Honeymoon september 05

[Mark Jones]

Having only ever dived in the UK (bar 6 dives in Malta) I am looking for some advise on the best location for some diving. My misses likes to sit in the sun and is looking at the caribbean, cuba.
Now she dives very little so is willing to let me do some diving while we are there but has told me to go and research it first. She is a Sports Diver and I am a DL (by then should be an AD only got theory test left) and Advanced nitrox.

So any ideas on good sites, books etc to read up.

Or any personnal recommendations of resorts, islands etc

or any stay away from locations

regards,

Mark

[Jeanne]

Hi Mark,

First, let me say I have never dived in Cuba, but I understand from good friends who have just returned that the diving is excellent. There are however some considerations to be given to the location, and especially the objectives of your holiday which is, after all, your honeymoon...

My friends felt that the standards of diving (organisation, equipment, logistics) were very haphazzard, sometimes good fun, sometimes less so, and the quality of equipment is dubious. This is not for the faint hearted, and you are strongly advised to take your own gear! There is also a tendency for locals to 'love' experienced divers and force on them the more advanced or deepest dives. Don't be coherced if you don't fancy it or there is no need for it other than indulging the dive master's pleasure.

As for the actual vacation quality, be prepared to be amazed by the sheer differences you will find in the standard of accommodation, food, and local lifestyle. If you are looking for sophistication, Sandals type opulence, forget it. Everything is very simple, however clean, it is not sophisticated, nor pampered. This is a very good holiday for those who like the unexpected, don't mind the obvious idiosyncracies of combining communist ideologies and planned economy with tourism, and enjoy simple pleasures in a touristically unspoiled natural setting. Cuba is a relatively undiscovered destination, you'll find no Americans there (whether you find that a plus or a minus, I leave this to you), and is mostly patronised by Continental European visitors. My friends visited Havanna and Maria la Gorda during their vacation, and were the only British tourists there. If that's who you are and what you want, both of you, you'll be in paradise. If not, beware, you could be in for a shock or two.

I however know several Carribean islands which offer good diving and will give you a more pampered experience. You can't go much wrong with places like Barbados, Tobago or St Lucia, where there is good diving and you have a wide choice of classes of hotels, resorts and plenty to do topside, and where you can find a good relationship between cost and value. Bahamas offers stunning diving, but it's pricey. The Maldives are the number one Honeymood destination for divers, and the diving is really good, and if you want a beach holiday, you can't get closer to it that this. Have you thought of the Florida Keys? It's cheap to get to via Miami, and the diving offers both easy and challenging stuff, and well, hospitality is one thing the Americans do well from budget resorts to the most incredible hotels, living is cheap as a rule, gas is still $2 a gallon, and you have oodles of stuff to do, not forgetting Miami which is a hoot and the wonderful Everglades National park next door. Just a few ideas!

Me, it's been a dream to get to Cuba some day, and I will. But knowing what to expect is really key to be brought into the concept of what Cuba is, rather than unpleseantly surprised by what you'd like it to be. Quite rightly, do some research!

Hope this helps,

Jeanne

[Mark Jones]

Thanks for the reply, very detailed and was great information.

The future wife and myself have settled on Antigua

We are hoping to go to the Sandals Antigua Resort & Spa, the reason being that in addition to get a great holiday there I can also do 2 dives a day (10-30 meters) included in the holiday price ie. free.

Anybody got any experience diving here or the resort.

regards,

Mark

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

Thanks for the reply, very detailed and was great information.

The future wife and myself have settled on Antigua

We are hoping to go to the Sandals Antigua Resort & Spa, the reason being that in addition to get a great holiday there I can also do 2 dives a day (10-30 meters) included in the holiday price ie. free.

Anybody got any experience diving here or the resort.

I dived Antigua several years ago but not out of Sandals. The diving is mainly scenic around the 20m ish mark, not stunning but fairly run-of-the-mill Caribbean stuff and great for some relaxing, fun dives.

I have however been to Sandals St Lucia (Halcyon) a couple of times and experienced the diving there, they all run to pretty much the same thing. The diving is very much group led to the lowest common denominator of the American once-a-year diver, I don't think that I ever got back on the boat with less than 120 BAR in the tank! 20m/20mins seems to be their guidelines. Make sure that you register with the dive shop straight away and book your dives, especially the two tank ones, as early as possible.

But having said that you're not going for the diving :-) I can thoroughly recommend Sandals as a GREAT place for your honeymoon, you'll love it and the bit of diving thrown in is an added bonus. Treat it as a holiday with the occasional dive and you will not be disappointed!

HTH

Keith L

[Mark Jones]

Keith,

Thanks for you reply, obviously great minds think alike as we were also looking at Sandals St Lucia (Halcyon) and were unsure of which to go for.

We have now booked the one in Antigua, as we got a nice deal, they upgraded us to a suite.

I intend to follow your advise

" Treat it as a holiday with the occasional dive and you will not be disappointed!"

This is ideal as sam has only done 8 dives since getting her SD so it will be ideal.

regards,

Mark

[Keith Lawrence(BSAC)]

Thanks for you reply, obviously great minds think alike as we were also looking at Sandals St Lucia (Halcyon) and were unsure of which to go for.

We have now booked the one in Antigua, as we got a nice deal, they upgraded us to a suite.

I've only seen the Antigua one from the sea, it's well spread out, low rise, on the right hand (from the sea) end of Dickenson bay IIRC. It has been recomended to us, aparently if you like Halycon (we loved it! been twice) then you'll like Antigua.

" Treat it as a holiday with the occasional dive and you will not be disappointed!"

This is ideal as sam has only done 8 dives since getting her SD so it will be ideal.

Absolutely perfect! Sam will love it, the Sandals suites are great, the diving will be spot on for her. I think I'd only done about 30 or 40 dives the first time I went and the nice relaxing dives were just what I needed.

So enjoy yourselves Mark and Sam, we expect a trip report when you get back :-)

Keith L