gdykes@lasspvax.UUCP (Gene Dykes) (11/20/85)
I haven't seen a whole lot of traffic in the way of Carib-
bean dive recommendations since I've been reading this group.
Perhaps it's seasonal. At any rate, here are reviews of 3 places
I've been to (in order of preference):
CoCo View, Roatan, Honduras:
The management of this place is superb. They've got everything
right to make it convenient to dive - two one-tank boat trips per
day, all equipment within a few feet of the boat, which is in
turn only a few steps away from the buildings, unlimited shore
diving (including night diving) and the wall is less than a hun-
dred yards from shore. The atmosphere is very friendly, and as
an unexpected bonus - the food was quite tasty. CoCo View got a
mediocre review from "Undercurrent", mainly because there's no
"action". Believe me, this place is REMOTE, so don't go there if
you want to do sight seeing, night clubs, and any resort activi-
ties. But do go there if you want to have a lot of great diving
and just relax in between dives. I've just gotten a newsletter
from them that indicates that since I've been there they've made
numerous improvements - more dive sites have been marked, several
sites have permanent moorings, briefings for each dive have been
written up, many improvements to the dock area, a live-aboard
boat has been made available for diving the whole area, and a
large ship was intentionally sunk just off shore, which will pro-
vide ever more interest as the years go by.
Captain Don's Habitat, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles:
Most people consider Bonaire THE best diving in the Caribbean.
The variety of coral and fish life is astounding. Easily the
most famous and popular dive hotel is the Flamingo Beach. It is
undoubtedly the site of choice for anybody who doesn't mind shel-
ling out a few extra bucks. But for those like me, who want
mainly diving and relaxation, Habitat is a nice alternative.
Very convenient dock facilities, and not nearly as crowded on the
boats. I wasn't into night diving when I was there, but it would
have been a great place for that. The food was awful, so don't
get the meal plan - dine in the town which is just a mile down
the road. And spend one day sightseeing - there are lots of nice
places to see.
Cayman Diving Lodge, Grand Cayman:
I can't say enough bad things about this place. Unless it has
changed management in the last couple of years, avoid it like the
plague. The dock is very convenient, and the people were
friendly enough, but that's it. I have a cast iron stomach that
hardly complains about anything, but the food there was unbeliev-
ably bad. And there are no alternatives - the nearest restaurant
is 15 miles away. They share the problem that's everywhere on
Grand Cayman - guided dives. Grand Cayman is okay for beginners,
perhaps, who don't mind getting led by the hand - but I want my
freedom underwater. The reason that all the dive masters are
paranoid is because the spectacle underwater is so awesome it's
dangerous. The walls dive absolutely vertical from 60 feet to
essentially infinity. It would be very easy for a photographer,
say, to totally lose track of how deep he was. I'm returning to
the Caymans this spring on the live aboard "Cayman Aggressor".
I would love to hear about other places to seek out or avoid.
Blub, blub...
--
Gene Dykes, 120 Rand Hall, Cornell U., Ithaca, NY 14853 (607)256-4880
{ihnp4,decvax,allegra,vax135}!cornell!lasspvax!gdykes gdykes@lasspvax.arpa