Been to Cozumel & Bonaire - Considering Caymans, Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos

[Offroad]

Planning our next diving vacation:

We've been to the Florida Keys, Cozumel and Bonaire multiple times and are considering somewhere else in the Caribbean.
Likely spots are: Caymans, Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos and Possibly the Bahamas
We normally seek out smaller places to stay, like panga style small boats and uncrowded diving.
This will be a June or July trip.

Which of the above places would you recommend and why?
What can we expect to pay per person for boat diving?
For those who've dove Cozumel and Bonaire, how is the diving in the spots above different?

We will likely be traveling with non divers on this trip, but I'd expect most places I listed to have better beaches than Cozumel and Bonaire. Our non diver friends have access to timeshares with RCI so the resort would probably be one they are affiliated with.

All advice is appreciated.

 

[cbm32]

Not sure how much vacation time you have or what your budget is for airfare, but it is a little known fact that there are two resorts available in Fiji via timeshare...at least via RCI.

 

[SEVADiver]

Based on your needs, I would recommend looking at Grand Turk. Check out Osprey Beach Hotel and Blue Water Divers. Diving all done from small skiffs with 4-6 divers. 5 minute boat rides. Very quite laid back place.

 

[tkaelin]

You might like diving in GC and T&C. We have been to both as well as Bon. The boat diving will be much more expensive in GC and T&C and you can expect to pay in the area of $125 per person per two tank boat dive. There is some shore diving in GC and I don't know of any in T&C. Both T&C and GC have a beautiful long beach - 7MB and Grace Bay.

 

[Diver Dave1]

Grand Turk is great and heading there for our next dive trip but there are no timeshares there. I completely agree with SevaDiver above.
Just back from Grand Cayman and it has a nice timeshare on the east side, Morritts. Lovely beach and Ocean Frontiers is a great dive group with excellent service but with larger boats than you prefer. That said, they left you head off on your own with your buddy and dive your computer.
Here is a link to photos from that trip.
Grand Cayman - shiningseastudio's Photos

The great part about Grand Cayman at that time of yr is the silversides at Devil's Grotto and Eden Rock. See the 2 short videos at the link above.
For me, they were the highlight of the trip by far. I spent 2 dives there, about 2.5 hrs total. Be there by 8:30 with a buddy and have it alone. Its an easy shore dive and Eden Rock dive shop can provide the tanks, etc and direct you to the site.

Generally, you find that RCI time shares, good beaches, good diving and small uncrowded boats do not all go together in one place often, if ever. At G.C. you get the first 3. Grand Turk provides the last 3.

 

[vincent54]

I am partial to Cayman Brac. Stay at Walton's Mango Manor, 120 per night . Mrs. Walton makes a wonderful breakfast that is included in the rate. Dive with Brac Scuba Shack, they have a small boat that you will usually have by yourself. They are an excellent operation for kids and adults. I think it is 85CI for the two tank dive. Someone correct me if I am wrong.
No crime or worry. Throw in some climbing gear and a book and you have the perfect caribbean vacation. No currents, crystal clear water and the nicest people in the world. Cheers

 

[KathyV]

Since you are traveling with non-divers and are looking for beautiful beaches you might find Grand Cayman a good choice. There are lots of things to do as well as beautiful diving. And there is some nice shore diving that is less expensive. Up by the Turtle Farm there is some nice, easy shore diving. We also prefer quieter locations so we look for accomodations away from Georgetown and the 7 mile Beach. We usually stay in the Bodden Town area, the beaches aren't great there but there is some nice snorkeling. But that means that we have to rent a car and drive to town for the beach and the more popular entertainment spots. I still prefer that because the hotels post a list of days that the cruise ships will be in port and we avoid going to the touristy areas on those days! The restaurants can be very expensive if you are eating out 3 times a day, especially in Georgetown and on the 7MB, but we rent an apartment or one-bedroom suite with a full kitchen and make some meals. The diving is better (IMO) off Little Cayman and Cayman Brac than GC, but these are very small quiet islands and I am not sure that the sister islands are the best choice for non-divers.