R&R from Iraq new to diving.. where to go?

[WishIwasAfish]

My boyfriend is coming home on his R&R from Iraq in June for two weeks so I am getting him Scuba Certified at Scuba Works in Jupiter, FL. Then he wants to take off somewhere to dive. I have my Nitrox and Advanced but he will be FRESH from OW and Nitrox Cert. We were thinking Sandals Jamaica or Sun Palace in Cancun/Cozumel. Money isn't really the issue it's more dive time and a golf course (he picked two expensive sports!). I'm hoping to get him in the water for at least 6 other dives before we leave Jupiter because I know places check your log book. He should have 10 dives altogether.

What is recommended as far as easy diving, yet has a lot to look at? I have only dove Jupiter to Marathon and I'm not sure how the diving compares.

Thanks!

[Rand]

You might want to steer away from Sandals if you are looking for a lot of dive opportunities. I was at the Sandals Halcyon in St. Lucia three years ago and they only did one tank boat dives with a max of 2 dives daily, but usually only had one boat going out. No shore dives were available. They also limited you to 60 feet, regardless of certification level. I believe I've read similar accounts from SB'ers visiting other Sandals resorts.

While I'm not a golfer, I'd consider Grand Cayman. It has golf and plenty of great boat and shore diving.

Cudos to you for wanting to make his R&R memorable. It is support at home that keeps our soldiers focused and ready while deployed.

[robint]

ditto, skip Jamaica and Cancun. Neither is a dive destination and you will be disappointed if you want memorable dives.
If you really need to add golf into the diving trip, look at Cozumel - 1 golf course on N end of island, Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen area, south of Cancun), or Grand Cayman as mentioned by Rand, or Hawaii - Kona or Maui. If you can, skip the golf and do that at home in Fla, make it an exclusively diving trip and you will have many more options!
(The reason diving and golf don't really mix has to do with fertilizers/runoff/pollution to ocean waters. Pretty green golf courses near the ocean cause death to the reefs.)

robin

[diversteve]

I'd second Maui or Kona also. Great diving for all levels, excellent golf courses - I do both also. Try one of the Wailea courses on Maui or Kapalua Bay/Plantation. Both have hosted major tournaments. We played an up-country course on Kona, really great views down to the coast.

Closer to you, there's decent diving and golf on Nassau's Paradise Island. But there's only one, the Ocean course. It is pretty spectacular though. Note: it's British so they adhere to the dress code.

Since money's not an issue, the Atlantis resort is very nice.

You can either shuttle to Stuart Cove's or dive with Bahama Divers just across the bridge. SC's deals well with newer divers as they get a lot of cruise divers.

I've never been there, but Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is a top golf course. I've heard the diving is just so-so though. And possibly the better diving is found elsewhere on the island - not sure.

The nine-hole course on Cayman (Britannia) uses a short ball. There's a 18 hole course also, it used to be the Links at Safehaven but is called something else now. We drove by, it looked pretty nice. But that was 4 years ago.

[WishIwasAfish]

Thank you for all of the suggestions! I've been looking into all of them. I think we will stick to the Caribbean for time sake, he only has two weeks in total and doesn't want to spend a lot of time traveling to and from. Next time my BF gets to call I'll pass these ideas on!

[sruddock]

My husband and I are both divers and golfers too. We rarely combine these activities....as others have said, it is hard to find a good place to go for both. Cozumel is easy diving - we always stay at an AI called occidental Grand cozumel, they are almost at the very end of the south side of the island which is where all the dive sites are so its a quick ride. Bonaire is SUPER easy diving (no golf courses there I dont think). You can shore dive or boat dive in Bonaire. Divi Flamingo has a fantastic dive operation.

If you really wanted to get a golf game in, go to Coz and then take the ferry over one day to Cancun for a round of golf.

[dashark]

My wife and I had a great time at the Club med Turks and Caicos. Everything you need right there. Lots of easy diving right there. Tons of sealife by Carribean standards.
I found it very relaxinf ecause once I got there, i didn't have to worry about a thing. The boat leaves from the front of the resort. all the meals and drinks are included.and the beach out front is often rated one of the most beautiful in the world.
The boats are big , fast, power cats.
I'm not sure about the golfing though. That is a tough one if you aren't going to Hawaii.

[sethlabadie]

Considering he'll get a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, why not go somewhere really exotic that you'll never go to again? Scratch the certification in Florida; just get certified and do the recreational dives in the same exotic location. Why not Thailand, Philippines, or Indonesia? Of course, you would need to get yourself there...

[kroorda]

I strongly recommend Little Cayman Beach Resort in the Cayman Islands. It is close to you, and is a dedicated dive resort. It is probably one of the best places in the world to take a new diver, or even an experienced diver. It is very relaxing and you are assured of having a good experience. Like others who responded, I also strongly discourage you from going to places such as Sandals, Club Med, and even many places at Cozumel - which are more interested in quantity (of people) rather than quality. You can't beat Little Cayman for a first time out! They also have an office in Florida and you can get more info about them at: Little Cayman Resorts, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
Kent

[kroorda]

I also recommend that you avoid going to a foreign country, or a place where there may be a language barrier to learn to dive. The 'clearer' the lessons are to you, the better diver you will be and the more you will enjoy the sport. I recommend learning in Florida. Get certified there. Then go have fun in the nearby Cayman Islands where the people are nice, the airfares are LOW!, the diving is still good, and the food is great. Kent