Suggestions for 1 week anywhere in Central America in early January?

[Banyan]

Hello, I've decided to briefly flee Alaska for the tropics this coming winter and am investigating my options. So I thought "Central America might be fun." Me: solo male with 200+ dives, unused and lapsed PADI DM cert, and unfinished GUE Rec Diver 1 course. I'm a little rusty. Hoping to spend 7 days doing at least 3 dives daily with maybe a daylong surface interval in the middle. I know nothing about Central American diving, besides that people say that it's pretty good. Any suggestions on countries and sites would be appreciated.Thanks!

 

[Sushi Boy]

If you go to the Pacific side, you'll be dealing with cooler water temps.

I'd suggest Little Corn Island in Nicaragua. Winter water temps are around 80 degrees.

Fly into Managua, take a puddle jumper the next morning to Big Corn Island. Take a ferry from Big Corn to Little Corn. Soooo worth the effort.

It's a small island. You can walk around it in less than an hour. No motorized vehicles at all. They turn the island's generator off from mid-morning to mid-afternoon to conserve energy. Good food, great diving and you'll be completely relaxed after a week there.

 

[Freewillow]

If you go to the Pacific side, you'll be dealing with cooler water temps.

I'd suggest Little Corn Island in Nicaragua. Winter water temps are around 80 degrees.

Fly into Managua, take a puddle jumper the next morning to Big Corn Island. Take a ferry from Big Corn to Little Corn. Soooo worth the effort.

It's a small island. You can walk around it in less than an hour. No motorized vehicles at all. They turn the island's generator off from mid-morning to mid-afternoon to conserve energy. Good food, great diving and you'll be completely relaxed after a week there.

I have seen the list of sites. Not very deep. And they can see hammerhead sharks is such shallow waters?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Roatan.

 

[Sushi Boy]

And they can see hammerhead sharks is such shallow waters?

Yep, can't remember the exact site off the top of my head, maybe something like the Canyon, but we saw a resident hammerhead cruising around while we were there. Very cool.

What was funny was there was a party boat full of snorkelers right above us at the same time. Bet they would've freaked out if they'd known what we were watching...

There's also a site called Blowing Rock that they only do once a week where they're supposed to have some big critters. I didn't stay long enough to get to do that one on my last trip, but will be sure to on a return.

 

[Damselfish]

Roatan or Utila? Belize? Cozumel? (not sure if that's technically CA, but don't see that it matters.) Lots of good options in all those places, depends on your budget and what sort of place you are looking for. And maybe which places are better for you fly to. If you are interested in doing a liveaboard, there's also the Caribbean Pearl doing Utila/Roatan, or the Aggressor or Sun Dancer in Belize.