Where to go with direct flights from NYC?

[marianne777]

My girlfriend and I are looking for a place to dive either in early April or mid-to-end of May. With our busy schedules, we can only take about 2 days off from work so it would have to be a direct flight from NYC with great diving. It's our last dive trip before we're off to Galapagos Aggressor in September!!! So would love to do drift dives (intermediate) if possible. We've been to Cozumel and loved it but would like to check out someplace new. Just really looking to do something quick so we can "refresh". Any suggestions?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Doc]

we can only take about 2 days off from work so it would have to be a direct flight from NYC with great diving.

Great diving. That phrase keeps coming up.

If you are saying you want a 2 workday+2 weekend day trip (it was hard to figure from what you said), that means 4 days.

It depends on how much you wanted to pay for air fare. I'll assume you are not named Trump nor do you work for the airlines, so I would say Florida, Grand Bahama, Nassau, Bimini, like that.

It's our last dive trip before we're off to Galapagos Aggressor in September!!! So would love to do drift dives (intermediate) if possible.

Is that what you'll be expecting in the Galapagos, "intermediate" drift dives? You got those in Cozumel... if you hit the really fast ones there.

The only place that comes anywhere close to the Galapagos in terms of pre-trip training is Los Roques (Venezuala) or Tobago (Speyside).

Just really looking to do something quick so we can "refresh".

I would imagine that the best course of action would be to charter on and do some local ocean diving offshore.

You are not liklely to duplicate currents of drift diving, find neither lateral currents (along the reef) or downwellings (which you will experience in the Galapagos), but NE Coastal US diving can broaden your skills dramatically. You will at least be acclimated to diving in water between 72 and 78 degrees, which might be a big shock after Cozumel. Have you familiarized yourself with the thicker wetsuits you'll be needing?

Consider also the Oriskany in Florida where you are likely to get a real taste of current and how it behaves flowing over a flat surface, not dissimilar to currents over former lava flows in the Galapagos.

Big things that you could do in a pool or local pond... learn to shoot your SMB from 25fsw without blowing your 15fsw safety stop. This is a required skill for the Galapagos so that you may mark your position for the pick-up boat and hang there while doing a safety stop while he manages his other divers locations. Don't imagine that simply surfacing and then signaling is the optimum method. You will likely get very seasick and worse. Divers with advanced skills will shoot, hang, and wait.

Practice and refreshers come in many forms, but with 4 days (?) out of NYC, you got me on that one.

As these similar questions come up frequently, the best thing you could provide is information you have undoubtedly already acquired... what are the direct flight destinations available from NYC?

 

[Twistedarts]

My girlfriend and I are looking for a place to dive either in early April or mid-to-end of May. With our busy schedules, we can only take about 2 days off from work so it would have to be a direct flight from NYC with great diving. It's our last dive trip before we're off to Galapagos Aggressor in September!!! So would love to do drift dives (intermediate) if possible. We've been to Cozumel and loved it but would like to check out someplace new. Just really looking to do something quick so we can "refresh". Any suggestions?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come join DiveNY and do some local diving.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-ny/

 

[RussR]

Fort Lauderdale or fly to Miami and dive in Key Largo

 

[BikerManiac]

Drift Dives = Cozumel.
Excellent Marine Life = Bonaire.

I am jealous about your Galapagos Trip. Make sure you bring a 7mm wetsuit.

 

[robint]

Ft. Lauderdale - West Palm Beach, anywhere in between is drift diving. They drop you off the boat with a dive flag per buddy team, pick you up when you surface. Only exception is diving the wrecks where they moor the boat.

With such a short trip, I wouldn't go anywhere farther away. You have to remember your "no fly time" after your last dive, so you are really only going to get in 2 full days of diving.

 

[vladimir]

Bonaire and Belize both have direct flights from Newark. Five and four hours respectively, leaving on Saturday morning, if I recall correctly. Both have pretty good diving. Current is practically non-existent in Bonaire and, with the exception of the Elbow, I haven't experienced much in Belize either--certainly nothing that would qualify as preparation for Galapagos.

 

[marianne777]

It looks like we may be going to Turks & Caicos. We found flights that would get us there early enough that we can do an afternoon dive the 1st day and morning dives for the next 2 days and leave on the 4th day. Anyone been to Turks & Caicos and know much about the diving there?

I will consider doing some local dives though... DiveNY!!! Are there drift dives here?

 

[ronscuba]

Cayman Airways flies direct out of JFK. Just got back from a long weekend. Tickets were reasonable at $330 roundtrip.

 

[robint]

It looks like we may be going to Turks & Caicos. We found flights that would get us there early enough that we can do an afternoon dive the 1st day and morning dives for the next 2 days and leave on the 4th day. Anyone been to Turks & Caicos and know much about the diving there?

I will consider doing some local dives though... DiveNY!!! Are there drift dives here?

Now that you know where you are going - Turks & Caicos - go down to the Caribbean Forum and ask questions there. YOu should also use the SEARCH function. Lots of people dive in T&C, lots of good information on this board already if you look.