brizzolatti
Contributor
Ok, finally done my trip report.
We were booked for a week at Anse Chastanet in the southwest of St Lucia. Flew in from London via Antigua. The drive from the airport to Anse Chastanet is long and winding and there is currently lots of repair work going on. It took us around an hour and a half. I didnt mind it because we saw a fair bit of the island and it had been a daytime flight so I wasn't totally exhausted but it wouldn't have been much fun at night and if I hadn't had any sleep. I thought about taking the helicopter on the return route but was too mean!
Anyhow, got to the hotel just around sundown and checked in for first night. I loved Anse Chastanet but, again, it is not for everyone. Rooms have no aircon (though large ceiling fan) but 6 sides of our 8 sided room could be opened to the elements so there was always a breeze. This openness was really nice at night and early mornings when the sounds of the forest and sea drifted in. Rooms are rustic and use local materials. There are 2 restaurants and bars one up the hill and one down on the beach. There are steps down to the beach. This is not a place if you are really unfit or have walking difficulties.
We were booked in on a MAP meal plan and the food was excellent.
Ok. Day 1 no diving but we took the complimentary water taxi to Soufriere (10 minutes and saw a huge turtle in the ocean en route) and hired a 4x4 for 4 days. That day we toured around Soufriere and visited the botanic gardens, sulphur springs, various waterfalls and moseyed around the town itself. Late afternoon back at the hotel I took to Caribbean for the first time for a snorkel. There are reefs either side of Anse Chastanet bay and just snorkelling got me really excited about my first dive which was the next morning. So
Day 2 first dive. 9am shore check in dive. Scuba St Lucia is based at Anse Chastanet and every diver has to do this dive before they can do any others. This was fine for me because I wanted a gentle reintroduction. I'd done a refresher in March but hadn't been in open water since last July. But for more experienced and expert divers, this might be a pain. However, I think it is excellent for resort and holiday divers because they really make sure you are properly weighted and make you do mask clearing and retrieving the reg before you go out. Basic, I know, but there were 2 others with me who hadnt dived for a while and the girl in the party had to do mask clearing a few times before she got it right. She was glad to have done this. It was my first shore dive and I made the usual mess of getting in even though the sea was really calm and there was no surf! There is a bit of a shelf so I tottered down that and then couldn't get my fins on. However, having read other's experiences about shore diving, I don't feel so stupid now! The house reef is great. You basically swim out about 30 feet, descend gradually as you swim out and it's there. Nice healthy reef, nice gentle dive, lots of reef fish, 27 degrees Celsius, visibility about 80 feet, I went max. to 20 metres and we were down for 51 minutes. After my dive, we took the 4x4 out and drove up the west coast.
Day 3 second dive, a 1030 boat dive to Jalousie site which is at the base of Gros Piton. I was much happier in the boat compared with the shore!! Took around 15 minutes to get there and the site is close to the Piton. Much happier with my giant stride entry than waddling around the beach. Water was calm, little current, 28 degrees, vis 80 feet, my max depth was 23.5 m. In each dive the DM said we would be going down max to 18m but if those with computers wanted to go deeper they could but to keep DM in eyeline and be responsible for checking their air. All dives with Scuba St Lucia are accompanied with either DM or instructor, sometimes both depending on the number of divers. Maximum number I was out with was 8 and there were 2 pros with us on that one. We were always buddied up and apart from the shore dive, the DM always had a reel/line.
That night there was a slide show of marine life by the hotel's photo/video studio, which I haven't mentioned yet so I will now. Next to Scuba St Lucia is the photo/video studio. They rent out cameras and equipment and will process film. They also do videos of divers. My first shore dive, one of the cameramen came out with us and took pics of us all. These were turned into transparencies and offered for sale next day. 3 for 10 dollars with a free video of the Anse Chastanet reef thrown in. Needless to say, I handed over the cash. Getting back to the slide show, this was very informative and showed us the range of creatures we could expect to see at the house reef, including The Thing. This is something that no one knows what it is, it is between 12-15 feet long, as wide as your arm and like a giant reddish brown centipede. Only comes out at night. Which leads me into Day 4 and my first night dive.
Day 4 took the jeep to the east Atlantic coast which has a different look to the Caribbean west. Visited Mamiku Gardens and Fregate Island (this has to be arranged in advance with the National Trust). Back to Anse Chastanet for the night dive which started as soon as the sun set. Kitted up, we stood on the shore watching the sun go down, then we walked into the water. This time I didn't make such a mess of the entry! I was a bit apprehensive but it was fine. There were 8 of us and 2 pros from Scuba St Lucia. We were split into 2 groups and buddied up. One group went out first and the other followed a good distance behind. I was buddied with a guy who had a video camera and who basically did his own thing taking film. I didnt think this was very good because I felt that I was buddying him but he wasn't buddying me. However, the group of us stayed close so it was ok. But it did get me thinking about the whole photography thing of which more in a moment because I used my Canon housing for the first time on the next dive. Anyway, the night dive was really good. Saw lots of things out and about that you don't see so much in the day. Lots of active lobsters, octopus and we also saw The Thing. Or at least about a foot of it as it was in a hole. Yet again I missed seeing a turtle which the other group saw. Overall, I enjoyed the night dive but I still prefer daytime when it's light and airy and the vis is good that's part of diving that I just love, the space and the vastness, which you dont see at night. But I was pleased at yet another landmark in my infant dive career.
Day 5 went out whale watching for 2 and a half hours but didn't see any whales. Did see dolphins, however. Had a dive at 1345, a very short (2 mins) boat trip out to Turtle Reef which was a delightful site. There were just 3 of us plus instructor, the coral was beautiful, vis was 80-100 feet, temp. was 28 Celsius and it was just a lovely relaxed dive with lots of interesting things to see. I took my Canon A40 with me with its new underwater housing and had a good time taking pics (mainly of coral!). Also my buddy took one of me so that was good, too! I was really pleased with the housing. No leaks, no condensation, it is easy to use and it is buoyant. I wasn't using a strobe and I switched off the camera's flash and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I am not looking for professional pics, just a nice record of my experience and something which gives the impression of what it is like. I feel I got that. I didn't try anything fancy which is why I stuck with coral because it doesn't move and I didn't need to get too close (my buoyancy isn't perfect yet!). I also took a few short video clips which are pretty cool because the camera's microphone picks up the sound of you breathing. Hung out at the beach the rest of the day and snorkelled some more.
Day 6 final dive of the short trip Superman's Flight. I was a bit anxious about this because I had read it was a drift dive with some strong currents and not for beginners. However . having spoken to the DM and instructor, they reckoned I would be fine. So out we went on the boat second one because the first one broke down just off shore. But it was no hassle, they changed a few parts and then we just transferred into the second boat. Its only a 10 minute ride round to the site and we were split into 2 groups of 4, buddied up and told to follow our leader. It was a really nice site with a fabulous coral wall. I needn't have worried about the current because if didnt feel very strong. About 2 knots the DM said after. When we turned around, however, I did finally understand what drift diving is as we were just carried along with the current. It was kind of exhilarating in a sedate way, if that makes sense. Had taken some more pics on the outward leg but just went with the flow on the inward one! Spent the rest of the day on the beach, drinking cocktails (non-alcoholic!) and snorkelling. And also wishing I was staying for another week!!
So that's it for now. It was a great break and a great place to be for a week. Diving was gentle and well organised which suits where I am right now in terms of my experience. I would definitely go back. And next time maybe explore more widely, particularly some of the wrecks. There was a 2 tank dive from Scuba St Lucia which visited 2 wreck sites I'd do that next time. And there were lots of sites I would go to that I didn't have time to go to. The island itself was lush and rugged with things to do for non divers (ie my husband). All in all, recommended.
We were booked for a week at Anse Chastanet in the southwest of St Lucia. Flew in from London via Antigua. The drive from the airport to Anse Chastanet is long and winding and there is currently lots of repair work going on. It took us around an hour and a half. I didnt mind it because we saw a fair bit of the island and it had been a daytime flight so I wasn't totally exhausted but it wouldn't have been much fun at night and if I hadn't had any sleep. I thought about taking the helicopter on the return route but was too mean!
Anyhow, got to the hotel just around sundown and checked in for first night. I loved Anse Chastanet but, again, it is not for everyone. Rooms have no aircon (though large ceiling fan) but 6 sides of our 8 sided room could be opened to the elements so there was always a breeze. This openness was really nice at night and early mornings when the sounds of the forest and sea drifted in. Rooms are rustic and use local materials. There are 2 restaurants and bars one up the hill and one down on the beach. There are steps down to the beach. This is not a place if you are really unfit or have walking difficulties.
We were booked in on a MAP meal plan and the food was excellent.
Ok. Day 1 no diving but we took the complimentary water taxi to Soufriere (10 minutes and saw a huge turtle in the ocean en route) and hired a 4x4 for 4 days. That day we toured around Soufriere and visited the botanic gardens, sulphur springs, various waterfalls and moseyed around the town itself. Late afternoon back at the hotel I took to Caribbean for the first time for a snorkel. There are reefs either side of Anse Chastanet bay and just snorkelling got me really excited about my first dive which was the next morning. So
Day 2 first dive. 9am shore check in dive. Scuba St Lucia is based at Anse Chastanet and every diver has to do this dive before they can do any others. This was fine for me because I wanted a gentle reintroduction. I'd done a refresher in March but hadn't been in open water since last July. But for more experienced and expert divers, this might be a pain. However, I think it is excellent for resort and holiday divers because they really make sure you are properly weighted and make you do mask clearing and retrieving the reg before you go out. Basic, I know, but there were 2 others with me who hadnt dived for a while and the girl in the party had to do mask clearing a few times before she got it right. She was glad to have done this. It was my first shore dive and I made the usual mess of getting in even though the sea was really calm and there was no surf! There is a bit of a shelf so I tottered down that and then couldn't get my fins on. However, having read other's experiences about shore diving, I don't feel so stupid now! The house reef is great. You basically swim out about 30 feet, descend gradually as you swim out and it's there. Nice healthy reef, nice gentle dive, lots of reef fish, 27 degrees Celsius, visibility about 80 feet, I went max. to 20 metres and we were down for 51 minutes. After my dive, we took the 4x4 out and drove up the west coast.
Day 3 second dive, a 1030 boat dive to Jalousie site which is at the base of Gros Piton. I was much happier in the boat compared with the shore!! Took around 15 minutes to get there and the site is close to the Piton. Much happier with my giant stride entry than waddling around the beach. Water was calm, little current, 28 degrees, vis 80 feet, my max depth was 23.5 m. In each dive the DM said we would be going down max to 18m but if those with computers wanted to go deeper they could but to keep DM in eyeline and be responsible for checking their air. All dives with Scuba St Lucia are accompanied with either DM or instructor, sometimes both depending on the number of divers. Maximum number I was out with was 8 and there were 2 pros with us on that one. We were always buddied up and apart from the shore dive, the DM always had a reel/line.
That night there was a slide show of marine life by the hotel's photo/video studio, which I haven't mentioned yet so I will now. Next to Scuba St Lucia is the photo/video studio. They rent out cameras and equipment and will process film. They also do videos of divers. My first shore dive, one of the cameramen came out with us and took pics of us all. These were turned into transparencies and offered for sale next day. 3 for 10 dollars with a free video of the Anse Chastanet reef thrown in. Needless to say, I handed over the cash. Getting back to the slide show, this was very informative and showed us the range of creatures we could expect to see at the house reef, including The Thing. This is something that no one knows what it is, it is between 12-15 feet long, as wide as your arm and like a giant reddish brown centipede. Only comes out at night. Which leads me into Day 4 and my first night dive.
Day 4 took the jeep to the east Atlantic coast which has a different look to the Caribbean west. Visited Mamiku Gardens and Fregate Island (this has to be arranged in advance with the National Trust). Back to Anse Chastanet for the night dive which started as soon as the sun set. Kitted up, we stood on the shore watching the sun go down, then we walked into the water. This time I didn't make such a mess of the entry! I was a bit apprehensive but it was fine. There were 8 of us and 2 pros from Scuba St Lucia. We were split into 2 groups and buddied up. One group went out first and the other followed a good distance behind. I was buddied with a guy who had a video camera and who basically did his own thing taking film. I didnt think this was very good because I felt that I was buddying him but he wasn't buddying me. However, the group of us stayed close so it was ok. But it did get me thinking about the whole photography thing of which more in a moment because I used my Canon housing for the first time on the next dive. Anyway, the night dive was really good. Saw lots of things out and about that you don't see so much in the day. Lots of active lobsters, octopus and we also saw The Thing. Or at least about a foot of it as it was in a hole. Yet again I missed seeing a turtle which the other group saw. Overall, I enjoyed the night dive but I still prefer daytime when it's light and airy and the vis is good that's part of diving that I just love, the space and the vastness, which you dont see at night. But I was pleased at yet another landmark in my infant dive career.
Day 5 went out whale watching for 2 and a half hours but didn't see any whales. Did see dolphins, however. Had a dive at 1345, a very short (2 mins) boat trip out to Turtle Reef which was a delightful site. There were just 3 of us plus instructor, the coral was beautiful, vis was 80-100 feet, temp. was 28 Celsius and it was just a lovely relaxed dive with lots of interesting things to see. I took my Canon A40 with me with its new underwater housing and had a good time taking pics (mainly of coral!). Also my buddy took one of me so that was good, too! I was really pleased with the housing. No leaks, no condensation, it is easy to use and it is buoyant. I wasn't using a strobe and I switched off the camera's flash and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I am not looking for professional pics, just a nice record of my experience and something which gives the impression of what it is like. I feel I got that. I didn't try anything fancy which is why I stuck with coral because it doesn't move and I didn't need to get too close (my buoyancy isn't perfect yet!). I also took a few short video clips which are pretty cool because the camera's microphone picks up the sound of you breathing. Hung out at the beach the rest of the day and snorkelled some more.
Day 6 final dive of the short trip Superman's Flight. I was a bit anxious about this because I had read it was a drift dive with some strong currents and not for beginners. However . having spoken to the DM and instructor, they reckoned I would be fine. So out we went on the boat second one because the first one broke down just off shore. But it was no hassle, they changed a few parts and then we just transferred into the second boat. Its only a 10 minute ride round to the site and we were split into 2 groups of 4, buddied up and told to follow our leader. It was a really nice site with a fabulous coral wall. I needn't have worried about the current because if didnt feel very strong. About 2 knots the DM said after. When we turned around, however, I did finally understand what drift diving is as we were just carried along with the current. It was kind of exhilarating in a sedate way, if that makes sense. Had taken some more pics on the outward leg but just went with the flow on the inward one! Spent the rest of the day on the beach, drinking cocktails (non-alcoholic!) and snorkelling. And also wishing I was staying for another week!!
So that's it for now. It was a great break and a great place to be for a week. Diving was gentle and well organised which suits where I am right now in terms of my experience. I would definitely go back. And next time maybe explore more widely, particularly some of the wrecks. There was a 2 tank dive from Scuba St Lucia which visited 2 wreck sites I'd do that next time. And there were lots of sites I would go to that I didn't have time to go to. The island itself was lush and rugged with things to do for non divers (ie my husband). All in all, recommended.
