Where to go for 3-4 weeks of diving and AOW cert?

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I would like some advice on where to go on my next dive trip.

1) I will be going for 3-4 weeks in Feb (next month)
2) by myself
3) I would like to get my AOW, and depending on how that goes maybe do a rescue diver course.
4) I'd like to rent an apartment with a kitchen or something so that I can cook.
5) I'll be travelling from the southeast US
6) cost is important
7) so is weather and water temp. I like warm water diving.
8) not Cozumel. I just got back from there.

Utila seems like a great place, but I'm 37 and not really into doing jello shots anymore. Is there some island where people go to dive during a midlife crisis? Like an old people's Utila?

Thanks in advance!
 
Why not visit the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao)
 
Bahamas was amazing... good shark dives... crystal clear water... some of the best diving I've ever done.
They shoot all the James Bond underwater scenes there and you can visit the site.

Good luck
 
I think a month diving in the Bahamas would be pretty expensive. Food is extremely high and a decent rental has to be $3K or more for the month - around $100/nt. seems the typical starting price on vrbo.com. If you want to be anywhere near Cable Beach - it's closer to $5K.

Actually the most reasonable expense is probably the AOW class - it's $210 at Coves. But then you've got the rest of the 3-1/2 weeks of boat diving since there's no shore diving in the Bahamas. Dive prices are fixed at around 2/$115 so that's a huge chunk of cash if you plan to do any.

For that kind of outlay there are some less expensive dive resorts you could stay at. Cocoview on Roatan is $1500 wk. all inclusive. And has one of the few shore dives on Roatan. Roatan's West End is pretty reasonable also - it is kind of a jello shot place closer to the weekends though. Dives are 10/$300, night dives are $40 and AOW thru Coconut Tree (one example) is $280. Flights are a little more but well under $1K - although maybe not this close to Feb. You should be able to get a 1BR apt. with kitchen for in the $50/nt. range - check Coconut Tree Cabins or Posada Arco Iris. Both are in town and you don't need/want a car. There's also two hostels - Chillies even has Native Sons on-site for diving. Food is street vendors on up.

Cabs are cheap if you need to get somewhere else so your inter-island travel expense is $25 from the airport. CTD has a good summary page of what's in/near the West End here: Roatán, West End | Scuba Diving | Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras | PADI

One gotcha about the West End is that the north side may shut down for weather for a few days during the winter when a storm blows in. I think Feb. is past most of that. The bigger operators have the resources to shuttle you to the south side which is always open. You might also consider doing both - 2-3 wks. in the West End then a week at Cocoview or Reef House Resort to dive both sides of Roatan - they're different - However you may not be able to get into Cocoview this late - it's pretty popular.

I second InstaGator's idea also - Bonaire or Curacao. Maybe split the time between them - flights between the two islands are $100 r/t mid-week. It seems to always be cheaper to fly into Curacao then continue on to Bonaire also. The only downside with either place is you'll need a car to take advantage of all the good shore diving so that's going to be about $1500 more for the month. At shore dive sites on both islands we've been asked if we need/want a buddy.

If you're willing to give up staying waterfront there are some good deals on either island. Look at places like Coco Palm Garden or Lagoen Hill on Bonaire or some of the not-waterfront properties in Kralendijk - most are just a block or two inland. The Kralendijk properties put you walking distance from many shops/markets/restaurants and all the nightlife on Bonaire. Also check vrbo.com and Sunbelt Realty - both have longer term rentals. Some in town, some (in Belnem) five mins. from town - the ones in Sabadeco are farther north.

I don't know any of the less expensive places on Curacao but there are some. We stayed in Lagun at My Dream Apts. for $65 nt. but I don't recommend it for a single - first of all you may be the only one there, second it's about 30mins. to town from there. There isn't even a market nearby except for one toku - small roadside shop.

Info Bonaire - The Bonaire Information Site - The Most Current and Up-To-Date Information
Curacao Travel- Caribbean, Curacao, Dutch Caribbean
 
I would (do) go to Bonaire. Tons of great shore diving, safe, english speaking and can be very inexpensive. I stay at Coco Palm Garden http://www.cocopalmgarden.org/CocoPalmEnglish.html). Apartments with a full kitchen, bathroom, living area, bedroom, patio with grill (charcoal). AC at extra cost but usually unnecessary in the winter. Apartments are in an enclosed area and are quiet. Coco Palm brings in a local restaurant to provide a $10 buffet on tues & thurs evenings when 10 or more renters are interested. Mirasol is a mere $64/night.

I have them arrange my truck and unlimited air packages as they have always beat what I could find on my own. Their driver will pick you up at the airport and take you to Coco or your vehicle rental depending on time of arrival. If you get in too late for vehicle pick-up the truck rental will deliver next morning. The location is just across the main north/south road about at Bachelors’ Beach (mid island N/S). Convenient to get into Kralendijk, the markets/gas, northern or southern dive sites. Air is through Dive Friends Bonaire - five locations spread north and south - pick up and drop off at any location http://www.dive-friends-bonaire.com/. Dive Friends can do any classes you want. I'm pretty sure they have instructors for PADI and SDI for AOW and perhaps more agencies. If you are Nitrox certified the upgrade is free.

Most of the resort dive shops allow you to dive - either for free or for a small fee. There are over 80 shore diving sites and boat dives can be alacart or done as a package. No problem whatsoever with diving solo. All things considered I don't think it can be beat. For what I would spend for a week at a resort I can stay two weeks at Coco.
 
. . .
Utila seems like a great place, but I'm 37 and not really into doing jello shots anymore. Is there some island where people go to dive during a midlife crisis? Like an old people's Utila?
. . .

Hey, I spent six weeks on Utila when I was 42 years old, and I rented a studio apartment with a kitchen. I was not the oldest person doing this. It's not like the partying is 24/7, even for the younger people, many of whom are quite serious about their diving and, most nights of the week, are in bed at a surprisingly early hour so they can dive in the morning. Most evenings I cooked my own dinner and hung out on my porch, looking out over the water. A few times a week I would have dinner and a beer with acquaintances (mostly instructor and DM types) and be in bed early. There was also Trivia Night at one of the bars. A couple of times over those six weeks I went to check out the party scene, and I ended up coming home early. There is no reason one can't totally avoid the party scene if one wishes to. There are retirees on Utila. Not everyone is 20 years old and there to party.

The other recommendations on this thread are great, too, but don't rule out Utila for the sole reason that you've heard it's all Jello shots and partying. Not at all. It's a great place to do just what you are seeking to do.

Roatan would be my second choice for this kind of thing. I visited Roatan (West End) from Utila, and it's a similar atmosphere where you can make acquaintances and feel like part of the local dive community for a few weeks.
 
One thing about Utila and Roatan is that there's always partying, but there's always diving at 8AM the next morning.....so the divers stop partying early. With the influx of "Cruise ship types" there's more partying on Roatan, but Utila still seems a little protected from that. Utila is mostly divers. With price in mind, those might be your best options....because not only is a little place cheap, but eating/diving is super cheap as well.
 
One thing about Utila and Roatan is that there's always partying, but there's always diving at 8AM the next morning.....so the divers stop partying early. With the influx of "Cruise ship types" there's more partying on Roatan, but Utila still seems a little protected from that. Utila is mostly divers. With price in mind, those might be your best options....because not only is a little place cheap, but eating/diving is super cheap as well.
There are some reasons that the eating and diving are "super cheap". Go to Bonaire.
 
Because the food is good and so is the diving? Roatan is one of my favorite spots of all time. I'm not saying it's better than Bonaire, I'm just saying JellO shots aren't mandatory in Roatan and that it's good diving for a good price, even with a place on the water.
 
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