Where is the best diving in Jamaica
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traveltina
Guest
We dove both Negril and Ocho Rios in 2000.
They were both pretty comparable - so I really have no opinion on which is better diving. Very little coral or fish life - so the wrecks are the most interesting part.
There is a plane wreck an hour boat ride from Grand Lido Negril that was cool -it was at 130ft though - so we had to talk Grand Lido into making a special trip for just me and my husband. The plane went down because it was loaded with too much Ganja.
There was also a sunken ship close to San Souci in Ocho Rios. I believe it was around 60 ft. It was the first dive trip I had ever taken - so I was loving the diving, but now that I have been on several other dive trips I would probably be a little bored. You will also have to contend with a lot of resort course divers - so watch out for flailing arms and legs!
However Jamaica is lots of fun - and I wouldn't pass on another trip there! My husband and I are going back to San Souci for our 5 year in 2005. It is a beautiful resort (no long a Grand Lido though - it was bought out).
So - if I were to choose between the 2 destinations - I would pick Ocho Rios, not because of the diving - but because it is a more lush and tropical environment.
Have fun!
They were both pretty comparable - so I really have no opinion on which is better diving. Very little coral or fish life - so the wrecks are the most interesting part.
There is a plane wreck an hour boat ride from Grand Lido Negril that was cool -it was at 130ft though - so we had to talk Grand Lido into making a special trip for just me and my husband. The plane went down because it was loaded with too much Ganja.
There was also a sunken ship close to San Souci in Ocho Rios. I believe it was around 60 ft. It was the first dive trip I had ever taken - so I was loving the diving, but now that I have been on several other dive trips I would probably be a little bored. You will also have to contend with a lot of resort course divers - so watch out for flailing arms and legs!
However Jamaica is lots of fun - and I wouldn't pass on another trip there! My husband and I are going back to San Souci for our 5 year in 2005. It is a beautiful resort (no long a Grand Lido though - it was bought out).
So - if I were to choose between the 2 destinations - I would pick Ocho Rios, not because of the diving - but because it is a more lush and tropical environment.
Have fun!
The "Best" in Jamiaca, there really isn't any. The better of the 3 sites mentioned is Negril. The water is more protected and is calmer than Ocho or Montego Bay, and MB has way to much traffic and not much to see. The Better part of Negril, is that most "All Inclusives" there offer diving, and it is included in the price. We've been to Rui, Couple, Sandals, and Hedo, and diving was included. This was limited in the PM dive as they were taking the "Resort Course" people out. The AM Dives were OK, but not up to Mexico, Caymans or Roatan.
Chris
Chris
Willar
Contributor
Here's a Sandals resort link to information on SCUBA around their resorts. It gives a good summary of the sites.
http://www.sandals.com/general/scuba-locations.cfm
We dive out of Hedonism II in Negril. It's not the very best in the world but very fun. If you do a few dives and show them you know what you are doing they'll take you out to some more interesting/challenging places.... tugboat, green island wall, deep plane, etc.
http://www.sandals.com/general/scuba-locations.cfm
We dive out of Hedonism II in Negril. It's not the very best in the world but very fun. If you do a few dives and show them you know what you are doing they'll take you out to some more interesting/challenging places.... tugboat, green island wall, deep plane, etc.
WarmWaterDiver
Contributor
I got my OW certification at Sandals Negril - my wife was already certified - she took scuba in college for PE credit (obviously, she's the brains of the family). The first real OW dive they took the boat out on after passing my certification was a wrecked Cessna at 90 feet - my air consumption was less than admirable as a newbie and using rental gear (leaking BC around inflator button), so it was shorter for me than for most of the group. I've read of a sponge area called "The Throne Room" but the boat didn't take us there during our stay. We haven't taken a second trip to Jamaica yet, but we really enjoyed our stay there. There always seems to be plenty of new places to go that the only foreign spot we've repeated a trip to so far is Grand Cayman, and that was mainly to accomodate additional training in warm, clear, sea water.
Booby Cay - is that the island just offshore from Sandals Negril & Hedonism next door, that the Sandals boat would take you to if you wanted to go au natural? If so, was that the name for the island before Hedonism was built? Darkly tinted sunglasses, preferably with mirror coating, are quite a boon to domestic bliss I've found . . . but those who suffer from uncontrollable swivel-head syndrome will surely risk the wrath of their SO! (This may be a different story at Hedonism than at Sandals though - we haven't stayed at Hedonism)
Booby Cay - is that the island just offshore from Sandals Negril & Hedonism next door, that the Sandals boat would take you to if you wanted to go au natural? If so, was that the name for the island before Hedonism was built? Darkly tinted sunglasses, preferably with mirror coating, are quite a boon to domestic bliss I've found . . . but those who suffer from uncontrollable swivel-head syndrome will surely risk the wrath of their SO! (This may be a different story at Hedonism than at Sandals though - we haven't stayed at Hedonism)
Willar
Contributor
That cessna is near The Arches is at 60ft, and then there is a larger plane farther away that is at 90ft, but it unusual for the dive boats to go there unless they like you and you talk them into it.
WarmWaterDiver
Contributor
I must have my airplane brands mixed up - the digital depth timer on the Sandals equipment registered 89 feet max depth, so it must be the larger plane you mention we dove at for my first post-cert OW dive. We certainly didn't talk anyone into anything - never been to Jamaica before that one trip - so maybe someone else on the dive boat did the request. We were just along for the fun, and I'm not typically well-liked, so it must have been someone else's request who knew about the site.
We did the arches the next day if I remember right. It was great!
We did the arches the next day if I remember right. It was great!
Willar
Contributor
Yes, that was the "Deep Plane" as they all call it.
I am surprised they did that since OW cert (the same as mine) is supposed to be for 60ft only. I got OW cert are Hedonism II, just next door but much more fun! LOL! Anyway, they told me what a great job I was doing while the others in the cert class were going slow. However, when I asked about the deeper dives they kept telling me "after more dives & more experience." After 4 more days of 2 dives per day they said OK and took me out to a dive to 90ft. I saw it as no big deal, but they told me later they wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before going deep because problems get big quicker at deeper depths. Sounded reasonable to me. The told me when I was leaving that I did a great job and would take me on "any dive you want, any time you want" so I'm headed back in June. (And I just took a "Scuba tune-up" class to make sure I am not too rusty.)
I am surprised they did that since OW cert (the same as mine) is supposed to be for 60ft only. I got OW cert are Hedonism II, just next door but much more fun! LOL! Anyway, they told me what a great job I was doing while the others in the cert class were going slow. However, when I asked about the deeper dives they kept telling me "after more dives & more experience." After 4 more days of 2 dives per day they said OK and took me out to a dive to 90ft. I saw it as no big deal, but they told me later they wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before going deep because problems get big quicker at deeper depths. Sounded reasonable to me. The told me when I was leaving that I did a great job and would take me on "any dive you want, any time you want" so I'm headed back in June. (And I just took a "Scuba tune-up" class to make sure I am not too rusty.)
junior diver
Guest
hedonism two, thats the nudy beach? the arches, in a week we did 14 dives and dived arches 3 times
Willar
Contributor
Yes, the arches are popular with many Negril scuba ops. Hedo dive guys god there frequently because it's a decent reef, cool swim-thru arches, and an airplane. Most people find it cool. If you want them to take you elsewhere you need to make friends of the boat capt. and divemasters, and show them you can handle tougher dives. They are used to people who don't dive much and go for easier dives most of the time.
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