Trip report: British Virgin Islands

[TSandM]

Oh, yes, there are LOTS more pictures to come -- we just pulled one representative one from each of the wreck dives to illustrate the report. The others will go up on the website once Peter gets them edited.

We actually saw French Angelfish on the Rhone; it was somewhere else that we ran into the grey ones. We spent a morning moored near the Baths -- the people who hadn't been there before got off the boat and hiked over. I just went snorkeling where we were for a while, and Peter took a nap. Blase, you know With the exception of getting off at Marina Cay to buy a T-shirt, I didn't set foot on land for a week. I started to say I didn't put my shoes on, but since I dive in Converse high-tops, I can't really say that.

 

[Cacia]

Where is marina cay...I can't remember,Tortola, with all the shops? Is that where Mauricio Handler has his gallery? We use a shop on Peter Island.

Sooo, you had fun? The Baths is a very cool place to do split images, I thought.

Did I miss the viz in your reports? curious how was it? 60-90ish or better?

 

[Sasquatch]

That was an enjoyable read on a location that I wouldn't mind trying.

Why was Peter signalling OOA? Drill?

In all the pix the divers seeem to be wearing full suits. What was the average water temp? I was glad to see the group photo with ONE diver wearing warm water gear.

Thanks again, Lynne. Good read!

Sea ya!

 

[TSandM]

My computer thought it was 79 degrees; Peter's thought it was 81. I don't know how warm the water would have to be to get me out of MY 3 mil suit, but it would have to be warmer than that. The guy in the vest was our captain, and it's a long story, but his dive gear was all on a boat on its way to Australia, so he HAD no exposure suit. The vest was borrowed from us.

The original OOA was a drill. We do them pretty often (especially since I am STILL trying to pass Fundies). I smiled to see the other divers beginning to pick up on that habit, too.

The visibility wasn't fabulous anywhere, but was running probably around 40 feet most places. Since anything over ten feet is great viz to me, I wasn't complaining. It makes the wrecks eerier when they slowly emerge from the mist, anyway.

Marina Cay was on Tortola, but I'm not exactly sure where -- it wasn't Road Town. There was a little restaurant and a clothing store with T-shirts and other garments -- quite nice stuff, a lot of it with the Dive BVI logo. I like to buy a shirt or something with a local logo on each trip, because I get to remember the trip every time I wear it afterward.

 

[diversteve]

Marina Cay is the private island owned by Pusser's(the rum people) off Tortola. The reason you probably saw a lot of Dive BVI shirts is there's a Dive BVI facility there. http://www.divebvi.com/marina_cay_facility.htm

 

[Tollie]

Great report TS&M,

My team member (wife) and I are likely to do a BVI live-aboard in the late summer… so I appreciated the foretaste. Diving is diving… any time you are in the water has some real pleasures and since I have left the NE and the dry suit I have really come to enjoy warm water diving. Very relaxing.

Now that you have had a good taste of dive leadership I wonder if it has begun to itch that you have the makings of a great instructor. You could do it and I tell you that the industry needs people like yourself.

Don’t dismiss the thought out of hand. You have real presence of mind; have thought deeply about the sport and what it takes to enjoy it safely.

Thanks again for the report… oh 10 w is just fine down here… not much use in the daytime for signaling but some utility in looking under ledges… but really great at night.

 

[Peter Guy]

Catherine,

As Lynne wrote, yes, a LOT more pictures to come. And yes, some macro. I loved the camera setup -- S80, Canon case, no strobe -- usually AV setting and mostly using the UW WB, although I did use Manual WB (I just couldn't tell much of a difference) sometimes.

BTW, this trip was really in the nature of a bargain. We chartered the boat for 7 days (noon Saturday to noon Saturday) with a crew of two, for $14,995 -- which works out to $1875/person or $3750/couple for all meals (except one dinner on shore), all drinks, 11 dives, transportation within the BVI. I think crewed charters in the Caribbean are the greatest deal going!

 

[Dave.]

Thanks TSandM, that was a great write-up! I'm heading back down to the BVIs in 6 weeks (let the countdown begin and I'm taking notes from your post. Its been 2 years since I've dived there and am so looking forward to being there again. Especially diving on the Rhone ... when we were there we dove it 3 times, twice during the day and then again late night. Swam behind a turtle during the day and trimmed above a nurse shark at night. Diving the Rhone at night was a significant diving experience. I'm so jealous of your Filet Mignon and Desserts! I'm going to be eating peanut butter on white bread and Clif bars the whole time I think

 

[Scuba Laura]

Awesome trip report!

You were in the BVI's the same week we had 2 cold fronts put on the squeeze? Could be the reason for the lack of viz. I have not dove in the BVI's, so I enjoyed seeing your pics and surprised how much they look like the USVI's. Looking at the guy without a wetsuit made me shiver. Waters are running around 79 degrees and I'm still wearing my 5 mil! Cool waters is a good way to go into hurricane season, but, that I'm sure will change quickly. I just hired a new captain who has his own sailboat, might need to do a weekend BVI trip soon!

Thanks for the fine review!

 

[TSandM]

I'm actually grateful to the person who brought the subject up, because I enjoyed going back and reading the report and reliving the trip. I told Peter this morning that the BVI and Australia still rank highest in our dive trips for me, because of the corals, sponges and gorgonians. The color and variety of shapes was just amazingly beautiful. One day, maybe, we'll get back there.