Diving without local dive shop

[siroismi]

Hi everybody,

My wife and I are retiring in 18 months and leaving on our sailboat and will be heading for the caribean for the first couple of years. We are both divers, do UW photo, have a compressor on board and a RIB with a 20 hp OB.

Looking on some cruisers sites and mostly on promo sites for different islands like Statia, St Kitts&Nevis and Dominica to name some, we can read that theses may not allow scuba diving without doing business with a local dive shop.

Anybody with any knowledge on this? Any truth to this? In such case probably most a business trick..

Thanks
Michel

 

[1erCRU]

Many of the islands in the Carib have had these laws on the books for years. Enforcement is haphazard to non-existant on most of them. They are now touting them as "green" laws, when they are just LDS protection/revenue generators. These laws, along with restricting anchoring to paid moorings, allow the locals to cash in on cruisers in the name of the "environment", while just lining their pockets with your fees.

Most cruisers don't flaunt their self-guided diving in those islands, they just do it quietly. Cruisers with compressors are the most stealthy and generally dive when and where they want without any dive shop or government being the wiser. The islands you've named are now very much concerned with taking cruise ship zombies diving and really don't much care about private yachts. Once upon a time the LDSs were a great place to get air and local knowlege or buy gear or repairs, not an entitlement plan. Avoid them if you can or use them only for sites you wouldn't/couldn't take your own boat.

 

[siroismi]

Thanks 1erCRU for reply,

Glad to hear what you had to say..To your knowledge, on a general basis they mooring buoys we see on recorded dive sites are they set up by and for the exclusive use of LDS or are they often set up by local authorities and for the use of anybody wanting to dive the site. I'm not talking of tying a large sailboat but a RIB?
I dove in many different countries with LDS but never really asked that question before...

 

[1erCRU]

The dive-site moorings, vary with each island government. On the English "down islands" they can be anyone’s. Some have made national parks out of selected sites and collect fees for use (or require a permit or guide). Many more are LDS/private moorings. A Scuba guide will be helpful there. Generally people in those islands are also the most laid backand wouldn't care if you tied your RIB to a private mooring for a dive, UNLESS they need to use the mooring at the same time. Off-season, some great sites may not get visitors even once a week. There are few Windward islands with the resources and/or desire to police dive moorings, you would be very lucky to ever even see a "boat cop". The Leewards are a bit more active, and you might actually see a marine official on an outing.

A word of caution: public or private moorings in this part of the world are not generally well maintained, make the first part of your dive a check on the mooring itself, this becomes REAL important when it's YOUR boat.

BVI has one of the best dive programs for sailors with free, limited to scuba-use-only, moorings on almost all sites, where you can tie up your yacht, up to 50', for a dive.

Some of the FWI also have free yacht moorings or a nominal one-time park fee. They also have some great dive sites.

It's still pretty laid back in the Windwards, lots of remote sites that mostly only sailors dive. When you get there ask around on the radio net or at the local bars/hangouts for cruisers to get the latest scoop.

 

[siroismi]

THANKS 1erCru,

Great info, well apreciated.

Cheers
Michel

 

[watermann]

Hello everyone I thought I might shed some light on this subject as there is always another side to the story. First, it may be true that on some islands the requirement to dive with a local dive shop is just to generate revenue. Ok, is that a bad thing? After all, if there were no local dive shops there would also be no mooring buoys, and no marine conservation which is why you want to dive there in the first place. Do you think it’s fair that after these people commit their life’s effort to protecting these areas and promoting them that someone should just come in use them and go, that doesn’t sound right! Secondly, you could also look at the point of conservation, while you may be a strong supporter of marine protection that don't mean the next guy is, the local dive operator is responsible for your actions in these reserve areas and is up to date on the rules and regulations. There is also the experience itself and local operators will help to make it the best it can be. Having lived in the Caribbean for many years I totally understand why you want to get out on your own and explore its part of the dream. Understand that this can still be done in some areas of the Caribbean just not in places where there are organized marine parks and dive operations are established. The first time I sailed into St. Eustatius (Statia) and was told by the local shop I couldn't just rent tanks and go diving I was beside myself and didn’t dive at all. Now after helping to setup the marine park, being on the board at one time, assisting in the creation of several artificial reefs, and spending the last 18 years of my life promoting the diving here…… I get it! I know some of you will not and will always want to dive on your own and that's Ok, in fact if you need suggestions on where you can do this let me know I would be happy to share what I can. For those of you willing to pay for your experience we offer discounts for Yachties and I will guarantee some of the best dives in the region!

Sincerely,

Glenn Faires

Golden Rock Dive Center

Www.goldenrockdive.com

 

[DeputyDan]

When my daughter and I were in Saba on a couple of days our boat picked up divers from private sailing vessels to dive around Saba.
So I would guess that you would have an issue there.

 

[liquidvisions]

Saba as well is a marine park and diving without a local operator is not allowed, we take great pride in our park and work hard to protect it. The only way to make sure park rules are enforced is by using local operators. There are far to many divers out there who just have no respect for the the reefs I found this out very quickly when I lived in the BVI.