Looking to Dive in December.. Liveaboard.. but where?

[mm2613]

I'm a medical student convinced my free time to dive will diminish abruptly and for quite some time once I start my rotations come this August.

I hope to do a big maldives trip sometime next year, and thought I could use my winter break as a test to see how well I can handle a week at sea.

I've read some good things (and some not so good things) about the aggressor boats and found the following availabilities:

Cayman / Kona / Okeanos (Cocos / Costa Rica)(pricey) / Turks & Caicos / Baja / Galapagos (big $)

I'm sure flight availability will limit me some, but of the above is anyone knowledgeable about what trips might be better than others?

Should I be considering other live aboard companies?

I greatly appreciate any and all advice! thank you.

 

[cali.grrl]

I am flying to Nicaragua on Friday on red eye from Los Angeles. I am now thinking I would rather head North to do some diving in Belize and Roatan (Honduras)...

I have heard of the Cocos Islands, and would be interested in checking that out too.

Let me know if you will be in the area...I plan on staying till the end of the month.

Charlotte

 

[Manuel Sam]

Depends on what your budget is, what you are hoping to see, your level of diving experience, and also how well you deal with long boat rides. If you haven't already, go back to the Aggressor website and check out their Captain's Logs for an idea of what you might expect to see at each destination, and which one better suits your expectations.

The Caribbean boats are bound to be the least expensive, and from NY, probably the cheapest airfare and the least amount of flying. You will enjoy the diving but don't expect a lot of big stuff - maybe a few Caribbean Reef sharks and Nurse sharks if you're lucky. Generally speaking, Caribbean diving tends to be the least challenging and taxing. I've never been on these so I don't know if they entail lengthy sea crossings.

Kona, I have no idea what their pricing is but it is the furthest to travel for you and perhaps a pretty hefty airfare, altho the combined airfare to do the Galapagos is right up there, if not more, because it is not just the air from NY to Quito or Guayaquil but also at least $400 RT airfare between the mainland and Galapagos. And unless things have changed, you still have to do at least one overnight hotel in Quito or Guayaquil both ways. Kona has a good night manta dive, probably a few sharks and possible dolphin sightings. I have never done Kona around that timeframe so I don't know how challenging it is nor if there is any lengthy motoring up and down the coast.

Baja, Cocos, and Galapagos are probably the most expensive and also the most challenging. You are right in listing Cocos and Galapagos as very pricey, but these are world class big animal destinations. Baja, and more specifically for the December timeframe, the Revillagigedos Islands of Mexico, are also an excellent big animal destination. Since you do not appear to find Baja overly pricey, my recommendation would be to do the Baja trip. Besides, December is not peak season for either Cocos or Galapagos anyway.

In December, you are apt to find good manta and dolphin action in Revillagigedos, coupled with decent shark sightings - some hammerheads, Galapagos, Silvertips, Silkies, and White Tip Reef sharks, maybe even a Tiger.

Diving conditions in Revillagigedos can be challenging, but in my opinion, less challenging, on average, than Cocos and Galapagos.

Cocos has the lengthiest crossing (32-36 hrs); Galapagos (about 12-14 hrs); and Baja (about 24 hrs).

There are currently four other boats that go out to the Revillagigedos Islands (aka Socorros Islands) besides the Baja Aggressor, so if you can't find availability for the dates that you want on the Aggressor, you might want to look into the other boats: Solmar V, Nautilus Explorer, Rocio del Mar, and a boat operated by Club Cantamar.