Bareboat cruising and diving in BVI- recommendations?

[joh]

I am bareboat cruising later this month and seeking good advice from those who have dived in bvi, especially if you did a bareboat charter. We plan to dive shallow sites from the boat. Any must-do dives? Tips or advice if anyone has combined bareboat sailing and diving? My SO prefers shallow dives less than 50 fsw.

Any advice on best shops for renting equipment? We would prefer to rent equipment rather than fly with our stuff ( I plan to bring my reg and comp. though). Thanks!!

 

[TSandM]

I don't have any advice for you on renting gear, because we brought ours, but HERE is my report of our BVI trip, with information about all the dives sites we did.

 

[gracet]

in 2004 we rented from blue water. They brought the equipment to the dock per the reservation.
in 2008 we rented from usb. They were right at the charter dock.

get the books, most sites are heavly documented, but some books have the diagram of the site, which for several sites really helps. From a sailboat the more exposed bouys are harder. These are day bouys, and are not maintained as they should. So leaving someone on board is needed unless its truly totaly calm at the bouy as it generally at rhone.

The deepest sites will top out as 85. And bulk of the rest 60. Check the books.

order of best memorys
rhone, really is two tank so you dont rush it.
painted walls
Brewer bay east (underwater wall of bolders like "the baths" )
alices wonderland
chikuzen


as you surf there are many worthy others, but conditions vary at each so you have to be flexible. (crowded bouys or conditions)

Filling tanks, several locations in the islands i seem to remember many close at 4. So our pattern of filling at 330 and the moving the overnight spot worked good. We always rented 2 tanks each. The shops give you a rack for securing on the deck somewhere.

Do not fly with the "stuff", these shops have everything, however this is a personal decision. If you want to bring your mask computer and reg, thats works good too.

With no local experience it is engaging to plan and performs this.
This is one of the few places in the world where is combined the documented sites + bouys + reasonable distances + sailboat rental + dive quaility.

 

[diversteve]

Check into Rendezvous diving also. The diveop boat will meet you at a location with gear/tanks/dm etc. DiveBVI does it - Rendezvous Diving | Dive BVI So does Blue Water - Blue Water Divers - Caribbean Scuba Diving in the British Virgin Islands - and I'm sure there's others. If you haven't seen it yet - www.bviscuba.org lists all your options. Maybe get the Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkeling the British Virgin Islands book also.

If you're sailing near Virgin Gorda, DiveBVI fills tanks on the dock at both their main Yacht Harbor and Leverick Bay locations. They pump 32% Nitrox at the Yacht Harbor location. And there's a pretty big retail location there also. Great people and operation.

Good dives:

The Rhone - often busy though. We moved moorings to dive both front & back halves.
The Chimney off Great Dog.
Seal Dog Rocks.
Ginger Steps and Alice's Backside off Ginger Island
The Aquarium is a good 2nd dive just off the Yacht Harbor entrance (south?)
Thumb Rock off Cooper Island also.

All were shallow dives. I limited myself to about 60' as I was filming w/o lights. The Rhone may have been closer to 70'.

Other must-do's - moor at and snorkel in to the Baths off Virgin Gorda. Also the Willy T floating bar/grille off Norman Island. The Pussers complex on Marina Cay is worth a look also. There's a great Beach BBQ/dancing at Leverick Bay on Friday night.

 

[Rhone Man]

It is a bit dated now, but here is a BVI diving guide that I posted a couple of years back.

Looking at it again now, I may try and update it a bit soon. But it should give you a good baseline.

And I am always happy to answer PMs for anything people don't want to ask in a public forum.