Which port is best for scuba?

[lcd901]

We are crusing on Carnival's Legend and will port in Cozumel, Grand Caymans, Belize and Costa Maya the end of July and need help deciding where to scuba. One person in our party is not certified and wants to do a resort/beginner dive but the remaining divers don't want to miss great reefs. Any suggestions????

[sheriandbob]

We are crusing on Carnival's Legend and will port in Cozumel, Grand Caymans, Belize and Costa Maya the end of July and need help deciding where to scuba. One person in our party is not certified and wants to do a resort/beginner dive but the remaining divers don't want to miss great reefs. Any suggestions????

Without a doubt Cozumel. We are going on our first cruise this year but have taken several land based vacations to Mexico. Cozumel has some of the best diving I know of.

[L2J]

We are crusing on Carnival's Legend and will port in Cozumel, Grand Caymans, Belize and Costa Maya the end of July and need help deciding where to scuba. One person in our party is not certified and wants to do a resort/beginner dive but the remaining divers don't want to miss great reefs. Any suggestions????

 

I understand the Palancar reef in Cozumel is spectacular. I did the discover scuba excursion in Cozumel and had a great time - not much to see but still fun.

[sjohnson529]

Actually, you can't go wrong with any of them. Belize has some great reef structures.

 

I have to add, I'm a firm beliver that resort courses do not teach you the safety necessities that is needed to dive. There is a horrifying experience one person had that is on the Cozumel board. You cannot learn to dive, safely, in a few hours. Oh yeah, you can get the basics, but if you've been diving for any length of time, you know things can happen that a novice would not know how to deal with.

 

Sorry about the lecture. :o

[river_sand_bar2]

Are you KIDDING ME????? Dive every single one of those ports!!!!!

 

What are you thinking man??? Dive!!!!

 

Cozumel = excellent water

Belize = underwater forest!!

Grand Caymans = Dive with the sting rays

Costa maya = New and Fresh dive spot

 

Opps... missed the part of the non-diver... stay away from Cozumel with that person... Cozumel is a drift dive and if your not careful you can be sucked away. If diving with the newbie, stick shallow at say maybe the Grand Caymans at the sand bar.

 

GET that person CERTIFIED!!!!

[tammymacb]

My vote would probably be Grand Cayman though Belize and Cozumel are awesome, too.

[MamaParrotHead]

It was my experience, and I've heard, that Grand Cayman has the best diving in the world. The water was way clearer for us snorkeling in GC than in Coz.

[cruisingtodive]

I would have to agree with river_sand_bar2, but diving 4 days in a row with so many other great things to do is hard to accomplish. I can only say that I have dove GC and the cenotes at the Cozumel stop (which aren't on Cozumel, you go to the mainland). You don't have to be cavern or cave certified for that dive, but you do have to be certified. I have only read how great the diving is in Costa Maya. Remember, of all these ports, GC is the one with a reputation of being missed on a regular basis.

 

Your uncertified person should try to become certified if time allows, with the beginner learn/dive in the same day courses at the stops, they would not be diving with you, and where is the fun in that? They could just snorkle and see more.

 

We did all 4 of these ports on our last cruise, and couldn't have enjoyed everything more. We dove 2X. Diving every day sounds wonderful, but we also never drink the night before scuba, I didn't want to have only 2 nights where I could drink during the whole cruise.

[impcinder]

If the weather is good and time allows, the wall in Grand Cayman is fantastic! The reefs are colorful and tons of fish.

A shallow dive with the sting rays swimming at you, over you, and all around has to be experienced!

You can also do a dive near Eden Roc and experience swim throughs.

 

The wall in Belize is mind numbing ~ the bottom is so clear and still at a distance, you check you gear and you are at 100 feet! and dropping! It was very easy to become so focused on the coral and aquatic life.

 

Cozumel - the Palancar drift dive is excellent, some days the current is stronger.

Did a cenote dive Chaca Moul during a land based vacation. The halocline (where salt and fresh water mixed) made me think I was wearing someone else's out of focused eyeglasses. The underwater caverns weren't to be missed. If you are claustrophobic, some of the passages are very narrow. (Would not do this dive with an uncertified or newbie diver, JMHO)

 

Have not dove at Costa Maya - used this port as a day of rest!!

 

I have to agree with the above poster, 4 days in 4 days can be very tiring.

[tootsiescurly]

Grand Cayman is great. Cozumel is awesome. Belize is a bit disappointing because of time constraints and being forced to dive with a cruise excursion you do not get to dive the best spots. Costa Maya is interesting but not a place I would return to and dive for a week, although prices are reasonable and you do not have to dive with the ship. AVOID DIVING WITH THE SHIP AT ALL COST!

[L2J]

Belize has some great reef structures.

 

There is a horrifying experience one person had that is on the Cozumel board.

 

Oh yeah, you can get the basics, but if you've been diving for any length of time, you know things can happen that a novice would not know how to deal with.

 

 

A coworker of mine dove lighthouse reef...said it was amazing. But I don't know if there would be time to dive there while taking a cruise??

 

Link please.

 

I think most of the discover type excursions are pretty shallow? I know the one I took the instructors told us no deeper than 25 feet as that was the depth of the contained area. I went outside the contained area and got to around 35 or 40 before the instructor caught up to me and gave the the disapproving finger wave...LOL. But seriously...what can happen at 25 feet??

[Middleager]

I was on the Miracle (that Legend is now doing the same 4 ports) last year, and dove all 4 ports.

 

All were great diving.

 

Cozumel was by far the best dives of my life. I requested Columbia Deep and Palancar Gardens. Lots of swim throughs, saw lots of fish, some big grouper, a nurse shark, eagle rays, etc. Lots of hard corals, and the drift diving is just awsome. It might not be for beginner though.

 

In Belize we took an excursion, flying a turboprop to Ambergris Caye, then dove from there. Very good coral life, lots of sea fans and elk horns, but color a bit plain. Smaller fish. Not too far from shore.

 

Costa Maya was good diving. Very healthy reef and more color than Belize. Viz not quite as good (but still fairly good), and healthy marine life. Easy access from shore.

 

Grand Cayman did two boat dives in the west coast. By far the most fish. Healthy hard coral growth. After that I did one more shore dive at Eden Rock in the afternoon. Not as much to see, but still some hard coral growth, and found a nurse shark hiding.

 

----

 

From the home port in Tampa, if you have time, drive north for 1.5 hr. We did snorkeling manatees, and drift diving at Rainbow river. It was very good.

 

I got lots of good diving (my wife and friend got good snorkeling) during that trip last year. Those 4 ports are among the best diving ports you'll get.

[bruce-r]

Without a doubt Cozumel. We are going on our first cruise this year but have taken several land based vacations to Mexico. Cozumel has some of the best diving I know of.

 

Have you dived any of the other places listed? Unless you have, how can you possibly say "Without a doubt"?

 

It was my experience, and I've heard, that Grand Cayman has the best diving in the world. The water was way clearer for us snorkeling in GC than in Coz.

Really, best in the WORLD? I would have to disagree with that opinion. GCM is good, probably one of the better spots in the Caribbean, but not best in the world.

 

..... Diving every day sounds wonderful, but we also never drink the night before scuba, I didn't want to have only 2 nights where I could drink during the whole cruise.

Your priorities are all messed up if drinking is more important than diving.

 

OK, enough surliness from me.

 

IMO, Grand Cayman would be the best choice for the discover scuba dive, no current, excellent visibility, and easy shallow dives. I'd take everyone to http://www.divetech.com and do their turtle farm shore dive.

 

The rest of the divers would miss out on some great diving if the skipped Cozumel, so dive there as well. I don't think it is the best place for a discover scuba dive mostly due to the current, but it can be done. If your group is large enough you can charter your own boat, pick the dive sites and determine the schedule. If the whole group needs to stay together, there are some dive operators that do combo dive/snorkel trips. http://www.blueangel-scuba.com/ is one such operator. I think they would also do a private charter.

 

Belize is more of a challenge for arranging your own dives, so that is why most people who dive there go with the ship's high priced excursion.

 

Costa Maya -- here it is possible to dive without going thru the ship's over priced excursion. Maya Palms is often mentioned as a possiblity for a mixed group of divers/non-divers.

 

There, that is my opinion.....

[sheriandbob]

Have you dived any of the other places listed? Unless you have, how can you possibly say "Without a doubt"?

 

Really, best in the WORLD? I would have to disagree with that opinion. GCM is good, probably one of the better spots in the Caribbean, but not best in the world.

 

 

Your priorities are all messed up if drinking is more important than diving.

 

OK, enough surliness from me.

 

IMO, Grand Cayman would be the best choice for the discover scuba dive, no current, excellent visibility, and easy shallow dives. I'd take everyone to www.divetech.com and do their turtle farm shore dive.

 

The rest of the divers would miss out on some great diving if the skipped Cozumel, so dive there as well. I don't think it is the best place for a discover scuba dive mostly due to the current, but it can be done. If your group is large enough you can charter your own boat, pick the dive sites and determine the schedule. If the whole group needs to stay together, there are some dive operators that do combo dive/snorkel trips. http://www.blueangel-scuba.com/ is one such operator. I think they would also do a private charter.

 

Belize is more of a challenge for arranging your own dives, so that is why most people who dive there go with the ship's high priced excursion.

 

Costa Maya -- here it is possible to dive without going thru the ship's over priced excursion. Maya Palms is often mentioned as a possiblity for a mixed group of divers/non-divers.

 

There, that is my opinion.....

 

Yes I have dove at the other places,,along with Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox as well. I would NOT have answered that question the way had I not

[mielyse]

First off, there is still enough time for your friend to get certified. It can be done over a weekend in an accelerated class. That way they won't miss any of the opportunities to dive.

 

Second, dive at every port. They all have something to offer and none of them are bad places to dive. If you get in early enough and book it off of the ship, I would dive the Chinchorro Banks in Costa Maya. Pretty awesome, relatively virgin dive sites. It is a bit of a boat ride, similar to going to the Atolls in Belize but well worth it if you have the time.

 

I agree with bruce-r. If your friend can only do one place with the discover scuba program, i would recommend Grand Cayman. But there are some very mellow, beginner areas in Cozumel like Cardona Reef or Columbia Shallows.

 

I respectfully disagree with river sand bar2 in that there are only two dives that you should would worry about with the current and that is Barracuda Reef/Wall and El Islote. The current at Barracuda can be nasty and send you on a free trip to Cuba ;-) But any quality dive operator will not even take you there without watching you for a couple of days to make sure you have the skills to handle it. El Islote is on the east side of the island. It is too far for them to take you because of the cruise departure times. The rest of the drift diving is not a problem even though some of the currents do zip along.

 

Hope this helps.

[Middleager]

First off, there is still enough time for your friend to get certified. It can be done over a weekend in an accelerated class. That way they won't miss any of the opportunities to dive.

 

Second, dive at every port. They all have something to offer and none of them are bad places to dive. If you get in early enough and book it off of the ship, I would dive the Chinchorro Banks in Costa Maya. Pretty awesome, relatively virgin dive sites. It is a bit of a boat ride, similar to going to the Atolls in Belize but well worth it if you have the time.

Chinchorro Banks is supposed to have very good diving. However it's a 2.5hr ride to get there. It is not possible to do in a cruise stop. Most ops will need a minimum number of people to go that far, and not beginners.

 

Near shore in Cost Maya has enough to offer to beginner to advanced divers.

 

The 4 ports this ship goes to, has some of the best diving around the Caribbean. So you could dive at all 4 ports (plus Rainbow River near home port Tampa), and enjoy them all.

[bruce-r]

Yes I have dove at the other places,,along with Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox as well. I would NOT have answered that question the way had I not

 

Then you would have been more accurate if you had said: "I've been to those places, and IMO Cozumel if my favorite." Your original post did not give any indication that you had experience diving Grand Cayman or Belize, only that you had been to Mexico.

[lcd901]

Thanks for all the great dive suggestions. The non-certified diver has dove before in Hawaii without any problems in water that was rough and had poor visibility(weather issues). Sadly there is no time to get certified before the departure date but I will keep checking for your suggestions on great resort/beginner dive locations.

[river_sand_bar2]

Thanks for all the great dive suggestions. The non-certified diver has dove before in Hawaii without any problems in water that was rough and had poor visibility(weather issues). Sadly there is no time to get certified before the departure date but I will keep checking for your suggestions on great resort/beginner dive locations.

 

DO NOT let the non-cert diver dive....unless its with a resort/beginner course.... life is tooo damn short as it is to assist in making it shorter.

[lcd901]

Whoa there river_sand_bar2...the non-certified diver has never dove anything other than a resort/beginner dive even in Hawaii. I said the weather was the issue there not the instructor or the resort/beginner dive tour. If we were suicidal, then I would not have posted here for suggestions and recommendations because I'm sure there are less than reputable tour operators would take our cash money no questions asked.

[ardie42]

These are all great ports that we have been to twice in the last 3 years. They all offer interesting dive sites. I have booked with the ship and on our own. I would give you this advice....Belize was the best wall we saw. We did the ship tour with Hugh Parkey. Very good pick. In Grand Caymen we did a shore dive with Eden Rock. Not a good pick at all. We did this because our kids were newly certified and we wanted an easy dive for them. Costa Maya we dove with Dreamtime. THey were terrible, we were really crowded on the little boat. The dive site was not too far from shore and it was pretty good. Cozumel we did this winter. The current was pretty strong and they were trying to get a bunch of us through swim throughs. It was a bit challanging.I wouldn't take a new diver there.

I agree that these ports offer wonderful things to do out of the water also.

[mel n dan]

I read these posts with great interest. Bruce R though, had me wanting to post. VERY opinionated response about diving! (I can just see him scribbling little notes in his log of dives – I think I “lost” my log book 18 years ago …). It’s his opinion that your priorities are mixed up if you don’t dive EVERY day and want to drink a little on a cruise? Hilarious! There’s a lot to see and do on a ship and everyone doesn’t want to do the same things! And, if you want a “hard core” dive trip, a cruise is a bad choice anyway – you should set up with a dive resort and boat and do a few dives per day/night for several days.

 

Basically, a lot of “hard core” divers aren’t really all that advanced – most are relatively new. Of course, after just being certified (or maybe a few years thereafter) you’d want to dive more. People like us (who have been certified over 20 years, have dived wrecks, reefs & caves pretty much all over in many different “environments” can “relax” more. We also have had our own boat from Michigan to the Keys to the Virgin Islands to Roatan and diving on your own is ALWAYS much better than any cattleboat.

 

I’d say all these places are great for diving, and, of course, there are major differences between spots at a certain destination. And, yes, Cozumel (especially Palancar) & Cayman are top dive destinations in the world (consider: they are more “exotic” to the typical Australian than they would be to us – it’s distance from home that makes some things SEEM better or more “special.” Some of the best diving for us was in the Great Lakes – great, deep, dark wrecks well preserved in that cold, cold water …

 

I’d say to simply dive where/when you have the most amount of time or just where you want to. And don’t worry about doing anything else – there’s plenty of time to dive and you’re not going to be “hard core” off a cruise ship anyway …

[mel n dan]

Quite frankly, even a full-blown SCUBA course doesn't necessarily make even a decent novice diver. That said, I'd also dive with a few people "fresh out" than some of these "advanced divers" who have bought their way to several "exotic" locations - it all depends upon the person.

 

SCUBA is a business and they pump out people who aren't ready for virtually any serious "condition" faster than rabbits make little rabbits.

 

A LOT of SCUBA is presence of mind. Don't "freak" out when you silt up a ship or cave when you're deep inside (or get stuck in the process). What is the best thing to do 10 miles offshore in a storm with a boat that won’t start when there’s only two of you on your own?

 

Dive courses don't teach you any of this. It is from diving with REAL experienced people, or slowly gaining your own experience that you become "advanced."

 

That all said, most resort dives are actually fairly easy (even "advanced" dives). They can be enjoyed by virtually any good novice (in SCUBA parlance, an "advanced diver" is often a novice with a few week class thrown on top of his or her limited experience).

 

The dives have to be relatively easy for insurance and liability purposes, etc.

 

BUT, things can turn ugly almost anywhere. If seas look rough (and scary) to you, if currents look tough, etc., don't worry about taking a pass. When you're actually "good" or "advanced" you'll know what you can and can not do.

[cruisingtodive]

Great posts & responses. Thanks for your thoughts. I choose to go to these nicer places for diving, because I like to dive in warmer water, we go to the Keys for that too. My family has dove off the VA coast, NC coast, FL everywhere, including springs & caves. I am not comfortable staying for a week in some of these more exotic places with my children who dive with us. Cruising is a way for all of us to dive, and see new places. I like to dive, my DH loves to dive. It is something we like to do together as a family. I would call myself advanced, but hey, I don't have that certification. In fact, I went on all the dives my children did to recieve their advanced certification. I know I'm a good diver, won't endanger others, and I too haven't "logged" a dive for over 10 years. My DH has more certifications than I can remember, but he loves the technical aspect of a dive. I just want to see the fish! I don't have a desire to one-up any other diver. This is a wonderful adventurous sport that can show you how beautiful and diverse our planet is. It is really nice to see other countries taking care of their reef systems and cave systems. On our last trip a couple were married underwater off of Grand Cayman, wasn't that a true love of diving?

[diverearl]

Great posts & responses. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

I agree that " mel n dan " gave some good thought through answers. Sometimes we forget our opinions are not everyones and what could be an opportunity to help someone enjoy a dive or trip better turns into a soapbox no one cares to read. Everyone has different interest and thoughts, most are not typically better than others. I personally don't drink and tend to spend a little more of my time in the water (sometimes not) than many of our travel companions. Doesn't necessarily make me a better diver than them just wet a little more often.

 

Far to many divers are certified (many reasons ($$$) among other things come to mind over the years) that still need a lot more training & confidence - IMHO.

Cruising is a way for all of us to dive, and see new places.

 

We also like to take cruise trips, mainly for a taste of diving in different ports where we might not want to spend a week often times one or two days is plenty. Some would be surprised how much time you can get in below sea level at any given port with good planning if you watch your depth and charts or computer closely.

 

 

My DH has more certifications than I can remember, but he loves the technical aspect of a dive. I just want to see the fish! I don't have a desire to one-up any other diver. This is a wonderful adventurous sport that can show you how beautiful and diverse our planet is.

 

The best thing about this country in my opinion is our ability to agree or disagree and our soldiers fight every day to maintain our right to do so. Like Bruce said it's time to get down off MY box now so enjoy your cruise and diving and post when you get back so we can have our fix also.

 

Whoa there river_sand_bar2...the non-certified diver has never dove anything other than a resort/beginner dive even in Hawaii. I said the weather was the issue there not the instructor or the resort/beginner dive tour. If we were suicidal, then I would not have posted here for suggestions and recommendations because I'm sure there are less than reputable tour operators would take our cash money no questions asked.

 

You wrote it correctly it was somehow misinterpreted