Best Scuba in Caribbean?

[denalialaska]

This will be our first cruise, and my hubby is a certified diver. Where's the best opportunity in the Caribbean for a great dive? We were thinking somewhere in Cozumel. We also stop in Grand Cayman, Panama Canal, Ocho Rios Jamaica, and Limon Costa Rica. After reading all the posts on CC, we are convinced that private vendors are the way to go vs. the cruise ship tours. Thanks to all for your great advice. ;)Also would like to know about great snorkeling at these ports.:)

[booth22]

Depends on his preferences... if he hasn't been diving in either Coz or GC, let him do both, they're both different styles of diving. Coz is drift diving, which is really fun in my opinion. I enjoy the swim throughs and the variety of life in Coz and highly reccommend it. If you decide to dive there, I give a huge thumbs up to Eagle Ray Divers- just email them with plenty of time before the cruise, as email issues with them/Cozumel are not always like emailing in the states. Check out the pictures and videos in my like for some recent diving in Cozumel. Good luck and I'm sure someone with GC experience will chime in...

[seacritter]

It depends how much time you have. There is great diving in Panama. It seems to be a great secret. If you are coming through the canal, contact panamadivers.com. They will pick you up and take you diving. If you have more time, they could take you diving in San Blas.

 

Capn Scott

Come dive Coiba and the Pacific Coast of Panama

www.scuba-charters.com

[bruce-r]

Of the stops on your cruise, here are my picks for diving:

 

Cozumel

Grand Cayman

 

Panama Canal - I doubt that you'd be able to dive there as you don't really make a transit to the Pacific side, you just visit the Caribbean end of the canal.

Ocho Rios Jamaica - IMO, not worth trying to dive there, but I have a totally negative opinion of Jamaica and wouldn't even take a cruise that stops there. Please note that this is only my opinion and it isn't universally shared by all cruisers. Just be extra cautious when you get off the ship.

Limon Costa Rica - unknown.

 

More advice:

 

We get this asked from time to time, so I thought I'd just give my opinion as to what I think are some reasons a person might want to use the ship's dive excursion or make their own arrangement, so here goes

 

The way shore excursions work is that the cruise line contracts with companies at each port of call to provide the shore excursions the sell on the ships. In most cases, you can make your own arrangements and cut out the cost the cruise line adds to the trip.

 

Pros of making your own arrangements, at least for diving:

• usually cost less
  
• not limited on bottom time, dive your own profile
  
• can choose a smaller boat which will be less crowded
  
• can have a voice in decided the dive site
  
• smaller operator, more personal service
  
• better choice for more advanced divers
  
• you can shore dive if you want, which is much less expensive and not dependent on someone else's schedule. Grand Cayman is especially good for this.
  

 

Cons:

• more work for you to make plans, get to the meeting place
  
• ship won't wait if you are late, but being late is highly unlikely
  

 

Going with the ship's excursion

Pros:

• easy planning
  
• gear is often included
  
• good choice for the once a year cruise diver
  
• you get to dive with other people from your ship
  
• ship will wait if you are late ( this does matter to some people)
  
• easier logistically at some ports, especially Belize, or if you arrive in port too late for the morning dive boats from private operators
  

 

Cons:

• Usually cost a bit more, sometimes a lot more
  
• usually larger boats which can usually mean more people, but not always
  
• usually predetermined dive sites
  
• usually bottom times are predetermined, or everyone has to surface when the first person is low on air.
  
• dives are often follow the leader type dives, which is especially annoying for advanced divers or photographers
  

 

I hope this will help others decide which to choose, as there is no one right answer for everyone, every time.

 

 

In Grand Cayman I recommend http://www.neptunesdivers.com

 

In Cozumel I recommend http://www.bluextseadiving.com

Others I'd consider are http://www.scubawithalison.com http://www.scubatony.com Blue Angel especially if you want to go with him and snorkel while he dives. You won't be able to do that with any of the ship's excursions.

[wnctarheel]

I have to agree with bruce, we try our best to book with a outside dive op. but we have dove a few times with the ship because of the time we were in port it was just going to cut it to close, and we did not want to take a chance on missing the ship. My first choose would be Cozumel but I also like to dive Grand Cayman. Eden Rock is just a short walk from the tender and I like to do a shore dive from their.

[Cancunspy]

I would like to say that in Grand Cayman I have had a great time with FOSTER'S, I can say the shore dive was okay, just because, you have to swiim out about a block and a half to the reef and also at the end, and that is a long swiim, at Eden Rock.

JAMAICA in Ocho Rios, you better be drunk, or Hi so you can be like your dive master, on your own world and hope you don't run into a Shark, as I can tell you that shark will be hungry as the reef is pretty much emty or with small fish, so the shark will be hungry, maybe that is why the dive masters smokes a spliff before he gets going.

Cozumel is great, no matter where you go, but I have dove with STAFF DIVERS, SAND DOLLAR, and I also recommend DIVE WITH MARTIN, he is at one of the piers that the ships dock at, that was before the Hurricanes,of 2006 so I don't know if he still there but every one knows him, as you can donate clothing to him so he can give to the locals and he gives you a free dive, for a bag of cloths.

Now you asked about best dives, in Caribbean..

Cozumel, Santa Rosa reef, Chankanaab reef, just name 2 but all are great

ST. Maarten, ship's tour, St. Lucia you must do ship tour for this dive and it takes all day as is an hour boat ride to resort of Anse chastanet.

Curacao, by the aquarium of Curacao is a great colorful dive site, also ship's tour.

Aruba, is great, and if you like wrecks is the best, if not stay away from wreck dives, and Barbados West side is also very nice, also best if you do the ship's tour

in most of these places you don't save by walking out and looking for a shop, you will waste time and money if you need to take a taxi , like in Grand Cayman, in Grand Cayman I don't like the ship's tour as it was done by RED SAIL and the rush you under the water and above the water, they count your bottom time from the moment you touch the water to the moment you touch the boat up ladder, so they can get as many divers as they can. FOSTERS is best.

In Cozumel you have many dive shops and yes you can bargain maybe even get a free T shirt after the dive.

Then and not Last one of the great Dives are at COSTA MAYA there you can ride a taxi into town and get a great dive operator at the beach, just look for Bucaneros divers, or look at the gear they rent even if you don't need to rent but that tells you how they care for their gear and they will care for you the same way, and that they are PADI associated, or NAUI .

if you need someone in Costa Maya I can also tell you and e mail to contact them, he is an old timer, dive instructor of hundreds of local dive instructors, Dive Masters,of Quintanaroo, that the state where Cancun, Cozumel are at, so you will be in great hands, also he can wait for you to take you to CHINCHORRO REEF, but you must let him know in advance as is a long ways but well worth it dive and the ship will still be there when you get back, but you must be in town as soon as the ship lets you off, town is not open till later but my friend will be ready to take you if you contact him in advance.

 

my e mail is cancunspy@msn.com feel free to write. I will try to help you as much as I can to have a great experience in DIVING.

 

hope I have help a bit.

Juan

[MichaelJess]

My favorite dive ever was in Panama but we were in the country for a week and not just a day on a cruise. We did the Caribbean, Pacific and Panama Canal in one LONG day. Try Scubapanama.com for unusual trips. How many people do you know who have been diving in the Panama Canal??

 

Grand Cayman is great. Cozumel was great several years ago but hurricanes caused some damage a couple of years ago. We could still see differences last August but it is still good. Jamaica seems like it has had too many careless divers. We have not been to Costa Rica because we prefer traveling to Panama.

[KaC-Cruiser]

Cozumel ... always our favorite, and we always use Scuba with Alison when coming off a cruise ship. She runs a great op, and tends to be a bit more flexible with cruise times ....

 

Grand Cayman .... we like to grab the bus and head up to Dive Tech (next to the Turtle Farm.) We can do several shores dives on their reef. It's usually pretty relaxing and very uncrowded. And can save you quite a bit over a boat dive ....

[kmtoner]

For the best Caribbean diving I have to divide my answer between my cruises with the family and my dive trips with buddies.

 

Cruises: Grand Cayman - shore diving at Eden Rock, wall dives on Leslie's Curl; Cozumel - Devil's Throat, Columbia Deep, Palancar Caves; Barbados - great wreck dive just offshore; St. Martin - take a day trip to Saba and dive the pinnacles.

 

Dive Trips: Little Cayman - Bloody Bay Wall or Cayman Brac; Turks & Caicos - great for liveaboard trips or easy diving from Grand Turk; Bahamas - Stuart's Cove shark diving; Florida Keys - Islamorada wreck diving; Cozumel for a week can't be beat; Grand Cayman for a week can't be beat.

 

Dullest Diving: Grand Cayman - 7 Mile Beach, Wreck of the Oro Verde; Key West; St. Thomas; Bonaire; Aruba; Cancun/Playa del Carmen; Belize; Roatan; Jamaica.