Rich Keller
Contributor
Any recommendations for diving and staying in Bimini? I am the only diver in the group I travel with so I want a place that has reasonable diving and things to do for the non-divers as well.
Bahamas dive, help pick spot
- Thread starter Cinders
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
this one is the most appealing especially with free airfare
with free airfare from where? to where? can you send me the link?
thanks
We saw fewer sharks in Exuma Bahamas than around New Providence (Nassau) and the diving easy. Alot of sand tho. We did dive a blue hole which may not be suited for your girlfriend. It is nearly vertical so you could see light. There are a few small wrecks around. Exuma has the Thunderball grotto (Staniel Cay) and swimming pigs for topside fun. You would have a connecting flight from Nassau.
I think Cozumel is easy drift diving. Alot of beginners are hesitant to dive Cozumel but with decent bouyancy they can handle it. You have been there so you can gauge it. Only one wreck. You would need to do the bag drag from Cancun and then ferry to Cozumel or take a short flight to Cozumel.
You might consider diving south of Cancun. Maybe around Akumal. I will be doing that in June for the first time. I understand lots of turtles and the current less than Cozumel but it could still be there unless you are in one of the bays. Cenotes would be near also.
I prefer the reefs in Cozumel to those in the Bahamas and the reef around the Mexican mainland should be similar to Cozumel (except walls possibly). Vis should be good. I don't know of any wrecks there though. There should be some reports in the Mexico forum here.
Aruba seems like a really good option and maybe Curacao even better. We looked into the latter but unable to pull the trigger on it. Of all the options, this one is the most appealing especially with free airfare.
You could check into flying into south Florida and getting to the Keys. I have not been but my wife has and she liked it. She was a newer diver when she did them.[/QUOTE]
with free airfare from where? to where? can you send me the link?
thanks
We saw fewer sharks in Exuma Bahamas than around New Providence (Nassau) and the diving easy. Alot of sand tho. We did dive a blue hole which may not be suited for your girlfriend. It is nearly vertical so you could see light. There are a few small wrecks around. Exuma has the Thunderball grotto (Staniel Cay) and swimming pigs for topside fun. You would have a connecting flight from Nassau.
I think Cozumel is easy drift diving. Alot of beginners are hesitant to dive Cozumel but with decent bouyancy they can handle it. You have been there so you can gauge it. Only one wreck. You would need to do the bag drag from Cancun and then ferry to Cozumel or take a short flight to Cozumel.
You might consider diving south of Cancun. Maybe around Akumal. I will be doing that in June for the first time. I understand lots of turtles and the current less than Cozumel but it could still be there unless you are in one of the bays. Cenotes would be near also.
I prefer the reefs in Cozumel to those in the Bahamas and the reef around the Mexican mainland should be similar to Cozumel (except walls possibly). Vis should be good. I don't know of any wrecks there though. There should be some reports in the Mexico forum here.
Aruba seems like a really good option and maybe Curacao even better. We looked into the latter but unable to pull the trigger on it. Of all the options, this one is the most appealing especially with free airfare.
You could check into flying into south Florida and getting to the Keys. I have not been but my wife has and she liked it. She was a newer diver when she did them.[/QUOTE]
Cinders, since you have free airfare to Nassau, you might want to consider Riding Rock Inn on San Salvador Bahamas; they have daily flights on BahamasAir from Nassau to San Sal for around $120 roundtrip per person. Below are the summer rates that include lodging, diving, and meals.
The island is small and the hotel is modest and the food is plain but the diving and dive op have good reputations. It's been a long time since we were there but we enjoyed it and they seem to have maintained their reputation for good diving. However, there is always a good chance of seeing sharks in the Bahamas.
Aruba might be your best bet. It doesn't have a great reputation for diving but it is shallow and you are less likely to see sharks. It might be a good spot for a newbie and they do have wrecks. I've never been there, if I am traveling that far I usually go to Bonaire or Curacao, but I am sure that I could have fun in Aruba.
| RRI Summer Season Island Escape Packages May 2 - September 4, 2015 | ||||
| 7 nights/21 meals 16 dives | Standard Pool View Room Per Person Rates | Deluxe Ocean Front Room Per Person Rates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diver | Vacationer | Diver | Vacationer | |
| Single Occupancy | $2,220.00 | $1,682.00 | $2,462.00 | $1,919.00 |
| Double Occupancy | $1,688.00 | $1,150.00 | $1,811.00 | $1,269.00 |
| Triple Occupancy | $1,553.00 | $1,016.00 | $1,672.00 | $1,129.00 |
| Quad Occupancy | N/A | N/A | $1,596.00 | $1,054.00 |
---------- Post added April 25th, 2015 at 01:52 PM ----------
Rich, I have been to Bimini twice but I was on liveaboards so I didn't stay on shore. The diving wasn't great, it was OK and similar to Freeport. The Bahamas diving was much better around Nassau and the Exumas IMO. Maybe someone who has been to Bimini more recently can give you a more thorough and current opinion.
---------- Post added April 25th, 2015 at 02:38 PM ----------
Cinders, here's another idea. CaymanAir offers flights from some of SW's destinations like Tampa and Montego Bay. You could fly free on SW to one of those destinations and then get on a CA flight to Grand Cayman (GC) or the sister islands of Cayman Brac (CB) or Little Cayman (LC). I think that flights from Tampa and Montego Bay are around $175 to $250 per person round trip - so not bad but you will have to check that.
There is good, easy diving in the Caymans and you don't see many sharks, most likely an occasional nurse shark. The Caymans are expensive but you may be able to find a good deal at an all-inclusive like Cobalt Coast Resort on GC. I think the diving is best on LC but it is expensive and it is probably all booked up by now.
My recommendation if they have space is the Brac Reef Beach Resort on CB if you can get decent airfare from a SW destination. It is a very nice all-inclusive hotel with great diving and excellent dive op and the food is fantastic. Much better than the Riding Rock Inn IMO. They also have a wrecked Russian Frigate for you to explore.
See the all-inclusive package below that covers everything but airfare and tips for the dive op. We have been there 3 times and loved it. But it is a small and quiet island, so if you enjoy restaurants and night life then GC is a better (but more expensive) choice.
CLEARLY CAYMAN PACKAGE (Brac Reef Beach Resort)
Valid for travel January 3 – December 16 2015
7 Nights Accommodations
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Three Drinks Nightly
17 Boat Dives
Airport Ground Transfers
Free Welcome Rum Punch
Hotel Taxes & Service Fees
$1590 (USD per person double occupancy)
---------- Post added April 25th, 2015 at 06:14 PM ----------
The dive trips that we have been discussing don't come with free airfare. Cinders (the person that started this thread) has 2 free air tickets and is looking for a place to go diving.
Last edited:
[/QUOTE]
The Original Poster (Cinders) had two Southwest Airlines tickets to anywhere they fly with a stop. Per Southwest's website they fly to Aruba. That is the "free" part.
MarlinMark
Registered
Bonaire is all about shore diving. Rent a pick-up truck, load it with tanks, drive around, go diving.
[/Bonaire's shore diving is great, but wear good dive boots as entry points can be rocky and loaded with coral heads. Some spiny sea urchins too. Buddy Dive offers trucks, breakfasts, and unlimited air or Nitrox. Carry extra tank O-rings; you'll avoid trips back to get them when/if they fail.]
Similar threads
