Warm water diving Jan/Feb 2014?

[val&tim]

Hello,

We're new to this forum, so please forgive (and redirect) us if this question has been answered elsewhere.

We're planning a diving holiday in early 2014. We are AOW divers who have done 20 dives in Thailand plus a few in Guadeloupe. We like to dive in warm climates and we are happy with liveaboard, boats etc. We enjoy coral, shoals of fish and peleagics. We would love to see mantas, though it doesn't seem to be the best time of year for them. We don't like crowded dive sites, expensive, glamorous resorts or noisy parties. Just simple backpackers accommodation and, ideally, good food.

We are leaning towards central or south America, purely because we've never been there, but we're open to all suggestions at the moment.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply

 

[Quero]

That's a good time of year to go to Raja Ampat Indonesia. They have manta rays there!

 

[CoralSea Apartments]

Bonaire is a quiet place to dive....it has over 60 dive sites, so you can be the only ones diving in a gorgeous spot......the water is warm......not sure about manta rays in Jan/Feb but turtles and dolphins for sure! THE place for shore dives (and of course there are boats that will take you off shore as well, to Klein Bonaire, another small island, for example!
There are a lot of places to stay in: as big and small as you like......

 

[Quero]

A lot of the diving in South America features rather cool, if not downright cold, water due to the way the currents run. In Brazil for example, you can get warm water diving in the northeast only, right at the equator. You could look into Fernando de Noronha, and while there are no mantas there, they have hundreds of spinner dolphins and lots of turtles.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Checkout Belize. It has everything you seek though mantas are rare.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Great Barrier Reef? In jan Feb it is still monsoon season, but peak of summer so water is big 20s Celsius. See here for climate. Tons of live aboard and day trips to choose from. Cairns is the main destination.

 

[val&tim]

Thank you all so much, this is a great help.
Just to let you know our follow up, if you're interested...
We don't feel confident enough yet to dive without a guide, so Bonaire is on the list for next time round.
Monsoon on the GBR has less appeal than the other suggestions.
Noronha seems very expensive for what it offers.
Belize is definitely an option, particularly as it could be combined with either Colombia or Mexico (we like two-centre holidays, both diving and travelling)
Raja Ampat sounds amazing! Checking out a region that we'd never even heard of is really exciting, thank you Quero for this tip. We need to do further research on where else we could go to in the region and the logistics of the whole trip before making a decision.
So at the moment it's either Belize or Raja Ampat.
To be continued .....

 

[chillyinCanada]

Belize offers you diving plus inland adventure. You may like two centre traveling but I'm not sure you have to go to Colombia from Belize to enjoy that.

I was in Cartagena and the Rosarios last Xmas/NY. Water was certainly warm there!! As was everything else. Not sure I have perspired like that even in SE Asia. That said, just loved the trip though I was not overwhelmed by the diving and the diving was also very spendy.

 

[Quero]

Raja Ampat sounds amazing! Checking out a region that we'd never even heard of is really exciting, thank you Quero for this tip. We need to do further research on where else we could go to in the region and the logistics of the whole trip before making a decision.

Let me know if you need help. I do a fair amount of bookings for Raja Ampat and I have a good relationship with the resorts.

 

[jonnierowe]

Costa Rica is always a good option. The amount of coral on the Pacific side isnt overly impressive, there are huge schools of fish, and definitely a good chance of seeing manta rays if you visit the catalinas. Rocket Frog Divers is the best dive shop in Costa Rica (I work with them haha)..

Where are you coming from? If its in the US, there are several cities that offer direct flights to Liberia Airport and its not that long of a day at all travelling. Tons of other land based stuff to do in this beautiful country as well!

Just my 2 cents!