Should I stay at a Dive Resort?
You are planning your next dive vacation and thinking of places to stay. Is a dive resort what you are looking for?
I have stayed at a couple dive resorts in Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Cozumel. When I was in Kona, Hawaii, I opted to stay at a local hotel and go diving. Here are my thoughts on why dive resorts are the way to go.
The Pros of Staying at a Dive Resort
There are numerous benefits to staying at a dive resort.
1) Diving on site: The biggest advantage is that there is diving on site. There may be shore diving, but most people are looking for the ease of boat diving. Dive resorts offer boats on site where you can literally take a few steps out from your room and be on a dive boat to experience local diving.
2) Diver friendly: Another benefit is that you are surrounded by other divers where you get to swap stories about the dives and what you saw. On my recent trip to Cozumel, people were telling stories of the night dive they just did where some creatures were feeding. Our group was doing the night dive the next day, and these stories helped sell even more divers to go on the night dive.
3) Full dive shop: The dive resorts offer full scuba equipment, outstanding guided tours, and scuba instruction, including discover scuba so your non-diving friends can give it a try. They offer gear rental which is big when you bring that one piece of gear that seems to break on your first dive.
4) Clean your gear: Most dive resorts also offer to clean your gear and have it ready for you on your next boat if you are doing multiple days of diving. This is a huge deal! You are on vacation. You do not want the hassle of having to clean and store your own gear.
5) Proximity to some of the best dive sites: Most dive resorts offer quick boat rides to better offshore dive sites. One dive resort I stayed at in Cuba was so close to the dive sites, 3-5 minute boat rides, that our surface intervals were at the comfort of our resort.
6) Time saved: With your diving so close to your room, you have more time to enjoy other water activities, dining, lounging on the beach, or even going on other excursions.
Stress Free Holidays – Stay at a Dive Resort.
The Cons of Staying at a Dive Resort
1) Quality: The downside of staying at a dive resort is that they are usually not your 4- or 5-star resorts. They offer a place to sleep, eat, and hopefully enjoy other activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, or snorkeling. Sometimes they can be more expensive than a local hotel. However, the last one I stayed at in Cozumel was an all-inclusive resort, which really are the best way to go.
If you opt to stay somewhere cheaper, you will have to find transportation to and from the boat docks and probably lug your gear back with you.
So, should I stay at a dive resort? My answer: yes!
You are on vacation. Staying at a dive resort relieves the pressure of planning for you dives with travel there and gear transport. All you do is sign up and pay for the days and times you want to dive and then just get yourself to the dock. Easy!
Article by Guest Author Candace Reno
