My husband and I are around your age and we went through the certifications up to Advanced Open Water over a series of stays at Sandals Montego Bay. The dive team there is absolutely wonderful: the instruction is thorough and we felt safe and secure at all times. On one of my first open water dives the regulator (somehow - I dunno what happened there) came out of my mouth at 40' under - something I would have thought would have sent me into panic mode, but no, I had been trained so well I calmly retrieved it and popped it back in. All while my instructor was 3 feet away ready to pop it in for me if I freaked. I highly recommend this particular dive team - by now we've dived with all of them, and I have the utmost respect for their teaching skills in particular attention to different learning styles (my husband is a woo-hoo let's do it person while I am much more cautious about activities where you can't breathe if you don't know what you're doing - lol). Both of us are now passionate about diving, and are great dive buddies for each other, thanks to our primary instructor Big D :).

We've been snorkelling at both Sandals Royal Bahamian and Sandals Montego Bay - both places have decent reefs within 5 minute boat ride from the resort beach.

As for the vibe at Sandals - its all good in the ones we've visited. Almost always a range of people - young, old, in between - and a range of preferences - quiet, partiers, in between. We've been to a Sandals 6 times now and have never seen anyone get out of control or crude - alternately never felt like it was stuffy - just a relaxed good time vibe with lots of good eats and lots of things to do if you're inclined to move off your beach lounge chair. The Sandals people are awesome - excellent service all around.

I dive every year in January at Sandals Halycon. Although you take the shuttle to the dive center (unlike the grande), the boat from the Grande has further to go to dive so it works out the same.

The dive team at Sandals is great. I am a PADI Instructor and they do a great job with new divers. Very safety oriented. We usually have a mixed group of divers but everythign works out well.

Equipment is first rate, although I usually bring my own, they have good bcds and regs, all Scuba pro which is what i use myself.

Hi Tim,

My husband and I just completed our Advanced OW Cert last week in Jamaica. I'm so excited to be going to Sandals Halcyon (and Rendezvous) in April. We'll be there 13 days and I hope to dive at least every other day. Are there any dive sites other than what Sandals offers that you can suggest? This will be my first time diving outside of Jamaica. It's very reasuring to know the dive team at Sandals is outstanding. Even though I have my Advanced cert I still have a lot ot learn.

BTW, we live in Newmarket.

Sorry to hijack the thread...

KK

How is diving in Montego Bay @ Royal Caribbean Sandals?

I've never been diving in that area. Only Negril. The diving in Negril is very good although I don't have much to compare it to.

KK

Hi have gone diving at both resorts great time yogi diesel and shaq are great instructors if your lucky they will take to the dc3 dive site that was awesome we were just there in dec the dive instructors I have just mentioned are at the royal Caribbean

a little offtopic, but between body lesport and sandals (halcyon) - which is a better choice for diving as well as the beach, sunsets, food, service etc?

the price is comparable. actually lesport is a bit cheaper than halcyon. about $100-200 difference.

ps. we are at our late 20s

Hi Zagadka,

We're doing a split stay between Halcyon and Rendezvous. I would have prefered to split between Sandals Grand and Rendezvous but the Grand was just too pricey.

One of the things that interested me in the Grand was the dive boat picks you up right on the beach. At the Halcyon (and La Toc) they shuttle you to the dive boat at a marina, but I understand that boat ride to the dive sites from the marina is much shorter that the boat ride from the Grand. Six if one, half a dozen of the other. From what I've read here on TA you can take a shuttle from Halycon to the Grand and dive from there as well. But I think you have to go over to the Grand the day before (in the morning) the dive to register with their dive shop. Not sure how long your staying but that might be a nice option and you get to see a different part of the island.

I looked at the diving at LaSport and liked the idea of diving from the beach but it looked to me that all the dives from a boat were at an additonal cost and through a dive company. That really jumped the price up for me. Rendezvous does all boat dives. I dont think you can access the diving at Rendezvous when staying a LeSport or vice versa.

Have you looked at Rendezvous?

KK

@ Tim, which dives sites would you recommend as must do??

@ Rider, what is the dc3 site??