What's the best place to dive & increase logged dives in the Caribbean? (during December or in general)

[Rob9876]

As mentioned above, a $1,095 Blackbeard's liveaboard from Nassau, Bahamas would be a great choice. Realize that is your lodging, food, and up to 19 dives for that price. My son (13 at the time) and I went on Blackbeard's with only 9 prior dives each, and it really helped us progress our diving. You really can't beat the total cost-per-dive for anywhere in the Caribbean (flights are usually pretty reasonably priced compared to Bonaire, Curacao, etc.) and the diving is pretty darn good. Actually, the food is pretty darn good too, especially considering the galley (kitchen) is tiny.

Cozumel could be a good option -- you could do 2 tank boat dives for around $100 or a little less with a 5 day package from some dive ops. Combine that with staying at a hotel (Hotel Cozumel, Blue Angel, Barracuda, etc.) with on-site shore dives for the afternoon or evening, and that could work nicely. Shore dives there are not tide dependent.

I'll throw one more out that is not normally top of my list, but still pretty good and perhaps good for your goals -- St. Croix. If you stay in Frederiksted, you could dive the Pier several times a day, and it is not tide dependent -- and super easy dive as long as you just follow the pier columns out and back. There are also boat dives available from Frederiksted. Frederiksted is a very sleepy town, but the Pier dive is exceptional and I could probably be happy going a week and only divinng the Pier multiple times a day and at night (great night dives there). One caveat is to check the cruise schedules, since you can't dive the Pier when there's a cruise ship docked there (most still leave early enough you can get a night dive in). Another caveat is overall St. Croix is a bit more expensive than Cozumel, and not many topside activities there if you just stay in Frederiksted (and need to rent a car if you don't).

 

[jonhall]

Agree with @Rob9876 about St. Croix (was going to suggest it myself but he beat me to it.) Another nice thing about St.Croix is that if the Pier isn't available, one can drive to Cane Bay for a shore dive (or boat dive) of a wall or can head across the island (25-30 min) to dive the Salt River area or sites nearer Christiansted. With the Frederiksted Pier, wrecks, reef, walls, and canyons, there are lots of diving options!

I would say there are enough top side activities to keep one on the go for a week. December may still have the Christmas Boat Parade! Things to do might include a Cruzan Rum Factory tour, the St. George botanical garden, the Whim Estate and Sugar Mill, ATV tours, the Lost Dog Pub (with white sauce pizza), taking in the Christiansted boardwalk, catamaran and snorkel at Buck Island, Point Udall (the easternmost geographic point of the US), Sandy Point beach (where Andy met Red in the movie Shawshank Redemption), a hike to the lighthouse on Ham's Bluff, and a casino. There's other stuff to do but those things came to mind.

 

[Bookworm11]

If you go to Cozumel (and the diving is great), I would just do Cozumel. ) Cenotes are more expensive and you will enjoy them more when you are a more experienced diver. Also, FYI, not all divers like them. Some people want ocean life and coral. Cenotes don't have that. It is just stalagmites and stalagtites, and sometimes fossils, and haloclines. Not to mention, if you do it for a day, it's a very long day. It's easier to stay over in Playa to do them. All the companies I found (except one) make you get to them, too-they don't do pickups.

 

[traiano]

How about Key Largo? Dive trips for under $100 for two tanks. You can knock out 4 dives per day (5 if doing a night dive). Also easy travel to get there. For me at least, water is comfortable in a 3mm suit in winter. There’s even the peace of mind knowing there’s a chamber on the island.

 

[PamelaH]

The diving in Utila is better than Roatan because the cruise ships are just making hash out of the reef system in Roatan. Also, Utila is full of young people who have no money so it's cheap. Check out Captain Morgans. I dove with them a bunch when I was new to diving and it was great. I'm not a young person but I had a fabulous time.

 

[GJC]

Base in NA, recently got my ow & aow, looking for somewhere not too expensive to increase my logged dives (37 more to go to Galapagos

Planning my next trip for December. Would like to freedive and scuba.

Done some research and I'm not too sure what to choose:
Cozumel & tulum cenotes - cold and bad weather during winter? Average price, 2 tanks 130$+. Highlight: bull shark dive in December
Roatan - good env and price (100$ 2 tanks), rainy season
Utila - cheaper than Roatan (85$ 2 tanks) and has a good vibe but the diving env is not as good as Roatan
Bonaire - great to go during December, shoredives, best for advanced divers to dive without guide (130$, 2 tanks)
Caracao - similar to Bonaire with less people, cheaper (115$, 2 tanks)
Bahamas - bimini? great to dive with hammerhead sharks (maybe combining miami Jupiter for shark dive since they are very close)
Turks and caicos (pain in the ass to go there, expensive, 2 tanks 200$+)
Belize - apparently not the best time to visit (has more stuff in other months)
Dominica - sperm whales (liveaboard only)
Dominican Republic - humpback whales (only during january &april, not the best timing, leaving it for the future)

Any experience or recommendations?
Very appreciated.

Do you have a buddy that is travelling with you? If not, finding a shore diving buddy gets complicated or you pay for a guide.

St Croix is a good choice if you have a buddy for shore diving. You can find an inexpensive Airbnb, but you probably will need to rent a car or pay for a lot of taxis to go shopping and get to dive sites.

Consider Riding Rock Inn on San Salvadore Island in the Bahamas. Very economical with meals and boat dives included. Only downside is there is very little else to do on the island.

 

[RobPNW]

If you dive through Utila Dive Center (UDC), you can stay at their lodging for practically free if you’re willing to do a hostel room with a fan. I think it cost me $25/day for a single room with a/c. Nothing fancy but spent most of my time diving and walking around the town anyway.

 

[JohnN]

An old thread, but Native Sons in West End Roatan will house you for $35/night and if you stay with them, dives are $35

 

[Bay Island Diver]

The diving in Utila is better than Roatan because the cruise ships are just making hash out of the reef system in Roatan. Also, Utila is full of young people who have no money so it's cheap. Check out Captain Morgans. I dove with them a bunch when I was new to diving and it was great. I'm not a young person but I had a fabulous time.

I find it hard to believe this is an objective opinion. Having lived in the Bay Islands for 20 years, I have had very different experiences diving on both islands.

 

[PamelaH]

I find it hard to believe this is an objective opinion. Having lived in the Bay Islands for 20 years, I have had very different experiences diving on both islands.

You do you. I have had better diving in Utila than Roatan and I mean it. Particularly now. I dove Roatan in April and the reef system just seemed worn out. It was sad. Admittedly, I did more diving in Utila years ago and very little in Roatan back then so maybe it was better then but nowadays - not so good. At least not when and where I dove in April.

We did do a coupl of nice dives with Coconut Tree before we got on the Aggressor, though. Great shop!