Turks and Caicos

[SOFME]

wife and I are dropping down to Provo for two days of diving in late May. Recommendations for guides, especially shark dives, who are safe and enviromentally conscious? Wife and I are currently basic qual'd, have about 320 dives between us (Okinawa, Thailand, Fl Keys) 50 night dives and I am not unfamilure with wrecks and caverns. We only plan to bring our masks, regs, lights and my camera rig. Thank you in advance for any advice!

 

[scubadada]

The best dives are a relatively long boat ride away, West Caicos and French Cay. Caicos Adventures has a fast, comfortable boat, the Caicos Cat. My son and I had a good experience diving with them for a week.

 

[tkaelin]

Almost all dives are likely to have reef sharks and I don't think you need to go on a "shark dive" to see sharks. I think I have seen reef sharks on every dive I have had in Provo, whether it be Grace Bay, West Caicos or French Caye.

While most like the sites further away, the sites off Grace Bay are also very nice. They are also closer with shorter boat rides. For only two days diving you would be fine diving any of the locations. l like the further West Caicos sites but I also like being out all day and I think the turquoise shallows that you travel over to West Caicos is gorgeous (check it out on Google Earth).

Everyone posting on SB has an op to recommend. I dive with Diveprovo and would recommend. I have not heard of anyone posting about a bad op so I am guessing you can't go wrong. Where you are staying may drive the decision of who to dive with.

Have fun and post a trip report!

 

[Malpaso]

Everyone from my shop always dives with Dive Provo, and has done so on multiple occasions. Highly recommended.

 

[SOFME]

Two for Dive Provo, thank you both.

Regarding the shark bit, we're hopefully looking for an immersion (i.e. a cage, or -if legal and responsible- baiting)

 

[tkaelin]

Regarding the shark bit, we're hopefully looking for an immersion (i.e. a cage, or -if legal and responsible- baiting)

Why? You can safely dive with sharks in the wild with natural behavior unaffected by artificial feeding. I may be wrong but I don't think you will find this type of diving in Provo. Nassau maybe.

 

[scubadada]

Two for Dive Provo, thank you both.

Regarding the shark bit, we're hopefully looking for an immersion (i.e. a cage, or -if legal and responsible- baiting)

No, no, no

 

[SOFME]

To be clear, I'm not a proponent of "chumming" hence the legal and responsible caveat. We are looking for a dive specifically for large and/or numerous sharks. Baiting on cage dives is the status quo I presume?

 

[scubadada]

To be clear, I'm not a proponent of "chumming" hence the legal and responsible caveat. We are looking for a dive specifically for large and/or numerous sharks. Baiting on cage dives is the status quo I presume?

You have not done your homework on Turks & Caicos. Reef Sharks are very common, cage diving, baiting/feeding are not done. I'm not sure where you could have gotten that impression.

 

[hammet]

T&C reefs are protected 'parks'. There's no baiting or spearfishing. Gloves are not permitted.