jasondcrawford:
are all new to Scuba (under 10 dives) and want to plan on huge 'just graduated from college and can no longer justify spending this kind of money on a trip' vacation for May of 2007. (Basically... for those who have done dives around the world, which was your favorite that an inexperienced diver could do?)
Before you waste big money on a trip, go log another 70 or so dives under varying conditions. Better yet- log them under the same conditions that you will face on your intended trip.
While you are gaining experience in giant stride entries, back rolls, shore dives with current over iron shore, small boat recovery after drift diving... then learn to perfect your buoyancy so you can reall get some value out of the money that you are paying to go to exotic lands.
SCUBA is fun in the sun, but it aint skiing. In skiing, even the Green Circle type beginners can find a cat track that will take them safely down from the highest cable car that serves only Black Diamond expert runs. In SCUBA, there is no easy way out of a dive that you haven't yet gained the experience to survive, much less enjoy.
Every time we step off into the blue, we are confronted with different circumstances to face and overcome. You have had suggestions for Bonaire... how's your shore dive in surge skills? While walking on rocky (dead) coral rip rap. How's your skills for current and dealing with finding your return exit point? See, even a sun washed "must do" like Bonaire presents certain obstacles and challenges.
Cozumel? Drift dives, some quite swift, and almost legendary non-attention from the DM's.
Blue Hole in Belize? Ready to blip down to 140' to see.... nothing much? Really? Cenote (cave) diving? Sure.
And so on. Every time you strap in, you may be confronted with a new set of variables that you have never encountered before. Can you handle one at a time? How about 6 new things- all at once? Task loading can kill you.
Advanced Diving defined: Any dive that presents you with equipment (new gear or rqd for the specific dive) , strange boat configuration, shore, sea condition (temp/surge/viz/current/depth), entry/exit method (ladders of varying quality/RIB Zodiacs), dive staff/boat crew quality/interaction and surface recovery interval locations
that are either new to the diver or are combined in sufficient concentration to cause task loading.
I like the suggestion of AKR (where they offer a dolphin dive) in Roatan. Simple, fall off the boat, easy. There are other easy breezy resorts there as well. Roughly like being in a warm saltwater pool.
Go, get some more experience before you do this. It's a big investment.