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I have been diving for about 2yrs. Only been a couple places so I do not know whats good or not. But last summer I got my 12yr old son certified and we are wanting to take a dive trip this summer. So far all he has dove is our local very dark lake. So I was looking for a place we can do blue water but that is not too extrem. My son seem ok in the water but I still need to work on bouncy with him. Anyone have some suggestions?
Hi Lewis,
Welcome to the ScubaBoard! There are alot of good people here that will surely have great sugggestion on where you and your son can go diving. You might want to give us an idea of where you live, and how far you are willing to travel.
Best Wishes,
Steve & Margo
Jr. Underwater Explorers
Hi all thanks for the quick replys. We Live in Tx. I am open to anyplace. Though at this time he does not have a passport. I think the deciding factor will be cost. I am a single dad. So just trying to find something in my budget. I was hoping to have 5-6k to spend,,, maybe. That would probally be max. So thanks for your help in advance.
The closest and probably one of the best dive locations to you would be Cozumel, but it might be to much for a young and inexperienced diver like your son. So...you might want to consider Cancun, major Gringo resort, and I have heard that for beginner divers ( like Margo and I ) there is ok diving.
The more experienced group might frown on this dive location, but I sense many of them have forgotten how easily new divers can be wow'd. Due to your close proximity to Cancun, you can probably get some real decent rates, well under $2k for a week. We will be hitting Cancun and Coz (our first time for either) the second week of Dec. and will post a dive report on our return.
hey. if you ever find yourselves in Southern Calif +
You might check out Anacapa Island (Gold fish bowl, Cat Rock) or Catalina Is. (Italian Gardens, Yellowtail point, Hen Rock, Long Point, Casino Point, Lionshead). Both islands have sites for everybody and both are a short boat ride from either Ventura or San Pedro (suburbs of LA).
I live in Texas also. I think a good place to go is Cozumel. I haven't heard of good things about diving in Cancun ... but Cozumel is a diver's paradise. It's pretty inexpensive from Texas and if your wanting any information just ask me and I'll let you know.
Lewis,
Cozumel is a great 1st BW dive spot, they have dive sites for all stages for diving. For newbie & more experienced divers this is a paradise as they have shallow water reefs all the way to cave. Just a thought though, avoid the drift diving at this stage. Also there is plenty of shore diving & most of it is free, depending on the package you book. For 5-6k you can be governor for a month as the price of Coz. is quite inexpensive compared to the rest of the world.
Also avoid the north end of the island as it is more for experienced diving. Stay on the south. Palancar is great, Maracibo is also real nice.
At 12 years old this will give your son an experience that he will never forget & all his classmates will surely hear of.
See if any of the packages you check out dive with "Papa Hoggs" He is a really great operator & his divemasters are very good divers & will take care of you.
Here are a couple of other spots to consider, the Florida Keys ( I like the upper keys better myself) and Bonaire. You can do some pretty great dives at less than 40 ft in the Keys and as for Bonaire, it has some of the best shore diving in the world and the diving is about as easy as it gets....Something else to consider is this, does your son get seasick (or you don't know if he does)? Nothing ruins a dive experience like getting seasick for the first time and going to a place that requires boat diving may not be your best choice. My wife and I spent a week in Bonaire for about $3300 (total... air,hotel, food,car, ect for both of us) last summer and he only needs a birth certificate for entry so it would meet your cost and entry requirements. Florida can be done very easily in your price range and might make a good father/son road trip. I will be happy to send you more details and all the web addresses if you would like more info...
Lewis, single father, thumbs up! What better a way to spend some quality time with your son! Speaking from experience, he will definately thank you some day, both for the time spent together and for introducing him to the world of Scuba!
Looking back, I can't think of anything more memorable than "diving with dad"...
Already suggested, but I'd like to reinforce the Florida keys, specifically Key Largo. Boat rides are short, generally 30 - 45 minutes. The reef diving is exceptional and mostly 30' - 45' depths with more sea life to observe than you can imagine. Viz is typically over 60' and currents very light, if any.
From a cost standpoint, there are lower end motels for under $80 per night and if you want the buddy time with your son on a drive, I suspect you could do the trip for a week under $1,500 for two....and feel like you lived the life of a big spender.
There's also a lot of "non-diving" stuff to do, like visit the John Penecamp State Park and several marine life tourist attractions. You could also drive toward Key West and hang out on some of the more deserted keys one day to kick back and walk the surf with a bag lunch.
Personally, I'd save some of the more exotic places for a while until you both get more experience and your son adds a couple years. I think you'd enjoy and remember more that way.
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