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

[tursiops]

The sites are the same sites the boats go to.

Not exactly. There are quite a few sites the boats go to that you cannot shore dive....for example all of Klein Bonaire, and a number of the northern sites on the way to Karpata. There are also a few shore-diving sites the boats do NOT go to, for example south of Something Special towards downtown, or in the far south.

 

[Steelyeyes]

Not exactly. There are quite a few sites the boats go to that you cannot shore dive....for example all of Klein Bonaire, and a number of the northern sites on the way to Karpata. There are also a few shore-diving sites the boats do NOT go to, for example south of Something Special towards downtown, or in the far south.

Or into the park, although we hired a boat for that once. The seas were a bit confused and the boat owner/operator told us that it was his first time going up there. We dived more sites from shore in the park. Have to really watch the current there.

There are some sites north of BOPEC that are worth seeing Candyland is probably the most visually appealing with amazing coral formations.

There are sites on the east side that are shore dives too but you best go with someone who has done it a few times or hire Bas Tol.

The lighthouse at the southern end of the island is a fantastic dive but has a tricky entry/exit and you might want to be prepared to make it a drift dive and walk back for the truck. I think that one is advanced divers only kind of a thing.

 

[tursiops]

No diving in the Park at this time.
Agree about Candyland.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Sounds like you are young with plenty of energy. To increase your logged dive count I would go to Bonaire, take and pass the SDI Solo Diver course....and then dive, dive, dive.

Captain Dons has an onsite SDI / TDS center and you can complete the dive portion of the course in one day if you are prepared.

 

[scubadada]

Sounds like you are young with plenty of energy. To increase your logged dive count I would go to Bonaire, take and pass the SDI Solo Diver course....and then dive, dive, dive.

Captain Dons has an onsite SDI / TDS center and you can complete the dive portion of the course in one day if you are prepared.

SDI Solo has 100 logged dives and SDI Advanced Diver or equivalent as prerequisites

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Good idea but SDI Solo has 100 logged dives and SDI Advanced or equivalent as prerequisites

Doh!!!! I forgot about that!!

So just go to Bonaire and solo dive without the Solo cert. I did that for 25 years with no issues.

 

[tursiops]

But he says this:

The issue is I'm not confident enough to dive alone or with a buddy with around 10 dives in total… I think Bonaire is more affordable than boat dives in Cozumel for exemple, when only doing unlimited tank without a guide.

So Solo is not really good for him; he needs a guide to help with things like navigation.

He ought to hire a guide for a day or two, then go do those same sites (with a buddy) without the guide. A navigation course is a good idea.

I think the issue is he has not mentioned a buddy.....and given his experience and concerns diving solo is a terrible and dangerous suggestion. He seems used to boat dives, with a guide in the water, and 'group diving" not buddy diving. he needs to get over that.....it is too constraining.

 

[TravisD]

I'll second the recommendation for Blackbeards. It's easy to get to from the US, it's no-fills, single-diver friendly.

 

[Steelyeyes]

No diving in the Park at this time.
Agree about Candyland.

That's sad. When I left everything north of Karpata was closed. My last two dives there felt like floating through a graveyard. Soft corals had shed polyps. The water was murky with dead tissue. Even the blade fire coral was white.

We're still trying to see places before they go the same route. Next big trip is Maldives and Philippines.

 

[nldunn]

Thanks! The issue is I'm not confident enough to dive alone or with a buddy with around 10 dives in total… I think Bonaire is more affordable than boat dives in Cozumel for exemple, when only doing unlimited tank without a guide. Otherwise it’s much more expensive I feel. But good point, I might register for a navigation course first and dive without a guide

I was just in Curacao and didn't dive because I had a stomach thing going on. I got my certification 35 year ago, didn't dive for 34 years and got recertified last year in Cozumel, which was a little scary because it was 60 feet and it's drift diving.
Snorkeled a bunch of places in Curacao with divers and every place they went 35 or 40 feet, I could have dove between 10 and 30 feet, which is much more in my comfort zone. Planning a trip back ASAP to do more shallow dives with a guide!!
Hope you had fun!