very quick trip for some experience

[LekicINC]

Hello all,
I want to go to place thats just a couple hours flight from NYC to do some good easy diving for about 3-5 days. I would be going alone. I know everyone would suggest bonaire, but I am not sure about going alone. With only 10 dives, I dont want to just go there and find a buddy to dive with. However, I have heard of "freelance" DM that will take you out on dives and that sounds interesting. In short, I am hoping for a pleasant diving operator or resort that will be patient with a buddyless, unexperienced diver in a location not too far from NYC. How is that for specific! Small operators with personal attention would be extremelly prefered.

Thanks,

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.

While I love Bonaire, it's a little far and a PITA to get to for a couple of days. My suggestion would be the Keys. I would bet if you posted asking for a dive buddie (and offer to buy the after dive beer ) you could find someone on this board to show you around.

 

[dl348]

I would recommend Bermuda. I was there in September. It's only a 2.5 hr flight from NYC but you'll feel like you're much further. Stay at Grotto Bay Resort and dive with Triangle Diving, they're pretty good. Keep in mind though that Bermuda is a very expensive island. Good luck with your decision.

 

[miked]

I would recommend Bermuda. I was there in September. It's only a 2.5 hr flight from NYC but you'll feel like you're much further. Stay at Grotto Bay Resort and dive with Triangle Diving, they're pretty good. Keep in mind though that Bermuda is a very expensive island. Good luck with your decision.

I agree with dl348 regarding Bermuda.
Other Dive ops to consider: DiveBermuda (www.bermudascuba.com?)-with shops at the Hamilton Princess, and the Fairmont Southhampton.
Bluewater divers.(www.divebermuda.com ?)-with 3 locations around the island

One thing to remember: Bermuda is off the coast of the Carolinas, so water temps-especially during the winter are quite a bit lower than those in the Carribean.
lso-some dive ops don't run boats during the winter months.
You m1ght want to contact one of these ops, or find there websites, to get more info.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[Carribeandiver]

I highly recommend Blackbeard in the Bahamas. a one week liveaboard will give you between 20-25 dives. Drift dives, wreck dives, reef dives, a shark dive, night dives. great time, great experience, relatively low cost.
The only thing I would also highly recommend, make sure you bring along a safety sausage in case you come up away from the boat.

 

[DiveMaven]

How about a trip down to the Florida Keys? My husband and I went there with 4 OW dives under our belts and we found it the perfect place to "get our feet wet".

 

[diversteve]

Thought about Nassau? Stuart Cove's is used to dealing with less experienced divers. Some of their better divesites are really shallow also.

Or Grand Cayman and Red Sail. But the dive profiles might be deeper than you'd like.

Or St. Thomas, stay on the East End and dive with Sawyers or DiveIn. They're both used to dealing with beginners. Most of the dives are relatively shallow there also.

There's a dive for the end of this month down to the Keys in the Florida Conch forum: http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=172943

got a Passport? You need one now.

 

[pickens_46929]

Florida Keys are super for quick getaways! If not the Keys, the I recommend the Crystal River area which you can fly in / out-of Tampa or Orlando and it's an hour drive from there. Fresh water and constant temp all year round! Plus Manatees and Epcot Dive too!

Sample itinerary... fly into Orlando, drive to Crystal River, do the snorkel / dive manatee trip with American Pro Diving and get a certified Manatee Diver Card!, then do the lazy drift dive on Rainbow River and get your Drift Dive Specialty. Lastly, do some dives at Devil's Den, Ginnie or one of the other dozens of places to dive near Crystal River just for fun!

Enjoy where ever you end up going

 

[DaleHall]

pickens has got the plan, IMHO.. Being based in GA, the Springs are only 3-4 hours away and we never get tired of going there. Also, with it being "Winter" down here, the Manatees are in high numbers. We did a Manatee snorkel in November and there already a large number of them at Crystal River. The numbers have only grown since then.
Where ever you go, Enjoy!!!!!!!!

 

[LekicINC]

Thanks all!
I have posted on forums before, but never had this many HELPFULL posts in under 24 hours!
I looked into the keys, but all the dive ops I saw that were easy to get to by walking from a hotel seemed to be too large for my taste. I dont really want to go with an operator that doesnt put a DM in the water with you, since I am going solo. It seems like the keys have a lot of that. I am probably spoiled really just diving in the calm waters of Anguilla, where the diving is so/so but the service is top notch. I sort of feel like this will be my first REAL dive. Crystal rivers sound awesome, anyone rec a dive op out there?