Nitroxjunkie - Bluewater Dive Travel

Nitroxjunkie

Nitroxjunkie

Nitroxjunkie's picture

My Dive Map

  • Tips for using My Dive Map
    • - Click on the map to "pin" where you have dived
    • - Type in the name of the dive location, e.g. La Paz, Baja, Mexico
    • - Click on the plus sign to zoom in on the map
    • - Click, hold and drag to move the map around

Reviews (58)

Mark as helpful 

Belize

5
5
4
4

I have traveled to Belize twice. The first time was to Ambergris Caye. The trip required a short flight from the international gateway of Belize City to San Pedro, the main town, where you can find many great restaurants, shops, bars, and dive operators. We stayed in a private villa, toward the south end of the island, that was oceanfront and had a 100 foot dock. The dive operator I used picked me up here every morning. Accommodations include rental houses, hotels, and resort. We traveled here with several non-divers and they enjoyed themselves very much. Travel around the island is basically by golf cart. See if you can watch the feeding of the saltwater crocodile toward the south end and join in at the “Chicken Drop" in town. I did local diving in Belize around Ambergris Caye and also long range boat diving to the Great Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef. The Great Blue Hole is a fascinating bucket list dive. See stalactites and sharks, and prepare for a dive to about 130 feet. The dives at Lighthouse Reef were on spectacular, pristine reefs. This was my favorite area to scuba dive.
My second trip was to St. George’s Caye, a small private island accessed by a short boat ride from Belize City. The island has one resort that is all inclusive. This is truely an island getaway destination. We did local diving and trips to Turneffe Atoll. Other guests were non divers and some honeymooners and they said they were very pleased with their stay.
Overall, I found the scuba diving in Belize to be excellent, the food delicious, the people very friendly, and the culture to be diverse and interesting. When you visit, be sure to taste and take home some of my favorite hot sauce, Belize's famous Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce.

Visited on 11/2018 - Submitted on 02/26/2020
Read all Belize Dive Travel reviews
Mark as helpful 

Turks and Caicos Diving

4
5
5
4

We've traveled to Turks & Caicos many times; several visits to Providenciales (Provo, as the locals call it) and once to Grand Turk.
Provo is the most developed and highest populated of the islands. Each time we visited, we were traveling with a small group of friends and rented a villa to accommodate all of us. Being able to cook for ourselves and buy our own liquor and wine, helped defray part of the food and beverage costs. Each villa had a pool and ocean access, so we felt it was a more private experience. There are many to choose from and there are websites dedicated to T&C villa rentals. If this isn't an option for you, there are many hotel options.

We used rental cars as our transportation to get to the dive boat, restaurants, shopping areas, and exploring. Restaurants range from five star gourmet to small local food joints. One of our favorites is a local spot specializing in the conch taken directly from the ocean to the restaurant’s kitchen. In Provo, there's food available to please everyone.

This island has a lot of gorgeous beaches, and its most popular one is Grace Bay Beach, which makes every world's most beautiful beach list. The turquoise water of Chalk Sound is likely the most beautifully colored water anywhere on earth. Other topside activities are too numerous to list here. There is also a robust nightlife.

The scuba diving around Provo mostly concentrates around the great wall diving of Northwest Point. This area can be crowded with boats from several dive operators. The dive shop I used took us instead to West Caicos, French Caye, and Sandbore Channel. The wall diving at these sites was fantastic. I can't remember a single dive that sharks weren't spotted. These locations require a longer boat but are worth the trip.

Grand Turk is a smaller, quieter, and more laid back Island. We stayed at a beachfront dive resort with only 16 rooms. There are beautiful beaches here as well. Topside activities are limited to watersports, beach combing, and exploring the island, including Cockburn Town, the very small capital city of Turks & Caicos. We went beach combing and found a good collection of sea glass. Keep in mind that cruise ships come here and the town may be crowded when a ship is in port. Most of the passengers stay at the cruise center, an enormous facility with restaurants, shops, a simulated surfing machine, and one of the largest swimming pools in the Caribbean. I highly recommend staying away from this place, as it is mostly a tourist trap packed with people when a ship is in.

The dive sites here are much closer and require only a short boat ride. We did mostly wall diving with swim throughs, canyons, and coral arches. There's an abundance of corals (including black coral at easily diveable depths) and plenty of marine animals, including friendly groupers.

Bottom line: Turks & Caicos is not a budget destination. Prices here are higher than many other Caribbean locations. That being said, it is one of our favorites. The beauty, people, food, and spectacular diving are all top notch. Don't forget to drive on the left!

Visited on 09/2017 - Submitted on 04/26/2020
Read all Turks and Caicos Diving Dive Travel reviews
Mark as helpful 

Tank-Ha Dive Center - Playa del Carmen, Mexico

5
5
5
1

When on a trip to Playa del Carmen, I wanted to do some additional cenote diving. I tried Tank-Ha divers in town. I was taken by a cave certified guide on what turned out to be a private tour since I was the only diver scheduled. We dove at The Pit, which is an incredible dive in a vertical pit. We also dove at Temple of Doom. If you have never done any cenote diving, this is something you must do if you are in the Riviera Maya area. Lunch was included and my guide asked if we should stop at the regular lunch spot or his favorite place. I opted for his suggestion, which turned out to be a roadside taco place that had authentic and delicious tacos. After returning to the shop, I learned that Tank-Ha runs a speed boat directly to Cozumel for diving on the reefs there. This saves a great deal of time by not having to take the ferry over and then a taxi to a dive shop. I tried this service the next day and was diving at Cozumel in a short time. We made 2 dives and returned to Playa. I recommend this shop for these reasons.

Visited on 06/2022 - Submitted on 01/24/2023
Mark as helpful 

Isla Mujeres

5
4
5
5

Isla Mujeres is the small island getaway that Cozumel used to be. A short ferry ride from Cancun will bring you to the Isla Mujeres ferry terminal right in town. Shops, restaurants, and bars are within walking distance. El Centro (the downtown area) has Hidalgo Street, a pedestrian only shopping mecca. Our favorite place to eat, an excellent Mediterranean restaurant, is also downtown. The primary forms of transportation are taxis or rental golf carts. We rented a golf cart so we could explore the island. We also stayed at a small B&B on the central part of the island, so the cart was handy for going into town. There are several hotels on the north end of town in the area called north beach (Playa Norte). Many people come here to use the public beach and swim. At the south end of the island (Punta Sur) there are Mayan ruins and beautiful views from the seaside cliffs. Not too far away is the local turtle farm and small aquarium, which can be toured for a small fee. The island is small and we were able to see most of the attractions in one day.
We found restaurants serving seafood, Mexican food, Mediterranean food, Cuban, New York pizza, and menus with a variety for everyone. Hint: Avoid the restaurants along Hidalgo Street. They are geared toward day trip tourists and the food is mostly mediocre and the drinks are watered down.
Accommodations range from hotels, B&Bs, and rental villas.
Scuba diving is available to see sleeping sharks, a pair of shipwrecks which attract squadrons of eagle rays in the spring, and local reefs. The real attraction in the spring is snorkeling with sailfish feeding on bait balls at the surface. In the summer, this is a prime area to see whale sharks. There are many dive shops to choose from.
Bottom line: Isla Mujeres is the place to go for that small island vibe, the friendly Mexican people, excellent food, and great diving. We have been there several times and will continue to return.

Visited on 01/2020 - Submitted on 02/26/2020
Read all Isla Mujeres Dive Travel reviews
Mark as helpful 

The Best Scuba Diving in Costa Rica

5
4
5
5

We have a friend who owns a vacation home in Costa Rica and he offered to let us use it. The house is located in Tamarindo near the beach. We chose a week in January and went as a group of six. Three of us are scuba divers and the other three are non-divers. It was intended as an adventure trip to do some exploring around the country and squeeze in some diving when possible. We flew to Liberia, rented an SUV, and drove to Tamarindo, which we used as our base.

The next day, we made a 1 hour drive to Playas del Coco and found a dive shop right on the main street to take us out on their boat. They suggested the Catalina Islands because there was a good chance to see Giant Pacific mantas. We were the only ones on the boat and after about a 1 hour ride, we hit the water in search of our elusive quarry. About 10 minutes into the dive, we had our first sighting, a 15 footer that snuck up from behind and passed us within near touching distance. What a thrill to have such a close encounter! Throughout the rest of the dive, we saw several more giants coming, going, and circling around us in very near proximity. It was a shame our exhilarating dive had to end. When we got to the surface, we couldn't contain our excitement. Once we were back on the boat, our divemaster told us that after the surface interval, we would move to a site with a cleaning station, in hopes that we would see more mantas up close and personal. We weren't disappointed. We settled in behind a rock outcropping and waited, hoping a manta would show up. It didn't take long. An 18 footer swam up to within a few feet of us and hovered in place while being tended to by several fish picking bits off the manta. After several minutes, it moved on but it wasn't long before another showed up. It was a repeat of the same show. In all, we saw three different mantas come to the cleaning station during the dive. It was truly a day to remember and we had a lot to talk about during the hour boat ride back to Playas del Coco and the hour drive back to Tamarindo. We decided it was worth the drive to return the next day.

When we returned to the shop, it was decided that we would dive in the Golfo de Papagayo whose sites are much closer and only about a 20-minute boat ride. We went to a site called Meros, a small pinnacle. The visibility here wasn't as good as the previous day, but we were rewarded with schools of grunts, moray eels, some nudibranchs, and some large groupers. The second dive was a site called Monkey's Head, a large rock that resembles the head of a gorilla. It was mostly typical marine life seen in the area, but we did see a squadron of spotted eagle rays. That definitely made this dive a winner. We only dove 2 days but would like to return to dive the Bat Islands for a chance to see bull sharks.

The rest of our trip was devoted to topside activities. We set off for the town of La Fortuna. This isn't a day trip so we stayed at a great hotel just outside of town. From here we were easily able to visit La Fortuna Waterfall for a good part of the day and a wonderful thermal resort on a day pass to enjoy their incredible hot springs. This was all in the shadow of Arenal Volcano. We continued to Monteverde National Park to hike in the cloud forest, cross hanging bridges, listen to howler monkeys in the trees, and zip line over the jungle canopy.

We returned to our base in Tamarindo where we relaxed on the beach and one of our friends spent the day surfing. The last thing we did was a night tour to Marino las Baulas National Park, which is a leatherback turtle nesting area. It is required that you be guided by a park ranger for the safety of the turtles and their nests. It is definitely worth the visit to see these majestic turtles on the beach.

Bottom line: Costa Rica is a real nature lover's delight. The diving was really great and way better than we thought it would be, the topside activities are fantastic, the food is delicious, and the people are warm and welcoming.

Visited on 01/2018 - Submitted on 05/04/2020
Read all The Best Scuba Diving in Costa Rica Dive Travel reviews
Mark as helpful 

Akumal Dive Center - Akumal, Mexico

5
5
5
1

While staying in Playa del Carmen, we drove to Akumal so my non-diving companions could hang at the beach of this beautiful bay and snorkel with the many sea turtles here. The beach is beautiful and there are many large turtles in shallow water, easily seen while snorkeling. Akumal Dive Center is located directly on the beach here. They offer local ocean diving and also cenote diving. I signed up for a day of cenote diving and dove at Angelita and Gran Cenote. Their operation is very professional and the guide superb. This is a great shop and a great place for non-divers

Visited on 06/2022 - Submitted on 01/24/2023
Mark as helpful 

Bonaire Diving

4
5
5
5

I have traveled to Bonaire twice. Once I stayed in a private villa and did one day of boat diving and 6 days of shore diving. We used a dive operator that has several locations around the island for exchanging tanks. We had a rental pickup truck and drove from one dive site to the next. The dive sites in Bonaire are marked by yellow rocks next to the roadside. It was easy to make 4 dives a day and a night dive.

The second time, I stayed at a dive resort and did mostly boat diving, with a couple of shore dives . These dives were at Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. Three dives a day and a couple of night dives in front of the resort. Bonaire is famous for large baitballs and we also saw frogfish, seahorses, and all the usual critters.

Many dive operators and dive resorts are available to choose from. There are also plenty of hotels, condos, and private villas for rent. Kralendijk is the main town and capital. This is where you’ll find the majority of shops and restaurants, including our favorite, a Mediterranean one serving delicious food. The town can be very crowded if a cruise ship is in port.

On non-diving days, a visit to Washington Slagbaai National Park is an interesting diversion if you have a sturdy vehicle. The windward side of the island also draws windsurfers from all over. The population is mostly locals and Dutch expats. Everyone was super friendly and the island seemed to be really safe. Be sure to pick up some salt produced here. It’s very good and does taste different than ordinary salt. We will be glad to return at any time.

Visited on 07/2019 - Submitted on 03/04/2020
Read all Bonaire Diving Dive Travel reviews
Mark as helpful 

Cabo San Lucas

5
4
3
5

We traveled to Baja California Sur to dive both the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez on the same trip. Our first base of operations was Cabo San Lucas. We stayed at a condo resort near the marina. This was a great area because all the action is nearby. We were walking distance to the marina where the dive shop we were using is located and their boat was moored right in front. The marina also has a lot of restaurants, shops, bars, and nightclubs. This area can be crowded if a cruise ship is in port, but it’s easy to escape the crowds by walking down a few of the streets away from the marina. We found some excellent restaurants that aren’t frequented by tourists and weren’t crowded. It was very easy to supply our condo because a grocery store and liquor store were also within walking distance. We had a rental car and found driving around Cabo to be very easy and found most places without GPS. We found it to be a family friendly city with welcoming people, a wide variety of restaurants and accommodations, and plenty of fun things to see and do. We will definitely return again.

Visited on 11/2021 - Submitted on 01/29/2022
Read all Cabo San Lucas Dive Travel reviews
Mark as helpful 

Isla Holbox, Mexico

5
5
5
5

At the northernmost tip of the Yucatan peninsula, lies Isla Holbox (Holbox Island). This is an amazing out-of-the-way place where nature lovers can find paradise. This island is in the middle of the Mexican Whale shark migration route.
We hired a company specializing in Whale shark tours. We went on a small boat with 8 passengers and scoured the waters surrounding the island until the crew spotted a very large one. Mexico prohibits scuba diving with Whale sharks, so only snorkeling is allowed, with only two people in the water at a time. The boat pulls way ahead of the shark to lessen distress to the animal and allow the snorkelers to enter the water. It's necessary to start swimming immediately, because this giant fish will close ground very quickly. Even though they appear to move slowly, one flip of their tail will propel them a long distance. We spent a long time snorkeling, each pair taking their turn, returning to the boat, and the next pair entering the water. Each duo was able to snorkel several times before leaving the shark to continue its migration. On the return trip, we spotted a breaching Manta ray and a huge school of Mobula rays.
The next day, we hired a ponga for just 3 of us to do a full day nature tour. We started by going to a shallow bay where we found a flock of hundreds of flamingos. We approached as slowly and quietly as possible and the captain then gunned the engine causing the flamboyance (the name for a flock of flamingos) to take to the air. What a glorious sight!
Next, we headed for Bird Island, a nesting sanctuary for several species of birds, depending on the season. A dock has been built for boats to tie up and observation towers for watching the birds. We observed the ongoing struggle of the birds trying to protect their eggs and chicks from being eaten by the iguanas also living on the island. Be sure to bring binoculars! By this time, it was approaching midday and the temperature was climbing.
We reboarded the boat and headed for another island covered with vegetation and went ashore. After a short walk through the jungle, we came to a spring-fed oasis with a large, fresh water pool. We stayed and swam for over two hours and had lunch.
Our next stop was a deserted sandy island on which we were able to beachcomb and search for interesting shells and other flotsam and jetsam. It was a very special day in a very special place!
We stayed at one of several small boutique hotels on the island which was very lovely and had a lot of personality. There are also several international style restaurants in town. All of our meals were very good. The only transportation on the island is by golf cart or ATV.
Isla Holbox should be visited before this natural treasure dissappears!

Visited on 06/2022 - Submitted on 01/26/2023
Mark as helpful 

Cozumel Diving

5
4
4
5

I've traveled to Cozumel at least a dozen times. There are many direct flights from US gateways, making it very easy to get there. I have stayed in hotels, private rental villas, and one dive resort. San Miguel is the main town on the island where all the action takes place. It's filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and dive operations. There are dozens of dive operators to choose from. I stayed at a hotel within walking distance of town and found it very convenient to everything. I've also stayed many times on the southern end of the island. It is much quieter here, but I believe the best diving is in this area and has shorter boat rides than staying close to town. A rental car is recommended if staying here.

I also stayed at a dive resort due to a recommendation from friends. Divers usually come here for the drift diving along Cozumel's walls. Some of my favorite sites are Punta Sur, Maracaibo, Devil’s Throat, all three sections of Palancar Reef, and Santa Rosa Wall. Cozumel is still a place where you can frequently see large groupers. This is one of the most visited dive destinations in the Caribbean. Cruise ships also visit here and it can get very crowded if several are in port at the same time. I have come here with my non-diving family and friends, and they enjoyed their time very much. There is great snorkeling here, some Mayan ruins to visit, and great tourist shopping. I suggest that you bring home some Mexican vanilla. It is very good and is reasonably priced.

Bottom line: Cozumel has world-class diving, dozens of excellent restaurants and great tourist shopping. Its definitely family-friendly, and easy to get to. If you love drift and/or wall diving, Cozumel is for you.

Visited on 06/2017 - Submitted on 03/10/2020
Read all Cozumel Diving Dive Travel reviews

Pages

BE THE FIRST TO GET NEWS AND SPECIALS

Sign up for the mailing list today