skinfish
Registered
I just returned this week from TCI & dove with Caicos Adventures. Fifi was gone while I was there, picking up his new boat in Florida. Somewhat disappointing because I wanted to meet the "Legend". Another big disappointment was the Caicos Cat was laid up on a reef in late January and is still laid up. It hasn't gone back to the shipyard yet to be fixed. This was definitely disappointing because of the fact that I was built up to dive on this great boat, the Caicos Cat, and CA never told me that it was laid up over two months prior & not seaworthy. I think they need to let their customers know when something like this happens to set expectations. We dove on the Hercules everyday, which wasn't bad but was pretty crowded with 11 divers & 3 DM's. The third day, CA rented a larger boat from Dive Provo, which was much nicer with a great deal more room.
When I was inquiring with CA before making the reservation, I made it clear how bad I wanted to get a night dive together. Donna said if they get 6 people together, we would go on one. She said she would do all she could to get one together while I was there. Donna was gone with Fifi while i was there and when I tried to get a night dive together, there was absolutely zero interest from the boat captain & the woman behind the counter. I told him I believed I had 6 people for a night dive and he just said, "No, we won't be doing one". There was such a gung ho attitude about really working to put a night dive together before I made my reservation but once there and set up with a 3 day package, there was no interest. I found later that CA hadn't done a night dive trip since January so it didn't appear to be something they enjoyed doing.
The DM's were great and made the trip better but the diving wasn't as good as I had heard or expected. I always say when you set expectations, be prepared to be disappointed and I was for the first two dives. My next 4 dives over the following 2 days were better but I cannot say that the diving was any better than what I had experienced in Cozumel last year, maybe not as good.
The vis was not great, 70 feet the first two days and about 40-50 the third day. The water was warm but you definitely need a wetsuit because even with one (2 mil shorty), it was cold by the end of the second dive.
First 2 dives were at West Caicos, The Anchor and The Gulley. Both were ok but I found the walls to be devoid of life, which was disappointing. The walls themselves are beautiful with the large coral and sponges covering them. Nothing in the big blue either, which I guess I expected from all of the talk & reading I had done of the abundance of pelagics here. I suppose that is always hit or miss. The standard Caribbean fish on top of the wall, which was much livelier than the wall itself. Scattered coral heads in about 40-50 feet of water. The Spanish anchor at the first site was pretty cool, dating back to the 1600's. It is stuck in the wall in about 70 feet of water. Saw a very large stingray and a good size turtle cruising the top of the wall.
Second day was also at West Caicos and much better than the first day. The walls were awesome here. Vis was the same, about 70 feet. We dove Driveway & Magic Mushroom today. At Driveway, I finally saw my first shark, which for me was incredible. It was about 20 feet away and about a 4 foot Reef shark. Also saw the largest lobster I have ever seen, along with a school of about 15 Barracuda hanging out near our boat. At Magic Mushrrom, I saw my second shark, about a 5 foot Reef shark. He had about 30 feet of fishing line trailing from his mouth! Saw a very large green moray on top of the wall, under a coral head. Biggest moray I have ever seen.
Third day, we were on the Dive Provo boat and went to French Cay. We dove Half Mile Reef & Lucy's Hammerhead. We tried to get over to G-Spot but the vis was horrible. As it was, we had about 40-50 foot vis and this was better than G-Spot had to offer. Unfortunately, the sun wasn't out today to help at all. At Half Mile Reef, saw a large Eagle Ray above us w/o a tail and then a second one about 30 feet below us. At Lucy's, there was a huge variety of small very vibrantly colored fish. It was like swimming in a huge aquarium! Saw a few spotted drums, stingray, and a bright blue trumpet fish, which I had never seen in this color.
The resort we stayed at was great and I would go back there in a minute. It was the Royal West Indies on Provo, set on Grace Bay. We snorkled at Coral Gardens, which was very good snorkeling. The beach was incredible, as was the color of the water. It was like nothing I had ever seen. The sand was very fine, like flour, and would remain cool even as the day grew hot.
The island itself doesn't seem to have much to offer away from the water. It is a desert environment and not in very good shape. A lot of bad roads and garbage strewn about, along with a ton of construction going on with new resorts. They need to work on the roads but it doesn't appear to be a priority. The natives were very friendly and great to deal with.
Overall, it was a good trip but the weather didn't cooperate most of the week we were there. We had two sunny half days and 3 very cloudy days, with one day of rain. We have always been lucky on our caribbean vacations with mostly sun but our luck seem to run out with this one!
Looking forward to the next trip, wherever that may be!
When I was inquiring with CA before making the reservation, I made it clear how bad I wanted to get a night dive together. Donna said if they get 6 people together, we would go on one. She said she would do all she could to get one together while I was there. Donna was gone with Fifi while i was there and when I tried to get a night dive together, there was absolutely zero interest from the boat captain & the woman behind the counter. I told him I believed I had 6 people for a night dive and he just said, "No, we won't be doing one". There was such a gung ho attitude about really working to put a night dive together before I made my reservation but once there and set up with a 3 day package, there was no interest. I found later that CA hadn't done a night dive trip since January so it didn't appear to be something they enjoyed doing.
The DM's were great and made the trip better but the diving wasn't as good as I had heard or expected. I always say when you set expectations, be prepared to be disappointed and I was for the first two dives. My next 4 dives over the following 2 days were better but I cannot say that the diving was any better than what I had experienced in Cozumel last year, maybe not as good.
The vis was not great, 70 feet the first two days and about 40-50 the third day. The water was warm but you definitely need a wetsuit because even with one (2 mil shorty), it was cold by the end of the second dive.
First 2 dives were at West Caicos, The Anchor and The Gulley. Both were ok but I found the walls to be devoid of life, which was disappointing. The walls themselves are beautiful with the large coral and sponges covering them. Nothing in the big blue either, which I guess I expected from all of the talk & reading I had done of the abundance of pelagics here. I suppose that is always hit or miss. The standard Caribbean fish on top of the wall, which was much livelier than the wall itself. Scattered coral heads in about 40-50 feet of water. The Spanish anchor at the first site was pretty cool, dating back to the 1600's. It is stuck in the wall in about 70 feet of water. Saw a very large stingray and a good size turtle cruising the top of the wall.
Second day was also at West Caicos and much better than the first day. The walls were awesome here. Vis was the same, about 70 feet. We dove Driveway & Magic Mushroom today. At Driveway, I finally saw my first shark, which for me was incredible. It was about 20 feet away and about a 4 foot Reef shark. Also saw the largest lobster I have ever seen, along with a school of about 15 Barracuda hanging out near our boat. At Magic Mushrrom, I saw my second shark, about a 5 foot Reef shark. He had about 30 feet of fishing line trailing from his mouth! Saw a very large green moray on top of the wall, under a coral head. Biggest moray I have ever seen.
Third day, we were on the Dive Provo boat and went to French Cay. We dove Half Mile Reef & Lucy's Hammerhead. We tried to get over to G-Spot but the vis was horrible. As it was, we had about 40-50 foot vis and this was better than G-Spot had to offer. Unfortunately, the sun wasn't out today to help at all. At Half Mile Reef, saw a large Eagle Ray above us w/o a tail and then a second one about 30 feet below us. At Lucy's, there was a huge variety of small very vibrantly colored fish. It was like swimming in a huge aquarium! Saw a few spotted drums, stingray, and a bright blue trumpet fish, which I had never seen in this color.
The resort we stayed at was great and I would go back there in a minute. It was the Royal West Indies on Provo, set on Grace Bay. We snorkled at Coral Gardens, which was very good snorkeling. The beach was incredible, as was the color of the water. It was like nothing I had ever seen. The sand was very fine, like flour, and would remain cool even as the day grew hot.
The island itself doesn't seem to have much to offer away from the water. It is a desert environment and not in very good shape. A lot of bad roads and garbage strewn about, along with a ton of construction going on with new resorts. They need to work on the roads but it doesn't appear to be a priority. The natives were very friendly and great to deal with.
Overall, it was a good trip but the weather didn't cooperate most of the week we were there. We had two sunny half days and 3 very cloudy days, with one day of rain. We have always been lucky on our caribbean vacations with mostly sun but our luck seem to run out with this one!
Looking forward to the next trip, wherever that may be!
