Good diving for a solo travelling diver?

[Darnold9999]

You should do a liveaboard.

+1 for liveaboard

[freewillie]

You also could go to South Florida then start fishing here on SB for dive buddies.

[howler93]

Thanks for the advice, folks! As far as the liveaboard suggestions, has anyone had any experience with the Aggressor trips? I was thinking that April might be a great time to hit Belize in hopes of some whale shark diving... it would be early April, during a full moon, which apparently is a good time for whale sharks. Alternatively, I was considering visiting Bonaire and staying at the Buddy dive resort. Any thoughts on these two destinations (despite their obvious price disparities?)

[diversteve]

If you want to do a Belize liveaboard, consider Sun Dancer instead. They and Aggressor are both owned by the Aggressor people (Hughes sold out a couple years ago) and you'll save quite a lot of money on the Dancer - as much as $600. I think it's also a bigger boat. They run the same itinerary basically - compare the maps/descriptions on their websites.

Don't expect to see any whale sharks on their trips as they go nowhere near where the whale sharks are - off Gladden Spit in south Belize.

They do run to some nice areas, the Blue Hole, Lighthouse etc. so it's still a good trip. Also it's convenient as they'll pick you up at the airport and take you directly to the boat so no logistics problems or overnight stays - assuming you can get there mid-afternoon.

If you want to dive with Whale sharks you'll either have to shore base in the Placencia Area (Splash Divers, Avadon or Seahorse) or stay at one of the resorts in the Hopkins area or dive resorts on the atolls - IIRC Isla Marisol or Thatch Caye - among others - who do trips down there during the week. Land based on Belize isn't the cheapest though once you add in the flights from BZE to those areas. Most of them also charge in the $150+ range for the trip to Gladden Spit also. We were going to do it last year but couldn't make the numbers work.

I was going to suggest Buddy Dive/Bonaire as an alternative. Bonaire is one place that I've been asked multiple times if I needed a buddy while standing near the dock/rinse tank waiting for mine to arrive. The de-facto dive package vehicle is a 4dr. pickup so people usually don't mind if you join them for dives when asked. Just about everybody we met there, on the plane going there, at many of the bars - was a diver.

The downside of it will be if you don't find someone you'd have to boat dive with Buddy's - they'll put a DM in the water and try to pair you up also - since you don't want to solo. It's probably not the best idea to solo on Bonaire anyway, there's a lot of ironshore/coral rubble at most entry points so it's fairly easy to go down and hurt yourself. Esp. in the afternoons, at many sites we were the only ones in the area.

You could also "dive the resorts" - many of them are on named dive sites. Check in with the dive operator so someone knows you're out there. Bonaire diving couldn't be simpler, the vis is generally excellent, the reef parallels the shore in most areas and it's usually very low current diving - except at sites in Slagbaai Park or south around the Lighthouse - those dives are marked advanced on any dive site list.

Another option might be diving with the Dive Bus on Curacao. Same diving as Bonaire except the shore dives are more spread out. Many of the dive resorts/hotels have affiliated dive operators on site for boat dives. Several have shore dives off their property also. It's probably easier to get there than Bonaire also from CO - it is for us.

[robint]

+2 for the liveaboard.

I wouldn't say go to Belize though. Why not go the other direction? How about the Kona Aggressor? Different fish from the Caribbean, and also mantas, sharks, etc. And from Durango, the airfare might be cheaper going to Kona.

If you don't want to go on a liveaboard, I would suggest Cozumel or Bonaire but try to hook up with a dive shop trip. If not in your local area, find a group trip at some other dive shop that way you will have a buddy to share a room and dive with for the full week. Look at all dive shops in your area to see if they have group trips going anywhere you are interested in visiting...

You didn't mention WHEN your week off is.... ??
If it isn't until summer, did you check out the ScubaBoard group trip to Cozumel in June? That might be perfect for you.

robin

[Lunahippo]

i'm a single gal and do all my dive travel alone- it's never been an issue. if you travel alone, you'll end up with friends by the end of the trip. i've gone to turks, the ABCs, hawaii (3 islands), Oz (liveaboard), and PNG all solo. going to Belize for my 35th solo- none of my friends from Boston dive. zero. I've tried with one or two, they got certified, but never got hooked. Their idea of a vacation is drinking and sleeping til noon, tanning, shopping, repeat... I decided long ago if i didn't go diving by myself I'd never go, so my advice: go wherever you want! you don't need a group, you have a group already- the dive community :-)

[tenley]

I would do a liveaboard. I often dive without my husband and I find liveaboard travelers very friendly. I always have a great time meeting new people and diving. And since it's a liveaboard, all you'll be doing is diving, eating, and sleeping.

My favorite diving is in South East Asia though my diving there was always from a resort.

I had a really nice liveaboard experience in the Whitsunday Islands of Australia.

[richh32]

like lunahippo, I am the same way my old lady doesnt dive and same goes for my friends and I dont let it hold me back. my last 2yrs solo dive trips have been: curacao, coz, belize, palau, phuket and little cayman and I loved every minute of it. i have met some great people in the process. go for it!

[Incognegro]

i'm a single gal and do all my dive travel alone- it's never been an issue. if you travel alone, you'll end up with friends by the end of the trip. i've gone to turks, the ABCs, hawaii (3 islands), Oz (liveaboard), and PNG all solo. going to Belize for my 35th solo- none of my friends from Boston dive. zero. I've tried with one or two, they got certified, but never got hooked. Their idea of a vacation is drinking and sleeping til noon, tanning, shopping, repeat... I decided long ago if i didn't go diving by myself I'd never go, so my advice: go wherever you want! you don't need a group, you have a group already- the dive community :-)

We must have the same friends, I dive alone also, I seek out dive ops that offer guides in the price, there are always plenty of solo divers on the boat.

[DSR-3]

I'm in the "same boat" of solo travel-divers. 'Agreed on the liveaboard suggestions. I've done T&C Aggressor and Nai'a Fiji solo, and both at great "last minute/solo" discounts.
Since you mentioned working on your photo skills, here's another great option - Anilao Workshop May 2012

I went last year and I'm going again this year. There were a number of solo-guests, and it's pretty much like being on a LA, with nothing else to do but dive, eat, etc. At $1350 for a week/$1750 for 10 days of awesome diving it's hard to beat IMHO. The photo coaching, critter ID, "classes", and other support from Scott & Mike were very valuable as well.

Some of my pic's from the trip are here - Anilao 2011