Sandals Resorts in May

[KW_Divers]

I am planning a trip to the Caribbean and am looking for the pros and cons of staying at a Sandals Resort. A benefit that I see is that diving is included, however I am not sure about the quality of diving. Could I get some feedback or your opinions? Cheers!!!

 

[mmmbelows]

The creeping suspicion you have is accurate -- Sandals diving is typically of a dubious quality. Also keep in mind that 'unlimited' diving is not really the reality, read the fine print. Diving at Sandals is an added feature not a prime reason to go there. The more diving centric you are wanting your vacation to be the less you're going to find it satisfying. If you are okay with a few dives thrown into your vacation, all of which will be limited on depth and time, typically filled with over/fished, over/dived reefs, dives dumbed down to a really low common denominator then it will be a good time. All of that is not necessarily a bad thing for certain divers and probably a good thing for some divers, but if you want anything more than that, beware.

 

[CamC]

If you are okay with a few dives thrown into your vacation... then it will be a good time. All of that is not necessarily a bad thing for certain divers and probably a good thing for some divers, but if you want anything more than that, beware.

^ Pretty much this. If, like me, you have a non-diving partner who doesn't appreciate you going AWOL all day every day, then it works out pretty well. There are plenty of things to keep such a partner occupied in various degrees of luxury while you're way. (Then mine doesn't mind when I hit the Red Sea by myself for a cheap and dirty week of intensive diving later in the year ;-)

In Sandals' favour, their boats are first-class (assuming they're not in dock for some reason) and usually have space to spare. The "hire" kit - it's all included at no extra charge - is good quality. I take my own mask & fins, and maybe a shorty depending on the time of year. If you want anything other than a jacket BCD, though, bring that with you too.

There can be a real mix of experience on board some days. The dive teams I've been with have been really good with the newer divers, while those with more experience are given a relatively free hand to explore the (admittedly unchallenging) sites by themselves if suitably paired off.

In summary, I couldn't imagine going to Sandals and NOT diving, but it probably shouldn't be anyone's primary reason for choosing Sandals.

 

[TulsaTime]

I've been to two Sandals and a Beaches and mostly agree with the previous posters. The two Sandals were in Jamaica (different sites but both in Jamaica) and there I'd agree with the "overfished/overdived reefs" statement. The Beaches was at Turks & Caicos and the reefs we went to there had a lot more life.

Their scuba kits were adequate, probably even decent but if I ever go again, I'll still bring my own if for nothing else then familiarity (I didn't buy my own equipment until after these trips). Boats, customer service, and the DMs were all excellent.

At the ones I visited, they offered either a single-tank or two-tank boat dive daily, scheduled at roughly the same time so it was either one or the other. Their website also says they offer night dives and advanced dives but I didn't look into those as they were beyond my skills at the time.

Bottom line, to rephrase CamC, if you're looking strictly for a dive vacation, you'll waste money doing it at a Sandals but if you're going to Sandals for the other amenities, it's quite nice (and very effortless) to throw some diving into the mix as well.

 

[ColoDale]

Ditto to what everyone has said. I been to a few and I go with an outside dive op. In some places this can get pricey. If you search the forum on Sandals there will be quite a few discussions with info.

 

[CamC]

One further thought came to me, about something which really doesn't seem like a big deal when you're choosing which resort to go to, but which can begin to grate as the time goes by. In some resorts e.g. Barbados it's a 30-minute (at least) minibus ride through rush hour traffic each way to & from the excellent dive centre in Bridgetown, while in others you almost literally walk out of your room and straight onto the boat. I suppose the advantage of the former is that you really enjoy that first post-dive beer after you've waited that bit longer for it - but I'd still choose the latter option, all else being equal.

 

[paulithepin]

I describe my 2 Sandals experiences as fantastic vacations with great diving included. I have experienced 2 Sandals Resorts and have a some what different view than those stated above. At Ochi in Jamaica, I went on the one tank beginners dive at the Sandals Reef and found the reef to be "over/fished and over/dived" but found the intermediate 2 tank dives very enjoyable. On my second trip I learned of the Sandals Elite Diver Program and found it to be a game changer. We went to The Grand St. Lucian and I signed up for the Elite Diver and the benefits made the experience wonderful. If your interested in the benefits and what you need to qualify, feel free to PM me. I again chose to dive the beginners dive just to see what the close in reef was like and again found it to be less than desirable and used it as an opportunity to practice skills and help my girlfriend work on her trim. The two tank dives were amazing and I shot my first underwater video (links are below). Both resorts were fabulous, with great food and top shelf spirits. They mean it when they say to lock up your wallet and forget about it! The service was awesome and we had a great vacation! All inclusive means just that, included was transfers, food, adult beverages, diving, SUP, Hobie Cats, and in St. Lucia-water-skiing! Even tipping is not allowed. The price was exactly what was quoted to us with no surprises. The dive shop staff were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and made a point to be welcoming. As an Elite Diver, I was able to preregister on the dives I wanted to go on with a guaranteed seat in the number one spot on the boat. Check in was expedited and we got to choose a private dive or a private boat ride. We chose the private boat ride and we had a champagne tour of Rodney Bay with just the Captain and First Mate and bottle of champagne. The advanced diving in St. Lucia was awesome and I highly recommend Superman's Flight as a "must do" dive. All that being said, If you want a great vacation at a beautiful resort that include great diving, give Sandals a shot and enjoy! If you are looking for a hardcore dive trip, I would choose somewhere else. All in all, we had a fantastic time and are joining a group returning to the Grande St.Lucia in October 2017. Hope this helps!

 

[drbill]

My niece had a destination wedding at a Sandals resort. Since several in our extended family are divers, she though the diving would be a real enticement. I discovered prior to the event that "unlimited" diving at this resort involve a maximum of TWO dives that usually lasted 30 minutes. Due to that and the excessive cost ($550/night for me since I was traveling solo), I passed.

 

[Ryancrooksie]

I describe my 2 Sandals experiences as fantastic vacations with great diving included. I have experienced 2 Sandals Resorts and have a some what different view than those stated above. At Ochi in Jamaica, I went on the one tank beginners dive at the Sandals Reef and found the reef to be "over/fished and over/dived" but found the intermediate 2 tank dives very enjoyable. On my second trip I learned of the Sandals Elite Diver Program and found it to be a game changer. We went to The Grand St. Lucian and I signed up for the Elite Diver and the benefits made the experience wonderful. If your interested in the benefits and what you need to qualify, feel free to PM me. I again chose to dive the beginners dive just to see what the close in reef was like and again found it to be less than desirable and used it as an opportunity to practice skills and help my girlfriend work on her trim. The two tank dives were amazing and I shot my first underwater video (links are below). Both resorts were fabulous, with great food and top shelf spirits. They mean it when they say to lock up your wallet and forget about it! The service was awesome and we had a great vacation! All inclusive means just that, included was transfers, food, adult beverages, diving, SUP, Hobie Cats, and in St. Lucia-water-skiing! Even tipping is not allowed. The price was exactly what was quoted to us with no surprises. The dive shop staff were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and made a point to be welcoming. As an Elite Diver, I was able to preregister on the dives I wanted to go on with a guaranteed seat in the number one spot on the boat. Check in was expedited and we got to choose a private dive or a private boat ride. We chose the private boat ride and we had a champagne tour of Rodney Bay with just the Captain and First Mate and bottle of champagne. The advanced diving in St. Lucia was awesome and I highly recommend Superman's Flight as a "must do" dive. All that being said, If you want a great vacation at a beautiful resort that include great diving, give Sandals a shot and enjoy! If you are looking for a hardcore dive trip, I would choose somewhere else. All in all, we had a fantastic time and are joining a group returning to the Grande St.Lucia in October 2017. Hope this helps!


[/QUOTE

Please send me information about exactly what certifications are needed to be an elite sandals diver. Send to my email if able. Rcrookspa@verizon.net

 

[Ryancrooksie]

I would appreciate info on the certifications needed to be classified as an elite Sandals diver. Please send to my email if able. Rcrookspa@verizon.net. I remember seeing poster about program while at Sandals Grenada, but have forgot details! Thanks in advance.