Bahamas vs Turks & Caicos?

[periwinkle888]

Hi there,

My dive buddy and I are making our first dive trip to the Caribbean (not counting Cozumel) and are trying to decide between the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos.
Can anyone shed some light on this for a Caribbean newbie?

Essentially we're looking for:
-Large animal encounters (not just sharks though)
-Healthy reefs / abundant marine life
-Reasonable prices for food and lodging
-Peace and quiet, nice beaches, no crowds

Any recommendations either way? Any hotels, dive companies you can recommend?

Thanks!!

 

[longliner]

check out the trip report for Coral Caverns dive resort on Andros earlier on this forum.

 

[robint]

Hi there,

My dive buddy and I are making our first dive trip to the Caribbean (not counting Cozumel) and are trying to decide between the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos.
Can anyone shed some light on this for a Caribbean newbie?

Essentially we're looking for:
-Large animal encounters (not just sharks though)
-Healthy reefs / abundant marine life
-Reasonable prices for food and lodging
-Peace and quiet, nice beaches, no crowds

Any recommendations either way? Any hotels, dive companies you can recommend?

Thanks!!

-Large animal encounters - Bahamas and T&C are famous for those
-Healthy reefs/abundant marine life - both good, best by liveaboard or outer islands in Bahamas
-REasonable prices for food and lodging - land-based for both can be expensive, liveaboards can be a better value as you get in double the diving
-Peace and quiet, nice beaches, no crowds - both have nice beaches but may be crowded, best beaches in Bahamas are on outer islands again

For Bahamas check out: Bahamas Resorts and Diving Packages for Divers.
or
Nekton Diving Cruises (liveaboard)
Explorer Ventures (liveaboard)
Aqua Cat (liveaboard)

for Turks & Caicos:
Explorer Ventures (liveaboard)

also, you can do a search on YouTube for videos - check out the ones for liveaboards in Bahamas and T&C. There are several for Aquacat now that show good topside and underwater.

robin

 

[oboist]

I would say that if you want good reef, avoid Nassau Bahamas like the plague. I haven't been to the rest of the Bahamas, which I hear is better than Nassau. I have dove a lot sites in Nassau, and wasn't impressed with most of them. They do have some wrecks, but with WAY too many divers going over them daily, they aren't in great shape. Few fish, but yes some sharks, but basically only at one or two sites.

If I was thinking of my first dive trip, I would definitely have to say it would be T & C, its beautiful and has great reefs.

Just my 2 cents.....

 

[Elinkameli]

I've lived in Turks. Which island are you visiting? That is the big question. Provo has a lot of wonderful dive sites and you HAVE TO check out West Caicos.... gorgeous walls and I've always seen sharks diving there.

The turks and caicos islands are amazing and the diving is beautiful. It is pretty much all wall diving but the life on the walls is abundent. If you want to stay on the island check out Dive Provo and Turtle divers. Or you can stay at Beaches or Club Med and they offer Diving as an additional cost of the all inclusive price but at very reasonable rates.

 

[periwinkle888]

I think I'm going to go w/ T&C, but I haven't decided which island yet.
Any recommendations? I hear Provo has the best top side, but divers have to endure 40 minute boat rides to dive sites.

Any thoughts on staying on Grand Turk, Salt Cay, or any of the other islands?

 

[Shangrl]

Do a search. There are quite a few trip reports on all the places you want to go