Need Recommendations for a SCUBA trip

[Bookkeeper's Son]

My brothers and I are planning a trip to a warm-water destination around the beginning of December. We're considering Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, although we're concerned about the low-ish visibility. And then there's the Caribbean, of course. Any divers out there who have some places to point out. I just got my renewed passport, and I'm itchin' to use it.

[bcdon]

How about The Great Barrier Reef (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef) in Cairns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns) ? I snorkeled there and it -- and all of Australia -- is awesome!

[Bookkeeper's Son]

How about The Great Barrier Reef (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef) in Cairns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns) ? I snorkeled there and it -- and all of Australia -- is awesome!
Sounds GREAT, but a little too far.

[Ch0jin]

The Great Barrier Reef is awesome, but over-hyped a bit in my opinion. I've dived it and snorkeled it myself (helps being Australian and formerly from the state that the reef sit's off of) but if you base yourself in Cairn's the reef is a long way out to sea, like more an hour or more in a boat IIRC, and it's so super tourist oriented.

The best place I've been snorkeling is actually in Egypt, Nuweiba to be exact. Have a look at this place (where I stayed for a few days) http://www.sawacamp.com/ it's very basic, but you can literally walk for a few meters into the Red Sea and BAM! coral reef with all kinds of fish, huge viz, almost no current or wind, and you're not under a giant ozone hole like you are in Oz so you can swim all day and not get roasted alive. Plus, have a look at their SCUBA prices! Super cheap. If you want glitz and glamour and a tourist crowd, don't go to Nuweiba, but if you want to sleep in a grass hut on the beach and spend your days swimming and lazing about on the beach with hardly any other people, then consider it for sure. Note that it is SUPER hot in summer in that part of the world. It was around 40c every day I was there.

I haven't been because I have a bit of a health issue that prevents me from diving much these days, but I have it on good authority that some of the worlds best diving is just north of Oz around Malaysia, Indonesia and (particularly) Borneo. Check those out for sure. That part of the world (I've been to Malaysia many, many times) has some of the worlds best food (IMHO), everything is cheap, and if you plan carefully, devoid of the mass tourism the Great Barrier Reef attracts.

[Ch0jin]

Just saw that my hood might be too far, so what about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blue_Hole off the coast of Belize? I've always wanted to dive that.

[mapka]

One of my friends was a navy diver like in the movie "Men of Honor". He has dived all over the world and said that diving the USS Oriskany in Florida was a great dive. Good visibility and lots to see. He also said the dive in the Turks was one of the best also. I understand you cant use your passport for the first but if you get off course you could use it in Cuba! :)

[Beerman]

I started diving in 1987 and stopped in 2003 due to too many reasons, $$$ being the most and my equipment was old and it was too expensive to buy more. But, I have been to Cozumel 7 times and enjoyed it the most. It's the easiest diving around and there's lots to do on shore.
Also been to the Cayman Islands and though expensive, it's simply beautiful. The Virgin Islands are also nice with diving close by and natural beauty.
Other than that, I've dived the Pacific in Costa Rica and it was rough, cold and not so good.
My vote for bang for your buck is Cozumel!