Senior-friendly dive sites
- Thread starter ricsut
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Barefoot Divers in Roatan does the entire set-up and assistance for those guests who so desire (valet diving). it's also quite a bit more laid back then other resorts. Truly, truly love the place and the people.
RonFrank
Contributor
I like the Key Largo suggestion. The dives can be shallow, the reefs are healthy and the food in the area is great. Plus there is something to be said for being in the USA. Some OPs I like include Conch Republic, and Rainbow Reef for their guided dives at no charge.
Cozmel is an awesome location, but the dives tend to be deep. There are a handful of dives in the 40-50ft depth range. Far more deeper like 80+ and it's easy to pass rec depths.
Good Luck...
Cozmel is an awesome location, but the dives tend to be deep. There are a handful of dives in the 40-50ft depth range. Far more deeper like 80+ and it's easy to pass rec depths.
Good Luck...
K
KeithG
Guest
Have you narrowed down what aspect of diving that you want to be more senior friendly? You mention not being as flexible & finding it hard to keep up with younger divers. These hint at both above and below water aspects.
The posts above provide some good pointers, but you may want to narrow down the exact feature(s) you value most as being senior friendly. Is it the effort to get ready or the actual swim?
Below water is simple: stay away from "herded" dives where the young buck DM takes you on a marathon swim with all the other young divers. Note that this choice may limit the types of diving that you can do (maybe no more drifts?). We no longer use ops that enforce "stay with DM" guided dives.
For day boats, if a DM guide is available, we make sure to inform them before every dive that we are slow swimmers and we will fall behind. We tell them our maximum planned depth and indicate that we will check in with them as "catch up" to us on the return leg to the boat. We also tell them our planned dive duration (i.e. see you back on the boat in 60 minutes). We have never had any issues with this approach (since we knew ahead of time that staying with the DM was NOT mandatory).
Every live aboard we have been on allows us to dive our own plan. They do set limits (130 feet, 60 minutes, 500 psi) but your buddy pair are free to swim as slow and as little as you want.
Above water: limit schlepping of gear and effort to get to the site. A live aboard is excellent for this. Room to gear station to dive site is less than 100 feet. Very low effort. A live aboard also minimizes the gear set up effort as you leave your BCD on the tank all week. You also minimize the distance you carry your gear: about 20 feet. There are also many dive resorts that provide "front porch" diving that reduce this effort as well. On Bonaire, think Captain Dons, Buddy's & Divi Flamingo (and I am sure there are lots of others...). You can store your gear close to the dive entry off the dock. You can dive your own profile with your buddy and swim as little as you want as often as you want.
Every dive operation I have been with will help divers get their gear and themselves into and out of the water, so this seems less of a concern? This may limit shore diving that you do on your own with just your buddy.
My whole point is that there may be some specific issues that you can focus on and some others that maybe are not as important. This may help to point you in the proper direction for finding your version of senior friendly.
The posts above provide some good pointers, but you may want to narrow down the exact feature(s) you value most as being senior friendly. Is it the effort to get ready or the actual swim?
Below water is simple: stay away from "herded" dives where the young buck DM takes you on a marathon swim with all the other young divers. Note that this choice may limit the types of diving that you can do (maybe no more drifts?). We no longer use ops that enforce "stay with DM" guided dives.
For day boats, if a DM guide is available, we make sure to inform them before every dive that we are slow swimmers and we will fall behind. We tell them our maximum planned depth and indicate that we will check in with them as "catch up" to us on the return leg to the boat. We also tell them our planned dive duration (i.e. see you back on the boat in 60 minutes). We have never had any issues with this approach (since we knew ahead of time that staying with the DM was NOT mandatory).
Every live aboard we have been on allows us to dive our own plan. They do set limits (130 feet, 60 minutes, 500 psi) but your buddy pair are free to swim as slow and as little as you want.
Above water: limit schlepping of gear and effort to get to the site. A live aboard is excellent for this. Room to gear station to dive site is less than 100 feet. Very low effort. A live aboard also minimizes the gear set up effort as you leave your BCD on the tank all week. You also minimize the distance you carry your gear: about 20 feet. There are also many dive resorts that provide "front porch" diving that reduce this effort as well. On Bonaire, think Captain Dons, Buddy's & Divi Flamingo (and I am sure there are lots of others...). You can store your gear close to the dive entry off the dock. You can dive your own profile with your buddy and swim as little as you want as often as you want.
Every dive operation I have been with will help divers get their gear and themselves into and out of the water, so this seems less of a concern? This may limit shore diving that you do on your own with just your buddy.
My whole point is that there may be some specific issues that you can focus on and some others that maybe are not as important. This may help to point you in the proper direction for finding your version of senior friendly.
It's not the Caribbean, but seeing you're from Vancouver, Kona is pretty easy to get to and is easy diving. No heavy currents, consistant good viz, and relatively calm water most of the year. You'd be looking about 4 degrees cooler than most of the Caribbean, so that may be an issue if minimal wetsuits are desired. Id second the thought that liveaboards might be something to look into.
Doubler
Contributor
Look at the Cayman, Belize or Kona Aggressors, Explorer Venture or Sun Dancer live aboard. Set your gear up once, if you need they will schlepp it to the dive platform where you can sit down, put it on and face plant into the water. Dive with the DM or on your own, your call. I've been on liveaboards with folks in their late 70's who did all the dives offered during the week. Start planning! Age is just a damn number. I'm 62 and the wife and I are headed to Truk in March.
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While most all the diving here in Hawaii is pretty easy compared to the diving I'm used to in Northern California and New England, I can't say that I've been diving anywhere that the ocean considers your age and tries to be nice. I'm 62 and I'll still dive Aden Rock, Monastery, Ocean Cove, or Gerstle Cove any time I get the change.
Mark Derail
Contributor
Fly out to Cozumel, Mexico. Don't land in Cancun, land in Cozumel.
There are many great dive ops. Read up in the Cozumel thread.
If you don't know whether or not you'll be OK with a live-aboard, Cozumel & Hawaii offer excellent shore dives (or very small boat trips) with dives never exceeding 100 feet. Lots of great spots in the 50 foot range.
There are many great dive ops. Read up in the Cozumel thread.
If you don't know whether or not you'll be OK with a live-aboard, Cozumel & Hawaii offer excellent shore dives (or very small boat trips) with dives never exceeding 100 feet. Lots of great spots in the 50 foot range.
I'm not sure what "senior friendly" means so I will say it means there are staff to haul your gear and assist you in and out of the water. Most Hawaii day boats will do that as will most bots in resort areas. More remote locations that run small "back roll" boats wont be that user friendly. As for shore diving, Maui and Bonaire are the places I've been that offer the most good sites with easy entry and exit, even for septegenarians. Except for shore diving, location is not so important as the dive concessionaire. I suggest calling ahead, stating your expectations, and I'm sure most dive boats and centers will let you know if they can accommodate your needs. I should also so that my wife and I like dives that let us set the pace. I like to stop and look at things. I do not like those dives that are led by a DM who thinks that moving constantly and covering a lot of ground is important. I'd rather enjoy 100 feet of a wall at varying depths for an hour, than swim a mile or more and missing all the interesting life and behaviors going on around me. I would certainly discuss that issue with any dive boat or resort to which I was headed. Debbie and I do a lot of diving on our own, a privilege that comes with a current professional rating and insurance, but not everyone honors that status. So we ask about these things before we book. Happy diving for years to come!
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
PatW
Contributor
I have been to two places that might work. I am 60 and at both of these I was on the young side. CocoView would work well for you.
Also, Little Cayman Beach Resort should work well. You have 3 boat dives. The boats are pretty large. There is little or no current. The wall is usually pretty shallow and the top of the reef is often 20' or so.
As others have said, diving at Key Largo is also easy diving at least in the summer when the winds and chop die down.
Also, Little Cayman Beach Resort should work well. You have 3 boat dives. The boats are pretty large. There is little or no current. The wall is usually pretty shallow and the top of the reef is often 20' or so.
As others have said, diving at Key Largo is also easy diving at least in the summer when the winds and chop die down.
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