The Decision: Turks and Caicos vs. Saba/St. Kitts

[diver3523]

So...we have a very difficult decision to make - do the liveaboard in the St. Kitts/St. Marteen/Saba area or head to the Turks and Caicos (land-based, unfortunately). I've been reading about the diving in the Lesser Antilles, as I honestly am not as familiar with this area. Can any provide some perspective on the diving in each area and how they compare? Any suggestions for the way to go this time? We're looking at about 7 days (with 6 of diving, hopefully) in T&C, or the liveaboard trip in the Lesser Antilles.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

 

[tvictory]

I'd switch it around and consider the liveaboard in T&C and land-based on Saba.

The best dive sites in the Caicos are a long haul from Provo and are ideally suited for liveaboard diving. If you want to do land-based in T&C you're better off on Grand Turk than Provo (IMO).

The diving in St. Kitts and Statia is (also IMO) nice but not a destination. Saba is a destination and has some spectacular and unique sites. All the dives are from moorings, but not all the moorings will accomodate larger boats like liveaboards. Saba is also a really nice little island with friendly people, reasonable hotels and good restaurents.

 

[NTSilver]

They are definitely both interesting places to dive although I found the underwater topography (if there is such a thing) to be much nicer than T&C. You definitely do not want to do land-based from T&C. It ends up being an all day affair for a two-tank land based dive just because of the boat ride to the site. I actually liked St Kitts as it offered lots of fish I had never seen before (flying grunard, jacknife, lots of french angels, sea horse and frog fish). Statia had absolutely no fish at all and at the time the security guard was diving with us to ensure we didn't get within 10 feet of the coral. Saba was incredible.

 

[robint]

ditto............. liveaboard for T&C. All the great dive sites will be right under the boat, gorgeous walls with sharks, walls with sharks, and lots of walls with sharks. Dive 4-5 dives every day.
If you do land-based you will be bouncing up and down on a boat half the day to get out and back to the very same sites and then only get in 2 dives per day. Check out Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Live-Aboard Diving (less expensive than Aggressor but just as nice)
if they are booked the week you want, then look at Aggressor Fleet | The ultimate in live-aboards since 1984

I have heard great things about the Saba liveaboard also, just not so many sharks. Good diving though.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I'd switch it around and consider the liveaboard in T&C and land-based on Saba.

The best dive sites in the Caicos are a long haul from Provo and are ideally suited for liveaboard diving. If you want to do land-based in T&C you're better off on Grand Turk than Provo (IMO).

The diving in St. Kitts and Statia is (also IMO) nice but not a destination. Saba is a destination and has some spectacular and unique sites. All the dives are from moorings, but not all the moorings will accomodate larger boats like liveaboards. Saba is also a really nice little island with friendly people, reasonable hotels and good restaurents.

Really good advice. I have been to TCI many times (12+) and Saba once. I would go back to Saba in a heartbeat for the diving but also for the atomosphere. TCI dive day starts at 8 and ends at 3 for a two tank on Provo. Grand Turk is pretty comparable diving wise but the boat rides are 10 minutes.

 

[Guy Carrier]

My wife and I spent a week on the T&C Explorer II in Jun 06 and then spent two weeks on the Caribbean Explorer II in December 07. I would agree with everything that's been said above.

T&C from the shore would be more boat riding than diving if you want to get far enough away from the populated areas to get to the good dive sites. Trip report at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cr...-turks-caicos-explorer-ii-3-10-june-06-a.html.

We did two weeks on the Caribbean Explorer II so we went St. Kitts-Statia-Saba-St Martin and then back in reverse order the second week. The best diving by far was at Saba. The poorest diving was at Statia. Part of this was the boats penchant to be close to the drop off point (the city dock) for the mandatory underwater guide at the end of the day. This drove them to dive a place called double wreck three times out of the five dives we did there. This dive had the worst visibility of any dives we did either week and sometime a significant current (one night dive was cancelled there because of it). Also the mandatory guide once you've gotten used to going off on your own is a drag. St Kitts had two good reef dives that we very much liked but it also had two wreck dives that we did not like. We just don't get wrecks and these were more like bottom debris than most wreck dives (IMO).

If I had a choice I would do a liveaboard over either place from shore and if I had a choice of a liveaboard at both places I would definitely do T&C.

Guy

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Great information everyone! We are going to do a liveaboard in T&C in November and I can't wait!

 

[diver3523]

My wife and I spent a week on the T&C Explorer II in Jun 06 and then spent two weeks on the Caribbean Explorer II in December 07. I would agree with everything that's been said above.

T&C from the shore would be more boat riding than diving if you want to get far enough away from the populated areas to get to the good dive sites. Trip report at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cr...-turks-caicos-explorer-ii-3-10-june-06-a.html.

We did two weeks on the Caribbean Explorer II so we went St. Kitts-Statia-Saba-St Martin and then back in reverse order the second week. The best diving by far was at Saba. The poorest diving was at Statia. Part of this was the boats penchant to be close to the drop off point (the city dock) for the mandatory underwater guide at the end of the day. This drove them to dive a place called double wreck three times out of the five dives we did there. This dive had the worst visibility of any dives we did either week and sometime a significant current (one night dive was cancelled there because of it). Also the mandatory guide once you've gotten used to going off on your own is a drag. St Kitts had two good reef dives that we very much liked but it also had two wreck dives that we did not like. We just don't get wrecks and these were more like bottom debris than most wreck dives (IMO).

If I had a choice I would do a liveaboard over either place from shore and if I had a choice of a liveaboard at both places I would definitely do T&C.

Guy

Hello Everyone,

Thank you so much for the information you've provided. This has been very, very helpful. I'll certainly let you know what we choose and of course the trip report will be forthcoming!!

 

[WCollins]

Great information everyone! We are going to do a liveaboard in T&C in November and I can't wait!

Great choice! I'm headed there in Dec.

 

[Juno]

The diving in Grand Turk is considerably better then Prov IMHO and as said, the boat rides are much shorter. The island itself is much more laid back then Provo.