OW/AOW destination recommendation: Aruba /Punta Cana /Cancun/Montego Bay

[DivingChipmunk]

Hello,

We are planning an extended family vacation at Thanksgiving this year.
(1) It has to be a Caribbean destination with direct flight from DC area
(2) it should be a decent diving destination for beginners so that my niece can get her OW and my husband and I can get our AOW.
(3) We prefer to stay at an all-inclusive resort with an on-site dive operation or something close-by

We have narrowed our choices to: Aruba, Cancun area, Punta Cana, Nausau and Montego Bay, due to direct flight restriction.

Any thoughts on these destinations from a beginner's diving perspective? Any PADI shops/resorts you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Chidiver1]

I've been to Jamaica and DR, but to neither of those 'cities'. Both of those are bigger and way busier than the places I went.

U would think coming out of DC there are other direct flights to other places, that the list you gave.

 

[diversteve]

None of the AI's on Nassau have a dive operation. Some may show one but it's a Stuart Coves pickup and they're about 45mins on their shuttle to their south side location. There's really no shore diving on the north side where most of the resorts are.

Define "nearby" - Bahama Divers is on the mainland side of the bridge from Paradise Island. Not much to stay at nearby (that's decent) but it's only a 5-10 min drive and they pick up at Cable Beach or Paradise Island properties (so does Coves)
Currently these are your only two dive options on Nassau,

Jamaica was over fished for decades. I've read they recently are trying to remedy that.

Check but I've always heard you go to Punta Cana to golf, not dive.

Aruba would be good for your new diver, the water conditions are usually pretty benign. Clive at Dive Aruba gets recommended here often.

 

[diversteve]

A couple more not on your list -

United has a direct flight from Dulles to Grand Cayman (might be Sat only) which is outstanding diving with both beginner and advanced components. All would have fun in 15' of water at Stingray City, all could dive different levels of the Kittiwake and all could do easy shore dives at Turtle Reef - it's only about 40-70' deep along the mini-wall that starts 50' from the stairs. Cayman is pricey though.
Cobalt Coast Resort has Reef Divers on-site and they sell it as AI. Also an easy, shallow shore dive off tjeir dock. You can also access the spectacular North Wall diving with Reef Divers.

Or find any property along Seven Mile Beach and one of two dozen dive operators will pick you up. Sunset House is a dive resort just south of town (walking distance) and they offer an optional meal plan. A couple easy shore dives off their salt water pool (stairs,open to the ocean) Your husband can certainly get his AOW there's over 300 named dive sites and a lot of them have a deeper/advanced option.

On the much quieter East End (45 mins drive) the Wyndham Reef Resort is an AI with a dive operation. If you're ok with a condo, Ocean Frontiers is one of the better dive operators - they're co-located at Compass Point Condos.

Not a lot of restaurant choices out there and one market. Cayman is very clean, very bug-free and very pricey.

I have an acquaintance in the DC area. They fly non-stop to St. Thomas. There's several AI or almost AI properties (meal plan is extra) there.

Bolongo Bay Resort has St. Thomas Diving Club on-site - known to be good with beginners. Sugar Bay Resort nearby is nice but they don't have an onsite shop. Red Hook Dving is about 10mins drive - all their staff are instructors - including their DM's and at least one of their captains.

The Marriott complex at Frenchman's Reef has a dive operation afaik. Upscale, the Ritz-Carlton has a dive operation on-site also. There might be one at Sapphire Beach resort also - I think they sell it as an AI. There's a other resorts with on site operations others I can't remember also. all on the East End - which is pretty quiet at night

Coki Beach is an average shallow shore dive in the area and you can ferry (30 mins) over to St. John to dive/snorkel there - more snorkel than good shore sites though. On one ferry you can even bring your rental car.

Dive operators also go out to Cow/Calf rocks - a well reviewed shallow dive. And we dove in the cays (Congo, Grass) off the east end several times and didn't break 60' - all low current.

Charlotte Amalie is kind of trashy though - lots of gated properties with barbed wire. Stay elsewhere.

hth

 

[jonhall]

First of all, the following is just my viewpoint as a vacation diver.

My suggestion would be that if you have access to a dive shop at home or can find an instructor with access to a pool (maybe a local school) in your area, have your niece take OW ahead of the trip. She won't be rushed through, will learn a lot more, and could then do the checkout dives and enjoy other dives afterward wherever you wind up going. I can't say that all resort dive ops are going to rush a person through the course with just the basics, but I've seen it - people are only on vacation for so many days. As I think back, I was glad to have had time to soak everything in over several weeks as opposed to a few days - also nice to only worry about completing the checkout dives on our trip to Grand Cayman later that year. It's possible that if your niece excels in OW and completes the checkout dives (and money isn't an issue) she could then take AOW with you, but again, how much bookwork does a person want to do on a vacation?

As far as you and your husband are concerned, the same will be true for AOW training at a resort dive op as far as it being a rush job. You will have bookwork/test to complete before/after each of the five required dives and most likely have no training in water beforehand. Speaking for myself only, when I finally got my AOW, it was at a resort dive op but that's how I wanted it. I was just in it to get the c-card. My local dive op guy even said I should get AOW on a trip since all of my diving was in clear (most of the time), warm water. The course with him would have included a quarry dive (for the deep dive) in 40º F water at 60 ft.

Clive at Dive Aruba gets recommended here often.

Regarding your choices for your trip, Aruba didn't have the greatest visibility (month of June) and many dives are drift dives. A note about Clive. He's not a resort op, but offers OW, completion of OW checkout dives, and AOW. Unless he's changed his system, he goes down with divers for about 15-20 minutes, then goes back to the boat and picks you up where he thinks you will come up - maybe not the best for a new diver. Don't think he would do that though on training dives.

Cancun area covers a large area - just south of Cancun airport is Puerto Morelos with many AI's and some decent diving. Dive In Puerto Morelos is one dive op in the area - close to the pier.

Have been to a couple of the other locations but a different part or side of the island, so can't comment.

Agree with @diversteve about Grand Cayman if that can become a possibility on your list. No real AI's (meal plan can be added at Cobalt Coast) but can pretty much guarantee calm, clear, warm water at most sites along 7 mile beach. DiveTech is also one of the great ops in GC.

 

[ibj40]

Hello,

We are planning an extended family vacation at Thanksgiving this year.
(1) It has to be a Caribbean destination with direct flight from DC area
(2) it should be a decent diving destination for beginners so that my niece can get her OW and my husband and I can get our AOW.
(3) We prefer to stay at an all-inclusive resort with an on-site dive operation or something close-by

We have narrowed our choices to: Aruba, Cancun area, Punta Cana, Nausau and Montego Bay, due to direct flight restriction.

Any thoughts on these destinations from a beginner's diving perspective? Any PADI shops/resorts you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

If you can fly into Mo Bay, then I'd research the Negril area of Jamaica. We've been going to Negril since 2003, and have been back three (or maybe four) times, and will be going there this December. We have always stayed at Couples Negril (although I don't know how that would work with your niece as a traveling companion). There are other AI's in the Negril area that are more family-oriented.

Since diving Negril in 2003 we have seen a measurable improvement in the diving. The reefs and structure are healthy and beautiful, and the fish populations seem to increase every time we return.

In the Cancun area, I would suggest you research Puerto Aventuras, and highly recommend Dive Aventuras as a dive shop to use. Puerto Aventuras is a gated community about 45 miles south of the Cancun airport, and transportation is easy to arrange. There are a couple of AI's inside the compound, and Dive Aventuras can put together packages for you. We've been diving with them since 2004.

We enjoy Puerto Aventuras as the diving is easy, and the reefs are very much alive and healthy.

Only downside between the two would be the current Sargassum invasion along the Yucatan coast, where Jamaica seems to have been spared so far.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about either location.

 

[scubadada]

Rather than the 5 destinations on your list, I would consider Grand Cayman or Providenciales, Turks & Caicos for a good location and better diving

 

[diversteve]

oddly afaik Provo is not a direct flight from the DC aea.

 

[scubadada]

oddly afaik Provo is not a direct flight from the DC aea.

I'm surprised too, assumed it was. I would go to Grand Cayman, excellent diving, great fun for the nondiver. If price is not that important, stay at one of the major hotels. The Westin Casuarina is said to be very nice. The lead concierge, Penny Williams, is fantastic. There would be pickup by all major operations. Personally, I would not go with Red Sail.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

The diving is bad in Punta Cana & Montego Bay and is so so in Aruba & Cancun. It would take a look at Bayahibe. It is a small fishing village on the south Caribbean coast of the Dominican Republic (you fly into the Punta Cana airport). There is reef diving, wall diving, wreck diving and even cave diving if you are so certified. The dive sites are only a 10 to 20 minute boat ride and most are 60 feet or less, there is no current. I always dive with John from ScubaFun | Dive Center Bayahibe He runs a small local dive shop that is about 10 minutes away in the village of Bayahibe.He will come and pick you up and drop you back at the resort and will keep and rinse you gear for you. There are about 9 all inclusive resorts in the area. The main ones are Dreams Dominicus, Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus and Gran Catalonia Dominicus. The diving there is really good and is suitable for beginning divers.