Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten, and St Croix best diving??

[dirvin0500]

Just got back from a Southern Cruise to the "ABC" islands, Dominica, and St Thomas. LOVED that part of the caribbean and booked another cruise to the islands above. Not sure if we want to dive all 5 or not. What are the opinions out there and any advice on Operators???:confused:

[Sailfish]

My DIve Port Picks:

 

 

*****St Lucia

 

****Barbados

 

****St. Croix

 

*St. Maarten

 

- - -Antigua

 

Top three are worth diving - the bottom two - skip!

 

I am a dive group leader and have detailed info on some of these ports at out group blog that might help you decide where to dive. We're going back to the Southern Caribbean in Feb and we won't be diving in each port of call either!

 

Good luck!

[dirvin0500]

When in Feb? We're on the AOS our of San Juan on 12 Feb 12. We did the other side of this cruise (Curacao, Aruba, Dominica, and St Thomas) on a 13 Mar cuise this year and loved all 4 ports.

I've pretty much decided to skip Antigua but wasn't sure of St Maarten. Is it not as good for the same reasons as Antigua?

[Sailfish]

When in Feb? We're on the AOS our of San Juan on 12 Feb 12. We did the other side of this cruise (Curacao, Aruba, Dominica, and St Thomas) on a 13 Mar cruise this year and loved all 4 ports.

I've pretty much decided to skip Antigua but wasn't sure of St Maarten. Is it not as good for the same reasons as Antigua?

 

We will miss you by one week; our itinerary is below - the ports in pink are the ones we are diving. I have vacationed on St. Martin (the french side) and dove there - but we have also been there on a cruise and included it in our dive package, so I have been diving on both sides several times. As far as the diving goes, it's much better than in Antigua. It's a great place to see sharks, actually. But there is often strong current, and one reason you see sharks is due to the poor visibility (remember what you learned about sharks - how they like to hunt in murky water?). Anyway, the reefs around the island are not protected, so unless you dive deep, you won't see much thanks to over-fishing. It's always a lot of hard work to dive in St. Maarten - rough water and poor vis. And it's expensive. I say skip it.

 

 

Week One

 

 

Feb 19, 2012San Juan, Puerto Rico7:00a.m.11:00p.m.

Feb 20, 2012St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands8:00a.m.6:00p.m.

Feb 21, 2012Tortola, British Virgin Islands8:00a.m.6:00p.m.

Feb 22, 2012Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda8:00a.m.5:00p.m.

Feb 23, 2012Dominica8:00a.m.5:00p.m.

Feb 24, 2012Barbados6:00a.m.5:00p.m.

Feb 25, 2012At Sea------

Feb 26, 2012San Juan, Puerto Rico------

 

Week Two

 

 

Feb 26, 2012San Juan, Puerto Rico---11:00 p.m.

Feb 27, 2012St. Maarten10:00 a.m.6:00 p.m.

Feb 28, 2012St. Lucia9:00 a.m.6:00 p.m.

Feb 29, 2012Grenada7:00 a.m.2:00 p.m.

Mar 01, 2012Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles12:00 p.m.7:00 p.m.

Mar 02, 2012Curacao7:00 a.m.5:00 p.m.

Mar 03, 2012At Sea------

Mar 04, 2012San Juan, Puerto Rico6:00 a.m.---

[CaribKng]

We just dove in St. Lucia last Tuesday. I would skip this port. The reef was not in good shape and the current was awful :(. If you decide to dive there, avoid Dive Fair Helen. The operation was awful. They told us they would pick us up at 8:00 AM and they did not show until 9:30 AM. The dive master did not keep an eye on the group and left me and my wife when we got caught by the current. We had to come up and fortunately the boat was there. On the second dive, after 5 of us surfaced, the boat was no where to be found. They were miles away from us and we were left in a heavy boat traffic area with a tattered dive flag that was very faded as our only protection for at least 15 min :mad:. We were very disappointed with this dive operation.

 

Where ever you decide to dive, I hope you enjoy it!

[Laurie S.]

Where did you dive at St. Lucia? I found it to be one of the most spectacular places to dive when I was there last November. We dove at the Superman's Flight and Devil's Hole at the Pitons. It was simply unbelievable for its beauty and we didn't see any reef damage. We dove with Irwin ("Papa"), who has a booth at the terminal.

[Sailfish]

As you know, how much fun you have diving depends on three things: 1) ocean conditions 2) the dive site you go to and 3) the quality of dive operation you choose. It sounds like it wasn't a good day and the dive operation was disappointing. I have taken my dive groups to St. Lucia a few times and have arranged diving with Dive Fair Helen who has never been a disappointment. But dive staff changes all the time (it's like that all over), so even though we have always had a good experience diving with them, I know things can go down hill too.

 

We also loved diving in St. Lucia, but the island is known for wicked currents, especially the further south you go. We let our divers know in advance the dive sites we will be diving and make sure they know what to expect. We have vacationed on St. Lucia a number of times; the dive sites by the Pitons are far superior to those elsewhere on the island. But they generally won't take you diving there unless you are AOW or have more than 50 logged dives due to the depth and strong current. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time in St. Lucia diving anywhere else - that's how much better the dive sites such as Superman's Flight and others by Petit Piton in the preserve are compared to the those closer to the port.

 

There's a saying that goes like this: if it doesn't kill you, it will make you a better diver. I can look back the few times I have had things go very badly on a dive - like when I lost my mask in strong current in Cozumel. It reinforced the skills I learned in my certification classes and made me realize that although the experience was terrifying, it made me a better diver!

[CaribKng]

We were not close to the pitons. My wife and I are both AOW certified and we have close to 40 dives logged. The dive operation was not up to par and I believe was the biggest cause of the disappointment. I used Dive Fair Helen because I had read a lot of good things about them on the boards here. I would rather dive with the cruise excursion rather than use them again... just my opinion. To the OP...good luck with whatever you chose.

[Sailfish]

We were not close to the pitons. My wife and I are both AOW certified and we have close to 40 dives logged. The dive operation was not up to par and I believe was the biggest cause of the disappointment. I used Dive Fair Helen because I had read a lot of good things about them on the boards here. I would rather dive with the cruise excursion rather than use them again... just my opinion. To the OP...good luck with whatever you chose.

 

Reports you read at sites like Cruise Critic regarding dive operations should be taken with a grain of salt. I personally have never had a bad experience with Dive Fair Helen, but personnel at dive ops change frequently - meaning DM's and instructors in particular come and go all the time. This is systematic industry wide. But conditions can also throw a monkey wrench into the works.

 

Live and learn, though the next time we dive in St. Lucia, which will be in Feb, we'll be heading back to the Pitons. St. Lucia is among the best dive ports in the Caribbean, if you know where to go. I always recommend the divers in my group who plan to dive in St. Lucia have good air consumption and decent buoyancy control - I don't care what cert level they have. Stong current can test the best divers. But I agree, it sounds like DFH wasn't up to their usual standards.

 

All the best.

 

Suzi

[Sailfish]

This comment is regarding cruise line sponsored dive operations. Though we always charter dive boats in the ports where we dive with my groups, please note that most dive operators subcontracted by cruiise lines are just fine. The biggest issue is the price - about 30% higher usually than making arrangements to do it yourself. With the exception of Cozumel, Belize and Roatan, the size of most cruiise sponsored dive groups is less than 12. And if you manage to dive during non-peak periods or on cruises 10 days or longer (older PAX), you'll find the average group size to be under 6.

 

Cruise line dive excursions tend to get a bad rap - but that's not always the case. My groups are large enough that we perfer to charter our own dive boats in the ports where we dive, save money and dive with the same people all week long. But when I go with my husband, we often book our dives through the ship to save time and hassle.

[jtonra]

Hi all. Figured I'd chime in with my experience since I also dove with Dive Fair Helen last week (on Wednesday) and have a rather different opinion of them. I did have a similar issue with them arriving late to pick us up which was kind of annoying. However the port area was very busy with lots of traffic so I'm not really sure I can blame them. They told me they'd pick me up at 8:45-9:00 and didn't arrive until aout 9:30. I did have the woman at the information desk call them for me to make sure that they were coming. We did dive in the area of the Pitons. I thought the diving was very good: healthy reef, lots of fish as well as critters. Tons of eels, crabs, shrimp, porcupine puffer fish, etc. Our first dive was called Pinnacles and the second was Grand Kaile (sp?). First dive was an out and back dive. Second was a drift dive. I had no complaints with the dives or the divemaster. Got good bottom time on both dives. I don't have my log book handy but I think both dives had bottom time in the 45-50 minute range with max depth around 75-80 feet. Lunch was also provided and was quite good.

 

Do be aware that if you're going to dive in this area it is quite a process to get their from the cruise ship pier. The drive is almost 45 minutes and then it's another 30-45 minutes in the boat. They did manage to get me back to port with almost an hour to spare so no worries there.

 

All in all, I was very satisfied and I think it was an excellent value for the money. I paid $105 (plus tips for the crew) for two tanks, equipment, lunch and transportation. I would definately do it again.

[CaribKng]

Hi all. Figured I'd chime in with my experience since I also dove with Dive Fair Helen last week (on Wednesday) and have a rather different opinion of them. I did have a similar issue with them arriving late to pick us up which was kind of annoying. However the port area was very busy with lots of traffic so I'm not really sure I can blame them. They told me they'd pick me up at 8:45-9:00 and didn't arrive until aout 9:30. I did have the woman at the information desk call them for me to make sure that they were coming. We did dive in the area of the Pitons. I thought the diving was very good: healthy reef, lots of fish as well as critters. Tons of eels, crabs, shrimp, porcupine puffer fish, etc. Our first dive was called Pinnacles and the second was Grand Kaile (sp?). First dive was an out and back dive. Second was a drift dive. I had no complaints with the dives or the divemaster. Got good bottom time on both dives. I don't have my log book handy but I think both dives had bottom time in the 45-50 minute range with max depth around 75-80 feet. Lunch was also provided and was quite good.

 

Do be aware that if you're going to dive in this area it is quite a process to get their from the cruise ship pier. The drive is almost 45 minutes and then it's another 30-45 minutes in the boat. They did manage to get me back to port with almost an hour to spare so no worries there.

 

All in all, I was very satisfied and I think it was an excellent value for the money. I paid $105 (plus tips for the crew) for two tanks, equipment, lunch and transportation. I would definately do it again.

 

I'm glad to hear your experience was better than ours. I heard a lot about St. Lucia prior to booking so I had high expectations prior to going. We were very disappointed when all was said and done. We will try to dive there again in the future I'm sure, however, it will most definitely be with a different dive op.

[Laurie S.]

If you go with Irwin, you don't have the long ride. He takes you out by boat and it's much quicker and nicer that way.

[jtonra]

If you go with Irwin, you don't have the long ride. He takes you out by boat and it's much quicker and nicer that way.

 

Laurie: for future reference, can you give us more details about Irwin? I did hear that it was considerably faster to get to the Pitons area dive sites by boat but I'd like to know who to use next time if we got that route.

[Laurie S.]

His name is Irwin Marcel, but goes by the nickname "Papa." He owns Papa Boat Tours and has a booth at the cruise ship terminal. His website is http://www.dolphindiveadventure.com and his e-mail is imarcel@dolphindiveadventure.com He's a PADI, NAUI and E.F.R. instructor and a great dive guide.

[CaribKng]

His name is Irwin Marcel, but goes by the nickname "Papa." He owns Papa Boat Tours and has a booth at the cruise ship terminal. His website is www.dolphindiveadventure.com and his e-mail is imarcel@dolphindiveadventure.com He's a PADI, NAUI and E.F.R. instructor and a great dive guide.

 

 

Good info...thanks for sharing. It will give us another option on our next trip there if we decide to dive it again.

[dirvin0500]

Been doing research on Irwin (Papa) and by far what I find is all favorable for him and his operation. I have heard about 50% good, 50% bad for Dive Fair Helen.

Think I'll drop Papa a line...

Thanks for the hint......

[LEtue]

His name is Irwin Marcel, but goes by the nickname "Papa." He owns Papa Boat Tours and has a booth at the cruise ship terminal. His website is www.dolphindiveadventure.com and his e-mail is imarcel@dolphindiveadventure.com He's a PADI, NAUI and E.F.R. instructor and a great dive guide.

 

Thanks Laurie. I see he offers snorkel trips too so I'm going to contact him :D

[Laurie S.]

Yes, when we went with him, there were about eight snorklers on the boat and he dropped them off at a beach resort near the Pitons.

 

I need to get back there!

[LEtue]

Yes, when we went with him, there were about eight snorklers on the boat and he dropped them off at a beach resort near the Pitons.

 

I need to get back there!

 

Perfect! I have heard that snorkeling near the Pitons is great :D

[w&k]

His name is Irwin Marcel, but goes by the nickname "Papa." He owns Papa Boat Tours and has a booth at the cruise ship terminal. His website is http://www.dolphindiveadventure.com and his e-mail is imarcel@dolphindiveadventure.com He's a PADI, NAUI and E.F.R. instructor and a great dive guide.

 

We're heading to St. Lucia in December, and I was waffling between Dive Fair Helen and Island Divers - and this sounds like it might be better.

 

I checked out the website, but don't see prices - if you would, please post the price you paid for your dives.

 

Thanks!

 

Wendy

[Laurie S.]

I don't remember exactly because I paid for my dive buddy and me, plus the tips, but I think I gave him $300 for everything. That included a snorkeler, too.

[dirvin0500]

After doing even more research I've found that Island Divers at Ti Kaye resort will also pick you up at the cruise ship dock and take you back there. Their home base of the Ti Kaye resort even serves lunch upon your dive completions. A lot of good reviews for them as well.

[Sailfish]

Diving in St. Lucia is pricey; most dive operators that cater to the cruise ship crowd add on a few low cost extras like lunch or a resort stop to jack up the cost of dive. This frustrates me to no end - if you stay on the island (and I have several times) you can ususally pay less than half to dive. Depending on the time of year you go, winter excluded, you can negotiate a better price if you tell them you want only to dive. We do this when we dive with my group - we end up going to better dive sites and it costs us a lot less money.

 

For dives only, you can expect to pay about $70 for two tanks at most dive shops. Otherwise double the price.

[jtonra]

We're heading to St. Lucia in December, and I was waffling between Dive Fair Helen and Island Divers - and this sounds like it might be better.

 

I checked out the website, but don't see prices - if you would, please post the price you paid for your dives.

 

Thanks!

 

Wendy

 

Hi Wendy,

 

Wasn't sure if you were looking for prices for all of the above but I can give you Dive Fair Helen pricing from last April at least. I paid $105 (not including tips) for a two tank dive, transport to / from the port and lunch on the dive boat during our surface interval. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

 

jim