Just returned from diving at Couples Negril, Jamaica

[BettyfromToronto]

Just returned yesterday from one week at Couples Negril. Fabulous resort. This was not our dive vacation but we still got in 11 dives. Diving at Couples is free...or should I say included in the price.

Guys at the dive shop at Couples Negril were great. They offer a free resort course Mon-Fri which includes 1 dive and it seems that alot of people who took this then continued to get their Open Water certification. The instructor Sugar was amazing! What I liked as a certified diver is that we went out at 9am and 1:30pm and the divers from the resort course or certification course went in between our dives so we were never mixed together until they were certified. No newbies to watch falling from above.

The diving is good but not great. The reefs are better than Cuba where we've gone the last two years but not as good as Roatan where we went in February. But we liked that there was more fish than Roatan. We even saw a 7 ft nurse shark which was my first. Another highlight was two dolphins swimming in front of the boat one day.

The big thing at Couples is service. Good and friendly service with NO TIPPING. On the first day we mentioned to the Operations Manager that it would be nice to have a bench at the dive shop so we could sit to put on our boots and wetsuit. Two days later it was there! We brought our own equipment but we used their equipment on the last day so our stuff could dry for the trip home. It was pretty good (Sherwood) but I hated to wear a weight belt after having our weights in our BCD.

Let me know if there is anything you want to know.

Betty

 

[ibj40]

Glad to hear you liked diving in the Negril area, and Couples. We've been to Couples twice, dove with the on-site once, but dove with an off-site the second time so that we could get both dives in during the morning, and leave the afternoon to enjoy the resort and the rest of the island.

Thanks for the report!

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

I was a Couples Swept Away in August which is in Negril also, along 7 mile beach, and I must agree the service was great, diving was good, also got to see the dolphins, and a sea turtle. I'm surprised to hear that's it's better than Cuba:shocked2: The dive staff was great. I'm looking forward to visiting again next year. The beaches were great. Visibility was outstanding.

 

[wills029]

Thanks for the report Betty.

I am back to Beaches Negril with my son and daughter in November. They both completed their Open Water certs in March there. Great spot for kids and parents alike, with some relaxing diving thrown in - can't wait!!

Did you see the nurse shark on "Sharks Reef"? In March, we saw two nurse sharks on the reef and were also treated to a pair of dolphins who entertained us at about 80' down. Has the beach started to reset itself after the tropical storm in Fall 2010?

Bill

 

[SeaSoulSelf]

I still kind of wish they would do a 2 tank dive so I could stay warm for the rest of the day - but it's all good.

So glad you enjoyed our first diving home!! Can't wait to see everyone at the dive shop.

December seems so far away!

 

[Torontonian]

Good to hear you enjoyed the diving there. The diving at Ocho Rios was not very good, but at least it was warm water there.

Which part of Cuba did you dive that you compared with? Varadero is not very good, but there are other parts of Cuba that have good diving, Jibacoa, Ancon, and definitely Bay of Pigs.

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Bill: We didn't dive Sharks Reef as we had a new diver terrified of them. We did see a 7' nurse shark on one dive that she wasn't on. It looked huge to me but was cool. We also saw two dolphins but playing in the bow wave on the way to a dive. Beautiful animals. I didn't see them in the water like some did.

Torontonian: We dove at Sandals, Varadero as it was free. Dove there two years in a row and SO got certified there last year.

 

[wills029]

Thanks Betty.

Will report after trip in November. Looking forward to diving Shark's Reef, Kingfish Point and Deep Plane - those are still my favourites in Negril.

 

[Torontonian]

Torontonian: We dove at Sandals, Varadero as it was free. Dove there two years in a row and SO got certified there last year.

We had stayed at Beaches Varadero before, and found the diving at Varadero not that good. Well, it was still warm water so that was good.

During our stay there, there were many windy days so they closed the beach. So one day I asked and the dive shop sent me to Baracuda dive shop in town that had a bus going to Bay of Pigs. The diving at Bay of Pigs was quite good. Very good coral growth, lots of color and long sponge barrels.

This summer the diving at Jibacoa was also good. Someone we met said he had dived in many different parts of Cuba. He said it's also good diving at Ancon (Trinada), and at Santa Lucia beach.

The resorts at Ancon are not that good, but at Santa Lucia are supposed to be much better.

I see your signature you're going to Cozumel. It's very good diving there.

 

[ReefHugger]

Happy to hear that you had fun in 'my little pinch of paradise'. The diving is oh so easy! At the time of your visit, Negril should mostly have been a huge warm swimming pool.

wills029: Try also for Arches and Throne Room.