Scuba while sailing the Grenadines

[panorama]

I read threads about dive shops and recommendations for diving in and around St.Vincent but our situation is a bit different.

We're chartering a catamaran for a week from south-east St.Vincent and plan to sail around the various islands (Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, etc.).

Are there places where we can come up to a dive site, throw anchor or tie in to a buoy and dive from the cat or maybe take a dinghy to come up a bit closer? We have done such a trip in British Virgin Islands and it was fantastically easy to come up to The Indians, RMS Rhone or Cam Bay and just dive out of a boat.

What should we expect around Granadines?

Thanks for any help!

 

[rickcavanaugh]

Yes,

I have done this.

I did dives in St. Vincent, Bequia and Tobago Cays. Just radio ahead and set it up. The boat will meet you at the anchorage.

It has been a few years....but St. Vincent has great muck diving and good walls. Tobago Cay had a great reef.

If going to Tobago Cays see if "Yellow Man" can set you up with a lobster dinner on the beach.

 

[panorama]

Thanks rickcavanaugh!

Did you have your own equipment? What was the reason to meet a boat? Are there no anchorages/buoys by the dive sites?

The way we thought to do this is to fill out tanks at one place and then we thought that we would be pretty independent (except for going to a local place to get an idea of where to dive).

There will be 10 of us so maybe 3 or 4 would dive at a time and the rest would help them out (and cook )

If you could expand on your post that would be great.

 

[rickcavanaugh]

I was the only diver on the boat so I did not want to do solo dives on this trip. I have sailed and dove with my wife in the BVI 2 times and also in the St Martin area once. It is usually tight to stow 4 tanks, 2 bcd,s 4fins, 2wetsuits......on the limited space of a sailboat If you have 10 divers, this will be an issue. See if the charter company has tank racks and how many tanks they will hold.

Another thing to be aware of is to make sure you have a lookout on your dingy if you are dingy diving. Since you will diving in an unfamiliar location, currents could push you to a place that you can not make it back to your dingy.

You will also need to plan out your fills and dives as the fill station may not be were you are going or even in the direction you are going.

Good luck and let me know how it works out for you.

 

[panorama]

We're ok with space for stuff. It's a big boat and there will be 4 divers on it.

The only thing I'm worded about is finding anchorage or buoys next to the dives and the currents.

If you could give couple of spots where anchorage wasn't a problem and currents not too severe that would be great.

Thanks.

 

[rickcavanaugh]

Space runs out face even on a 50 footer! Try to get tank racks if they have them.

Anchorages change. It has been about 8 years since I have been there, but the islands are adding more moorings every year. Most are not near the sites, but night moorings. The dive moorings are sometimes reserved for dive boats only. Some countries have dive moorings and visiting yacht dive moorings. This varies. You can the latest from your charter boat company or cruising guide.


When I was there most of the dive sites did not have moorings but this could have changed.

The only spots I remember that would be easy from an anchorage was in Bequia and The Tobago Cays. Both had a close in dive site and were great anchorages. When I was there there were no currents, but that could change.


Have a great trip.