Trip Report BVI Aggressor Review: AMAZING VACATION, GREAT LIVEABOARD, GREAT CREW.

[KCB]

A month ago, I had posted a question asking if anyone had been aboard the BVI Aggressor recently, with no reply. I figure, since I just completed my week dive trip on the BVI Aggressor. I should write a review. I had a truly amazing dive vacation on the BVI Aggressor. The Captain, and staff were nice, polite and accommodating. I feel the BVI is a less a less well know dive location, because diving is dwarfed by my other favorite sport, SAILING,l however it should not be. In 5 1/2 days. I completed 24 dives, and saw a nice variety, of reef sharks, nurse sharks. turtles, BIG Lobsters, Octopus, Lion-fish, Seahorses, and many other kinds of fish. I was informed by more experienced members of my group that the coral was better in other places, but to me the coral was great. The RMS Rhone was a full day of nice wreck diving. There were also other wrecks inc luring Wreck Alkly, and the Willy T Wreck, which were fun as well. Let me talk about me for a second. I'm 30 years old, and I am the current youngest diver they have had. I did a fair amount of diving in Guam 3 years ago, but I had not done it since before COVID. For me this liveaboard was about getting back in to the sport. When my air consumption was terrible, they gave me a bigger tank, at NO CHARGE. When my regulator broke, they lent me a new one at NO Charge. The dives are not that deep, most are between 40-70 feet, and the dives are limited to 50 minutes, Which if you are looking for long deep dives, this is probably not the trip for you. but if you're someone like me, who hasn't dove for a few years. This trip is perfect. I will mention that because of the anchorage situation in the BVI, we never did a dive off the mother ship, and were always off the launch boats which were sometimes a long ride. Also this is not the kind of livaboard where they put your fins and wetsuit on for you. They help you, but this is not Thailand. As a 30 year old, this did not bother me one bit, but it did bother a few of the older people diving. Ntrox in plentiful. They analyze and fill up your tanks for you. They have a giant dive deck, with space for everyone, and many tables of charges, places to put expensive camera equipment, and easy and convent showers and wash tanks. and The FOOD is like 20 stars out of 5. The chef does a truly amazing job creating varieties of meals, snacks and treats, throughout the week, and he truly bends over backwards, to meet everyone dietary needs. Everyone on this boat does every job, leading dives, filling tanks, serving food, giving briefings. This crew a well oiled machine, of motivation, work, friendliness, and hospitality. I will mention to pay close attention to the room that you are booking, I have NO complaints on my room but the rooms to get smaller closer to the bow, and louder closer to the engine room. The hot tube, towels, and free alcoholic beverages at the end of the day, were amazing added luxuries. This ship and crew are a well oiled machine of of friendliness, motivation, hard work, and hospitality.

 

[scubadada]

Why the short dives?

Please try to write in paragraphs.

 

[KCB]

Why the short dives? Pretty much just the culture or the boat. I will guess and say it was just a safety proaction along with the length of the launch boat boat rides. It didn't really bother me at all because with my high air consumption, I liked not having to push the limit. I just figured it was something to mention.

 

[drrich2]

Very glad to finally see a trip report on this offering. I think a number of us have been waiting for one. I'd like to follow up some of your notes.

In 5 1/2 days. I completed 24 dives

Is that the total # of dives offered? If not, how many were?

I was informed by more experienced members of my group that the coral was better in other places,

Did they comment on where they thought was better?

The RMS Rhone was a full day of nice wreck diving.

Does that mean all divers that day were on it, or was it just one of the wrecks dove that day? How many dives on the Rhone?

The dives are not that deep, most are between 40-70 feet, and the dives are limited to 50 minutes, Which if you are looking for long deep dives, this is probably not the trip for you. but if you're someone like me, who hasn't dove for a few years. This trip is perfect.

Odd that dives tending toward shallow/moderate depths were limited to 50 minutes, as opposed to an hour. Fairly shallow diving could appeal to 'air hogs,' and families with diving minors with shallower-than-adult depth max. recommendations. Plus lighting tends to be better in the shallows, and a lot of the 'good stuff' in diving is shallow.

because of the anchorage situation in the BVI, we never did a dive off the mother ship, and were always off the launch boats which were sometimes a long ride.

Wonder what the 'anchorage situation' is? Having to get into tender boats/dinghies/RIBs/whatevers adds work to the dive day. Did you gear up except for fins on the main boat, then step down into these?

Also, at dive's end, did you climb back aboard in full gear, or take your gear off the in water and hand it up? The latter also adds work to the dive day.

Using small dive boats off the main vessel is a significant difference vs. the Caribbean liveaboard diving I've done. I've done it in the Galapagos and Raja Ampat, and it did add to the work.

Also this is not the kind of livaboard where they put your fins and wetsuit on for you. They help you, but this is not Thailand. As a 30 year old, this did not bother me one bit, but it did bother a few of the older people diving.

Wonder just what service offerings they were missing? Having someone put your fins on and/or take them off is fairly trivial to me. Most people put their own wetsuit on, and maybe need assist with the back zipper.

 

[Damselfish]

Most of this sounds pretty standard Caribbean Aggressor, including “up to 27 dives” per the website.

I would guess that the “anchorage situation” is that they don’t have moorings at most of the places they dive, at least not ones suitable for a boat that size. So they need to moor or anchor elsewhere and use tenders for diving. I checked their website and they do show a picture of one of the tenders. They look pretty nice for that type of boat with a pretty good ladder. Of course not as nice or easy as diving directly off the LOB. I wonder if they have any thoughts or plans to install some moorings. Maybe not, as it looks like they dumped a fair amount on the tenders.

(Sometimes if an area has a lot of currents calling for drift diving they will use tenders, because there’s only so much chasing they can do in a big boat. But I’m assuming that is not the case there?)

And I would guess that 50 minute dives are simply a schedule issue, because using tenders takes additional time. Not a safety or culture thing. 60 min (or sometimes however long you can go) are more typical on a Caribbean LOB doing relatively shallow dives from the mothership.

 

[mje113]

I wonder if they have any thoughts or plans to install some moorings.

Having sailed a lot in the BVI I can tell you that there are A LOT of moorings, but not quite enough for all the sail charters. It's always a bit of a race to get to get to day moorings and night moorings to avoiding having to drop anchor which is really restricted on where you can. Since the mooring fields are really tight and designed for 30-50' sailboats I just don't think there would be room to maneuver.

I imagine it would go down something like this:

Credit Card Captains

 

[Damselfish]

Mooring fields, but what it the situation at dive sites?

 

[mje113]

Mooring fields, but what it the situation at dive sites?

It was 10-ish years since I was last there so take it for what it's worth but daytime moorings where we were diving off our catamaran were similar. They get busy and crowded. They aren't suitable or allowed for overnights but that's where we'd moor and dive.

The basic BVI sailing itinerary is wake up, make coffee, captain gets underway, try to find a spot for lunch, which could include grilling on board, a dive, snorkeling. Then back out to get to an overnight mooring by 4pm-ish before the emoting field is full.