Looking for dive destination, to let my spouse relax and enjoy diving!

[Doc Harry]

Bohio dive resort on Grand Turk
Dive sites are 100 yards off the beach from the resort - 6,000 foot wall
No current
Small resort - about 15 rooms
The restaurant and dining are fantastic
Small island, laid back, not a lot of other things to do except relax

Bohio Dive Resort (Grand Turk/Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

[KathyV]

I will tell you that I find Cozumel easy and relaxing...you go with the currents in drift dives...almost effortless...would be different than the Hawaii experience imho.

Maybe yes but maybe no, I think it depends on the individual. When I was a new diver, drift drives were difficult for me because I had issues with proper weighting and buoyancy control. I was crashing around all over the place, at the mercy of the current, feeling helpless and trying not to bump into corals. After I gained skill with buoyancy control I really began to enjoy drift dives - but I am not so sure that it is a good choice for a new and uncomfortable diver.

 

[Damselfish]

Statements that Bonaire is too intense or all on your own are not true. Bonaire is easy diving and a very good place for a beginner to get experience. While most people on this board say they go there for the shore diving around the island and write off boat diving, it is totally possible and perfectly fine to stay someplace and do boat diving if that is more comfortable, and maybe some shore dives off your resort dock which will be very easy and simple to navigate. There's also no law that says you have to dive 6 times a day, no one is counting. Also no law that says you have to go all over the island and do harder ironshore entries if that's not your thing.

And Curacao is not really "much the same." There are similarities in the diving but the islands are more different than you might expect given that they are relatively close to each other. Again you can shore dive around the island if you so desire, or you can just boat dive if you prefer that (probably a little more focus on boat diving in Curacao,) or mix it up however you want. Either way, it's another good place for a beginner to gain experience.

Roatan would be a good place too. The Bahamas might be good, plenty of easy shallow diving if that's what you're looking for, though I don't think it's as good as the other places (and maybe not good if she is freaked out by sharks.) I also agree that Cayman can be good, as long as she is has good buoyancy control and doesn't mind the idea of sometimes being off a wall in deep water with no hard bottom. She might really enjoy Little Cayman Beach Resort. Cayman Brac Beach Resort would be good too, though the walls there tend to start deeper on average.

 

[WrmBluH2O]

DiveTy,

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm after the exact same info (have a whopping six dives under my belt).

Thank you to everyone who has chimed in so far. St. Croix, Curacao, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac are now on my radar screen thanks to you all. Please keep the suggestions coming...

 

[kimbalabala]

I recommend anyplace that has a dive guide in the water with you at all times - with the exception of Cozumel (because it's drift dives). It's nice to not have to navigate and worry that you've lost the boat.

 

[diversteve]

I'd have to go with Curacao first. It's the same low current diving as Bonaire but in some places arguably better. One big difference if you plan to do any shorediving to save money is that the entries are off beaches and not ironshore. Compare contrast the entries here for the differences - http://shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/index.htm If it's new to you start with the Dive Bus on Curacao - all they do is escorted shore diving.

One other consideration might be that on Curacao, just about every dive site is a beach entry, has a dive shop on site and often food options also. As well as lockers/bathrooms. None of the Bonaire sites once you leave town/the dive resorts have any of that - except the food truck that moves around at one south site. And since you need to bring everything with you - and leave the truck open you may want to get a good case for your phone. On Curacao some of the operators told us to point out our vehicles so they could watch them. I've heard at a couple sites Curacao Tourism also provides a guard during the day now.

Don't even think of shorediving on Bonare w/o good treaded boots.

Boat dives are pretty much a wash both price and sites. I could make a case for there being some excellent dives on either - both have a signature wreck and some interesting coral formations in places. Both also have sites not shore accessible and a "Klein" island. Bonaire's is just west of the main island, Curacao's about an hour SE. If you do pick Bonaire do some boat dives, fully a 3rd of the dive sites surround Klein. You consciously have to look for drift dives on either island to find any high current dives. Except typically the farthest dives on either end of Bonaire are considered more advanced - I've been in one on the south side, it calm looking on the surface and ripping at depth. After 10mins. of no forward progress we gave up.

Many flights and most of the food etc. bound for Bonaire go thru Curacao first since it's the deepwater container port. So prices to a degree reflect that. There's a whole bunch of non-dive activities to do on Curacao also since it's larger.

www.tourismbonaire.com
www.curacao.com

 

[chillyinCanada]

If it's only about the diving and not much else, Roatan is wonderful for that and easy to get to from the US. I can't speak to Bonaire, Curacao or the Caymans.

 

[Scubagolf]

If you go during September, October or early November, Loreto (1/3 of the way up the coast of Baja from Cabo on the Sea of Cortez) can be a fun destination with surprisingly good, and very easy diving. The trick is the weather and water temps, which vary greatly. In the fall the water should be about 84 degrees at depth. We have been twice, once with a group from our LDS and once on our own. We stayed at the very nice La Mision Loreto Hotel both times. There were direct flights from LAX to Loreto on Alaska Airlines. See my review which I will try to add this this post.

http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/trip-report-loreto-baja-sept-30-oct-6-2012.435912/

 

[tkaelin]

For Diversteve and others who know shore diving in Cur, looking to plan a short trip staying at allwest, 4 nites, 3 days diving. What shore dive dives do you recommend? Thanks

 

[diversteve]

from west(north) to east(south);

Among the best is Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland. If it isn't the top dive we did all week it's top 3. Conveniently it's just down the stairs from All West. You can also drive 2mins. north and go in off the other Go West dock and head north for more verticality. Stay on the surface past the Lodge and chase flounder in the shallows.

Playa Jeremi is another good dive a short drive south - one of few still with no facilities afaik. Unless things have changed the only sign is a big red painted rock. If you drive in and there's parking with a couple big slab concrete stairs down to a deserted beach - that's it. One of few sites where you need to bring everything.

Just 5mins. south past that is Playa Lagun where you should find turtles out thru the bay opening. Nice dive also - just enough current to help on the way back. For lunch there's a cliffside grill on the north side - you'll see it. The dive operator is Discover Dive just after you drive in on the left IIRC.

Then there's Porto Mari and Cas Abao. Porto Mari is a nice double reef but crowded on weekends as it's a popular local beach. My friends liked Cas Abao but I didn't - long swim over sand to a decent dive.

One more to do is the old Habitat Curacao house reef - a local called it Nos Kas - The dive is actually on the Coral Estates gated property but they'll let you through to the on-site dive shop.

IMO the last good site north of town is Varsenbaai. The whole dive is south, head along the reef and at just about a normal turn point there's a big pontoon boat wreck around 80' It's the 2nd "Carpile" site although I understand they've been down longer so a lot more deteriorated/covered over - we took a quick look but it was dropping pretty fast so we turned.

Coming back in hug the beach when you get close to it and there should be turtles in 6' feeding - been there for years. We also found seahorses there near the ball at 40' on the way out and some squid swam by a couple times. None of this was a surprise to the on-site operator.

My friends wife is an ex-Curacao dive guide. Her favorite site is Snake Bay if you get that far south. I haven't been there.