Where to spend a dive vacation?

[Jayfarmlaw]

Cozumel, we stay in town because of all the great food available, if you want a more pampered style, stay at one of the all inclusives on the South end. we dive with Aldora for the small boats, great service, and huge tanks. Admittedly though, I'm biased. We can go almost anywhere and continue to return to Cozumel twice a year for a reason. We just love it.

Safe travels.
Jay

 

[Cali_diver]

With 6 days and an 8 hr. travel limit, you are pretty limited. Unfortunately from Cali it takes longer than 8 hours to get anywhere other than Florida or Hawaii. Especially with layovers etc. It took us as long to get to Little Cayman as it takes to get to Bali with the layovers. If you live in LA area then you can get to Tahiti in a little over 8 hours, but that of course is just to Papeete, Tahiti. Tahiti and Hawaii are pretty expensive compared to Mexico. Cozumel or Belize might be an option but you would have to look at flight schedules. You might make it in 9-10 hours if you fly a red eye out of California.

 

[PADI Travel]

Hi Helen,

Two options you might be interested in that we don't think others have mentioned are Cuba or Mexico.

In Cuba, we might suggest the Canarreos Archipelago and Cayo Largo 1 Night trip on the Vision III. You’ll get two days of diving and then the chance to explore Cuba too. The Cuba travel regulations are still up in the air, but booking a liveaboard will probably help the situation as you might be able to travel under the “group people-to-people” experience.

The second option is to go cage diving with great white sharks in Guadalupe. We know you wanted to go somewhere with land activities, too, but we thought that there really isn’t any better way to celebrate a birthday than with great whites. The trips are usually 4 or 5 nights and leave from San Diego. November is the very end of the season. You can take a look at all the available trips here.

Anyways, we hope you have a great birthday month. Just let us know if you have any questions. In the meantime, happy diving!

 

[jarand]

Great suggestions. We are looking at a possible January trip and are considering Hawaii. My question is whether we will lose out on the best diving by going in the winter (OWD, not advanced), or whether the most memorable spots will be open. Thanks.

 

[Trevor JC Brown]

My vote is for Cabo but don't restrict yourself to just diving there. You can easily rent a car and dive in Cabo, Cabo Pulmo and La Paz, all have their highlights. November is an excellent time for cabo pulmo and whale sharks.
There is also other things to do in the baja sur, really nice beaches, surfing, hiking etc.

 

[elbig]

Maui especially from California. Great diving.

 

[scubadada]

Southern Baja Mexico Travel Warning Given the alternatives, I stick with my recommendations for Maui or Cozumel

 

[jaque88]

To respond to Trail Boss:

Loreto, Baja California Sur (Mexico) is nice, but to me, the diving does not compare to that of Cozumel, and probably not Hawaii. Also, depending on the month, the water temps are not more that upper 60s to 70 degrees. Something to consider if you need to dive in warm waters.
Loreto is a nice town, however, and when I went there I did enjoy myself. I went out with Dolphin Dive Shop, and they did a fantastic job; a really good operation.
So far, you have received some excellent input and suggestions from the others. I'm sure you'll choose the right destination for your needs and expectations. Have fun!

 

[KathyV]

Great suggestions. We are looking at a possible January trip and are considering Hawaii. My question is whether we will lose out on the best diving by going in the winter (OWD, not advanced), or whether the most memorable spots will be open. Thanks.

January is the high season and the busiest and most expensive time at many tropical destinations, so you should make your reservations soon; but the water will also be a little colder in Hawaii in January, possibly low to mid 70s. So if that is important to you, you might want to save Hawaii for another time and look for someplace with warmer water.

I was in Hawaii earlier this year in January. I wasn't diving, I was there on business for about 8 days in Honolulu on Waikiki, and it was very crowded. I did manage to spend a couple of afternoons on the beach and I didn't think the water was too cold - it was lovely - but I wasn't doing multiple dives at depth, that might get cold.

But Hawaii in January was absolutely beautiful and the weather was perfect except for rain one day. Maybe you should do a little more research and then make your decision, good luck!

 

[Fathom044]

Cayman Brac!