Wall diving

[robint]

SO, not im hesitating to choose Caicos over Bonaire.. So thats the big decision, choose Caicos for its wall diving, even tho its far out there ? Bonaire has close dives.. we dont like long boat rides... But also I dont want to miss out on the great wall diving at Caicos. We did do some great wall diving at G Cayman. West side. Was hoping to do some great wall diving again... which should be best , Caicos or Bonaire ?

Tough question. If you can afford it, I would do the liveaboard to T&C. The walls are too far out if you hate long boat rides to do it otherwise. Those walls at T&C and the walls at Little Cayman are supposed to be the best in Caribbean. You can do the Little Cayman by land-based - Little Cayman resort but once again you are looking at 2 dives per day, maybe 3. Liveaboards give you so much more diving.

Bonaire on the other hand is great diving with some great walls but it is different. I wouldn't go there just to dive walls. The sealife and ease of diving is the main reason for going to Bonaire. You won't see sharks there like at the other two destinations either.

 

[scubby-doo]

Just found out form the wife that 30 mins is no big deal for a boat ride to the reef. As long as I take Bonine ( anti sea sickness) , I am good to go for the day. We hear so much about Bonaire that it is hard to leave, and people extend their trip to stay it is so good. Thats what IM looking for, the WOW-factor... something that sets a new precedent in my diving history, something to remember forever... I dont think I can do the liveaboard.. too much sea motion. I like solid land to sleep on. I would have to be drunk allthe tiem in order to tolerate the motion of the boat.
WHich will WOW me more ? We might get sick of boats and want to do Shore snorkelling.. Is Bonaire good for shore snorkelling too as well as diving ? the wife prefers snorkelling mostly, easy in and out. no ear krispies.

 

[Alex777]

The Wall at the East End of Grand Cayman is the equal of the walls on LC (Bloody Bay Wall) and in the Turks & Caicos. I have dived all 3. If you were to dive with Ocean Frontiers in the EE of GC, you could do 4 boat dives per day. Not quite as good as a liveaboard, but getting close.

 

[scubby-doo]

4 dives per day... wow, that is alot. Doesnt that take alot of energy to do so much ? Doesnt it also give you a headache from all the pressure on your cranium ? Usually 2 dives is good enough... but i always do snorkelling after those 2... so i guess im not tired yet...

 

[BTravlin]

4 dives per day... wow, that is alot. Doesnt that take alot of energy to do so much ? Doesnt it also give you a headache from all the pressure on your cranium ? Usually 2 dives is good enough... but i always do snorkelling after those 2... so i guess im not tired yet...

I do up to five a day whenever possible. I'm not tired when I'm diving but I do tend to go to bed early and sleep REALLY WELL. Oh, and no headaches either.

 

[robint]

ditto, on a liveaboard there is nothing but eating, sleeping, and diving........so no you don't get tired. If you do you can nap between dives! We also try to do nitrox if available.... that way when we do +1 hr dives we have less nitrogen issues.

Liveaboards are the best way to go!

 

[scubby-doo]

but can i stand a liveaboard if I dont like the rollin on the water feeling ? Are they stable ? or do you have to be a true sea loving sailor to stay on one ?

 

[BTravlin]

but can i stand a liveaboard if I dont like the rollin on the water feeling ? Are they stable ? or do you have to be a true sea loving sailor to stay on one ?

How stable the liveaboards are will depend upon which one you choose and the luck of the draw as far as the weather present when you actually sail with them. Some weeks can be real calm and others can be rocking and rolling. The Cuan Law in the BVI sails mostly in fairly protected waters so that one would be a good bet for a first liveaboard attempt but still no guarantees. However, I don't think you'd want to try a trip to the Galapagos because you can almost count on at least a few days of bigger seas.

Do you take dramamine or some other preventative when going out on day trips aboard smaller boats? How does that work for you? If that works on day trips then I would think you could try a liveaboard. Just check which ones travel in calmer waters and then what time of year is likely to be more calm than others. I am prone to seasickness but take the dramamine and have been fine so far. I'm looking forward to the T & C Explorer in June.

 

[robint]

but can i stand a liveaboard if I dont like the rollin on the water feeling ? Are they stable ? or do you have to be a true sea loving sailor to stay on one ?

The Nekton boats are the most stable boats I have ever been on as the "swath" design has submerged pontoons that hold the boat steady. You can hardly tell you are on a boat. There is a little motion but very very slight. Most people don't need to take any medication on their boats (although if the seas area rough due to bad weather, some people might still feel a bit ill.)

The next level of stability is the "cat" model with pontoons.... Kona Aggressor, Palau Aggressor, Aquacat Bahamas, Cuan Law.

The Mono-hull boats (most liveaboards) are much more of a boat motion on the sea. BUT they are still more stable than a little boat. The bigger the boat, the less sway. On the Eco Explorer in Palau last Dec, we couldn't even tell we were on a boat (it is a big heavy boat!) Only the slight vibration of the motor told you that you weren't on land.
All that said, every boat will rock in rough weather.... the amount of the rock depends on the style of hull. In bad weather, give me the Nekton, hands down.

If you are at all concerned about the seasickness issue, I would stick to one of the first two types of boats for your FIRST time on a liveaboard. It will give you a chance to see if they work for you. We did the Nekton as our first liveaboard and discovered that our seasickness fears were unfounded. Now we do any type of boat with no issues...

robin

 

[worlddiver]

Does anyone have tips for the best wall diving in the greater Caribbean?

Carol

I have been diving all over the world and Grand Cayman, Northwall Deep and Shallow walls are just awesome. Little Cayman would be my next choice with the Turks being 3rd on my list.

What is great about Grand Cayman is after the morning boat dives, the shore diving is easy and awesome. I love Grand Cayman's mini walls from shore but would not recommend diving near Georgetown. The Northwall is just grand with great marine life and pristine hard and soft corals.