older diver needs easy diving recommendations

My wife and I are once a year divers with not lots of diving experience (me: about 30 dives). I'm an older guy who loves being down, but my body doesn't always agree with some of my decisions. Our best diving experiences have been in Grand Cayman, and worst in Belize, Ambergris Caye due to rough seas and few fish.

We have also been to Curacao shore diving but the coral looked half dead plus its hard for us to get to. Cozumel had currents that I didn't care for.

There are problems getting to many locations due to where we are starting from. We have to fly from home to as many as three more stops to get to some places I'd like to try (like Bonaire, Grenada, Dominica, possibly Roatan).

So, we are down to going back to GC or maybe trying Provo which is easy for us to get to.

We need boat rides to be fairly short, maybe half hour max. not rough seas, with maybe two foot swells max, very little to no current and prefer not to do wall diving because my wife gets scared when there is no bottom under her.

So, I could dive in the YMCA pool, but the coral and wildlife would be limited.

Is Provo a place that would make sense for us given our limitations?

I don't know that anywhere could have easier diving that Cocoview in Roatan. You may have to spend the night in ATL because the flight is an early one, but its not too bad. My favorite is Bonaire but many people don't like the shore entries, we love the freedom. The reef in Roatan is much prettier though.

You will have very long boat rides from Provo to get to the good sites. I was going to recommend Grand Turk until I saw you didn't want wall diving. GT has calm waters, short boat rides, great viz and lots of fish. Your wife could always stay along the top of the wall. For strictly shallow reef diving you might be best going to Nassau, Freeport or Key Largo. Other thoughts: St. Croix, Virgin Gorda.

No easier place to dive in the world than Cayman Brac. 5 minute boat ride to calm, no current, 100 plus visibility, warm air, warm water, valet diving at it's best. You'll see pretty reefs, lot's of fish big and small, plenty of turtles, and the occasional shark. You can get surge if you look for it, but even the windiest days offer safe easy diving. Brac Reef, BracScuba Shack are both excellent operations. And yes, whenever anyone asks for a good place to vacation, I'll chime in for Brac.

I like May, June, and July. However, I've never had a bad day on Brac. Paloma sucked, but that was a rare event. Cheers

You like long plane rides?

The Florida keys are nearby. They have lots of shallow reef diving. Reef is only about 7 miles out so the boat rides are short. Boats run twice a day.

From Miami it is almost exactly a one hour drive to Mile Marker 100 which puts you at the Holiday Inn Marina. At the Marina, and nearby, there are lots of dive boats.

I have left my house in Raleigh, NC, at around 8 AM and been on the boat heading to the reef at 1pm. (2 hour flight and 1 hour drive).

If you do not like the Miami airport, which is a sane point of view, the Ft. Lauderdale airport only ups the drive by 15 minutes.

dukeofhesse:

We have also been to Curacao shore diving but the coral looked half dead plus its hard for us to get to.

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I wonder what dive sites you have been going?

Bonaire is the best choice of those you mentioned. While flights are more expensive and not as convenient than GC, the diving is simple and less expensive. Staying at a dive resort or next to one (such as Coral Paradise next to Capt Dons) is a good option. I can shore dive in front of Capt Dons (heading one direction to Buddy's house reef and heading the other to Cliff and Small Wall) everyday and usually do. They have lockers and tanks right at the waters edge and dive dock. Just walk over, suit up and jump in. When you come out, there are rinse tanks and showers right there. A few steps up to a porch, restaurant and bar. It does not get easier. There are other places in Bon with similar set ups. Enjoy.

dukeofhesse:

Is Provo a place that would make sense for us given our limitations?

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Take Provo off your list. It is primarily deep wall dives (top of wall starts at 50 ft) with 45 to 60 minute trips from grace bay out to west Caicos.

Consider dock diving in Bonaire. Captn dons, buddy's and divi all provide no current house reefs that tart at the end of the dock.

---------- Post added April 4th, 2014 at 02:32 PM ----------

Andbonaire is now easier to get to with more flights added in the last few months.

Thanks for the comments.

So, scratch Provo.

Bonaire and Roatan are out as mentioned because of the difficulty flying to them from where we are. For example, to
get to Bonaire, we fly to Charlotte, then to Miami, then to Curacao, then to Bonaire. That is long, painful and expensive. And I would rather stick needles in my eyeballs than fly into Miami.

Steve_C: I forgot to mention that we are planning a winter vacation and that leaves the Keys out because the water is just too cold. I know, I know, we are sissies but I've gotten old and crabby and now only do what I really want to do. We've considered a second dive vacay in the Keys, but it would have to be in the hurricane season. Not worth the uncertainty.

Will look into Cayman Brac; thanks Vincent C.

If you can get to Atlanta easily, there is a non stop flight to Bonaire every Saturday at about 10.00 AM.

Having said that Cayman Brac should suit your needs as well but many of the sites are wall dives.