1

Try Belize - the diving is amazing and the life above water is a whole lot of fun too :) Caye Caulker, San Pedro, and Placencia are all good bases for diving. Caye Caulker is very small and the beaches aren't awesome, however. Placencia is on the mainland and has access to loads of activities like trekking, caving, visiting the Wildlife Sanctuary, going to Monkey Bay forest, and lounging on the beaches. Give it a go!

2

Yeah, we were thinking Belize (for the Blue Hole). Good to know there are other things to do around. Thanks for the advice!

3

Hi canuckhead73, have you been to Cozumel, Mexico? We did a trip and I received my open water certification while diving with my husband. The outfit was Dives by Allison and she was fantastic. I did the pool and classroom work in CA beforehand. It's an amazing spot! I've since been to Grand Cayman islands but liked Cozumel better overall especially because there is a cute town there and it's not expensive. You can rent a car and see ruins or take a ferry to Playa del Carmen for shopping. I highly recommend it!

4

I've been to Playa before. You're right - it's a great area. And we were thinking about The Caymans, but it looks like a big, boring rock in the middle of the ocean to me. Will look into Cozumel. Thanks!

5

The 3 best places in the Caribbean to dive - in that order in most visitors' opinion - are Turks & Caicos, Cayman Islands and Belize. I have been to to T&C abd Belize and diving is great AND January is a good time to go. Why don't you try one of the liveaboard boats - they go to the best dive sites and if places are still available this late, you might get a good deal. Also, you will be close to the other half even if you cannot dive.

6

Where did you get that information, hintermann? From what I hear, the Caribbean destination that most people like best is Cozumel, and second Bonaire. This is based on the traffic in the various subforums of a huge diving discussion board that I moderate. I'd be really interested in some solid statistical evidence of your claim, if you can furnish it, please. Thanks.

7

I have been to Turks & Caicos and twice to Cozumel, with over 20 dives at different sites in each place. Cozumel is good for drift diving but in terms of coral and critters is no match for T&C. Also, the visibility in Cozumel can be tricky sometimes.

I have not been to Bonaire and yes, it is supposedly good for Coral. But many divers who have been regularly to the Caribbean dive sites that I have met (mostly Americans, I confess) felt that it was good but not as much as some sites that have been mentioned.

One cannot provide 'statistical evidence' on opinions, which may vary from one diver to another.

8

hintermann, of course one can provide statistical evidence on opinions. The researcher simply asks people what their opinion is, counts the answers, and tabulates the results. I assumed you had access to some data of that sort since you made quite a categorical claim, and you gave no supporting references to back up the claim, so I just thought I'd ask what basis you were using to make the claim.

What you wrote, specifically, was this: "The 3 best places in the Caribbean to dive - in that order in most visitors' opinion - are Turks & Caicos, Cayman Islands and Belize." So it sounds like you have seen some research or survey results or something that quantifies what "most divers' opinions" is and exactly which order of preference these divers listed the three locations you name. Are you saying now that these are the three best places, in that order, in your own opinion, and that you are attributing your opinion to "most divers"? I have dived at many places in the Caribbean, though not T&C, and I certainly wouldn't personally classify Belize or Cayman ahead of either Cozumel or Bonaire, but that's just my personal opinion, and I don't claim my opinion is held by the majority of divers (i.e., "most divers").

What I can affirm, though, is that based on traffic I see on the board I moderate, T&C is not too high on the list of places people keep wanting to go back to over and over..... maybe it's great, but I don't see any data from our board that could support the claim that it's the #1 dive destination in the Caribbean.

9

Fine. If you are that paranoid about choice of words, I'll rephrase what I mean. In my opinion and most of those who I have met on Caribbean trips, T&C came out as the favourite and Cozumel was not so hot. I am just a recreational diver and don't pretend to be a researcher. I was just giving an opinion and people are free to make what they want of it. No one is obliged to agree or follow them.

10

It's not 'paranoia' by any means (now there's a poor choice of words--imagine saying that I suffer from a mental illness just because I asked for clarification of what you wrote).

I do take clarity of expression literally. I was just wondering if you had information I hadn't seen elsewhere given that everything concrete that I have seen is in opposition to what you said. Your statement sounded like you did have access to such information. If you want people to understand what you mean, you have to be clear about what you say and not leave your meaning to guesswork on the part of people you are talking to. It's not my fault that your communication skills need work.

11

"No one is obliged to agree or follow them. "

True, but we are all obliged to agree with Quero.