We tend to alternate between Cozumel and Bonaire since we started diving in 2007 along with a cruise in between that hit 7 islands in 7 days where we did 2 dives at each island all of which we had never been to before. We've got 31 dives in 3 trips to Cozumel and 71 dives in 4 dive trips to Bonaire although we stayed 2 weeks in Bonaire last year.
We had always done shore diving in Bonaire until 2 years ago when Maduro tricked us by running an awesome deal at Capt Dons which included 6 boats dives each. We jumped on it but then had to pay $1000 each for airfare so it pretty much evened out. By the way we've paid from $450 to $1000 for airfare to Bonaire probably averaging about $700, we're paying $850 this year. Anyway, the boat diving spoiled us, last year we stayed at Capt Dons for 2 weeks doing 24 boat dives each plus free house reef diving, we didn't rent a truck.
We're doing the same thing this year, we're missing Cozumel this year due to surgery. You go back to the pier for your surface interval, disconnect your 1st stage from your tank and while you go to your room to eat/ relax on the balcony etc they air your tanks back up right where they are so when you get back on the boat you only have to reconnect your 1st stage. We've seen dolphins underwater on Bonaire back when we snorkled and we've seen them while on the boat. Lots of Eagle Rays and recently a Mantle Ray has shown up,the largest schools of blue tang and the biggest parrot fish and friendliest French Angels. We saw our first green moray on our last trip.
We never do sites that shore divers can do except Karpata once and we get to do Klein. You don't have to stay with the DM just be back in the shallows by the boat in about an hour. Some of my favorite diving is in that area floating over the tall soft coral seafan things. We've seen seahorses and frogfish. One of my favorites when shorediving was when I would have my buoyancy perfect just about 2' from a nice coral head in the sandy area and the sun comes out and the colors of the coral head just explode and the fish come out. The house reef is awesome 5'-6' tarpons cruising around, stopping and irratating the sargent majors for awhile which are guarding their eggs and in the evening "rush hour", when it seems all the fish in the sea are heading North in about 35' of water having to split up to get around you. Night diving with the Tarpoon hiding behind you hoping you shine your lite on a small fish is pretty cool especially the first time when you're not aware of them. My dive computer gives me the average depth of dives and it's about 30',
On Cozumel I love going in backwards, the swim thrus, seen green morays free swimming that had a head the size of a basketball and are about 6' long, never seen a real shark just sand sharks or nurse sharks. I like the Tormentos, Yucab, Punta Tunich area. Have seen lots of big turtles, lobsters and hugh gray Angels, a couple toad fish, couple eagle rays. Don't like the really fast currents but had some nice dives at Tunich where the long flat rockbottom is zooming by just under you and seeing the large turtles and fish up ahead that you're going to go right by. Planacar Gardens area where its like your winding your way around mountain tops. Average depth of total dives are about 50'.
We usually use Orbitz and used to get Hotel Coz for a week and air from Tulsa for $500, it's a couple hundred dollars more now. We get breakfast included, grab a banana or something for the surface interval. We eat in the room with a combo of things we brought from home and things we buy there. We love Cozumel topside, Hotel Coz pool and pool area is great as is the man-made sand beach by the pier. We always look forward to walking to town in the evenings to eat out, stopping and watching the penned dolphins between the two buildings on the water side. Blue Angel and Papa Hogs bar/restaurant in the opposite direction have good happy hours and a better view of the sunset. And then there's the East side, can't go to Cozumel without at least one trip over there.
We used to go to Ambergris Caye about 15 years ago when we snorkled. Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan cut were great. At Shark Ray Alley when the boat stopped the nurse/sand sharks would be fighting like dogs to get closest to the boat knowing food was coming. They were piling on top of each other almost getting into the boat. Got to pet the sharks- felt like sandpaper and the stingrays which were real soft and smooth on bottom.
Grand Cayman we spent a week when we snorkled, love Rum Point. We' only done 2 dives there and both were from shore while on a cruise, the Cracked Conch was pretty good but I guess we at Eden Rock/ Devils Grotto we were at the wrong place because it was dead, dead coral and no fish but had swim thrus.
On Roatan we snorkled Tabyana Beach? which was cool, saw my first queen angels there. Came back on a cruise once and did 2 dives with Banarama but they must have taken us to the closest place because they really sucked. I know Cocoview and Anthony Key are better but we don't plan on going back there anytime soon.
Anyway, we've been to a lot of islands all in the Caribbean, none of which I wouldn't return to, we mainly do Bonaire and Cozumel but I think we would like to try Grand Turk, St. Croix and the 2 smaller Cayman Islands. Did I miss any?