Turks & Caicos advice needed

[chaz]

I've just booked a trip with the Aggressor in Turks & Caicos for mid-April. This will be my first dive trip by myself. I was thinking of Arriving a day early, and-or leaving a day or two after the aggressor.
Anyone have advice where to stay, what I could do while there?
The choice of Turks & Caicos as a destination was somewhat impulsive, so I've only just started researching the islands.

I was thinking of maybe staying at the club-med. anyone familar with these resorts? Is it a singles resort, or just adults only?

 

[diveallthetime]

You will be happy with your implusive decision.

Stay at Turtle Cove Inn. If you are only there for one day early it is right at the Marina.
Have a blast.

 

[dbh]

Stay at Turtle Cove Inn.

and get in a few extra dives w/ Provo Turtle Divers.....which is next to the hotel.


Dave

 

[caymaniac]

There a few things to do while you are waiting. One, if you like learning, would be to tour the "Conch Farm", a touristy type of thing to do but over-all interesting. Another thing to do if you like wildlife, is drive out to Big Blue and take their kayak tour into the mangrove as well as to Iquana Island.

 

[95yj]

Staying at the Turtle Cove Inn as posted above is a good idea. Some of the hotels there will give you major sticker shock. They are all about putting up really ritzy expensive places in Provo now. I just installed an IP telephony system in a place that cost $1300 per night.

Provo Turtle is a nice dive shop and is right there. Caicos Adventures has two nice catamarans with big engines that will get you smoothly to any site fairly quickly. Diving is expensive in Provo, but the water is really beautiful. I have yet to do a dive there without seeing spotted eagle rays and or reef sharks.

 

[rjdm]

What are the names of the best Dive Shops?

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Caicos Adventures is the best IMHO but any of them will get you there. CA will pick you up at your hotel. The advantage of Provo Turtle Divers is that their shop and dock is right next to the Turtle Cove Inn. The disadvantage is that, if the weather is dicey (50/50 chance), they might toss you in Grace Bay (average diving) as opposed to making the trip out to the better diving in Sandborne Channel, West Caicos or French Cay.

 

[Big Blue Diver]

Big Blue Unlimited of course!! Simply the Best!
You could also ask Piers from the Aggressor...he will give you a good unbiased honest opinion.

 

[Big Blue Diver]

Actually if the weather is dicey then all dive centres will make the longer journey to the further dive sites...I've never known anyone, especially PTD, go to Grace Bay when the conditions are not suitable...and I repeat, Grace Bay is not a 'lesser site'....when the conditions and viz are good it can be pretty amazing...I should know, I live here.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

With all due respect I must have been diving a different Grace Bay. I have been travelling to Provo for ten years. I have dove only with PTD and CA. I haven't dived Grace Bay since I switched over to CA. My recollection from my days of diving with PTD is that the Bay is inside the breakers and generally average Caribbean diving. No real wall, no or very little big stuff. Lots of schooling fish and critters (the usual suspects) but I never saw more than one shark on a dive, or any eagle rays, dolphins, whales, etc. while inside the Bay. Maybe I was just having bad luck but that was my experience. At that time (late nineties early 00's) PTD was running their boat out of Turtle Cove and we were told repeatedly, whenever conditions were windy (which was quite often), that they were not making the run along the north coast to West Caicos or Northwest Point because of the conditions. I never knew them to go to French Cay. Now they are running a boat out of the south dock and that has changed. If they are still running a boat out of Turtle Cove then as to that boat it probably hasn't changed and it is certainly relevant information to divers who are hoping to see "big stuff" and dive the incredible walls of the TCI. At least let them know that their chances of seeing "big stuff" increase dramatically by getting out of Grace Bay and into Sandborne Channel, West Caicos and French Cay. They also won't dive any walls in Grace Bay. Certainly we can agree on that?