Family dive and snorkel July 2014

[Stormbauer]

My 11 year old son and I are currently doing our dive certification. My wife has been certified for over 20 years but has not been diving for over 10 years. In addition we have 2 other children 8 & 9 years old. We want to do a family vacation this year and do some diving, snorkel and maybe snuba if possible. Current plans are last week of June for 2 weeks....

have been researching and and my head is spinning with different options... So would like to get some opinions or suggestions on best place to go.... Can drive or fly does not really matter as long as we have a great time... My initial thoughts was the keys but not sure if Bahamas, Hawaii or somewhere else would be best?

thanks in advance for suggestions and help.

 

[diversteve]

You can do all three activities in Nassau with Stuart Cove's. In addition to Snuba they also have those Sub things that you ride in/on. And dedicated boats for diving and snorkeling. Lots of sharks often seen also - besides at the shark feed they hang around nearby. Some of the wrecks are old movie props as well. Even Cove's buildings used to be where they shot Flipper.

And of course there's the Atlantis Resort activities for the kids - waterpark, dolphins, aquarium, beach etc. Some of the nearby resorts also have Atlantis privileges without the high price. You can find them on any of the big travel portals like Expedia. The paid island tours are somewhat entertaining, they visit the fort and other attractions. There's also an island nearby where they run day snorkel trips - too shallow to dive. For diving a closer option would be Bahama Divers just across the bridge.

Obviously Maui has it all. Including a lot of nice beaches you can both dive/snorkel from. The big powered catamarans (Pride of Maui, Four Winds etc.) have snuba also - they usually go to Molokini. You can also dive with them and the family can snorkel. It's a little pricey compared to what you pay for a 2 tank dive with a local operator though - which is not exactly cheap either. There's also good snorkeling and diving off many of the Maui beaches - including Wailea, Ulua, Polo, and Makena in the south or Black Rock, Old Airport or Kapalua in west Maui. Kapalua is actually one of the nicest beaches there and a shallow dive as well as a snorkel. Actually all of them are both. Plus you'd have all the other non-dive activities on Maui. There's also shore dive guides available on Maui, they'd meet you at many of the same beaches.

Long flight from Buffalo though...

One other might be Curacao. With kids and 2 weeks it might be a stretch but there is a few attractions there. Many nice beaches, most of which are also dive sites. Most also have an operator on-site so with a little planning you could arrange for guided dives. There's also several guides that freelance and would meet you at sites. The Seaquarium is there (think small SeaWorld) there's the old downtown, the ostrich farm, Rif Fort, etc. It's also very Dutch so that might be interesting for the kids.

There's an AI family resort there - Sunscape - that used to be a Breezes Kids resort so they probably still have those activities available. IDK if there's any Snuba on Curacao though - it's possible since many of the beach operators also offer water toys. Piscadera Bay is a nice resort area also, both hotels and condos are there. About 10mins. from downtown. The cruise ships dock downtown at the Megapier so staying to close to that isn't the best idea. Or there's all sorts of accommodations near the Seaquarium - the other resort area. Curacao Travel- Caribbean, Curacao, Dutch Caribbean

 

[chillyinCanada]

Don't know what your budget is, but lots a good snoreling off a very beautiful beach is West Bay, Roatan. There are houses, condo units and resorts that can be had. Good diving as well. Ziplines, tours of the iguana farm, Gumbalinda Park with monkeys, horseback riding and just that beautiful beach for splashing around. There's more but all I do is dive so I'm not able to think of it all.

 

[Stormbauer]

After some quick research Nassau is looking pretty nice.... Wow Atlantis is expensive, would be $10k just for rooms since cannot get 1 room with family of 5..... Suites are 20k.....

imam am ko will spending on vacation but we did not even start adding food, airfare, dives....

i am am starting to look at other hotels in Nassau if anyone has suggestions, please let me know.

 

[scuberd]

I'd have to recommend Hawaii. Prices here can be fairly reasonable with a little bit of research depending on the time of year and the water is always nice. Many beaches are great for snorkeling and diving plus the plethora of tour operators who can take you guys out and show you the good spots.

Having your kids in tow here is easy too, everyone speaks English, they take American money (not a joke, people ask us that all the time), and no need for passports.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Hawaii

Cheers

 

[Bas Harts]

.One other might be Curacao.

Curacao is a good "all-rounder". A lot of different activities above water and below water. Beautiful beaches, resorts, diving, snorkeling and historic town.

Some shops will offer a "bubblemaker" dive course in a shallow bay for the little ones

 

[Stormbauer]

So after much discussion we have decided to hit the Keys for our first dive trip..... After looking at everything seems like a great starting point for our diverse family situation this year... When the other 2 kids get certified think we will explore many other area's...


so now the question is if you were to hit the keys... key Largo n Key West for sure what are the best dive sites n dive shops to use? Remember 2 first timers and my wife who is just getting back into it after a 10 year break..... In key largo area where is best place to stay.... My wife is very particular so much be very nice place......any overall suggestions, opinions, must see's, would be great

 

[doctormike]

Not sure how far along you are in your planning, and this is a late suggestion, but consider Turks and Caicos. Have gone there several times, most recently with my wife and 1 year old daughter. We stayed at the Royal West Indies resort this year, Ocean Club last year, which are two of the many resorts on Grace Bay. An AWESOME place for divers and snorkelers alike. I have been to the Keys several times, don't remember much in the way of snorkeling, I do know that people snorkel in Pennekamp. But here is what I like about Turks - especially as compared to the Keys.

1) Spectacularly beautiful beach, right on the property, you can walk for miles on it. No real beaches in the Keys.

2) The resort (Royal West Indies) was really lovely. Amazing landscaping, great pools, very kid friendly but with some quiet areas for adults.

3) These resorts are actually condos, so we were able to rent a really nice suite for three adults and the baby with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two kitchens, and two really nice patios. Not too expensive, either.

4) GREAT diving.

5) Some of the best snorkeling that I have ever seen, especially at the reef off of the Coral Garden resort, with a wonderful little bar/restaurant right there called "Somewhere". You can take the whole family, park yourself on the beach or at the bar, and snorkel a bit, sunbathe a bit. If you stay at Coral Gardens, you have the pool (and a dive shop) right there. In the Keys, what snorkeling there is requires a boat ride, so you basically have to commit to (and pay for) an afternoon of snorkeling, and if anyone wants to take a break, they have to sit on the boat. Often not so comfortable. At turks, you snorkel all you want for free.

6) Direct flights from NYC (not sure where you are coming from... Buffalo?)

7) Lots of non-diving stuff to do that seemed a bit easier than in the Keys (sailing, other types of boating, windsurfing, etc..). For example, at our resort, you could take a sailboat right off the beach, a few steps from your room.


Nothing wrong with the Keys, don't get me wrong. It's also great diving, I'm running another trip there this year for my club. But the reefs are pretty far from short, the best diving is the deeper stuff (the wrecks), and in my opinion, the shallow reefs off the Keys aren't really as nice as what is available in Turks.

 

[T.C.]

so now the question is if you were to hit the keys... key Largo n Key West for sure what are the best dive sites n dive shops to use? Remember 2 first timers and my wife who is just getting back into it after a 10 year break..... In key largo area where is best place to stay.... My wife is very particular so much be very nice place......any overall suggestions, opinions, must see's, would be great

Well, for Key Largo diving and snorkeling together, I would recommend Island Divers. They'll run you on the same boat.

I think the State Park boats do this, but I'm not sure. They can get crowded though.

 

[mostlyirish]

deleted by author. Did not read your decision to head to the Keys.