Jamaica - Negril - Sandals

[Ed Hatfield]

I am looking for some opinions from divers with first hand experience in diving with the Sandals resort at Negril. I have been diving a couple of years (AOW, Rescue, Nitrox, some TDI certs as well - 100 dives). Should I look off resort for my diving 'FIX'. I will be there for two weeks, Dec 30th to Jan 13th, and hope to 2-tank boat dive most days (depending on the hang-over New Years day).
I realize this topic may have been flogged to death in the past but I am having trouble finding current opinions. I would also invite recommendations for off-resort Dive Ops because 'It's all about the diving' and I want the 'Best diving the area has to offer'.

 

[Willar]

I have NOT dived with Sandals but I have been diving Negril for several years. The diving there is very easy, very calm, very good viz, but not big on fish life. I really enjoy it but I don't think it will make you say "WOW!" I do see plenty of turtles, bugs, squid, and rays.

I hear Sandals runs their dive op like most all-inclusive resorts that happen to offer diving: very safe, dive by tables, not by air consumption or computer deco limits, guided in small groups. Limit is 2 dives per day. The boats look nice, but you may get a little bored with their dive limits. It really is designed for the occassional diver, not the experienced diver.

If you want more diving, or more personalized diving, go see Myron and Emily at SunDivers just down the road at Point Village Resort. They are an independant dive op that will give you great service with a huge smile! Really nice people and very safe attitude. They cannot pick you up at Sandals (due to Sandals rules) but a cab ride is about $5 and they can return you to the resort. They will take you to better sites that Sandals won't and you'll get as much dive time as you can safely handle. SUNDIVERS NEGRIL JAMAICA

Do a seach for Negril on this board and you will find more info. Any other questions, just give me a shout. Have fun blowing bubbles!

 

[ReefHugger]

The Sandals and Beaches (family orientated) brands are owned by the same concern. They use to be a program where you can switch to any of the hotels within the chain. Don't know about switching inter brand. Sandals has some 4 or 5 other locations. Maybe, this has some appeal for you - enquire. This way, you could also see more of the island.

The north coast of Jamaica is typically more wall diving.

 

[Belmont]

Hi Ed,

I'll be there dec 22 to 27.

Sheesh, missed opportunity to dive with a fellow Scubaboarder

I was there last may, the dive team is very friendly.
Make sure you show up at 8 am when they open the dive hut, you register and on the first day they will let you do only the second dive, the "shallow" one to evaluate your skills.

On the morning dives after that you stand a chance to go deeper than the posted 60 ft max rule.

You will be staying two weeks and be able to build a good relation with the team and don't be affraid to ask them for dives to some better less visited sites.

They also offer a night dive at an extra cost, they need a minimum of divers for that. I sold the idea to the other divers and promoted the dive to be sure we would meet the minimum.

This time I will be spending 5 days in Sandals Negril and 5 days in Sandals Royal Carribean in MoBay. The change of venue makes fo a break in the routine and offers a better variety of diving at no extra charge.

Good diving

 

[craracer]

I can't speak directly about that specific resort but I can give you a little info. I dove from Couples Resort back in Sept of 06. Really enjoyed it. I actually enjoyed it more than Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen.
The folks down there are extremely laid back so don't expect to be in a rush for anything. Looking at my dive log, the average dive was 40-50 minutes.

A few of the sites: Gallery (night dive), Treasure, Nick's reef, Shallow Plane (has a small Cesna plane sunk there, which in it self, is no big deal), Snapper Drop, Cosmo Reef.
I enjoyed all of the dives. There were plenty of critters on all of the dives and our dive master really went out of his way to make sure that we didn't miss any of the little stuff.

 

[Scuba One]

In regards to going to other Sandals Resorts to dive, it may be possible but not practical. All of the Sandals/Beaches resorts in the Negril area dive much the same sites, as do all the other dive operators in the area. If you were to go to Montego Bay to dive through one of their Montego Bay Resorts it would be a long bus ride back to the airport, and then you would need to either wait for the next Sandals bus going to a Montego Bay Sandals resort, or pay for a cab. In either case you would need to be to the resort by approximatley 8:30 AM.

I can understand outside dive operators claiming to take guests to better sites, but in reality Sandals has some of the best and fastest dive boats in Negril. They have little reason to take you to the "bad" dive sites and the dive guides don't pay the gas bill.

I worked in Jamaica at a number of all-inclusive resorts and guests would ask to be taken to the best sites. I had no reason to take them elsewhere. Why would I take them to a bad site? A lot of where you dive depends on the weather that day and if other boats have already moored to popular moorings.

I just returned from Jamaica on Sunday. Photos I have taken in Negril can be found at Caribbean All Inclusive Resorts Caribbean Resort Vacation Packages Caribbean All Inclusive Vacations – Scuba One Travel, www.divehedo.com, and www.divelido.com.

 

[Willar]

I didn't intend to suggest the all-inclusives take divers to bad sites. Quite naturally and safely, divemasters and boat captains do decide on dive sites based on the apparent skills of divers for each trip. Divers are limited to specified, conservative dive times rather than computer non-deco allowance or air consumption. In other words, a very safe, limited dive profile that is good for the less experienced diver. The dive sites are good to very good and are great fun.

If more experienced divers want a deeper and/or more challenging sites, or want to maximize their bottom time, they may want to consider a more personal experience by using a local dive shop to go out on an exclusive excursion. There are certain sites that the all-inclusives just don't go to unless they have a very well known group of divers.

I have always been very happy diving from Hedonism II. The dive staff, except for one man that needs to be removed for an unsafe attitude, have all been outstanding divers with a great attitude and very accomodating to guests. The dive sites used have always been great fun and I love to return each year and see how the reefs have faired. Most look better today than 5 years ago.

 

[Ed Hatfield]

Belmont - Please give me a quick report when you get back. I leave on the 30th December. Thanks in advance - Ed.

 

[Ed Hatfield]

Belmont - Let me know if they have nitrox.

 

[Belmont]

I would have been happy to report on my trip but will be spending five days in Negril from dec 22 to dec 27 and then move to Royal Carribean in Montego Bay for another 5 days, returning home on january first.

I can say for sure that when I was there in may 07 they did not have nitrox.

The comments Willar made are very good. You might try a local dive shop. As a matter of fact we often see them diving the same sites, they possibly spend longer times out but I don't know. I wonder if it would be worth the trouble and the added expense. Sandals has a very big and comfortable boat.

I can say that the second dive of the day with the fresh batch of new divers can be rather limited but if there are a few experienced divers they will be taken on a separate group with a DM.

I hope you will enjoy your trip, all I can say is that I can't wait to leave, even more so after the two storms that we had, there is now about a meter of snow on the ground.