Caribbean Scuba Diving and Snorkelling

Introduction

The Caribbean offers some of the finest sites in the world for scuba diving and snorkelling. The usually crystal clear warm water offers those travellers with an interest in the underwater world endless opportunities.

The Caribbean caters well for scuba divers. There are dive-shops on most of the islands and it is perfectly possible to try the sport out for the first time while you are there. You do not need to be trained in advance or to go on a specific scuba diving holiday. With the PADI ‘resort course’ that is available in most islands, it is quite possible to get underwater within a day--it consists of safety instruction and a tester in a pool followed by a guided open-water dive on the reef.

The Caribbean extends in a broad arc of over 4000 km from the Bahamas in the north to Guyana and Suriname in the south. For the underwater adventurer, the Caribbean includes coral reefs, large and small sand barriers, mangroves, lagoons, and river estuaries in which to dive. Dive sites offer stretches of reef teeming with tropical fish and walls that drop from six to 6000 metres, wrecks and caves to explore, coral-clad pinnacles and underwater fumaroles that bubble volcanic gases, thousands of tropical fish and marine mammals such as sharks and dolphins.

Where to Dive

With opportunities to dive from many of the islands, as well as coastal towns and cities, the choice of location to dive/snorkel in the Caribbean is almost endless. Common diving destinations include:

• Cayman Islands
• Bonaire
• Leeward Islands: Saba.
• Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Colombia: Cartagena / Tortuga / Santa Maria
• Belize: Caye Caulker
• Honduras: Bay Islands, like Roatan
• Anguilla
• Dominica

When to Dive

Any time of the year is a good time to dive the Caribbean, though note that the July to October period might see a few hurricanes, which is obviously not a good idea to go in the water during that time!

Weather

Apart from the Bahamas, most of the other Caribbean countries are located in the tropical zone and usually experience warm, humid conditions. The region experiences the northeasterly trade winds, which brings moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures in the region are not significantly variable as they range from around 28 degrees Celsius in the hotter months (July-August) to around 24 degrees Celsius in the cooler months (January-February).

The Caribbean region typically experiences stormy weather and hurricanes. Although the hurricane season officially falls between June and November, most hurricanes tend to form during the month of September.

Cost

The cost of diving in the Caribbean varies widely and largey depends upon the country in which you choose to base yourself.