Newbies trying to decide where to dive: St Maarten, St Lucia, Antigua, or Martinique

[arpyd]

We're heading to three of these four islands end of February and are hoping to get some feedback on which would be best to save time for diving. I'm certified and have dived in many countries but she wants to find a good place to get her certification that has good wildlife and is fairly priced.

Which would you recommend?
St Maarten, St Lucia, Antigua, or Martinique

---------- Post added January 10th, 2014 at 02:39 PM ----------

Also I've been reading quite a bit of positive stuff about Saba and Grenada, I don't think we can make it there with the time we have.

 

[HazardSports]

I've been diving in Both St.Lucia and Antigua. Just came back from Turks and Caicos. You can check my YouTube Channel to see the Marine life I saw.
Turks:
http://youtu.be/JpVsWRA02sU

St. Lucia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR4y4x7AES0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Antigua:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTm425ZgKJ4&feature=plcp

My GF got her initial Open Water in St. Lucia (Sandals). Her DM was Rose - and he was a super-cool guy ! We did some dives with Tim and e was awesome too. They were very patient with her and she was too nervous, (she isn't anymore). We went in September and the bottom temps were mid 80's (from what I recall without my logbook handy.

I warmed her up tithe SCUBA idea by snorkeling and the snorkeling near the Pitons was insane ! That made we determined to go down farther and see what else lurks !

I know you didn't mention Mexico but diving in Cancun was like swimming in an over - populated fish-tank (didn't link the video cause it is long but also on my channel).

What are some of the specifics you are looking for ?

---------- Post added January 10th, 2014 at 05:58 PM ----------

We're planning on Grenada for 2014.

 

[arpyd]

I've dived off Florida, Cozumel, and Palawan and definitely prefer reefs and good visibility. Understand won't see much of that near these islands. For her, I just want a good experience since it can be intimidating, particularly because of the strong currents I've been reading about of St Lucia. So realistically hoping to find the place where she'll have the most memorable first experience but also a safe one.

Saba sounds really good but not sure how to get between all the islands. We are flying out of Antigua and hoping to hit up one of the carnivals near there. Which would you recommend?

 

[drrich2]

Oddly enough, if I were hitting a number of islands, I'd consider getting OW cert.'d on the one with the lousiest diving scenery (but still warm, high-viz., minimal current) for my check-out dives, so that when I dove someone good, I wouldn't be worried about checking off skills and could enjoy it.

Are you guys cruising? I ask because it might make a difference whether you're going to be on an island a day, 4 days, etc...

She already done the pool sessions?

Richard.

 

[arpyd]

Not cruising, just looking to go some island hopping on our 2 week vacation and hopefully see something other than the touristic side of the island... yes, I know, these islands are pretty overrun from what I hear. I guess after my trip the Philippines in the summer, was hoping for similar scenery and the ability to hop from island to island on our schedule. Going to Sint Maarten is the most inconvenient for us and we more realistically will fly into St Lucia or Antigua and out of Antigua and hop the islands throughout the trip.

She can do the pool sessions in Vancouver. That would help I assume?

Would you recommend St Lucia over Martinique, Antigua or Dominica?

 

[drrich2]

What I know of them (from a diving perspective) I've learned on the forum. Haven't dove those places. Antigua is not a prime dive destination. You'll see many posts on the forum about Bonaire, Cozumel, Belize, Curacao, Bahamas, Saba, Turks & Caicos, some parts of Florida & the Keys...

...and some posts about St. Lucia and Dominica that are complimentary. Here's a thread on Dominica from March that asked for tips on it; might be helpful to you.

I am hoping to visit St. Lucia on a cruise ship stop myself; after some online researching, I settled on Scuba Steve's Diving. They appear to be a well-regarded op. I was shopping from the perspective of a certified diver wanting a 2-tank tour guide, not a class, but you may find them what you need.

I don't know squat about Martinique. Whenever I don't see an island mentioned on the forum much, I start wandering why.

Richard.

---------- Post added January 11th, 2014 at 12:05 AM ----------

Okay, I've been re-reading a highly contentious thread on a List of Dive Destinations to not go to, from a few months back, and DjDiverDan posted in that:

Martinique is also very different - dead reefs, disappointing dives, and rude French people. It DOES belong on your "do not go" list.

Personally, any dive destination gets dissed by someone sometime, I think, and you'll want to do a forum search to get some other views, but wow, that looks pretty bad!

Richard.

 

[arpyd]

Thanks Richard! Appreciate all the input

This trip is more for a random adventure mixed with culture and surprisingly cheap flights, we'll definitely make a plan to hit up Aruba/Bonaire or Cozumel next

'rude french people' who would have guessed!?