reef diving honeymoon suggestions?

[philter4]

I guess I will need access to a good scuba rental area as I would like to go atleast every other day for a few hours. Maybe there are places where I can rent gear locally for a few weeks and return it later?

Any of these tourist places will have a dive shop, I was supprised to find that we were in a small town that had almost no buildings with electricity, but there were two dive shops that were fully accomidated, with gear, tank fill service, and equipment for both rental and sale, and the owner of the one we used was a local who told us right where to go to see what we were looking for.

 

[zachtos]

I found a dive shop nearby and it's about $250 per person to get scuba 1 training, 2 weekends. then you need 2 days of open water training that i would get on vacation. sounds like it's best to just buy a snorkel, mask and flippers. rent everything else at the dive shops and buy suits later if we really like it.

I really have been looking at Cozumel. It's very cheap and has great diving supposedly. I see above some people did not recommend it? can we elaborate why that's no good?

I was thinking since cozumel has so little on the island other then diving and bars, that we could take a ferry a few times to cancun for the day???

Cozumel packages are like $1600-$3000 for 2 people for 10 nights with airfare in feb/march!

 

[smb2]

If you are just starting out with diving, there is no need to buy equipment.
What if you don't like it.
All good dive shops have reliable rental equipment. Invest in a good mask, fins and booties so that you can snorkel on your own. If this is really your first dive trip don't invest in the rest. There are so many makes of regulators and BCs etc. so take your time with these purchases.
Do your "book work" at home or on line and arrange to do the open water portion of the certification while you are in the warm tropical waters!

 

[smb2]

I was thinking since cozumel has so little on the island other then diving and bars, that we could take a ferry a few times to cancun for the day???


There is a reason why they call that ferry the vomit comet.

 

[zachtos]

I was thinking since cozumel has so little on the island other then diving and bars, that we could take a ferry a few times to cancun for the day???


There is a reason why they call that ferry the vomit comet.

LOL, didn't think of that. Yeah, I will buy only the starter equipment and rent everything else like you mentioned. Hopefully there are no equipment shortages when we want to go.

I think the plan is to go to cancun area in february to avoid the spring break rush (or maybe it would be better during that? I dunno). Mostly because I think the new wife will only want to dive a few times, not every day like I do. So we should find somewhere w/ lots of other things to do. Afraid she would be bored to tears in cozumel, although I would love to just lay there all day, she needs to be busy busy.

 

[Goodwood]

Check out this place in the Exuma island chain of the Bahamas.

www.stanielcay.com

You get your own skiff for week to explore the islands, fish, & snorkel. There are some spectacular dives but, the snorkeling alone is fantastic. Pretty sure a full week all- inclusive (cottage, meals, boat, snorkel gear, and bike) will fit your budget. They have a private hanger in W. Palm Beach were they fly twice daily.

My future wife said " I will plan the wedding and you plan the Honeymoon". So.......this is where we'll be the week of Thanksgiving.

 

[zachtos]

I proposed last weekend and now we are engaged. (wrote out the question on the cement sidewalk leading out out to the pier, took her for a midnight walk w/ the dogs and had it all lit up w/ candles and flowers and stuff)

Anyways, We are now signed up for Scuba 1 certifcation training in December and plan to take the open water /Scuba 2 dives in the carribean. We will rent all the equipment there (aside from mask/fins/snorkel).

I think we are going to get married on the beach in Florida (so her parents can be there), then hop on a plane in miama and go to Cozumel, Mexico for 7 nights, then a night or two in cancun on the way home (or reverse that). I want to stay at a diving resort there, but we are negotiating that. Should be around $3500-$4000 + diving training, rentals and daily entertainment. So hopefully all said and done under $6000.

Grand Cayman is second choice, because I'm told it will cost significantly more...

 

[billsreef]

Congrats :beer:

 

[AquaAgua]

Congrats on the engagement. Dang, I'm impressed with all the thought you put into your proposal arrangements.
If you need info regarding Cozumel dive Ops, check out Scubaboard they have an entire section RE: Coz .

 

[sasharotty]

I was thinking since cozumel has so little on the island other then diving and bars, that we could take a ferry a few times to cancun for the day???


There is a reason why they call that ferry the vomit comet.

LMAO, this is so true.My wife and i stayed at the Riu in Riviera Maya.It was beautiful at the resort and away.We took a open stle boat to Cozumel and this was fine.Unfortunatley we got stuck in a catamaran on the way back and let say not to friendly.My wife and 5 others got sick on the way back and asked for a cold washcloth for her face and the lady brought me back a beer.I sked again and she broght me back breathmints.LOL. I felt horrible for my wife, nothing i could do.That was definatley the worst experience there everything else was fantastic.I too have traveled alot to Jamaica, Bahamas, Caymen islands and Dominican Republic to name a few and That side of Mexico is very very nice for the money.We also took a tour dive off of Cozumel.It was terrific!!

 

[scotter]

Want to try some place, a little above your price threshold, but which meets all your other criteria?
http://www.matangiisland.com
I witnessed 2 weddings on the beach here this past summer. Couples were very pleased with their decision to trade expensive wedding for expensive wedding/honeymoon.

As for the reefs: truly out-of-this-freaking-world.

 

[zachtos]

Julie and I will be getting married on the beach in Florida then off to Mexico for the Honeymoon. The wedding will be tiny and super cheap, just us and her parents. We will have a small reception at a park back in Michigan when the warm weather returns.

We plan to stay in cancun for the first 3 nights, then take the ferry/vomit comit across to cozumel for the last 7 nights. We will do some clubbing in cancun and do diving/relaxing in cozumel. I'll try to get a direct flight out of cozumel if affordable.

wynham all inclusive resort - Here is the hotel I plan to stay at for 7 nights. I want to stay at a dive resort, but they are really not all that nice for honeymoons (maybe next time if we come back). Figure we will go diving 3 times in addition to the 2 days of open water referal certification.
---------------------
My price estimates are as follows so far:
Flights: $1500
Hotel Cozumel: $1750 (includes food and booze)
Hotel Cancun: $750
Scuba1 training: $500
Scuba2 training: $350
Dive Trips: $600 (3 trips other then 2 day training, gear rental & $70 trip )
Wetsuit/Mask/Fins/Snorkel: $400 (both of us)
Food: $350
Booze: $300
Beach Wedding: $750 (just a tux, minister, and a arch to stand under)
Ferry/Taxis: $150
Misc Stuff: $500
Reception: comped by her parents
---------------------
approximately: $8000*

*goal was $6K-$8K, but my parents offered a small amount of help. The scuba costs add up to about $2000, but that's mostly for me. I'm really hopeful that she'll like it. It's also $850 more for an all inclusive resort, not sure if it's worth it or not yet.

 

[zachtos]

Update:

We just finished our SCUBA 1 SSI certification (class/pool). We love it so far. We are going to buy 2 Gekko dive computers to take with us to Cozumel. I have us booked for 9 nights at the Palace. We will be booking our 2 day open water dives so we can do those at the start of the trip and do some diving the last half. I'll rent a camera and try and get some video/photos up in March.

The trip is totalling up to about $9000 including scuba training, gear, beach wedding and the all inclusive palace resort.

 

[zimmyfan]

www.akumal.com

 

[gregmoeck]

if your fiance said she wants to go on a european vacation to see castles you better go see the castles otherwise your marrige will be ruined from day one. She will never let you forget that she wanted to go see the castles. forget a diving trip, trust me, she wont forget and bring it up everytime you get into a fight.

 

[WarmWaterWuss]

If your fiancee really wants to see Castles take her to Chichen Itza to see the pyramids, they are fantastic. If you go to Coba you can actually climb to the top and see Belize (all I saw was lots of jungle but I guess it was Belize jungle). Tulum ruins has the most beautiful setting right on the edge of the sea, very regal.
I think your financee will be very happy with all the thought and research you are putting in to this, besides european castles would probably be kinda cold right now.

 

[WarmWaterWuss]

Oh, about renting the camera. You may want to wait on that, it is kinda difficult to get your bouyancy down right away and then adding one more task of taking photos may be too much. Ask around the dive op sometimes they have a photographer that will go out with the group and take group pictures and then sell you the DVD (then you can be in the photos or DVD).

 

[zimmyfan]

www.akumal.com

 

[Rennsport]

If you enjoy diving, you wont go wrong visiting Cozumel! Its our favorite place!!

Cozumel Palace is a great all inclusive resort not far from the dive ops.

Deep Blue is the dive op we've used for five years, great operation!!

 

[Kingster]

I have logged 11,000 dives in lots of places and as far as American Friendly Oasis Divers on Grand Turk Island tops my list there is not much to do on the island,lots and lots of deserted beaches the diving is INCREDIBLE your longest boat trip to the dive sites is approx 8-12 minutes Grand Turk is what a lot of the Caribbean Islands were 20 years ago commercialism hasn't reached them yet.Another Anthonys Key Resort on the Island of Roatan check their website secluded romantic cabins that have ocean views,dolphin pavilion and dolphin dives GREAT food which is included in price of package and this place as well as grand Turk fits your $ limit p.s. There is always my personal favorite (84 trips there and still never get tired ot the place) The Sunset House in Grand Cayman which is one of the few dive destinations that offers accessible shore diving at your leisure sunsethouse.com oasisdivers.com anthonyskeyresort.com