Anonymous wrote:If you go to Cayman watch yourself on the wall. I know 2 people who got bent not watching their depth there.

Were they using computers? Did they skip the recommended safety stops?

If you go to Cayman watch yourself on the wall. I know 2 people who got bent not watching their depth there.

Grand Turk

I just returned last week from a dive trip to Belize. Loved Turneffe Atoll!

My recommendation is Grand Cayman. It's my go to for great and varied diving.

Anonymous wrote:Check out Roatan.

+1 I've heard great things...

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to both posters— just what I was looking for. Now I go research both Bonaire and the Caymans! Thanks!

I am the Bonaire poster. My retired mom has 1500 dives or more and spends 6 weeks a winter in Bonaire. It really is a diver’s paradise. We were there a few weeks ago diving and it was terrific. I literally was 2 feet from a sea turtle being cleaned by fish and was able to video it. He just looked at me. Saw 6 ft morays swimming free. Incredible!

Check out Roatan.

Thanks to both posters— just what I was looking for. Now I go research both Bonaire and the Caymans! Thanks!

The scuba in Cayman is amazing, but of course not cheap. I've never looked into it, but maybe accommodations on Little Cayman or Cayman Brac are cheaper than on Grand Cayman. The diving is so great down there that it would be worth hunting for a package deal.

Bonaire is great. It is cheap because you can shore dive anywhere. We never boat dive when there. The food options are decent enough.

Rent a truck so you can go anywhere and ask around for good dive sites. Karpata is my favorite. Out by the salt pier is excellent too if the boat isn't in.

OP here. Thanks, but we have been to Belize (and loved it). We'd like to explore a different island this time. We've also been to Cozumel.

Belize

Curaçao is neat, very developed (in terms of hotel infrastructure, history) -- but diving is mediocre at best. No place to go for diving itself.

Meanwhile, neighbor and fellow Dutch Antilles island is amazing scuba. Good value. Not as well developed touristically -- some ok restaurants, but nothing amazing. The island is very scuba-focused. The diving is extraordinary and it's easy diving. I go without kids, though, as there's just not a tremendous amount to do day-to-day besides diving. There is a very neat park on one end of the island that is all cacti and super interesting, highly recommend visiting.

Maybe Curaçao

Belize is not that expensive

There’s not much to add to my subject line. I will say we loved Belize, and aren’t looking for fancy, but we do like great food, and we’d like to be comfortable.

I’m thinking maybe Bonaire?