Newbie wants to know... Dominica, Bonaire, or Roatan?

[isles16]

:06: Hi everyone. This is my first post. I’m excited to be here and to get advice from some experienced and well traveled divers. I think I’ve narrowed down the choices to these three, but let me know if anyone has other suggestions.

About me:
Sadly, I haven’t been diving in over 10 years. I’ll be taking a refresher course before I go anywhere.
I’ll be traveling solo.
I don’t own any gear; I’ll have to rent.
I’m not rich. Looking to spend under US$3,500 total on a 7-10 day trip in Dec., Jan., or Feb., flying out of NJ.

What I’m looking for:
Great reef diving (not so interested in the big fishies)
2 or 3 dives a day, with maybe a night dive or two
A package deal with simple accommodations (I’d rather spend the $$ on diving than a fancy place to stay)
Hiking in between dives (I've heard good things about Dominica but not sure about the other two)
Someplace that isn't overrun with tourists

I don’t care about:
Fancy accommodations
Gourmet food
Nice beaches (although one day on the beach might be nice)

My questions:
What’s the best diving/hiking combo?
Which place will have the best weather?
Would I have a hard time finding a buddy to dive with in any of these places?
Would I be able to afford Bonaire, and would the diving there spoil me for the other places?
Will the money I save by diving in Roatan (as opposed to the other two) just get eaten by higher airfare costs?

Any advice, specific or general, is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for helping me decide.
BR

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
I can't help with Dominica or Roatan, never been to either of them but I can with Bonaire. It has everything you want with the possible exception of what I would call great hiking. It's an arid island with lots of catcus and thorn bushes. IMO it will spoil you for other places.
Here is a package I have going in Feb. if you are interested in joining a group.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=112956&highlight=bonaire

 

[El Orans]

Go to Bonaire. Yes, you will be spoiled.

Furthermore, you'll suffer a terrible disease: Post Bonaire Depression (there's no known cure except going back)

 

[isles16]

Thanks for the invite, Herman. I'll give it very strong consideration. I think I am willing to risk being spoiled for other places.

BTW, when I dove the GBR 12 years ago, that's just what I was thinking: that I'd be spoiled for other places. I was surprised to read the opinions of many on the Lonely Planet diving post saying that the GBR is overrated. I guess it's not good to generalize about the largest reef system in the world (some spots are naturally going to be better than others), but if my next trip comes anywhere close to that one, I'd be very happy.
BR

 

[herman]

Love to have you along.
I have been to Bonaire 9 times over the last 6 years and love to show it to new divers. It's not touristy, eat, dive and sleep is about all there is to do but thats what I go on a dive trip for. One of the nice things about the island is the food and water are safe to eat/drink and we do a lot of it. The water temp should be 79-80 and the air temp 85-90. By Feb I am sure ready to bake a little .

The way I have this trip set up, you deal directly with the resort to reserve your room and handle the financial dealing. You just have to tell them that you want to get the special SB deal. When on island my wife and I will act as a tour guides if you want or you can head out on your own. Most of my dives will be in the 30-40 ft range with only a couple of deeper dives. You can do deeper dives if you want but I go for bottom time and most of the life is shallower anyway.

 

[large_diver]

Although I haven't been to Dominica, my wife and I have been looking into taking a trip there during the next few years -- primarily for the ability to combine great hiking and diving on the same trip. From what I've been reading, Dominica has some of the most dramatic topside terrain in the Carribbean, with incredible, "lost world"-type forests, dramatic waterfalls and mountains. The diving is calm and has small (but beautiful) marine life.

-Chris

 

[victor]

Bonaire
Perfect for you for the following reasons.
No current, almost all the dive sites are on the protected west side of the island.
Unlimited shore diving, you can dive as often or as little as you like.
Safe, conditions are very safe, but you are your own boss, you are not treated like a sheep being rounded up by dive masters as you are at some resorts.
Diver friendly. The only reason to go to Bonaire is to dive so you will meet lots of like minded people there.
Short boat trips, the average boat run is < 20 mins normally less than 10 divers on a boat.
Great dives, visibility is good, dives are shallow, normally I go down to about 50 ft then work my way slowly up to the dropoff at about 20 ft. With a little practise I can do 1 hour 15 mins and surface directly off the dock.

Dives you should try and do.
Night Dive at the pier, it is the only dive that is likey to be crowded, but well worth it. Book it on the day you get there.
Evening dive from your hotel, It's great watching the sun go down then slip under the water to watch the reef go to sleep.

Must haves.
A dive computer, you can dive as often as you like and you need to keep track of your own dive log. No probles with deco on a single dive as most dives are very shallow but you can easily do 5 dives a day and more.

Have a fantastic time there

Victor

 

[RICHinNC]

What'cha mean no hikin Herman???? How about 1000 Steps??? I remember you breathin hard !!! Or was that over someones bikini???????????

rich

 

[mccabejc]

I agree that Bonaire is a good bet based on what you described (aside from the hiking), though I've never been to Dominica or Roatan. However, be prepared for a fairly difficult trip from Jersey. Took me 24 hours door to door from LA, and that's with all flights on time and no baggage problems. I'm not saying it will happen, just do your homework and be prepared. You might want to check out www.bonairetalk.com for the latest info on what others are experiencing with flights and airlines. Can be a challenging trip. Last I checked (Feb-March this year) Air Jamaica was having bankruptcy problems and people were reporting some real problems.

Also, be prepared for a rather desolate island. As others have said, not much to do besides diving. And not a pretty, tropical island by any stretch, in my opinion. Although if you want some real excitement I hear there is a donkey farm...

I found a nice package at www.travelocity.com, including a dive resort and air travel. Worked very well. I also went solo, and had no problem finding buddies there. Again, www.bonairetalk.com is a great place to find out what other divers will be there when you are and setting up plans to meet them there. Make sure you have backup plans, though.

Just for grins, I did a quick look at travelocity, and picked a 7 day trip from Jan. 18 to Jan 25 from JFK, and they show a price for air + hotel of $1600, staying at the SandDollar (where I stayed; highly recommend it if you want a nice, quiet relaxing stay at a place with what's been called "the best house reef in the Caribbean").

 

[herman]

What'cha mean no hikin Herman???? How about 1000 Steps??? I remember you breathin hard !!! Or was that over someones bikini???????????

rich

Nah, your just an old man!
Just had dinner with Tony, looks like he may be goin with me in Feb.