I just posted these questions on another recent St Lucia thread, so I'll ask them here, too. Do any of the dive shops do 3 boat dives a day? What about nitrox?
Would love to see land or uw photos if any of you have posted them on-line. Rates appear to be very attractive for St. Lucia this spring and summer.
I have been looking at Anse Chastanet for some time now, and had not heard that they now have AC in some of the rooms. I am one of those persons who needs it during the summer months in the Caribbean. Where are those rooms located? I've read that the ones higher up get better breezes, but can be quite a hike. Do they keep all of your gear at the dive shop?
Thanks, alashas
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I'll see what I can answer. I don't know of any rooms with AC at Anse Chastanet. There may be some. I was there in January and there were a couple nights when I wish my room had it. I was right on the beach---room 3C.
The room up on the hill are not a problem as far as hiking. It's roughly 200 steps up to the second level from the beach, but they do run a shuttle service. Small minvans and such.
The dive shop takes care of your gear all week long. You dive, you rinse your personal gear and they take care of the BC and regs, hang them on racks and roll them into a storage area where there are personal lockers of different sizes for fins, mask, etc. They even supply a lock for the lockers. Next day your BC and regs are on the boat and set up ready to go.
The standard for us was two tanks from the boat and some scheduled shore dives in the afternoon, but a couple days we got three boat dives. A couple of the shore dives were such that they boarded us on the boat and ran us out the 100 yards or so and dropped us just for our convenience. It was nice not to have to swim out. There were two night dives from shore.
All dives, including shore dives involve having a DM with you. It's not imperative to follow him all the time, but protocol says he knows the reefs better than you do so you at least stay in sight---well, most of the time anyway. Us photo-video guys have our own world down there.
Our crew included Andy (DM), Xavier (captain), and Kinnion (mate). I've been to a lot of places and these three young lads did a masterful job of taking care of us. Friendly, professional, and just fun to be around. So much so that our tips said so and I even made them a copy of my video and sent it to them in care of the shop.
Be prepared to see a lot of fireworms, lobsters, large red barrel sponges. Often 12-15 lobsters per dive, especially at night and on the wreck which you'll do on friday (very good wreck). Be very careful of the sea urchins. There are tons of them, especially at night. I haven't seen urchins like this since I dove in Greece 40 years ago.
There isn't hard and soft corals like I see at places like Roatan, Bonaire or Curacao, but the reefs aren't bad. They have some different things that you don't see other places. I found enough stuff to make an hour video. You might even ask to see it when you get there. Ask Bernd at the shop. He's the shop manager.
In general, this was not the type of vacation I like. A little too upscale, but I did make the best of it and enjoyed the dive crew. Everybody there will do their best to please you and be friendly. Even the security people, of which there are many. I wouldn't go back there as I like the freedom of places like Bonaire or Curacao, but the trip was worth it all in all.
