bvi trip report and pics

[Rhone Man]

Well, for BVI tourism is actually only a small part of our economy. It is also quite an awkward place to fly to.

But there are a lot of "hidden gems" in Caribbean diving that you never really hear about.

 

[TSandM]

Well, I certainly think a trip like the one we did is a specific draw. We did a week on a crewed sailboat that also offered diving. The diving in the BVI was very good, I thought, with lots of corals and a good number of fish, and we saw rays and turtles. We dove wrecks and reefs, and all of the diving was fairly easy -- We didn't run into strong currents in most places, and most of the dives were fairly moderate for depth. The scenery was stunning and the weather was delightful. The sailboat charters are amazing value for the money -- you get waited on hand and foot and fed fantastically. (This was our third sailboat trip to the BVI, but the only one where we dove.)

So I'd say that, for me, the BVI isn't a place that you save a lifetime for for the ultimate diving experience -- but it's good diving, especially as part of an overall vacation trip. The diving was better, I think, than the diving I've done in the Hawaiian Islands.

 

[drrich2]

We did a week on a crewed sailboat that also offered diving.

I'm not familiar with that type of trip. I take it a number of non-divers take these trips? Do they just sit around the deck looking at scenery while the crew drives the ship around the island? Sounds scenic and pleasant for about a day (unless diving or fishing, of course).

Richard.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, you sit on the deck for a couple (or few, depending on the itinerary) hours while the crew sails -- or sometimes they'll let you get involved with the sailing, if you want to. (I'm usually happy vegging out on the deck with a book.) Then you pull into a beautiful little cove somewhere and go windboarding or waterskiing or you snorkel or dive -- or you pull into a dock and go up to a restaurant or a place with music. The trips are entirely customized by what you want to do and where you want to go, which is one of the fabulous things about them. We like peace, quiet and nature, and so we end up in a lot of out-of-the-way, peaceful places.

I don't like cruises, because I can only veg so much . . . but I loved those trips. They were plenty active.

 

[edpdiver]

Interesting observations. I agree with Rhone Man that travel connections act as an impediment. I think that the diving is very good, and is actually underrated, but it does not have the distinguishing characteristics of the best diving destinations. For example, there are no dramatic walls like Cozumel, or Little Cayman, or the East End of Grand Cayman. With that said, the underwater topography is very nice. The health of most of the reefs (though not all) is very good. My guess is that the diving is not more of a draw because there is little that is identifiable about it like some of the other destinations.

With respect to the boat charter options, I agree with TS&M that this type of trip is a great option. I have done it twice (once captain only and once with a crewed charter). The second time, the crew (husband and wife) were both certified divemasters, and they had a compressor for filling tanks on the boat, so we did our diving from the boat. It was great, and I plan to do it again someday. The first charter trip we did was with another family who were not divers, and we just did snorkeling from the boat, although the rendezvous diving was an option we used, just meeting up with dive guides from local dive shops. That was also a lot of fun, and is easy to set up. It is not a boring trip at all, because the scenery is great, as is the snorkeling, and there is stuff to do at local stops.

I guess I am glad that the BVIs are not too popular, because they are not overrun, and that probably helps preserve the reefs, and keeps the atmosphere low key and fun.

 

[Rhone Man]

I guess I am glad that the BVIs are not too popular, because they are not overrun, and that probably helps preserve the reefs, and keeps the atmosphere low key and fun.

Me too!