Where should we go in the Caribbean or Mayan coast?

[starfish44c2]

So a friend just tasked me to schedule a dive trip for September. We're both experienced divers and have been to Belize, Bahamas, Dominica, St' Croix and several others. We want beautiful diving, lots of critters. We like land based, low key clean rooms, local culture, good food, island adventure. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[KathyV]

Where are you located and what is your budget? What types of things do you like to do when you are not diving?

Bonaire or Curacao, Cayman Brac, Cozumel, or Saba are all great destinations.

Have you considered trying a liveaboard dive trip? The Turks and Caicos, Cayman islands, and Saba/St. Kitts are fantastic LOB destinations.

 

[agilis]

St. Vincent

 

[drrich2]

Are you trying to avoid the hurricane belt, or are you content taking your chances?

Is shore diving a significant draw? If so, Bonaire or Curacao would be out of the hurricane belt, but neither is known for big stuff. Bonaire is not real big on 'island adventure,' although there is some; I found the long route through Washington-Slagbaai Park scenic. Curacao is bigger and said to have more for non-divers to do. Does a sandy beach matter? (This can discriminate between Bonaire and Curacao).

What kind of dive count are you looking to rack up? Bonaire is an easy place to get live-aboard level dive #'s crammed into a week, if that's your thing.

What elements of 'local culture' appeal to you? Is it:

1.) Hearing a foreign language?

2.) Hand-made arts & crafts?

3.) Watching something along the lines of a group ceremonial dance in 'native' costumes?

4.) Eating foods you've never heard of?

5.) Chatting with local workers?

6.) Mayan ruins?

7.) Foreign architecture?

Knowing what balance between diving & island adventure you're looking for, and what 'several other' places you've been to would be useful. Where did you stay in Belize, and what did you do there that appealed to you?

Did you shore dive in St. Croix or elsewhere? If not, consider Bonaire or Curacao to try shore diving for 'something different.'

One of the places I haven't been that I might read up on with your criteria in mind would be the Dominican Republic, the Bayahibe area, diving with ScubaFun. Can't tell you anything about it personally, but do a forum search & see if that appeals to you. On a cruise ship stop at Samana on the island, we did an ATV tour; island's got some beauty, and the people seemed quite friendly.

Richard.

 

[mmmbelows]

So a friend just tasked me to schedule a dive trip for September. We're both experienced divers and have been to Belize, Bahamas, Dominica, St' Croix and several others. We want beautiful diving, lots of critters. We like land based, low key clean rooms, local culture, good food, island adventure. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Well, it's pretty easy, there is a list of popular Caribbean dive destinations for better diving, you've only got one of them checked off on the list (Belize), so the remaining are:

Cozumel
Caymans
Roatan
Florida

 

[KathyV]

Well, it's pretty easy, there is a list of popular Caribbean dive destinations for better diving, you've only got one of them checked off on the list (Belize), so the remaining are:

Cozumel
Caymans
Roatan
Florida

That's a pretty short list. The OP has dived St. Croix and Dominica and I thought that they were excellent dive destinations and what about places like the Turks and Caicos, Bonaire, and Curacao and San Salvador in the Bahamas? There are a lot more dive options in the Caribbean than you are suggesting.

 

[mmmbelows]

Yes there are, but I said there is a list of popular dive destinations. I left off Bonaire, that should be on the popular list as would the Bahamas, but he has already been there so I didn't list it again. The list of places you can dive is endless, we could say Saba too, great place to dive, but not on the short list of popular dive destinations, that people generally end up at first.

 

[drrich2]

Searching on my computer for something else, I stumbled across a 2015 Trip Report on Bayahibe in the Dominican Republic, diving with ScubaFun, posted by Qnape. Might give you a quick idea whether this is something you'd want to do.

Richard.

 

[gopbroek]

What are your dates? I would say Cozumel but not the week of the 11th to the 18th, the island is hosting the world triathlon finals that week and I suspect it will be a cluster f@#% for the dive OP's accessing the marina.

 

[starfish44c2]

Wow, lots of questions, and thank you for your replies! Not looking for a live aboard - love them but not for this trip. Love everything drrich2 asked about! Closest thing I'm looking for is something like Dominica - great island, eco stuff, NICE people, really cool diving. But been there 2x.... Loved Belize, looking for some really pretty reefs. Someone suggested St. Vincent, Guadeloupe and Montserrat - any feedback?