Caymans or Bonaire???

[diva159]

Hello fellow dive fanatics!

A friend and I just decided to take a "economical" Caribbean dive trip in late August/Early September. :D Bonaire and the Caymans both seem like good spots for Caribbean diving. Has anyone been to both and which would you recommend? We are intermediate/advanced divers. On a lesser issue, I'm single and I am interested in a bit of a social atmosphere.

Thanks & Happy Diving!

Kaci

[keyshunter]

If "economical" is indeed the operative word, you probably should consider Bonaire. There is nothing "economical" about the Caymans.

[Pearldiver07]

If you consider the cost to be comparable for your purposes, it really depends on the focus of your dive trip and diving style.

If you want to dive where, when, and as much as you'd like, Bonaire can't be beat. But you'll be lugging your gear everywhere, and many entry/exit points require a bit of a walk and/or climb.

If you prefer to have your gear pretty much taken care of, you get on the boat and dive and come back, then Caymans (I prefer Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) will be a better way to go.

I've been to Bonaire many more times than the Caymans, but the Cayman have a wonderful charm for quiet, relaxed diving and lifestyle.

Now, later in the year Bonaire is great because it is outside of the "hurricane track" so you don't have to worry about being weathered out. I was at Brac during a tropical storm and we only missed the night dive. The boat just went around the point and we dove on the lee side of the island. My trip had NO complaints from anyone. The resort really did it right for me. As the trip leader I really was expecting my share of complaints about everything, but they overcame the weather and made it a great week.

You'll be hard pressed to have a bad trip to either though.

[jdcpa]

Bonaire is cheaper than the Caymans.

Little more social atmosphere on Grand Cayman, but less on the Brac and LC.

Keys is right, economical and Caymans do not beloong in the same sentence.

[txteachers]

We love both places...but easy diving and less expensive diving is Bonaire! They rent small trucks with tank holders in the back. The dive sites are marked by yellow rocks with the dive site name on them...it cannot get any easier to find them!!!