Best Carribean diving Nov-Dec?

We're trying to plan our annual three week holiday and need some help.
We generally try to plan around locations we can spend about 1 week
scuba diving and two weeks doing other activities. We just seem to be
at a loss this year.

We're not hard core divers, just do it for fun and pleasure and as an
activity we love to do once a year on holiday. Last year was Fiji,
the year before Belize, and the year before Egypt. For some reason
this year we're struggling. We note very cheap airfare to the
Carribean right now, and nearly double the price for the south pacific
area. We're open to suggestions, please help! Thanks.

"kaasman" <idont@think.so> wrote in message
news:ik9cm0l0lq9o8l7r7cb0k1ufoqapgdu7os@4ax.com...
> We're trying to plan our annual three week holiday and need some help.
> We generally try to plan around locations we can spend about 1 week
> scuba diving and two weeks doing other activities. We just seem to be
> at a loss this year.
>
> We're not hard core divers, just do it for fun and pleasure and as an
> activity we love to do once a year on holiday. Last year was Fiji,
> the year before Belize, and the year before Egypt. For some reason
> this year we're struggling. We note very cheap airfare to the
> Carribean right now, and nearly double the price for the south pacific
> area. We're open to suggestions, please help! Thanks.

Where did you find the cheap fares? What locations? TIA

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 07:16:47 GMT, "chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada>
wrote:

>
>"kaasman" <idont@think.so> wrote in message
>news:ik9cm0l0lq9o8l7r7cb0k1ufoqapgdu7os@4ax.com.. .
>> We're trying to plan our annual three week holiday and need some help.
>> We generally try to plan around locations we can spend about 1 week
>> scuba diving and two weeks doing other activities. We just seem to be
>> at a loss this year.
>>
>> We're not hard core divers, just do it for fun and pleasure and as an
>> activity we love to do once a year on holiday. Last year was Fiji,
>> the year before Belize, and the year before Egypt. For some reason
>> this year we're struggling. We note very cheap airfare to the
>> Carribean right now, and nearly double the price for the south pacific
>> area. We're open to suggestions, please help! Thanks.
>
>By the way, did you give any consideration to flying into Cancun and doing a
>couple of weeks at Playa and one week in Coz?
>
>Staying in Playa, you'll get lovely beach time and there are ruins trips
>(ie: Tulum, Chichen Itza) and other adventures to be had.
>

First, I found some cheap airfare on the Virgin Vacations website. I
just kept going through all their locations, Turks & Caicos, Aruba,
Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, and was getting airfaire
in the $550-700 range (unlike Manila which was over $1000). Mexico
has been repeatedly recommended to us, but to me, since we're from
California, it doesn't really feel like a vacation. I like to go far
and be on a plane for hours. But I'm beginning to reconsider. Is the
diving really good in Cozumel?

Another consideration is an island like French Polynesia or Tahiti for
a week and two weeks in New Zealand.

"kaasman" <idont@think.so> wrote in message
news:clcdm0h5u2fv122q3a1525bo8j6mh0rm66@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 07:16:47 GMT, "chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada>
> wrote:
>
> First, I found some cheap airfare on the Virgin Vacations website. I
> just kept going through all their locations, Turks & Caicos, Aruba,
> Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, and was getting airfaire
> in the $550-700 range (unlike Manila which was over $1000). Mexico
> has been repeatedly recommended to us, but to me, since we're from
> California, it doesn't really feel like a vacation. I like to go far
> and be on a plane for hours. But I'm beginning to reconsider. Is the
> diving really good in Cozumel?

While Mexico is still Mexico, I suppose, I found that area to be quite
different and more beautiful than say Puerto Vallarta and certainly
Tiajuana. The beaches are magnificent at Playa.

As for the diving in Coz, I think it's great but it is drift diving.
Sometimes the drift isn't that noticeable and other times it can whiz you
along like a freight train.

> Another consideration is an island like French Polynesia or Tahiti for
> a week and two weeks in New Zealand.

That sounds cool too! Have you checked out the Cook Islands? Quite a bit
less expensive than Tahiti. There's some decent diving (I go with Pacific
Divers) and all kinds of hiking and sightseeing. And it would be hard to
find a funnier golf course.

kaasman wrote:

> Is the diving really good in Cozumel?
>

Yes...effortless drift diving.

kaasman <idont@think.so> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in:
:We're trying to plan our annual three week holiday and need some help.
:We generally try to plan around locations we can spend about 1 week
:scuba diving and two weeks doing other activities. We just seem to be
:at a loss this year.
:
:We're not hard core divers, just do it for fun and pleasure and as an
:activity we love to do once a year on holiday.

My suggestion is to re-think your approach. Instead of looking for a
good dive spot for a third of your vacation, find a good spot for the
other two thirds and accept whatever diving is available there.

Dan Bracuk
Is it my imagination, or do Buffalo Wings taste like chicken?
The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups
---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 19:22:17 -0400, Dan Bracuk <NOTbracuk@pathcom.com>
wrote:

>kaasman <idont@think.so> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in:
>:We're trying to plan our annual three week holiday and need some help.
>:We generally try to plan around locations we can spend about 1 week
>:scuba diving and two weeks doing other activities. We just seem to be
>:at a loss this year.
>:
>:We're not hard core divers, just do it for fun and pleasure and as an
>:activity we love to do once a year on holiday.
>
>My suggestion is to re-think your approach. Instead of looking for a
>good dive spot for a third of your vacation, find a good spot for the
>other two thirds and accept whatever diving is available there.
>
>Dan Bracuk
>Is it my imagination, or do Buffalo Wings taste like chicken?
>The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/
>
>
>----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
>http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups
>---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

I like that approach. We'll get on the computer and see what we find.

As for *chilly* yes I started my round the world trip in the Cook
Islands and loved it. What a wonderful place to vacation. I had a
marvelous time there.

Ever thought of trying Dominica?
waterfalls, rainforest, superb diving, and out of the rat race of tourists
herds.Dive in the morning, whale watch or hike the afternoons.

check out www.avirtualdominica.com make up your own mind.

I"m checking it out right now and it looks pretty darn nice. How was
the diving? My husband had mentioned going here, this might be it....


On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 21:28:56 -0400, "Arun & Elizabeth Madisetti"
<madisetti@cwdom.dm> wrote:

>Ever thought of trying Dominica?
>waterfalls, rainforest, superb diving, and out of the rat race of tourists
>herds.Dive in the morning, whale watch or hike the afternoons.
>
>check out www.avirtualdominica.com make up your own mind.
>
>
>

The diving is awesome, in the south the SSMR, the Soufriere Scotts Head
Marine Reserve (SSMR), nestled around the rim of a volcanic crater, vertical
walls ~ all sheltered, pinnacles, slopes etc. I
n the central part of the island (west coast) gentle reef slopes and
shallower dropoffs, in the north, slopes and reef flats try
www.avirtualdominica.com/ssmr or www.dominicamarinereserves.com I would
suggest Nature Island Dive or Dive Dominica. Water over winter will be about
72-74f f (27c), visibility around 60-70ft, sometimes more. Generally
frogfish, seahorses etc. "The usual suspects".