good diving for beginners

Question
QUESTION: My family is interested in becoming certified and then taking a trip to dive someplace warm...we love the tropics.  Can you recommend a location that would offer diving suitable for beginners...if we had to choose from say Roatan,Belize,Caribbean islands etc. I would hate to book something and feel we were out of our ability range.  There are so many available, I am overwhelmed.

ANSWER: Hi Megan

First, let me apologize for the delay in getting back to you.  I was out of town and just returned last night.

I have some personal favorites in the Caribbean and I'm sure if you ask someone else, they'll also have theirs.  So...this is only a personal opinion.  

Congratulations on the decision to get your family certified for diving.  It's a terrific way to spend some quality time together and you'll never run out of stories!!  You don't say how old your children are but most of the dedicated dive resorts aren't equipped to entertain small children so consider that before booking a resort dive package.  If your children are adventurous teenagers then they should be fine with most of the resorts.  However, they may be forced to give up television, wifi's and their text messaging for the trip.  It's hard to do that stuff underwater anyway.

Also keep in mind that many of the countries in the Caribbean don't enjoy all the amenities we're used to in the United States and security can also become a problem.  For that reason, I like to stay in resorts on smaller islands which cater to American tourists.  I think that would be particularly important if you're going as a family since children tend to get into things that adults might not.

Of the two islands you mentioned, my favorite is Roatan.  Belize is a great dive destination but theft is still a major problem over there and anything of value must be secured at all times.  There are several good resorts on the island of Roatan but my favorite is CoCo View.  The island, while relatively small (about 35 miles long) has a native population which is very poor and theft can be a problem.  CoCo View is on a peninsula of Roatan and can only be reached from the island by boat.  This effectively isolates it from the native population.  Security is present on the dock at all times and only properly permitted people are allowed on the dock.  I don't mean to imply that there's a crime wave throughout the Caribbean but security should always be a top concern, regardless of where you are.  You can bet that security issues are NEVER mentioned in travel brochures!!

The diving at CoCo View is perfect for both beginners and advanced divers.  Unlimited shore diving means that you can simply walk into the water from their private beach at anytime and immediately find expanses of turtle grass and vibrant shallow coral reefs in as little as three feet of water. If you keep going, the water will gradually get deeper and you will find deeper coral reefs and vertical coral walls along with shipwrecks.  You can go as far as your confidence will let you.  You can also remove your scuba gear and just snorkel in the shallow water if you like.  The rooms, amenities, food and staff are excellent.  You will also have opportunities to go jungle river rafting, swim with trained dolphins, travel through the jungle treetops on zip lines, visit wildlife preserves or just go shopping.  We make this trip at least once a year and many of my divers have been to the resort several times.  It's just a great place for relaxing and the diving is as good as you'll find anywhere in the Caribbean.  You can see a video of the resort by going to their website, cocoviewresort.com, and clicking on the video icon.  By the way, this isn't a paid endorsement...I really DO like this resort!!

You're right to be cautious in the selection of a tropical dive destination.  There are lots of them with glitzy advertisements but the actual experience may fall far short of what you expect.  Sorting through them requires some expertise and it's always a good idea to talk to someone who's actually been to the resort you're investigating.  Talk to your local dive shop and see where they go but  DON'T rely on sales talk and brochures. You're absolutely correct to want to tailor your dive trip to the needs and experience level of your family.  It's very important that your first experience be a truly rewarding one and I'll do whatever I can to assist you!!

Megan, the information in this letter should give you some ideas and you're certainly welcome to contact me again for more specifics.

Happy Diving!!

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your reply Mike...Do you have an opinion about Anthony's Key in Roatan?  The dolphin camp option for our 10 year old sounds great.
Megan

Answer
Hi Megan

I haven't been to Anthony's Key Resort in a few years so my opinion is based on "old" information.  The resort is popular and has a lot of divers who return each year.  The accommodations are average but many of the cabins weren't air conditioned when I was last there.  That can be a problem if you're used to keeping cool.  There is usually a breeze at night but it can still get a bit warm.  Electric power on Roatan can be sporadic and the resort didn't have a reliable generator so you could find yourself without power, especially at night.  Hopefully, that's been improved.  The diving is about average for the island and you'll have a beach entry for shore diving.  One problem I encountered was a lack of security which meant that I had to secure my dive gear and then transport it to the dive boat each day.  They would load the tanks on the boat but the rest was up to me.

The "no-see-ums" can be a nuisance in the early evening and at dawn so be prepared with an insect repellent containing DEET.  The locals promote several home potions like Cactus Juice but I've found that they don't work nearly as well as DEET.  Get some small bottles of insect repellent containing as high a concentration of DEET as you can find.  It's much easier to take it with you than it will be to find it later on the island.

As you mentioned, there is a dolphin encounter program at Anthony's Key Resort and you can get involved with the feeding and training if you like. It would be a terrific program for your 10 year old.  It's convenient since it's located at the resort.  Dolphin encounters are also available from many of the other resorts on the island and they'll transport you to the various sites where this activity takes place.

Megan, as I said earlier, I haven't been there in several years so the problems I mentioned may have been corrected by now.  I'd recommend that you do a little internet research and look for blogs from divers who have been there within the past year or so.  Try Googling "anthony's key resort" and see what you can find.  I haven't done it yet so I don't know what you'll find but it's a good place to start.

Best wishes for a happy vacation!!

Mike