Help wanting to move to a Caribbean island to Dive.. which one?

[jenelle]

Hi, I own my own business and am looking to rent a place for 3 months in the Caribbean, with hopes of eventually buying a place and conducting my business down there permanently. I have two little dogs and my boyfriend and I are both dive masters. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[parzdiver]

USVI wouldn't require any visas or messy immigration issues. Cost of living, compared to LA probably wouldn't be outrageous in St Thomas or St Croix. St John is more expensive, but I love it. USVI also has a good infrastructure.

 

[Alex777]

In the Cayman Islands you would need to have a Caymanian partner to open your own business. It's not particularly difficult to find one but he or she will expect a share of the profits.

 

[Lopez116]

What kind of business?

 

[j2s]

Look into Roatan........

 

[jlevine]

Some general questions:

(1) What languages do you speak?
(2) Do you have any special requirements (e.g. medical care for certain conditions)?
(3) How much is your budget for monthly expenses?
(4) Are you looking to legally earn money (emphasis on "legally")?
(5) Do you believe you can live in an area with a less developed infrastructure?

 

[Alex777]

Those are all good questions. In addition, if the the business you want to set up is a dive op:

1) You say you are DMs; are you and your boyfriend also Instructors? (It would be hard to get Work Permits if you are not.)
2) Does one of you have a Boat Captain's Licence?

 

[Bratface]

USVI wouldn't require any visas or messy immigration issues. Cost of living, compared to LA probably wouldn't be outrageous in St Thomas or St Croix. St John is more expensive, but I love it. USVI also has a good infrastructure.

Oh yeah, our infrastructure is fantastic. Our roads are rough and a thrill to navigate, our government is broke, our electricity is 50 cents per kilowatt hour and gas is $4.58/gal at the cheap gas station. That said, we are a US territory (not at all like the USA) and our banks, post-office, etc run the same--sort of.

So why do I live here? I love diving, the weather, and my lifestyle. The best place to look for housing is on Craigs List. Just click caribbean and Virgin Islands. There are lots of places to live but nobody will rent to you over the phone. Mostly when we are looking for a new place to live, we get in the car and look for the For Rent signs then call the number and go have a look.

It's backwards here, frustrating at times, but you've got to let that all go. If you need any information, send me a private message and I'll see what I can find out for you.

 

[diversteve]

Since you're both DM's, you may want to factor this into your decision:

Worldwide Hyperbaric Chamber Locator, Contact London Recompression & Hyperbaric facilities - Caribbean

 

[Allison Finch]

Don't even think about moving to the Caribbean until you read "Don't stop the carnival" by Herman Wouk. It is required reading as it definitely gives you insight into the "island mentality". Having lived on St Thomas for a while, I will say that it is not for everyone. The island mentality really grates on many people after a little while, and is referred to as "Island Fever". It was definitely not for me, in the long run.