Atlantic Dive Trip Suggestions wanted...

[oatmeal7]

I want to take my wife (a non-diver) for a 4-day weekend trip this July while our kids are at camp, and I'm open to suggestions that fufill the following criteria:

1) cheap (and reasonably short) flights from the DC metro area,

2) good diving that I can do in the morning while my wife beaches it (and then I can join her in the afternoon),

3) preferably a cool (not too built-up/touristy) town to hang out in at night.

Is the Carribean too hot in July? I've never been there then.

Places I've already been: Bonaire, Playa del Carmen (Mexico), Eleuthera (Bahamas), Jamaica.

Any suggestions???

Thanks!

 

[oatmeal7]

in the previous post...

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

We've been to the Caribbean in July, but "too hot" is a relative term. On Grand Cayman over July 4 in 2000, it was about 90 degrees F, and I turned to my wife and remarked "It's about 20 degrees cooler than back home (South Texas) right now". Two divers next to us from New York were dumbfounded, stating, "We've never heard of anyone going to the Caribbean to cool off before!".

The Caribbean any time of year is fine for us, but it's an individual thing. I grew up on the South Texas Gulf Coast and dream of living in the Caribbean - so, maybe in retirement I will, but neither the economy nor me are ready for me to retire yet, so just visits for a few weeks each year for now for us.

Grand Cayman and Little Cayman come to mind, depending on whether you want a lot of nightlife / shopping / etc. too (Grand Cayman) or not (Little Cayman). We really liked Little Cayman, but then we also really liked Dominica (diving, rain forest, and beaches - both black sand & gold sand ones)- we're not big nightlife folks, and both have very harried professional lives, so relaxing and enjoying nature on vacation with no PDA / day planner / cell phone / pager is what we really look for. Dominica lent itself to diving in the morning, a nice lunch, then 4WD up into the mountains / rain forest in the afternoons - spectacular way to vacation for us.

We'll be in Bonaire & Curacao the next two weeks, and we're really looking forward to it. These are two islands we haven't visited previously.

 

[oatmeal7]

is an ABSOLUTE MUST-DIVE...

Though just about 20', it was easily the best night dive of my life. You will need a local guide to get a permit (ask where you stay...any divemaster should be able to get one). Amazing color (brilliant purple and yellow sponges) and marine life (several white, free-swimming spotted morays, etc.)

Enjoy! Bonaire is great.

We've been to the Cariibean in July, but "too hot" is a relative term. On Grand Cayman over July 4 in 2000, it was about 90 degrees F, and I turned to my wife and remarked "It's about 20 degrees cooler than back home (South Texas) right now". Two divers next to us from New York were dumbfounded, stating, "We've never heard of anyone going to the Caribbean to cool off before!".

The Caribbean any time of year is fine for us, but it's an individual thing. I grew up on the South Texas Gulf Coast and dream of living in the Caribbean - so, maybe in retirement I will, but neither the economy nor me are ready for me to retire yet, so just visits for a few weeks each year for now for us.

Grand Cayman and Little Cayman come to mind, depending on whether you want a lot of nightlife / shopping / etc. too (Grand Cayman) or not (Little Cayman). We really liked Little Cayman, but then we also really liked Dominica (diving, rain forest, and beaches - both black sand & gold sand ones)- we're not big nightlife folks, and both have very harried professional lives, so relaxing and enjoying nature on vacation with no PDA / day planner / cell phone / pager is what we really look for. Dominica lent itself to diving in the morning, a nice lunch, then 4WD up into the mountains / rain forest in the afternoons - spectacular way to vacation for us.

We'll be in Bonaire & Curacao the next two weeks, and we're really looking forward to it. These are two islands we haven't visited previously.

 

[oatmeal7]

...not "city dock"...

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

There's a thread on the Bonaire talk site of no longer allowing divers at the Town Pier - has something to do with reciprocal agreements in protecting shipping etc. evidently much like the airlines have been going through the last few years. As always, just my luck - hopefully we can do a dive there before it's officially banned - but my bet for the future is they'll eventually charge an additional fee and have some sort of TSA style security checkpoint like going to the gates at an airport, if we're lucky.

http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/30/163196.html?1083939157

I'll let you know when we return how this panned out. This may have ripple effects elsewhere - we dove the cruise ship dock at Fredricksted in St. Croix over 4th of July in 2002 and there weren't any restrictions like this then - but what now?