Grand Turk - Bohio Dive Resort July 4th Week , 2014

[Blues Runner]

My wife and and I enjoyed an awesome July 4th week with the wonderful folks of the Bohio Dive Resort on Grand Turk! The staff is awesome. Dive Master/Captain Ollie provided great, safe and comfortable diving on one of the healthiest reef walls I have seen in the Caribbean. Chef Jorika's varied menu and delectable food added a few additional pounds to both of us. Captain Trevor taught me to free dive for conch. He prepared the freshest conch ceviche I have ever consumed!

In summary, we met some awesome fellow travelers! We dove, ate too much, consumed wine and various rum concoctions while listening and dancing to great music. We had the opportunity to watch some of the World Cup with island locals (British Territory) with the expected razzing during the USA games.

We had a wonderful experience and will return!

David

 

[drrich2]

Glad you had a great time! It's interesting to me how things 'shake out' in the dive destination market. It seems like, as people get into recreational scuba diving, there are a few locations that are '1st string' for whatever reason - Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, Bonaire, Roatan, the Bahamas and the Florida Keys - and the some 2nd string - Curacao, Turks & Caicos, Saba, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, Utilia, maybe Grand Turk - and then the 3rd string that I don't see as many reports about - Dominica, Barbados. I'm not talking about the quality of the diving, or even which is 'better' as a destination for the mainstream recreational diver.

Someone may choose to argue my ordering, but that's just my impression of rough market share categories in the Caribbean recreational diving market, based on forum postings & similar.

I wonder if Grand Turk is 'up and coming,' given the reports of the high quality diving, or if it will remain one of those destinations only a small fraction get to?

What led you to pick it over other options?

Richard.

 

[Blues Runner]

Richard,

We chose Grand Turk because of reports/reviews indicating the wall is in pristine condition. My actual experience diving the wall proved that to be true. We were also informed that Bohio's food was great and that also proved to be true. Bohio is small with 16 rooms available.

I hope that Bohio and the other hotels on the island remain small. That smallness contributes greatly to the condition of the reef and the vibe on the island.

Your first string list contains three of my favorite locations. The north walls on Grand Cayman are outstanding. Anthony's Key and Roatan are a wonderful experience. My "backyard" contains Key Largo which is my go to spot on the home front.

David

 

[drrich2]

I'd like to know about how many dives you can do per day on Grand Turk. Here's my perspective for why that's important to me...

From what I understand from other posts, Grand Turk is somewhat 'quiet' - in other words, not a lot topside. No rain forest hikes like Saba and Dominica (or St. Lucia for that matter), the Mayan ruins and rain forest of Belize, not all the shopping of St. Thomas nor the mainland Florida attractions easily reached from the Florida Keys, etc... This is particularly important for folks who aren't 'people people' who tend to quickly befriend strangers and enjoy just kind of 'hanging out.'

Now, in a place like Bonaire, where I can do all the shore diving day & night I want, or Key Largo where I can go out twice daily & get in 4 dives/day with Rainbow Reef Dive Center, such would be no problem. Eat, sleep, dive, maybe spend a little time on the internet, repeat daily until vacation ends and that's a 'success.'

But if I can only do 2 dives per day & done by 1 p.m., then ummm...well.

I'm not dissing Grand Turk; I suspect I'd love the diving there. I just want to better understand what it is, and what it is not.

Richard.

 

[Blues Runner]

Richard,

You can easily do 3 dives per day on Grand Turk. The wall (begins typically at 30 ft and drops to 7000 ft) is literally a 5 minute boat ride away from the beach. You are able to see the mooring balls from the beach. Because of the small numbers of divers, you are able to dive your computer limits and safe air limits . My dives averaged 70 minutes and I even had one 90 minute dive.

Bohio was very laid back. The 1st trip usually departed about 9:00AM and made it back to the beach at 11:00AM. You would do your surface interval and order lunch to be served when you arrived back after the second dive. If a 3rd dive was done, it would depart about 3PM. I did a couple night dives as well.

Three of my 7 dive days were two tank days. On the first two dive only day, we took an afternoon trip to free dive for conch. After collecting the conch, we went to a small cay and cleaned the conch for conch ceviche. While the ceviche was stewing, we fed the scraps to stingrays while drinking rum punch and soaking up the sun. Since there were two 50+ year olds (me included) the captain/conch diver put us in only 15-20 feet of water for the free dive.

On another two dive day, my wife and I rented a golf cart for the afternoon and explored the island. Much too see. Lot's to see. Birds, wild donkeys, wild horses, lighthouse, churches etc...

The other two dive day, we snorkeled on the beach, sailed a hobie cat and relaxed.

I to enjoy diving as much as possible when travelling. I understand the 4 dives per day and I normally do the same thing at Rainbow.

If you want to try the Turks and Caicos, the humpback whales migrate through the Salt Cay area (10 miles from Grand Turk) January through April. Salt Cay is suppose to be the best base point for this exploration . Our Dive Master at Bohio (Ollie) was filling in for Bohio's Vacationing Dive Master. Ollie has his own dive operation at Salt Cay and they do humpback snorkeling trips.

Dive Salt Cay Divers, scuba diving, Salt Cay, Turks Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Whale Watching - Caribbean Humpback Whales

One of our fellow divers at Bohio left TUE and went to Provo to dive. He told me that Grand Turk in general was a much better dive spot with the exception of diving West Caicos (long boat ride) where they encountered many black tip reef sharks).


If/when I go back, I would target the Humpback migration time. I would spend a day diving West Caicos, go to Salt Cay for several days and finish at Bohio on Grand Turk.


If I may answer any additional questions let me know.

David

 

[SandyUT]

Blues Runner, we are looking at a couple dive resorts on Grand Turk. Did you do the all inclusive? What were the dinner options like on the island - cost wise? Bohio and Osprey are the two I am researching now. thanks for your report above!

Thanks!!

 

[ChefMali]

Richard,

You can easily do 3 dives per day on Grand Turk. The wall (begins typically at 30 ft and drops to 7000 ft) is literally a 5 minute boat ride away from the beach. You are able to see the mooring balls from the beach. Because of the small numbers of divers, you are able to dive your computer limits and safe air limits . My dives averaged 70 minutes and I even had one 90 minute dive.

Bohio was very laid back. The 1st trip usually departed about 9:00AM and made it back to the beach at 11:00AM. You would do your surface interval and order lunch to be served when you arrived back after the second dive. If a 3rd dive was done, it would depart about 3PM. I did a couple night dives as well.

Three of my 7 dive days were two tank days. On the first two dive only day, we took an afternoon trip to free dive for conch. After collecting the conch, we went to a small cay and cleaned the conch for conch ceviche. While the ceviche was stewing, we fed the scraps to stingrays while drinking rum punch and soaking up the sun. Since there were two 50+ year olds (me included) the captain/conch diver put us in only 15-20 feet of water for the free dive.

On another two dive day, my wife and I rented a golf cart for the afternoon and explored the island. Much too see. Lot's to see. Birds, wild donkeys, wild horses, lighthouse, churches etc...

The other two dive day, we snorkeled on the beach, sailed a hobie cat and relaxed.

I to enjoy diving as much as possible when travelling. I understand the 4 dives per day and I normally do the same thing at Rainbow.

If you want to try the Turks and Caicos, the humpback whales migrate through the Salt Cay area (10 miles from Grand Turk) January through April. Salt Cay is suppose to be the best base point for this exploration . Our Dive Master at Bohio (Ollie) was filling in for Bohio's Vacationing Dive Master. Ollie has his own dive operation at Salt Cay and they do humpback snorkeling trips.

Dive Salt Cay Divers, scuba diving, Salt Cay, Turks Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Whale Watching - Caribbean Humpback Whales

One of our fellow divers at Bohio left TUE and went to Provo to dive. He told me that Grand Turk in general was a much better dive spot with the exception of diving West Caicos (long boat ride) where they encountered many black tip reef sharks).


If/when I go back, I would target the Humpback migration time. I would spend a day diving West Caicos, go to Salt Cay for several days and finish at Bohio on Grand Turk.


If I may answer any additional questions let me know.

David

My husband and I are going there in May. How was your night dive? I have a few dives under my belt so I'm considered a "rookie" and wanted to know the conditions for night diving out there? Did you do a boat night dive or a shore night dive?

Thanks, Mali

 

[Thook]

Well just 80 miles east is Caymen Brac... found a place offering 17 dives......

 

[Blues Runner]

Cayman Brac is a great dive location as well. Cayman Brac Beach Resort and Reef Divers is a great combination.

 

[Thook]

Sweet! That's what I'm leaning twoards... offering 17 dives! Why is this area generally prone to only offer 2 dives a day?? When I go in a dive vacation I want to dive!