Change of plans- which port/operator?

[gryffin123]

Hello all:

 

I had thought that I would take my ship's Discover Scuba in Aruba, but I've been reading some negative feedback about the operator, and am looking for other options. Here are the options I have found that seem good- all have pros/cons:

 

1) Aruba/Happy Divers - Pros: (1) we have a long port day in Aruba, so there is plenty of time to dive, (2) Happy Divers focuses on personal service and very small groups, Cons: (1) many posts on the forum suggest Aruba to be not a top choice location for scuba. If we don't scuba in Aruba, top alternative to would be snorkeling with Aruba Bob which is very highly rated.

 

2) St. Lucia/Island Divers at Ti Kaye - pros: (1) we would spend the day at Ti Kaye and be able to enjoy the other amenities besides diving, Cons: (1) we have never been to St. Lucia and would miss out on seeing the Pitons.

 

3) Curacao/Curious2Dive - Pros: (1) get location for shore dives, (2) highly recommended with personalized service, Cons: (1) We are planning to swim with dolphins in the morning and Hans says it will be a "mission" to do the Discover Scuba in the afternoon- sounds like we can get back to port in time, but we may feel rushed.

 

4) St. Thomas/Coki Beach or St. Thomas Dive Club - Pros: (1) Coki - easy shore diving, (2) St. Thomas Dive Club - full day program allows for lectures/pool time in the AM and two dives in the afternoon, Cons: (1) mixed reviews of how safe/clean Coki will be, (2) miss out on seeing St. John. Alternative would be a sailing/snorkel trip to St. John.

 

5) Grenada ???

 

Any input would be appreciated. I'm still looking into whether we can fit in at least the pool work part of an Open Water certification course before we leave, but there aren't any options for lessons within an hour of where we live, making it a challenge.

 

Thanks!

[scubadiver888]

It has been a while since I have been diving in the Caribbean but I used to dive there a lot.

 

Aruba was never a great for a first dive. I would think you are looking for that amazing visibility and lots to see. Aruba was okay but every time I was there the water wasn't the clearest in the Caribbean.

 

Every time I'm in St. Lucia I go diving. I love marine life and there is a lot to see there. Because of the steep, sloping shores there is a lot of marine life really close to shore.

 

I tried doing two excursions in Curacao and it was a rush. I think Hans is right. The good dive shops are not that close to the cruise ships.

 

I have always hear great reviews about the St. Thomas Dive Club. I think this would be a great Discover Scuba.

 

Grenada was always a bit of a tough dive. There was stuff to see but I never remember seeing a good place for Discover Scuba.

 

As for doing the pool work at home, there are places which will do class Friday night, class Saturday morning, pool Saturday afternoon, class Sunday morning, pool Sunday afternoon but they can often just be money makers for the people conducting them. The class and pool work is prep for the open water tests. I could go through the motions for teaching the class/pool work then leave you unprepared for the open water test.

 

So even if you found a place which would give you the local class/pool work and a referral to the open water tests, it might not be the best option.

[Fouremco]

Hello all:

 

I had thought that I would take my ship's Discover Scuba in Aruba, but I've been reading some negative feedback about the operator, and am looking for other options. Here are the options I have found that seem good- all have pros/cons:

 

1) Aruba/Happy Divers - Pros: (1) we have a long port day in Aruba, so there is plenty of time to dive, (2) Happy Divers focuses on personal service and very small groups, Cons: (1) many posts on the forum suggest Aruba to be not a top choice location for scuba. If we don't scuba in Aruba, top alternative to would be snorkeling with Aruba Bob which is very highly rated.

 

2) St. Lucia/Island Divers at Ti Kaye - pros: (1) we would spend the day at Ti Kaye and be able to enjoy the other amenities besides diving, Cons: (1) we have never been to St. Lucia and would miss out on seeing the Pitons.

 

3) Curacao/Curious2Dive - Pros: (1) get location for shore dives, (2) highly recommended with personalized service, Cons: (1) We are planning to swim with dolphins in the morning and Hans says it will be a "mission" to do the Discover Scuba in the afternoon- sounds like we can get back to port in time, but we may feel rushed.

 

4) St. Thomas/Coki Beach or St. Thomas Dive Club - Pros: (1) Coki - easy shore diving, (2) St. Thomas Dive Club - full day program allows for lectures/pool time in the AM and two dives in the afternoon, Cons: (1) mixed reviews of how safe/clean Coki will be, (2) miss out on seeing St. John. Alternative would be a sailing/snorkel trip to St. John.

 

5) Grenada ???

 

Any input would be appreciated. I'm still looking into whether we can fit in at least the pool work part of an Open Water certification course before we leave, but there aren't any options for lessons within an hour of where we live, making it a challenge.

 

Thanks!

A couple of thoughts.

 

While Aruba may not have the best dive sites, a "Discover Scuba" or Open Water cert dive will be "exciting" without amazing coral or fish. You will probably be working so hard on your buoyancy and other early dive issues that the dive environment won't be a major factor. Besides, it's better to make your mistakes on a dead reef where you can do no real harm.

 

If you can get certified there, then there are all sorts of opportunities to do more interesting dives later in the cruise.

 

If you don't dive in Aruba, do so in St. Lucia. The Ti Kaye dive operation uses sites at the Pitons, including some offering nice drift dives, as well as others that will give you a view on your way to or from the dive site. Besides, the route from Barbados heading to Castries will take us right by the Pitons, so you should have an excellent view while having your breakfast!

 

Mike

[justlaff69]

I agree with Mike. I dove Aruba last spring and the visibility was good and it was a shipwreck so there was some schools of fish but no coral only a sandy bottom.

Kinda of like what Mike said, you're going to be 'distracted' by your bouyancy issues, so you probably won't feel like you missed something in Aruba.

 

St Lucia is on my bucketlist, and I just feel there's much more to topside before I dive there, much less take a discover course. Why spend an hour watching a dive video when you can be exploring the island.

 

I did my discover dive on the sandy bottoms of Cozumel and it hooked me but my DH did his discover dive on Roatan, saw TONS of big fish and coral, did excellent on his bouyancy but had such a hard time clearing his ears that I can't get him to get certified. He's happy snorkeling.

The point of that story is, if your going to enjoy diving, it's more about the underwater environment as whole rather than how much you see when your down there.