Favorite operators - Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

[Sharksighter]

Tim

It's quite a trip from the south docks to NW point. I'm sure if you ask he'll take you there. There is big stuff there we were playing hide and seek with a couple of reef sharks west of the Ampitheatre last May! Nice wall there!

 

[Delhi Diver]

Just returned from several days of diving in Provo (5-7 February). Dove with Caicos Adventures who were excellent, especially Andy and Claire who were instructor/DMs and did a fantastic job. Weather conditions precluded a trip to West Caicos so we were confined to French Cay sites, some of which were healthy and rich in marine life, particularly Double D, Dax's Canyon and French Cay Gardens. Saw some reef sharks, barracuda, biggish grouper, (incl. tiger grouper) and lots of little colorful fishies of course. Of course I had to miss the whale and calf that allegedly some divers saw off the wall at Double D, and we could certainly hear the whale song. Once on the boat, we then saw what I thought at first to be a blowing whale and its fin, but what the DM said was more likely a spotted eagle ray flying into the air and splashing down. So there was a bit of a controversy but the divers are adamant that they saw whales off the wall. I also missed a curious dolphin on one of the divers that approached some divers doing their safety stop. While we did spot a dolphin on the journey to French Cay, it's fairly rare to be approached by one underwater. And of course I had already exited the water at this point.

The bad new that their fast boat, the Caicos Cat, had an accident and is presently out of commission. It apparently ran into a shallow reef and is now back in port. So Dive Provo loaned an extra boat and our trips were done on their boat, although manned by CA employees. So while the company did an excellent job, their main tactical advantage -- the fast cat -- is for now out of order.

Overall, I still prefer the diving in Grand Turk, but it was an enjoyable trip nevertheless.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

Dehli Diver..... did CA have any idea how the Cat would out of commission? Are they still making trips to West Caicos (weather permitting)?

What hotel did you stay at?

 

[Delhi Diver]

They didn't say how long it would be out of commission but my sense is that it will be a while. You should probably ask them directly.

We didn't do any trips to West Caicos because the winds were northwesterly rather than the preferred southeasterly that produce calm waters near the walls on the west side of the island. But we would have gone out there had the weather been different, and our choice wasn't related to the cat being out of action.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Hey Delhi Diver! Nice diving with you. Fifi expects delivery of his new boat in early March, 2005. He said he thinks the old Cat will have to go back to St. Vincent for repair and could be out commission for a couple of months. They still do trips to West Caicos in the little boat Hercules. Not as nice a dive platform as the Cat but a hell of a lot faster.

 

[Rwhiting]

Nice report Tim. I'm going to Provo in July - Can I assume the cat will be repaired by then?
Based on most posts here, I'm planning to book with Fifi. Any thoughts on Flamingo or Big Blue vs. Caicos Adventures?

Also, non diving wife wants privacy and we're looking at a southside beachfront cottage in Sapodilla Bay. How many minutes is the CA pier from this area?
Thanks for the help.
Rich

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Nice report Tim. I'm going to Provo in July - Can I assume the cat will be repaired by then?
Based on most posts here, I'm planning to book with Fifi. Any thoughts on Flamingo or Big Blue vs. Caicos Adventures?

Also, non diving wife wants privacy and we're looking at a southside beachfront cottage in Sapodilla Bay. How many minutes is the CA pier from this area?
Thanks for the help.
Rich

Fifi actually has another boat on order and that one should be arriving in the beginning of March. You should have a big cat to ride no matter what. I would assume that he would have both cats on line and running by July, 2005. Sapodilla Bay is a ten minute ride from the boat dock.