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Negril
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Like the baby boomers who have traditionally frequented its beaches, Negril has gone upscale. Gorgeous, all-inclusive resorts like Grand Lido, Sandals, Swept Away and Beaches now line the seven-mile strand of white sand beach once occupied by hippies and flower children grooving in a '60s time warp.
Negril is one of my favorite parts of Jamaica because of its laid-back pace. They still dive off the cliffs at Rick's Café, the daily sunset is still a celebration and live reggae concerts are still a big draw.
The diving is just as mellow. Safely tucked away on the leeward western tip of the island, Negril sets the standard for Jamaica mild--calm water, visibility ranging from 50 to 80 feet, and shallow reefs with mini-walls and caverns. RSD readers voted Negril one of the 10 best places for novice divers and I'd have to agree. A few world-class shipwrecks would add some excitement to the dive portfolio, but for now, any diver willing to concede that there's more to a vacation than scuba will enjoy Negril.
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Montego Bay
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As early as 1974, part of Montego Bay was named a protected marine area, but with no clear boundaries or regulations, the designation didn't mean much. In the early 1980s, local divers and operators persuaded the government to install mooring buoys and boundary markers, and to enact a spearfishing ban. Unfortunately, the far more destructive practice of fish trapping is still allowed inside the marine park.
Montego Bay offers a little Jamaica mild and a little Jamaica wild. Shallow patch reefs, good for beginners and snorkelers, start in just 30 feet of water. For nitrogen junkies, there's wall diving that starts in 50 feet and tumbles into the deep to 120 feet and beyond
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Runaway Bay
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Experienced divers will find themselves running for the best and deepest wall diving on the island. With dive sites exposed to prevailing winds, you can expect bumpy seas and occasional current, making Runaway Bay the model for Jamaica wild.
There are concentrations of sponge, black corals and various other colorful filter feeders that are as good as any in the Caribbean. The wall starts around 70 feet, and the best wide-angle scenics are probably in 90 to 120 feet. MoBay dive operators are conservative and will probably limit you to a total bottom time of 20 minutes on a normal multilevel wall dive--and then only on the first dive of the day. Plan to dive several days if you want to explore the wall fully.
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