dive number in the square to reserve a spot. If you change your mind, even last minute, remove your number. That easy. At the end of the week they tally the number of trips you took. Most boat rides are under 15 minutes. Afternoon trips, usually to Klein are even shorter.

 

[tkaelin]

. . . and direct flights from NYC, more than what you pay to fly to GCM but tends to evens out as diving, lodging, food less in Bon than GCM.

 

[choiahoy]

Jackie,

Will you be flying out of Westchester or are the NYC airports an option? There is a weekly Saturday flight from Newark to Bonaire.

I think either Grand Cayman or Bonaire would be a great fit for what you are looking for. We're heading to Cayman in the spring, but Bonaire is our usual go to spot. Like you, my wife has some issues with sea sickness, so shore diving and short boat rides are important to us.

If you choose Grand Cayman, perhaps look at Harbour View Apartments. The price is reasonable, you can shore dive from the dock, and you're near several other shore diving sites.

Grand Cayman Studio Apartments & Vacation Rentals | Harbour View Apartments and Studios

 

[tkaelin]

. . . another option for GCM re boat trips. Look for a small op in the 7mb area who will do one tank boat dives from a small boat. We did this a number of times and worked well. A small op with a six pack type boat based in GT who dives off 7mb will likely have short boat rides 5 to 10min max and travel in the sheltered side of the island so even a two tank could work off 7mb for those prone to seasickness. If the boat picks you up where you stay on 7mb, the boat ride could even be shorter. We have done it both ways(leaving from GT or beach pick up)and seasickness has not been an issue for our seasick prone divers.

 

[Doctorfish]

Point taken, but with a car, there is good shore diving 10 minutes away at Turtle Reef or Lighthouse Point.

 

[Trailboss123]

Considering everything you have stated as "your" priorities, Grand Cayman and Bonaire are truly the 2 best options, IMHO. If you choose Grand Cayman for the flight convenience, then I would seriously consider Sunset House. They have been updating the entire resort over the last year and a half and it has easy proximity to downtown and the airport. The ease of shore diving for skills and cool stuff to see is unparalleled, quite honestly. I find their breakfast to be pretty lame, but, My Bar for lunch and dinner gives you many good food options (including good indian food) and excellent libations with a killer sunset after diving is done. Their boats are solid and safe (although not speedy) and their crew is safety conscious, personable and give great dive briefs. They almost exclusively dive the West Bay, which has walls, but none of which are truly sheer drops into the abyss on the first dive of the day (even if they are, you have the option of diving the shallow top end of the wall away from any real vertical drop offs) and then dive 2 is a shallow reef away from the wall.. Sheer drops into the abyss are found on the North Wall. As for Bonaire, based on where you appear to live, United Airlines has direct flights to Bonaire out of Newark on Saturday's, I believe and direct back on Sunday's. Worth a look. If going to Bonaire, I'd consider Den Laman, Captain Don's and Buddy Dive (again, based on your posted desires).

 

[Jackie]

Thank you all so very much! I appreciate every comment that you have made and am going to dig in and read up.
In March, would the weather/wind be a factor in diving (or in potential choppy seas)? Of is it just luck?

 

[Doctorfish]

The prevailing winds are generally from the east so the west side is sheltered. As long as there is no storm, west usually very calm.
The north is often not dive-able in winter.

There are many posts re restaurants, dive ops and accommodation on line here. Everyone has their own personal favorites.

Have a great trip.

 

[howswedeofme]

The weather shouldn't be an issue for dive sites directly off Seven Mile Beach. The West Bay sites can get washed out in the winter months. If the weather cooperates for doing either the boat going straight out from or north of the West Bay dock or shore dives on Turtle Reef (or Hepp's Pipeline if you stay at Coconut Bay) - they are all fantastic dive sites. The mini walls have so much beautiful life scooting around. It's my favorite place to dive. The sites farther south from the West Bay dock off SMB are generally a little overdove and IMO a little boring compared to the sites closer to West Bay. Our experience last trip was that the dives on the North Wall and out around the East End are longer boat rides and deeper dives, so maybe save those for next trip if you're looking to ease back into diving.

I loved Bonaire (both the diving and the people/topside activities), but my husband thought it was very boring diving. It was also very easy diving. Some of the sites are harder to get into the water from (i.e. 1000 Steps is exhausting), but the vast majority are a very easy entry and exit bookending a very easy dive. The topography is pretty similar on many dive sites. Klein Bonaire was a short boat ride away to get some varying topography. The reef in Bonaire is generally gradually sloping and not a wall dropoff, so I think you would like it. There are SO MANY fish there - it's incredible. We didn't see much big stuff, though. I wouldn't worry about crime there. We left cheap stuff in the truck (sunglasses, white t-shirt) and it wasn't stolen. Even if it had been, we knew it was a possibility and wouldn't have missed it. We didn't feel unsafe at all while we were there. Everyone we encountered was friendly and nice.

As far as Bonaire vs Grand Cayman in a head-to-head, GC wins with me hands down. We plan to go back every other year or so. The water is just breathtaking and we like having varying topography (swim-throughs, canyons, walls, mini walls, wrecks) more than easy access to tons of cheap diving like Bonaire offers.

Do you take anything for motion sickness? I have a strict Dramamine (Bonine does not work for me) regimen I need to follow the entire week we are diving or I am chumming over the side of the boat anytime I'm topside (and chumming through my reg sometimes when I'm under ). Dramamine doesn't make me drowsy, though, so that's a big help. PM me if you want to hear my regimen! It worked for one of our friends earlier this month in Saba who had trouble getting the seasicknesses under control on boat dives.