BVI Dives

[fred3798]

my wife and I are going on a cruise around St Maarten - St. Bart's, Tortola, Virgin Gorda. The cruise line will arrange dive excursions for about double the regular price. We're looking at booking our own dives. We have leads to Blue Divers in Tortola and BVI Divers in Virgin Gorda. Any reviews? Any suggestions? All tips welcome.

Thanks

 

[Bratface]

Check trip advisor or the websites for the dive operators. You are likely to find reviews there. We dive from a private boat when we go there.

 

[PatW]

I have been diving with BVI divers in Virgin Gorda a fair number of times. They often pick up customers off of private boats. So you leave the marina, go to boat 1, then boat 2 and so on. It can be some time before you are in the water especially if some of the people on the boats have not filled out their paper work, their weights, need gear fixed up for them and so on.

We found that doing 2 morning dives often got us back to the marina after 12 am and often about 1 pm.

If you can, dive the Wreck of the RMS Rhone. It is a great dive. I am not really a wreck type diver and I enjoyed it.

 

[diversteve]

We're all talking about DIveBVI not BVI Divers right? Great shop, great people.

Fred are you sure your cruise ports in Virgin Gorda? It must be a pretty small ship.

The only cruise port that I'm aware of in the BVI's is in Roadtown, Tortola. So if you wanted to dive with DiveBVI you'd have to take a fast ferry (Speedy's or Smiths) over there first - depending on your arrival time that may miss their morning dives. The ferry ports close enough to their operation that you could walk over though - even with gear - it's not a big harbor. Ferry Schedule in the BVI

I agree with Pat on the Rhone Wreck. The shops from Tortola go over there also - I think daily? It's only about an hour.

All your dive options in the BVI's - bviscuba.org

Note that Tortola is a very long island so expensive cab ride if you make arrangements with anyone other than the Roadtown shops - unless they'll pick you up. Check with Sail Caribbean - they might.

 

[Lajavic]

If you're around the Dutch side of St Maarten, you might check with Scuba Fun in Phillipsburg. French side you could check with Octopus Diving out of Grand Case or Scuba Zen out of Anse Marcel. Broadreach recommends those dive shops to parents who are on vacation around St Maarten and looking to dive while their students are out on Broadreach programs!

 

[fred3798]

Thanks. Yes we're on a fairly small ship. We have 2 dives booked with Octopus in St. Maarten and we're going to the Rhone DiveBVI from Tortola. Thanks all.