I am planning a vacation for the winter-spring of 99'and scuba diving is a priority. Can anyone give me some good advice on where to go? I've already been to Grand Cayman and Tobago, and I'm looking for something new. A few suggestions I've heard are: Turks&Caicos, St.John's, Belize, and Bonaire. ANY OPINIONS?

We just got back from Belize in June and the diving was fantastic! I* have not been to the Caymans so I can't give you a comparison but the coral was pristine and plentiful, lots of fish, large groupers (very friendly), sharks, rays, eels, turtles, etc etc. We went off season so there were only 6 on our dive boat and no one else at the sites. WE dove with Blue Hole Dive Centre who were excellant, very professional. Stayed on Ambergris Caye. Heard the wall diving on the atolls was amazing as well. Let me know if you have any more questions. <BR>

My sister-in-law and her husband are the divers in the family. They go to the Caymans and Bonaire (among other places) regulary. They love the Caymans but say Bonaire has the best diving and shore snorkeling. The group we travel with agrees. I know I love Bonaire. If you want to know how much, email me and I'll tell you all about it. <BR>

<BR>Been all over the Caribbean...you CAN'T beat Bonaire. Water clarity, marine life, coral. Unsurpassed. Don't even need a boat, can dive from shore all over. Fantastic.

While we are snorkelers, what we have heard from divers is that the world class diving is in the Pacific or in the Red Sea. We were in Fiji in May and what I could see is that diving there would beat anything in the Caribbean except for, maybe Anagada, but I think diving is limited now. If you are going down to the Belize area, all of the best diving is from live aboard boats as is the case in a many parts of the world. Population and polution has destroyed much of the sea life that existed 40 years ago. I have been around long enough to have seen this in person. Look to some of the major dive operations as seen in Skin Diver's magazine if diving is your primary interest. Travel to the Pacific on a dive package is not that expensive. If you are going to stay in almost the Carribean area, I think the Turks&Caicos might be your best bet but the water will be at the coldest for that time of the year. The next would be Bonaire. Don't listen to anybody other then real divers that have been around. Something better than lake Michigan is thrilling. If you have gone to the Caymans you should have gone to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac instead of where things have not be used up so much. The newest dive trip is to Bakini Atoll. I was there during the atom bomb test and if wreck diving is of interest this might be a top adventure. I am thinking of going to Uepi Island in the Solomons next May. I have heard that it is spectacular for snorkeling and it should not be that bad for diving. If you start using some general searches on Uepi you will open up some other opporunities. Again I will recommend some top diver travel operations where people have been to more than one part of the world. How can you judge the rest of the world if you have not been there. Also, as I have found often, thing are not at their best when I arrive. In many places this may be the case only a few days out of year. Recently, seeing conditions in the past 4 years has not been clear enough for good photography. The last place where I had had really clear water was at Salt Cay off of Grand Turk. Recently, in early 1997, seeing in the Galapagos was terrible and it was not what I had hoped for in Fiji this last trip for photography. Things change from day to day.

<BR>Bonaire beats Turks and Grand Cayman, take it from someone who HAS been around. Bonaire is tops. We have snorkeled 51 Caribbean islands and 4 Hawaiian ones and it can't be beat.

Try Bequia for something different. Not as easy to get to as some of the others but well worth it. You'll love the diving. <BR> <BR>Bob <BR>