Another.... Where to go

[mattiedread]

Hello, it has been a few years since I've been here.

My wife and I have about 100 dives each (AOW), and neither of us have dove since 2001 or 02.

We're looking for a place to go and dive/hang out mid -end of September. First vacation without our kids.
Criteria:
1. We'll need to do a refresher, so, wherever we stay should have an instructor on site.
2. Lots of good shallow dives.
3. Caribbean/Atlantic - easy to get to from NY
4. Good Food - not necessarily all inclusive, but, I'd like a good variety within walking distance.
5. Good non - dive activities, hiking, sailing (would be nice) etc.

the cheaper the better, would like to be able to shore dive, not imperative. Thinking Bonaire, Caymans... but, the only places we have dove in the Caribbean is Mexico (cenotes and Cozumel, couple of dives in Cancun).

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated,
Mattiedread

 

[DeputyDan]

Bonaire has all this except #3 might be a slight issue.
A little more difficult to get to often indicates a better dive experience.

St Marteen should be easy to get to for you - has OK (not great but good enough if its been 10 years) diving.

The Caymans are not on the less expensive side. The word cheap and Cayman are only used in the same sentence when saying that they are not cheap !!!!

 

[mattiedread]

Dan:

Thanks for the feedback, I hadn't considered St. Marteen, have heard good non-diving stories about the place....

I'm still leaning towards Bonaire despite the cheap deals all seem to originate from Newark Airport which is a hassle for me now (used to live 30 minutes from there).

Looking at your profile you have been there a number of times, Buddy Dive had caught my eye and I see you've stayed there twice... good place? Any pros and cons you'd care to share about it, or, any other place on the island?

 

[danvolker]

Hello, it has been a few years since I've been here.

My wife and I have about 100 dives each (AOW), and neither of us have dove since 2001 or 02.

We're looking for a place to go and dive/hang out mid -end of September. First vacation without our kids.
Criteria:
1. We'll need to do a refresher, so, wherever we stay should have an instructor on site.
2. Lots of good shallow dives.
3. Caribbean/Atlantic - easy to get to from NY
4. Good Food - not necessarily all inclusive, but, I'd like a good variety within walking distance.
5. Good non - dive activities, hiking, sailing (would be nice) etc.

the cheaper the better, would like to be able to shore dive, not imperative. Thinking Bonaire, Caymans... but, the only places we have dove in the Caribbean is Mexico (cenotes and Cozumel, couple of dives in Cancun).

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated,
Mattiedread

I believe Palm Beach, Florida would blow your minds, if you came here.
the shallow diving is fantastic, with enough 37 to 500 foot deep dive sites to keep you on different corals and reef lines for many weeks worth of diving. Palm Beach has more fish life than most carribean destinations, and very healthy hard and soft corals....No place has as many turtles as Palm Beach ( you could have seen 30 on one dive, yesterday and the Goliaths are thick in Palm Beach as well.

As to food, we have 4 star and 5 star dining all over palm Beach, and immediately close to any Dive Resort in Palm Beach you would stay at ( in addition to the resort's own world class restaurants) ...Litterally NO OTHER Dive Resort destination in the Western hemisphere can touch Palm Beach for food or shopping, and a long list of things to do when not diving.

Please spend some time looking through www.sfdj.com to see what our reefs look like, as well as the dive resorts.

And then please ask me any specifics you can come up with

 

[mattiedread]

My family had a place in W. Palm beach for years, so I've been there several times, however, never to the keys.

The keys are suddenly coming up as more of what my wife wants... she'd like to dive, but doesn't want a 'dive dive dive' vacation. Checking it all out right now, thanks for the suggestion... any insight to the keys?

 

[danvolker]

While clearly I am pushing for for you guys to try diving in a dive Resort in PALM BEach, where your wife will have a spectacular selection of things do do whenn not diving....I would recommend going to the areas in the keys which are much less overdeveloped, and less traveled to...more like Islamorada or Big Pine key....the Developers murdered Key Largo of the mom and pop old florida charm it once had, and the same can be said for Key West. If you are going to the keys, and your wife does not want just dive, dive, dive, she better like fishing or hiking or kayaking...

 

[WOODMAN]

What's wrong with Cozumel? I see you have been there before, but if it has been ten years, you will find it rather different, to say the least. It fits virtually all of your criteria, and will provide nearly everything you want. There is a plethora of good dive companies and instructors who would be only too happy to help you refresh your skills, and lodging and dining cover the entire spectrum from basic and cheap to the sky's the limit. I can't think of a better place to reenter the diving world, especially if you want non-diving activities available. (Incredible shopping opportunities, lots of tours and such available, and my wife even took a mexican cooking class there not long ago which she said was a certified hoot.) Lots of help for you on the Cozumel forum if this interests you. Woody

 

[mattiedread]

I just booked St. Martin, staying Grand Case (The Blue Emerald) Sept. 17-24. Octopus dive shop is closed for the month (they're here in NY). I've read through a forum on St. Martin and it seems that on the French side Octopus is widely regarded.... does anyone have any other recommendations for Dive Ops?... I'm toying with a day trip to Saba depending upon $/time (I don't want to get up at 5 and return at 10)... does anyone know how long the boat ride is?

As always, any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

I was at Couples Swept Away, Negro Jamaica, its all inclusive which includes all water sports, dives after your refresher course. The dive shop is on-site, vis was great, water was warm 84 degrees at 109 ft. Heres their facebook page.
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Couples Swept Away Dive Club

 

[mattiedread]

I've heard the diving in Jamaica isn't that great, although I've never been. A very good friend of mine closes his business every year on Jan 1 and goes for several weeks, but, he does it on the super cheap, like less than $100/day.

Also, I looked into travel to the Caymans, and, the actual getting/staying there isn't expensive, but, I'm told diving is. It appeared I could have gotten reasonable accomodations and rt air for under 1,000/pp.... does that sound correct... or are those places... dives (dumps).