Where would you go?

[Crazybaldarcher]

My wife and I are considering becoming certified, and the question arose "Where would you like to go for your first trip diving?"

We have no idea, this all brand new to us.

So I am proposing this question to the community.

Where would you suggest to sending someone to dive?

**Please understand that we have friends and family that will be joining us on this trip. All experienced divers and one of them is becoming a dive instructor this year.**

 

[Landau]

Cozumel

 

[stuartv]

I would look at Key Largo, Cozumel, Roatan, or Bonaire. Of those, I've only been to Cozumel, but it was awesome. What I've heard about those other 3 is that they are also awesome and they would offer plenty of good diving for everyone from newly certified divers to experienced divers.

 

[Newdiv]

2nd for Cozumel

 

[Landau]

Hit Reply too soon - Give us more information about Where you are coming from and what you want to see. Cozumel is indeed awesome but there are lots of alternatives.

 

[Crazybaldarcher]

Landau, I'm trying to understand your comment.
Could you elaborate on "Give us more information about where you are coming from...."?

If you mean location I'm in the Midwest.

As far as what we would like to see I believe that was answered in my original post we are new to this we want to see everything.

 

[Rocknrone]

Not sure I would send a brand new diver to cozumel.

1. Their is a lot to think about with your first ocean boat dive. Adding strong current in the mix is just another thing to think about. I would leave that part out on your first trip.

2. Cozumel is one of the best places to go diving, I would save that for later when you have a little experience and can focus on everything around you, instead of everything going on with you.

Ex; I'm think over weighted, I'm under weighted, wheres my dive buddy, how much psi do I have, why am I crashing into the ocean floor, I don't see the dive master, I'm freezing I should have worn a thicker wet suit, I can't see anything my mask is leaking, what did I just kick with my "flipper", That looks like a shark, Is that a shark, Oh %&#$ that's a shark!

A slow paced, relaxed, shallow dive destination would be my suggestion.
60 ft or less, focus on the pretty fish, there's enough going on with everything else you might forget most of the dive anyway.

 

[Marktan]

We live in the midwest, and aside from the local quarry and lake michigan wrecks, for domestic trips, we really enjoy key largo since its a short flight. If we can find good flights, Maui is great, but frankly, its easier for us to go to Cancun (and you can't beat the current 18:1 Peso to dollar exchange rate right now). We go to Cancun every year and Grand Cayman almost every other. Grand cayman is by far my favorite overall. Honduras had probaby the most pristine water I've ever seen, but I've only been there once.

Looking back, We dove cancun as our first dive about a month after getting certified basic OW (they require divemasters go with you, which we thought was standard operating everywhere, so that was "confortable" for us). Then about 4 months later we did Key Largo. Suprise! We were the only two on the boat plus the captain. At this point we discovered they dont typically send DM/guides unless requested ("pool's open, be back in an hour"). He put us on a shallow wreck, so we jumped right in and took it easy, had a ton of fun all week. That trip was a game changer as far as being a huge confidence booster; so much so that immediately after that trip we signed up for Nav, Deep, nitrox, and night to complete AOW.

 

[gopbroek]

Another for Cozumel, there are enough sites with varying conditions to accommodate beginners to fish.
This fall my sister and her family are comming down with me and I will probably get her to take the OW while on the island

 

[phxh2odog]

Catalina island
I did my first real diving there and it was awesome blew my mind