St Lucia info needed

[daveg1]

I was in St Lucia just last month for 1 day (Cruise Ship Diving). I thought the diving was very good. Like somebody said "small fish and lots of coral". I did see two thing that I've never seen a school of squid, and a "fire worm". It sounds like the initial testing of your abilities is a island wide event. My wife and I both had to do flooded mask test, and regulator retrieval BEFORE they would let us go on a dive. I questioned the Dive Master later and she indicated that they test everybody no matter what your certification level is. I didn't have much time to see the island, but what I did see makes me want to go back for a week.

Yea they do make most people do a check out dive or do a few skills before they will take you out. From what I saw depending on your cert level and recient dives was how they decided who needed to do the check out dive. Last year when I was there my buddy who has an OW cert and had not been in the water in 4 months needed to do a check out dive. I was told I did not have to do one and could sign up for what ever dives I wanted. My only guess for this is, being a DM and having been in the water in Jan in Maine. That they felt I did not need the check out dive. Even with that I still did one, I figured if my buddy had to do it, I was not going to send him out by himself, and a dive is a dive.

 

[Florida1]

Has anyone had experience with the dive shop of the Still Beach Resort/Plantation?

Or with La Haut for lodging?

Or ways to avoid the congestion on days the cruise ships are in port?

Or favorite waterfalls for swimming? I have read that La Tille is nice, but don't know if you can swim there.

Many, many thanks!