Beaches Resort at Turks & Caicos Trip report

[dukeh20]

We just finished a weeks stay at Beaches. We haven't stayed at one of their resorts before and it is truly spectacular. They have 16 on site restaurants that should appeal to every taste. We did Kimonos (their Japanese restaurant) one night where the chef cooks at your table.

The resort is family friendly with a water park and lots of activities for the kids.

The dive center is first class. Micheal who runs it was there all the time and did his best to make sure that all of our diving needs were taken care of. Our boat captain was Jacket and our divemaster was Malcolm. They were extremely professional and kept us in stitches with the bantering between themselves and all the members of our group. They provided sandwiches and fresh fruits for the surface intervals and their boats were clear and very spacious.

Because our trip was part business and part pleasure, we only had three days of actual diving with two morning dives each day. We saw an assortment of "critters" including a hammerhead shark and a humpback whale between dive sites.

All and all I would certainly consider another dive trip with them.

Duke

 

[Illini_Fan]

What, if anything, did you have to go through to prove your experience and were you able to get that done the same day or did you have to wait a day before diving?

thanks

 

[dukeh20]

What, if anything, did you have to go through to prove your experience and were you able to get that done the same day or did you have to wait a day before diving?

thanks

I was there on a FAM trip with other dive shop owners/instructors/staff. During the dive shop orientation/tour, they were quite adamant about having dove within the preceding six months in order to avoid any refresher course. Your log book should be sufficient verification of your dive experience.

The Water Sport Manager at the resort is Michael Clarke (maclarke@grp.sandals.com).
You might want to contact him directly if you have any specific questions.

 

[croz]

How was their equipment? We've booked a trip there and I'd like to use their BC's and maybe regs if they're decent.

 

[dukeh20]

I brought my own, but several in our group used their BC's, wet suits and regs. Everything appeared to be like new with little or no wear. No one in our group had any problems with their gear.

 

[CanadianTravelAgent]

I'm curious if the Beaches dive operator gets over to West Caicos and Sanborne Channel sites? In my experience these are better sites than Grace Bay and Northwest Point. If they do go out there, how long is the ride? I've only gone with operators out of the marina on the south side.
Thanks!

 

[lv2dive]

This is related to the location vs. the operation, but I think it's relevant:

Back in the early 00's I was at Beaches with my then-husband and we were scheduled to go on the morning dive. We weren't sure if they would call it or not since there had been a storm that morning and the water was still pretty rough. Anyway, long story short, it was decided to go and once on the boat, we were told to sit down and hold on bc it would be a rough ride going over the reef. I'm not exactly sure what happened but the way the boat took a wave, the people who were furthest in the bow were thrown off the benches, hit their heads on the ceiling, then crashed back down into the benches. The force of the impact caused one of the two people to fracture three vertebrae in her back (she had to be medivac'ed to the states), the other got away with "just" a fractured coccyx. Since I was the person with the fractured coccyx this incident has stuck with me. I couldn't sit down for weeks.

There was a part of me that questioned the capabilities/skills of the captain of the dive boat, but at the end of the day we just decided it was a freak accident. BUT - if I was diving Beaches T&C again, and there had been a storm that morning, you can bet I wouldn't be on the boat that morning! I imagine the resort didn't go over that reef in rough waters for a while but it's been several years now. Something to think about if you are there and faced with a similar situation.

The resort was great and I would go back, especially if I had kids.

 

[gypsyjim]

Thanks for the report!
It has been more than 10 years since we visited Beaches T&C.

We have stayed, (and I have dived) 3 times at Beaches T&C. They were always quite fun to dive with, and right on top of things (except for one DM who "misplaced 1/2 her group, but she was not there on a return visit-wonder why). As this was just as I began to get back into diving, I rented everything but the mask, and their gear was more than adequate, and serviceable. All in good shape.

We always really enjoyed diving the wall to the north. The one time that a week of weather forced the op to bus us divers to the south side and dive in the shallower, more sheltered southern side, I was not very impressed with diving there.

I don't remember 16 restaurants, but I sure remember Kimonos. A bit of a culture shock, having dark skinned local natives doing Hibatchi cooking, trying to imitate Japanese Habatchi chef tricks. But the food was decent, even then.
They did have a very good Japanese sushi chef in the sushi spot next to Hibachis back then.
There was also a seafood specialty restaurant near the dive shop, that you really needed to make reservations for. Beaches "French Restaurant" was not impressive.
This was long ago, now, so much may have changed.

This was all years ago, and back then EVERYONE had to do a quick in pool skill test, before they could dive. No exceptions. Period.
I always went right to the shop, and did my skill check, as soon as I arrived, and put my name on the list for the morning dive. Even tho there were times the list was full for the dive the morning after I arrived, I went on the alternate list, and showed up early. NEVER failed to get on that first morning dive either (Beaches is an alcohol all inclusive! Many "divers" simply fail to show up in time for that first dive!!! )

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

I'll certainly vouch for Beaches T&C! We were there last September and will be there again this September, and have nothing but great things to say about the resort, the staff and the diving. We dove morning & afternoon, and regularly visited West Caicos and the Northwest Point areas, with plenty of other walls, drop-offs & reefs in between. I'd recommend them to anyone and especially if you are traveling with non-diving family as there is so much to see and do there.

 

[gypsyjim]

They also offered one night dive, on I think Wed, IF enough divers sign up. I was always successful in selling that dive for them when I was there.

They don't venture far from the resort for that night dive, and you could count on a very large grouper shadowing your dive, hoping for you to light up his dinner!