Scuba in Caribbean

[essie]

Hi,

Hello everyone. I want to ask if any has already an opportunity to scuba in Caribbean area so far. If any can advice me where and when are best places, and which dates I should mostly think about to scuba. Also it would be my first time with friends when we want to charter a yacht to have a bit of pleasure and see as much as we can not just 1-2 islands.

So does any scuba in that area and does any has already chartered a yacht with a captain. To sum up what I should be lookin for, be aware of, ask for and other.

Cheers

 

[webcubus]

Little Cayman is probably my favorite diving I've done to date. The Bloody Bay Wall is amazing - about 20-30 feet deep at the top and a spectacular sheer wall dropping thousands of feet. We would usually cruise down the wall at about 90 feet for two thirds of the dive and then make our way back on top and enjoy the shallows for awhile. Just awesome. Tons of fish there - friendly grouper are a definite highlight!

 

[drrich2]

The Caribbean is a very large area, with a variety of diving, and we need to know a lot more detail to best help you. Moving around on a big boat doing a couple dives on this island, a couple on that, etc..., sounds like going on a cruise ship! Here are a few questions that may help others help you:

1.) What part of the world are you coming from?

2.) How much prior diving & in what conditions have you & the others done?

3.) Do you prefer shore or boat diving? I assume boat, but confirm.

4.) Where will this boat head out of, and about how far do you plan to go with it?

5.) How long will this trip be?

6.) What do you want to see? Mainly big stuff, or lush reefs, etc..?

7.) How 'easy' does the diving need to be? Is deep diving a problem? What about current?

8.) About how many dives & days do you plan to commit to a given island?

9.) How important are topside activities?

10.) How intensively do you plan to dive? People who want to dive a lot may want a live-aboard.

Richard.

 

[DeputyDan]

Hello essie and welcome to Scubaboard.

I suggest that you read the thread in the attached link. It is a trip report doing exactly what you want to do.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gr...37482-trip-report-british-virgin-islands.html

 

[RJP]

If you want to charter a boat AND dive BVI's would be a good choice.

 

[diversteve]

See if Moorings has what you're looking for: Yacht Charter and Sailboat Rental Company - Sailing Vacations | Moorings

Their St. Lucia boats can go to Mustique, Bequia, St. Vincent and the Tobago Cays on request so that's 4-5 different "countries" although they're all nearby. Mustique might be part of one of the others also.

The BVI boats mostly run around between islands in the BVI's, Tortola, Virgin Gorda or Jost Van Dyke. The USVI's are also within range, St. Thomas or St. John. In fact you'll fly into St. Thomas first to get to the boat on Tortola - some will even pick you up in Charlotte Amalie on request. Or Red Hook on the East End which is a cab ride across the island. Nothing in that area is more than a couple hours sailing apart.

Many of their boats carry compressors. In the BVI's a common practice is rendezvous diving also - local shops meet you at the dive sites with tanks and a DM/guide. bviscuba.org lists all of them. On the Virgin Gorda side of the channel, I recommend DiveBVI. Two of the Tortola shops also deliver tanks etc. to the Moorings dock on request.

Also look at the Bahamas boats - they'll only sail within the Bahamas due to geographic location but several of the islands are completely different from the busy, touristy Nassau/New Providence to the really quiet/peaceful Abacos. And everything in between - Freeport/Grand Bahama is smaller/quieter than Nassau, Bimini is smaller still and Andros is really quiet. Lots of nice beaches to moor near while diving.

 

[essie]

I have checked some info and others recomendations and almost all of them list Caymans.

---------- Post added September 21st, 2015 at 07:40 AM ----------

The Caribbean is a very large area, with a variety of diving, and we need to know a lot more detail to best help you. Moving around on a big boat doing a couple dives on this island, a couple on that, etc..., sounds like going on a cruise ship! Here are a few questions that may help others help you:

1.) What part of the world are you coming from?

I am from central Europe but I live in different places every 1-2 years all arround west side of globe

2.) How much prior diving & in what conditions have you & the others done?

I am well experienced diver, mostly area of Med Sea. Others are more experienced divers prefering red sea and Egypt waters.

3.) Do you prefer shore or boat diving? I assume boat, but confirm.

Mostly did shore but want a boat at Caribbean

4.) Where will this boat head out of, and about how far do you plan to go with it?

It looks like boat head out of USVI, and want go west and north (Portorico, Cuba, Bahamas)

5.) How long will this trip be?

10-14 days

6.) What do you want to see? Mainly big stuff, or lush reefs, etc..?

In general we want to be suprised and I think bit of all

7.) How 'easy' does the diving need to be? Is deep diving a problem? What about current?

We are not deeep divers for sure but 1 of mine friends would prefer that.

8.) About how many dives & days do you plan to commit to a given island?

I think 2 days max for an Island. Want to explore as much as we can

9.) How important are topside activities?

Less than a diving but important to
10.) How intensively do you plan to dive? People who want to dive a lot may want a live-aboard.

I expect day dive day off plan.

Richard.

Mine anwears above

---------- Post added September 21st, 2015 at 08:04 AM ----------

If you want to charter a boat AND dive BVI's would be a good choice.

Some of mine friends that were in that area told me that there shouldn't be a problem to find some