spoolin01
Contributor
Wow, you make me restless with such talk.
If I understand your situation, I think the challenge will be in finding a locale with enough shore diving to hold your interest for 3 months, unless you really have the budget to pay for boat dives the entire trip. The suggestions of Bonaire and Curacao have got me intrigued now. I only know of Hawaii and the US west coast and most wouldn't consider diving the latter to be appealing enough for a long vacation.
The Big Island in Hawaii has great viz, lots of fish, good hard coral in many places, no soft coral, good chances at larger critters - dolphins, whales, mantas, turtles, reef sharks - a multitude of great shore diving sites, few bugs (Kona side), and some variety of scenery and touristy things to do. It's also safe and familiar to drop into. I spent 6 weeks there, mostly diving, have been there many other times, and would jump at the opportunity to do several months there. There will be a lot of sameness to the diving - no wrecks, no walls, similarity in 'feel' among most sites (some short lava tubes!) - but beautiful water/snorkeling/diving is literally right at the shore's edge at dozens of access spots up and down the west side of the island.
The other islands, esp Maui, offer somewhat of the same opportunities, but in my opinion suffer significantly by comparison, esp over a 3 month stay. However, they are just a $100 plane ride away from Kona. Boat dives are approaching $150/2 tanks now, so it's really the ample shore diving that would recommend this destination. [-]If[/-] when I go for a several months' stay, I'll buy a small trailered skiff, pay the $50 annual launch fee, buy or rent a small tow vehicle, and dive and fish every day. Kayaks are another option-multiplier.
It will be a challenge to find $1000/mo Hawaii lodging in an ideal location, but with some effort, I think you can find a small condo or sublet a room or suite on or near the coastline for almost that little. You can gorge yourself on plump 20c papaya, $3 pineapples, free coconuts, spearfishing, and the occasional lobster (Sept-Apr) to help bridge the budget.
Do you sail? I'd consider buying a small boat in Florida or thereabouts, and sailing around the eastern Carribean for 3 months. Maybe even some location in the South Pacific. Starting and ending in Florida would make it simpler, and easier to manage the budget. If you're not sailors and don't want to learn on the fly, you might be able to hire on as crew on a bigger boat with an experienced captain who has similar interests in destinations. For that matter, if you're into the sailing idea, you wouldn't even have to leave the US to fill 3 months with a lot of fun and diving.
If I understand your situation, I think the challenge will be in finding a locale with enough shore diving to hold your interest for 3 months, unless you really have the budget to pay for boat dives the entire trip. The suggestions of Bonaire and Curacao have got me intrigued now. I only know of Hawaii and the US west coast and most wouldn't consider diving the latter to be appealing enough for a long vacation.
The Big Island in Hawaii has great viz, lots of fish, good hard coral in many places, no soft coral, good chances at larger critters - dolphins, whales, mantas, turtles, reef sharks - a multitude of great shore diving sites, few bugs (Kona side), and some variety of scenery and touristy things to do. It's also safe and familiar to drop into. I spent 6 weeks there, mostly diving, have been there many other times, and would jump at the opportunity to do several months there. There will be a lot of sameness to the diving - no wrecks, no walls, similarity in 'feel' among most sites (some short lava tubes!) - but beautiful water/snorkeling/diving is literally right at the shore's edge at dozens of access spots up and down the west side of the island.
The other islands, esp Maui, offer somewhat of the same opportunities, but in my opinion suffer significantly by comparison, esp over a 3 month stay. However, they are just a $100 plane ride away from Kona. Boat dives are approaching $150/2 tanks now, so it's really the ample shore diving that would recommend this destination. [-]If[/-] when I go for a several months' stay, I'll buy a small trailered skiff, pay the $50 annual launch fee, buy or rent a small tow vehicle, and dive and fish every day. Kayaks are another option-multiplier.
It will be a challenge to find $1000/mo Hawaii lodging in an ideal location, but with some effort, I think you can find a small condo or sublet a room or suite on or near the coastline for almost that little. You can gorge yourself on plump 20c papaya, $3 pineapples, free coconuts, spearfishing, and the occasional lobster (Sept-Apr) to help bridge the budget.
Do you sail? I'd consider buying a small boat in Florida or thereabouts, and sailing around the eastern Carribean for 3 months. Maybe even some location in the South Pacific. Starting and ending in Florida would make it simpler, and easier to manage the budget. If you're not sailors and don't want to learn on the fly, you might be able to hire on as crew on a bigger boat with an experienced captain who has similar interests in destinations. For that matter, if you're into the sailing idea, you wouldn't even have to leave the US to fill 3 months with a lot of fun and diving.
