Where in the Caribbean should I go diving in mid-late November?

[Trailboss123]

I am considering possible destinations for a November 18-25 diving trip (my dates are not flexible). I would appreciate your suggestions and feedback as to where to go. I have considered several possibilities, and below are the reasons that I have not selected them thus far.

I had been considering the Turks & Caicos and Saba/St. Kitts liveaboards, but I am concerned that any reef damage or sand accumulation from Hurricane Irma might detract significantly from the quality of the diving in both destinations. I was also hoping to save the Saba/St. Kitts liveaboard for a week that does more diving on Saba than St. Kitts (that week's trip would have more diving on St. Kitts).

The Belize Aggressor IV and the Cayman Aggressor IV are both sold out for those weeks, and the Belize Aggressor III only has one spot for a female diver. I considered land-based options for both Belize and the Cayman Islands, but the liveaboards seem to be the way to go for both destinations.

There are some liveaboard options in the Bahamas, but the quality of the diving and overall marine environment there does not sound that impressive.

Roatan in general and CocoView in particular are on my bucket list, but my research suggested that November would not be a good time to go there because of the rainy season and its impact on dive conditions.

I have already been to Cozumel, Curacao, and Bonaire. I have no desire to go to Cozumel again. My last trip to Bonaire was very recent and I want to save the repeat visit for when I have enough experience for the Self-Reliant Diver course. I am open to diving on Curacao again but have a strong preference for trying a new destination before I revisit a previous destination.

I liked the ABC islands enough to consider Aruba, but I have heard that the quality of the diving there is not high enough to go there specifically for diving purposes, unless one has a special interest in wreck dives.

Could you suggest any other Caribbean destinations that I have not considered? Are any of my reasons for not selecting any of the above destinations questionable or incorrect, in your opinion? (For example, is Roatan diving actually fine during the rainy season? Could the reef damage in the Turks & Caicos be less than I think it would be by that time?)

@Ironborn - Based on your stated criteria for not returning currently to certain locations and based on post hurricane conditions in other locations and based on your narrow timeframe and the fact that you are a solo traveler and have already ruled out the viability of a liveaboard for your dates-- I believe your best option is the East End of Grand Cayman with Ocean Frontiers. You will get your guaranteed 4 dives a day + 2 night dives. You will get a rental car as part of your package and you could look into doing an additional 2 night dives with Sunset House (Assuming they are not the same nights as Ocean Frontiers)- Sunset House schedules 2 night dives per week and 1 of those is on the Kittiwake Wreck, which is pretty cool for a night dive-- I have done it. Also, you could contact Brad Nelson at Cayman University Divers about taking you out on additional supplemental day or night dives: Grand Cayman Scuba Diving with Cayman U Divers

Land based on Little Cayman or Cayman Brac are not real options for your stated criteria-- You will never get 4-5 dives a day in there, even if you were traveling with a dive buddy (which you aren't). They are not set up that way. I have read your Bonaire trip report, so I am pretty dialed in to where you are coming from and what you want to achieve. Given the time of year and the hurricane aftermath, I really think Ocean Frontiers on the East End is your best bet and you will not be disappointed.

I have stayed at Sunset House twice and I like it and you could reach your quota of dives there, but there are two things going against you:
1. You would need to dive the house reef excessively (they only offer 2 tank AM boat dives and the 2 night dives) and you would get bored of it after 2 days.
2. You would be hard pressed to find people to dive with for those house reef dives and would never reach your quota.

There are other great shore dive sites on the west end of Grand Cayman, but again, you don't dive solo, so really not practical. Thus, go with the place that can guarantee you 4 dives a day + 2 night dives and then try and supplement some additional night dives, as I have mentioned above.

 

[KathyV]

@Ironborn - Based on your stated criteria for not returning currently to certain locations and based on post hurricane conditions in other locations and based on your narrow timeframe and the fact that you are a solo traveler and have already ruled out the viability of a liveaboard for your dates-- I believe your best option is the East End of Grand Cayman with Ocean Frontiers. You will get your guaranteed 4 dives a day + 2 night dives. You will get a rental car as part of your package and you could look into doing an additional 2 night dives with Sunset House (Assuming they are not the same nights as Ocean Frontiers)- Sunset House schedules 2 night dives per week and 1 of those is on the Kittiwake Wreck, which is pretty cool for a night dive-- I have done it. Also, you could contact Brad Nelson at Cayman University Divers about taking you out on additional supplemental day or night dives: Grand Cayman Scuba Diving with Cayman U Divers

Land based on Little Cayman or Cayman Brac are not real options for your stated criteria-- You will never get 4-5 dives a day in there, even if you were traveling with a dive buddy (which you aren't). They are not set up that way. I have read your Bonaire trip report, so I am pretty dialed in to where you are coming from and what you want to achieve. Given the time of year and the hurricane aftermath, I really think Ocean Frontiers on the East End is your best bet and you will not be disappointed.

I have stayed at Sunset House twice and I like it and you could reach your quota of dives there, but there are two things going against you:
1. You would need to dive the house reef excessively (they only offer 2 tank AM boat dives and the 2 night dives) and you would get bored of it after 2 days.
2. You would be hard pressed to find people to dive with for those house reef dives and would never reach your quota.

There are other great shore dive sites on the west end of Grand Cayman, but again, you don't dive solo, so really not practical. Thus, go with the place that can guarantee you 4 dives a day + 2 night dives and then try and supplement some additional night dives, as I have mentioned above.

@Ironborn I think this is good advice and you should probably take this option, but don't delay too long. November is traditionally not crowded, but many people are rescheduling vacations due to hurricane damage - and I think that Thanksgiving may be a popular week for some because they won't need to use up as many vacation days.

If you like Cayman diving you can return some time in the future to do a liveaboard trip that, hopefully with good weather, will mostly focus on LC and BBW.

And I think that you would very much enjoy a LOB trip to Belize and (hopefully) the T&Cs, once we know the results of hurricane damage to the reef, if any. The reefs are a bit deep so they may be okay.

If it would be of interest, it would be great if eventually you could find a buddy with similar interests and goals to share dive trips; that would reduce the costs and take care of the buddy issue. Perhaps you can find a congenial buddy via your local dive op? Have a great trip!

 

[Hoag]

If you are considering a LOB in the TCI, I would not rule that out as an option just yet. I was on the Aquacat about 2 weeks after hurricane Sandy. There was a lot of sand on the reefs at shallow depths (down to about 40-50 feet) but deeper than that things were for the most part OK. The seas were a bit rough at times even 2 weeks after the storm had passed, but nothing that was unmanageable even for those who suffer from seasickness no matter what the conditions are.

Additionally, you might get an incredible bargain as others, might be cancelling their trips.

FWIW, I have been on the Turks & Caicos Explorer, and I can highly recommend it. It is not a "Five Star Resort" by any stretch of the imagination, but the atmosphere that the crew puts forward will have you feeling like it is your home very quickly after you board. The DMs (the week I was on board) are a pair of sisters, Bungee Joe & Pippa, and their site briefings are among the best I have ever seen.

If I were you, I would contact the Turks & Caicos Explorer (@EVMia on Scubaboard might be a good person to contact) and see not only if they will be operating, but also if they have a single traveler policy and also what the conditions are.

 

[Divetech Cayman]

I looked into Divetech a bit more deeply. Do you or @drrich2 or @KathyV know if:

a) their daytime PM 1 or 2 tank trips are contingent on demand or need a minimum of number of divers? Their website does not clarify their daytime PM offerings in much detail.

b) their night dives require a minimum number of divers? I understand that such minimums are common for night dives; some operators list that minimum requirement on their websites, and some do not.

Lighthouse Point's website does not indicate room rates at all, unless I missed it. Is that because the rates are ridiculously high, especially for a solo traveler?

I am traveling solo and do not yet have a solo certification (I plan to get that on my next trip to Bonaire). I would have to find buddies for any independent, non-guided shore dives, which is why it is important to me to have reliable supply of boat or guided shore dives in the afternoon and at night instead.

Hi Ironborn,

We do have minimums for our afternoon charters, but outside of the September/October slow season, our afternoon boats will run most days. Our schedule for afternoon boats alternates between 2-tank wall/reef trips, 1 and 2-tank Kittiwake trips, and Stingray City trips. These vary based on demand of the groups coming in.

Night dives do not have a minimum. We will do one-on-one guided dives if you are the only one who signs up.

We don't list rates at the Lighthouse Point properties, because they are too dynamic and there are too many variables involved. It would just confuse people more, so it's easier to email our reservations desk for a no-hassle quote. Lighthouse Point condos are 2 bedroom though, and priced based on quad occupancy, so unless you have money to burn, it's not ideal for a solo diver. (We have had single divers stay there, with a massive condo all to themselves.)

For a solo diver, I'd recommend our location at Holiday Inn. We offer complimentary transportation back and forth daily, and there is also a car rental agency on site with great deals on cars. If I were coming here, I'd personally get a car so I could see the sites.

Solo diving is prohibited here by the CITA regulations. All of our boat dives are guided, so this is a non-issue. For shore diving, you may hire a guide, or find a buddy. Finding a buddy isn't always possible, but we had a very "extroverted" solo guest a few months back, who had no issues finding dive buddies for 5 dives a day.

Don't hesitate to email us any questions you have to info@divetech.com. One of our reservations staff, including the uber-friendy Dutchman, Menno, will be more than happy to answer any questions and give any price quotes.

 

[Ironborn]

Everybody, thank you for your input. It seems like Grand Cayman may be my best option at this point, unless I hear favorable reports from Turks & Caicos on the condition of the reefs between now and whenever I finalize my plans (if anybody hears anything from there, please let me and the community know), or unless a spot for a solo male diver miraculously opens up on the Belize Aggressor III or IV.

 

[Snoweman]

I was not impressed with T&C the last time I dove there, but I will say I am returning, and will dive again. The return was more based upon flight cost and my wife's love of the island on our last visit. I will be curious to see how the island looks like after Maria (and Irma).

I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered. Why don't you like Cozumel? I would fly there as much as possible, except for the prohibitive flight cost out of Atlanta. I love the dives and find the area to be perfect as far as crowds are concerned (without the ships at port).

 

[Ironborn]

I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered. Why don't you like Cozumel? I would fly there as much as possible, except for the prohibitive flight cost out of Atlanta. I love the dives and find the area to be perfect as far as crowds are concerned (without the ships at port).

Read my Cozumel trip report.

 

[Snoweman]

Read my Cozumel trip report.

I think War and Peace was shorter. I only saw that Aldora didn't live up to expectations. Can you summarize?

 

[KathyV]

I was not impressed with T&C the last time I dove there, but I will say I am returning, and will dive again. The return was more based upon flight cost and my wife's love of the island on our last visit. I will be curious to see how the island looks like after Maria (and Irma)...

Did you do land-based diving out of Provo? The better dive sites are a long boat ride away. If you do a T&C liveaboard you can easily dive the beautiful reefs of French Cay and West Caicos.

At least I hope they are still beautiful after Irma and Maria.

 

[KathyV]

Everybody, thank you for your input. It seems like Grand Cayman may be my best option at this point, unless I hear favorable reports from Turks & Caicos on the condition of the reefs between now and whenever I finalize my plans (if anybody hears anything from there, please let me and the community know), or unless a spot for a solo male diver miraculously opens up on the Belize Aggressor III or IV.

Don't wait too long, you'll get to those other destinations eventually, when the time is right. Travelers are scrambling to rebook vacations (and meetings, destination weddings, family reunions, etc.) all over the Caribbean. And I keep reading reports that airfares are climbing, plus Thanksgiving may be busier than most other fall weeks.

We love traveling in the autumn to celebrate our anniversary and because prices are lower (that may have something to do with hurricanes, go figure!) but we like it primarily because it is a quiet, non-busy time - after the kids are back in school and before the snowbirds fly south for the winter. But this year may not be a quiet fall in the Caymans.

At least our plans are made and booked and we have travel insurance; now fingers-crossed that the storms keep missing Cayman!