St.Thomas or St.Johns Antigua?

[Bond795]

Hi,

I have a upcoming Cruise down to the USVI. Going to St Thomas, and St Johns, Antigua.


Due to the options that the cruise line has giving us, none of the dives sound interesting to me. The excursions that the cruise line are offering only give us a dive option in St Thomas.

I was wondering if anyone has experience diving St Thomas or St John's Antigua and would recommend a Dive Center there that I could Book on my own without going though the cruise line.

Also any Dive that someone has experienced at those locations that they would like to recommend.

Perhaps a Wreck or something that stood out.

Thanks for any comments.
Ken

 

[diversteve]

On St. Thomas, Blue Island Divers is an option since they'll pick you up at WICO - the main cruise dock. Or if you dock at Crown Bay, they're located there. www.blueislanddivers.com

Options were just discussed in this thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=158687

Chris Sawyer's also dives around the cruise ship schedules, but they're 20 min. away by cab in Red Hook. http://www.sawyerdive.vi/

If your cruise dive is Coki Beach, you'd be right in passing on it imo.

 

[Jake]

Check out the Antigua Scuba Center here:

http://www.antiguascuba.com/

Carlo, the owner, was great to dive with. The diving out of Nelson's Dockyard was fantastic. Here's my trip report when I was there:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=139156

 

[rhyz]

I'll be diving with Blue Island divers on Monday the 2nd. I'll post a report after the dive on them for you. As for sites...haven't really researched any for St Thomas as of yet.

 

[Bond795]

Thanks for the response's

I havent made up my mind yet on what i'm doing since its still a month away.

But I will use this recommendation's.

Looking forward to your review of the st thomas dive after the 2nd, will help me make my decision.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[joshr502]

My wife and I just recently did some diving in Antigua. We were at Sandals though. The diving that they took us too wasn't all that fantastic, but I have heard that the diving around Nelsons Dockyard is great.

 

[neilstewart]

Hi,

We are travelling to Antigua for a week before Christmas. We are planning to take some kit and do a couple of days diving. We have car rental so wonder whether it is possible just to pick up some tanks and weights somewhere and go do our own thing? Sort of Bonaire type diving. Does anyone know of reasonabling interesting sites such as wrecks that are reachable by surface swim from the coast?

 

[smokey braden]

bond795,
if you get wet in st thomas there's a dive site called the cow and calf that's decent.

 

[Scuba Laura]

St. Thomas has alot of wrecks, if that is what you're interested in. Such as - The Wit Shoal, The Wit Concrete, The Kennedy, The Miss Opportunity and all the Navy Barges. Do your homework and do go with an independent dive center who doesn't contract with the cruise lines. You'll get better diving at sites not done everyday over and over. Admiralty Dive Center also can pick you up at the same cruise dock. They also offer a 3 tank, 3 location dive charter. Who wants to go shopping???

 

[mike_s]

I spent a week in St Thomas. While I didn't dislike it, I can see no reason to do anything but dive if if I ever visit there by cruise boat.

Why? the island culture is pretty much all Americanized. The only thing the island has going is its resorts on the beaches and the duty free shopping areas which are set up in roll-up-door mini warehouses on the cruise boat dock. It's just lost its island culture. Therefore, I'd go diving while there if back on a cruise boat trip.

BTW... the shore divin excursion the cruise boas use is Coki Beach. It's not bad, or anything, but it's not impressive either. But it's really worth it to pay a few extra bucks for a boat dive over this site.

mike.