St. Thomas:
Dove with Blue Island divers in St Thomas on 9/17/07 after being picked up at the Havensite dock while on a cruise with Carnival. This was my first time in St. Thomas and I am a new diver with (at that time) only 24 dives. I was surprised to learn that we were going to penetrate a wreck (Miss Opportunity) at 85 feet. I expressed concern about diving in an overhead environment and close quarters. The divemaster (who is an instructor too) assured me it was fairly open and that there were openings cut into the ship for bailout. My buoyancy skills are fair to good so I went on the dive.
The first hold was as described, large access holes cut in the side of the ship. After looking around the divemaster approached a corridor and held his fingers close together telling me it was short. Turned out to be 60+ feet at least. No dive light, no line, and I did a one-finger touch on the bottom part way through and got coral in my finger, small puncture no big deal. We emerged into another hold with the same bailout holes, which I used when the divemaster went for another corridor. The divemaster candidate that was shadowing us followed me out. I felt that dive was not appropriate for a diver with limited experience like myself. I was not in danger at any time, but nothing went wrong either. Other local divers were on the boat with tools removing parts from the wreck. WTF?
Second dive the divemaster was working with the divemaster candidate and invited me and another from the cruise to watch (oh boy, just what I want to do ) or buddy up and go explore on our own. We chose the later. No problems, found the boat at the end of the dive.
Not an A1 experience and I would not return to, or recommend, Blue Island Divers.
Dominica:
Dove with Nature Island Dive in Dominica. Wow!! Freaking wonderful. Visability was 60-80 feet, not incredibly clear, but the diving was great. Simon was the divemaster. Got some great pictures, including a Chain Moray Eel. The first dive was at a site called Pinacles. Five pinacles rising from a 1500 foot sea floor. I love the feeling of just floating and not being able to see bottom next to a wall. Saw lots of marine life and the surface interval was on shore because the dive site is so close.
Second dive was on a nearby reef. More sea life and some great macro life. Best dives I've done. I would recommend Nature Island Dives. No frills, but WOW!!
Barbados:
Dove with Divepro Barbados. Very nice young lady picked me up just outside the cruise ship terminal for transport to their shop. Diving was OK, but I was spoiled after Dominica. Saw several wrecks and did a one room penetration of one wreck on the second dive (following the group and the divemaster). This wreck was much shallower but I'm just not comfortable with overheads. Not scared, just aware of the risks and not willing to take them without a redundant air supply. Just seems stupid to me. Won't be doing that anymore. Nice diveshop that I would go with again.
St Lucia:
Dove with Dive Fair Helen. Diving was excellent, as good as Dominica in maybe a less spectacular way. They picked us up at the Point Seraphine dock, just a short walk from the cruise ship, in a small fast dive boat they use as a taxi. 10 minute boat ride to Marigot bay where the real dive boat was kept. Alvin was the divemaster. Dives were timed to about 45 minutes (boooo) and if your insta-buddy ran out of air you had to surface and follow the buoy. Luckily I was teamed with the divemaster and have a fairly good SAC rate so air was not an issue for me (I surfaced with 1100 psi both dives) as it was for several others. Saw several Gold Tailed Moray and even got a picture of one out of his hole. Lunch was great and the crew and divemaster very pleasent. Had a great time and would heartily recommend them to anyone visiting St Lucia. Class "A" outfit.
Happy diving,
Rick
Dove with Blue Island divers in St Thomas on 9/17/07 after being picked up at the Havensite dock while on a cruise with Carnival. This was my first time in St. Thomas and I am a new diver with (at that time) only 24 dives. I was surprised to learn that we were going to penetrate a wreck (Miss Opportunity) at 85 feet. I expressed concern about diving in an overhead environment and close quarters. The divemaster (who is an instructor too) assured me it was fairly open and that there were openings cut into the ship for bailout. My buoyancy skills are fair to good so I went on the dive.
The first hold was as described, large access holes cut in the side of the ship. After looking around the divemaster approached a corridor and held his fingers close together telling me it was short. Turned out to be 60+ feet at least. No dive light, no line, and I did a one-finger touch on the bottom part way through and got coral in my finger, small puncture no big deal. We emerged into another hold with the same bailout holes, which I used when the divemaster went for another corridor. The divemaster candidate that was shadowing us followed me out. I felt that dive was not appropriate for a diver with limited experience like myself. I was not in danger at any time, but nothing went wrong either. Other local divers were on the boat with tools removing parts from the wreck. WTF?
Second dive the divemaster was working with the divemaster candidate and invited me and another from the cruise to watch (oh boy, just what I want to do ) or buddy up and go explore on our own. We chose the later. No problems, found the boat at the end of the dive.
Not an A1 experience and I would not return to, or recommend, Blue Island Divers.
Dominica:
Dove with Nature Island Dive in Dominica. Wow!! Freaking wonderful. Visability was 60-80 feet, not incredibly clear, but the diving was great. Simon was the divemaster. Got some great pictures, including a Chain Moray Eel. The first dive was at a site called Pinacles. Five pinacles rising from a 1500 foot sea floor. I love the feeling of just floating and not being able to see bottom next to a wall. Saw lots of marine life and the surface interval was on shore because the dive site is so close.
Second dive was on a nearby reef. More sea life and some great macro life. Best dives I've done. I would recommend Nature Island Dives. No frills, but WOW!!
Barbados:
Dove with Divepro Barbados. Very nice young lady picked me up just outside the cruise ship terminal for transport to their shop. Diving was OK, but I was spoiled after Dominica. Saw several wrecks and did a one room penetration of one wreck on the second dive (following the group and the divemaster). This wreck was much shallower but I'm just not comfortable with overheads. Not scared, just aware of the risks and not willing to take them without a redundant air supply. Just seems stupid to me. Won't be doing that anymore. Nice diveshop that I would go with again.
St Lucia:
Dove with Dive Fair Helen. Diving was excellent, as good as Dominica in maybe a less spectacular way. They picked us up at the Point Seraphine dock, just a short walk from the cruise ship, in a small fast dive boat they use as a taxi. 10 minute boat ride to Marigot bay where the real dive boat was kept. Alvin was the divemaster. Dives were timed to about 45 minutes (boooo) and if your insta-buddy ran out of air you had to surface and follow the buoy. Luckily I was teamed with the divemaster and have a fairly good SAC rate so air was not an issue for me (I surfaced with 1100 psi both dives) as it was for several others. Saw several Gold Tailed Moray and even got a picture of one out of his hole. Lunch was great and the crew and divemaster very pleasent. Had a great time and would heartily recommend them to anyone visiting St Lucia. Class "A" outfit.
Happy diving,
Rick
