Beaches Resort-Turk & Caicos

[kuma1720]

I am planning a June trip to Turks & Caicos and was wondering what experience, if any, has anyone had at the Beaches Resort there.
-How safe is the operator?
-How are the reefs/dive sites?
-Do they do 2 tank dives on the trips?
-Any suggestions or recommendations?

The reason I selected this site is that it seems to be kid friendly and can accomadate my non-diver wife and son, while I enjoy some diving. I am not looking for an entire dive vacation, but it would be great to get a few good dives in at a new place.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

You should be happy with Beaches. They do an all-inclusive that is geared toward the average diver. They do a two tank that will have you back earlier than most of the other ops on the island which will get you points with the family. I believe they require a pool check out. I also believe they require you to sign up each day and its sort of a first come first served thing. If you do a search on the Board you should find some good trip reports. Here's one you might find interesting: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/greater-caribbean-bermuda/47088-beaches-turks-caicos.html

If I were you I would book a couple day diving with Caicos Adventures. Plan on being gone from 8-3:00 p.m. Do two days of great diving as opposed to four or five days of average diving.

 

[caymaniac]

My son and daughter inlaw stayed most recently at Beaches T&C and I told them to make sure to use CA for some dives. They took diving with them for 3 days and said it was way nicer than the Beaches op that seemed to fill up without them being able to get on the list or when they did dive with them (Beaches) it was not run very well. The Beaches op stayed in Grace Bay and the better diving is found off the south side of the Island torwards west Caicos
Take Tim's advice if you are staying there. We did check out Beaches when we stayed at the Alexandria a few years ago, it looked safe.
For a place to stay, check with Caicos Adventures as sometimes they connect with some condos for a pkg.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Drop an email to my friend and Course Director, Bruce Farkas, at Red River Scuba, LLC. The website is Red River Scuba Home Page.

Bruce was the PADI Course Director at the Beaches Resort and took a group back there a few months ago. I'm sure that he would be glad to give you some solid information.

 

[gypsyjim]

We stayed and dived at Beaches and we always enjoyed it. Recently we've focussed on Bonaire, but I would consider going back to both Turks and Caicos and Beaches in the future.

 

[gypsyjim]

We've stayed and dived at Beaches T&C a few times. Last time we had to bus across the island to the more sheltered southern side due to recent storms, and there the diving was just OK. Other times we've dived the wall to the north (about 30 min trip), and every time we had great dives. Every diver has to do a pool/review session before Beaches will book dives for them, so they can get to see a diver's current level of control and comfort. After the first day of diving we never had any problem booking (book in the afternoon for the next day, as soon as you exit the morning dive). Even if the boat is booked, sign up and get there early: with all inclusive alcohol many "divers" have trouble with mornings! Except for one isolated time when a Divemaster left 1/2 his group behind I was always impressed by the crew's competence and safety. Usually I could also get 3-4 other divers together at least once for a night dive. Night diving is not part of the all inclusive, but if the crew can they are willing to book one, and a night dive is always worth a little extra to me. Hope this helps. Enjoy! Jim

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Just to clarify the dives he is referring to on the north side are Grace Bay (ok diving) and Northwest Point (good diving). When they bussed him to the south side they should have been going to either West Caicos or French Cay which are the premier dive sites around Providenciales. If he described it as being worse than the north side they may have been taking them to a site nearer to the south dock. I can't think of any in that area so they may have shorted the divers to save gas by taking them to a near site.

 

[kuma1720]

So the Beaches op will actually bus their groups to other sites??
I thought they kept to the one reef outside (boat ride) from their resort.
This can't be a bad thing am I right??
I've searched a few dive operators and they charge a good amount for the dives upwards of $100 for a 2 tank (I know you get what you pay for). I guess the Beaches op. isn't that bad of a value.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Its a good value in the sense that its an all-inclusive. Its not a good value in that they tend to dive some of the more average sites in Grace Bay frequently. Its like going to Little Cayman and not diving Bloody Bay Wall. You are diving but you really aren't getting the signature dives that draw people to that area.