bvi diving conditions?

[jon m]

hey all-
heading out in a year or so on a barefoot in the BVI-
boat full of divers, low-med experience.
just looking for general dive conditions (i know they can change from minute to minute!)
for instance- Cozumel is typically "drift" diving. is BVI?
just general stuff like that.

also- any detailed dive site/descriptions out there? i know there are, i just can't find them!

thanks for any advice!

 

[BTravlin]

Most sites in the BVI are not drift dives although some sites can have considerable current, especially those located in or near passes between islands. Drop a line with some weight tied at the end to test current before entering water and then have one of your more experienced divers get in and check before everyone drops in.

All dive sites have mooring balls to tie off to to prevent anchors being dropped on the reef. Sites are generally not as deep as Cozumel with the majority being in the 50-60' range and some as deep as 80'. There is a good variety of underwater topography with decent viz but nowhere near as good as Cozumel.

Diving the Wreck of the Rhone is not to be missed, one of my all time favorites.

You might send a PM to Rhone Man here on SB as he is based in the BVI and can probably answer all of your questions much better than I can.

 

[bvibound]

Lots of wrecks and reefs. Not drift dives so you can dive from a boat without a driver who has to know where to pick you up.

 

[Rhone Man]

BTravlin pretty much nailed the key points - almost all the sites have marker bouys, so you don't need to anchor, and provided you can find the vague local vicinity they are easy to find. Some of the further out sites (if you are feeling adventurous) you would need GPS coordinates. Conditions are usually pretty warm all year around - shorty should be fine.

One of my friends recently wrote a dive guide to the main BVI dive sites (all 70 of them), including maps and GPS coordinates. I'll see if I can find and post a link.

PM me when you are coming down. I dive most weekends and I am more than happy to try and meet up with SB people and take them to my favourite sites.

 

[Rhone Man]

One of my friends recently wrote a dive guide to the main BVI dive sites (all 70 of them), including maps and GPS coordinates. I'll see if I can find and post a link.

Here's a link to the guidebook if you are interested: The Guide to Diving and Snorkeling in the British Virgin Islands | Second Edition

 

[jon m]

thanks!
i ordered the book...

 

[BVIMermaid]

favorite BVI dive sites:

RMS Rhone (of course!)
The Visibles at Cockroach Island
Rhone Reef
Cistern Point
Santa Monica Rock
Painted Walls
Blonde Rock

All teeming with life.

Enjoy!

 

[VGdiver]

hey all-
heading out in a year or so on a barefoot in the BVI-
boat full of divers, low-med experience.
just looking for general dive conditions (i know they can change from minute to minute!)
for instance- Cozumel is typically "drift" diving. is BVI?
just general stuff like that.

also- any detailed dive site/descriptions out there? i know there are, i just can't find them!

thanks for any advice!

Jon

The BVI has a large number of sites with bottom geography, coral structures and depth all varying from the east end to west end of the BVI. For dive site descriptions, you can check out Dive BVI dive sites for depth and animal descriptions. I've been diving here for 8 years now and still love it!

Jeff

 

[TSandM]

HERE's my report from our crewed charter trip to dive the BVI a couple of years ago. It's got some dive site descriptions and photographs in it.

We had some very novice divers in our group (including a couple who finished their OW checkout dives on the Rhone the day before we left!) and everybody had a very good time. None of the dives we did were difficult for novices, except for the current on our first Rhone dive.

 

[aquaregia]

For what it's worth, my Barefoot Beneteau 50 wasn't too bad, albeit a little cruisey. Current picked up in the afternoons usually, not sure how typical that is.