Dominica

[Tgrdvrmd]

How is the diving in Dominica? Our dive group is going mid-May @ staying @ Castle Comfort. Any recommendations? Restaurants? Tours? Etc. thanks!!

 

[yakivet]

How is the diving in Dominica? Our dive group is going mid-May @ staying @ Castle Comfort. Any recommendations? Restaurants? Tours? Etc. thanks!!

Its been 15 years since I've been there but the in house restaurant was very good. The Pumpkin soup, the breadfruit and the "Mountain Chicken" still come to mind. The diving was very good then and I'm sure it is still now. I wouldn't bother with the "Whale Watching" trips if they are still doing them. You will have a wonderful time. Take some time to do a few of the hikes with local guides. It is a beautiful island. :42:

 

[Rescue Diver68]

The diving is excellent down in Soufriere.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

My wife and I stayed in Portsmouth which is on the northwest side of the island in November, 2012. I understand the diving is better in Roseau on the southwest side of the island but we gave up after five dives and concentrated on the land.

There were fish traps everywhere. Many abandoned and full of dead fish. The locals have no respect for the sea or what lives there. I saw piles of trash that they just dump into the water. They drag nets between two boats and take everything, breaking the coral and everything else in the path of the nets. Most of the fish I saw were three inches or smaller except for the lionfish, lots of lionfish.

Instead of mentioning what I saw, I'll mention what I did not see: no turtles, sharks, groupers, jacks, barracudas, angels or parrotfish.

I would not recommend diving in Dominica or going to Dominica to dive.

 

[diver 85]

IMO, the best diving I've ever had in the Caribbean was there....We stayed @ Castle Comfort Lodge & ALL(22 in the group) had a great experience ---above & below the water......


Click below link for my pics, may have to click 'Show albums' on the left hand side to get to my Dominica pics/videos---all have Dominica in their album names......Planning on going back in the near future....IMO, you can't go wrong by going there......good luck

GEAUXtiger's Library | Photobucket

---------- Post added April 30th, 2013 at 12:15 PM ----------

The diving is excellent down in Soufriere.

a BIG 1+ for Soufriere diving.......

 

[diverrex]

If you go to Dominica and only dive without heading up into the rainforest you will miss one of the best things about the island and also what makes Dominica different from many other Caribbean dive destinations. The boiling lake hike was worth missing a day of diving.

 

[Allan C Smith]

My wife and I stayed in Portsmouth which is on the northwest side of the island in November, 2012. I understand the diving is better in Roseau on the southwest side of the island but we gave up after five dives and concentrated on the land.

There were fish traps everywhere. Many abandoned and full of dead fish. The locals have no respect for the sea or what lives there. I saw piles of trash that they just dump into the water. They drag nets between two boats and take everything, breaking the coral and everything else in the path of the nets. Most of the fish I saw were three inches or smaller except for the lionfish, lots of lionfish.

Instead of mentioning what I saw, I'll mention what I did not see: no turtles, sharks, groupers, jacks, barracudas, angels or parrotfish.

I would not recommend diving in Dominica or going to Dominica to dive.

And here we go again.... Pedro I'm sorry you had a bad time diving In Dominica but as you can see other people have had a great time. Yes there are some problems with over fishing and yes there is trash on the reefs from time to time. But guess what that's the whole ****ing Caribbean. Dominica is the poorest country in Carricom but the people are happy and the island in Stunning. Rather than turn your back on the place because you had one bad diving trip with Cabrits you should at the very least keep you Negativity with Cabrits and not the whole country. Dive shops are not Restaurants and Reefs do no come with Menus I'm sorry you did not see the 5 easiest things that every Reef Diver Knows how to Identify. But while you were looking for what wasn't there I'm sure you missed what was like Frog fish, Flamingo Tongues, Lobsters, eels out the ass, Spotted Eagle Rays and Sea Horses. If divers quit going to Dominica the locals will only see the reefs as a place for food and if you keep trash talking a place that you were at for a week on the board... Guess what people will quit coming so ether go back and form a more Educated opinion or quit jumping on Dominica every time it's mention on this board.

Back ground on me to the rest of the thread
I lived in Picard Dominica for 1 year and logged over 100 dives there.
I currently live in St. Vincent and Dive almost every Day
I Have dove On Grand Caymen, St Martin, St Lucia, St, Vincent and Dominica

Dominica has been the best diving by far and a lot of people Agree with me

 

[agilis]

My wife and I stayed in Portsmouth which is on the northwest side of the island in November, 2012. I understand the diving is better in Roseau on the southwest side of the island but we gave up after five dives and concentrated on the land.

There were fish traps everywhere. Many abandoned and full of dead fish. The locals have no respect for the sea or what lives there. I saw piles of trash that they just dump into the water. They drag nets between two boats and take everything, breaking the coral and everything else in the path of the nets. Most of the fish I saw were three inches or smaller except for the lionfish, lots of lionfish.

I've been to Dominica at least 12 times over the past 10 years. The diving is excellent, but different. Dominica is not a coral island. it's volcanic. I'm a fish watcher and sw aquarist. I have seen every fish mentioned above on most dives, excepting large sharks. In fact, I usually see every fish mentioned snorkeling 50 yards off the beach along one of the countless walls which exist anywhere that one of the dozens of mountains that comprise so much of Dominica plunges straight into the sea. I have a favorite little mid west coast bay used by fisherman with traps and giant nets that they use almost daily. There are always lots of French, Queen, and Rock Beauty angels, and so many large French Angels that I've seen them mating in less than 10 feet of water. Hawksbill turtles are there hunting food every morning (early). Many Spotted Drums are everywhere, and seahorses are abundant in 5 to 15 feet of water, far more commonly seen inshore than offshore, so scuba divers think they are rare. They are not. They like shallow water with its weeds more than offshore reefs. Lionfish are becoming a plague just about everywhere. I kill every one I see with a tiny barbless Hawaiian sling. I put a small spear that extends only a few inches through their guts and let them die on thier own. I do the same every summer here in New Jersey. They are now too numerous to extirpate, so I do it out of anger. These tiny pole spears are available for about $25 from Korea. Useless for most things, but remove the barb and you are good to go as an irresponsible and cruel undersea assassin unwilling to get near their venomous spines. If I want to eat a fish I buy one from the kids who sell them along the road. Dominica is not perfect, and neither am I.
As others have mentioned, the interior of Dominica is so beautiful and so untouched I spend every day I'm there wandering the rainforets and floating in the clear warm rivers. Dominica is very poor, second only to Haiti. It has a tiny population,less that 80,000 people. Where else can you hike for hours and never see another human being?

 

[diver 85]

My wife and I stayed in Portsmouth which is on the northwest side of the island in November, 2012. I understand the diving is better in Roseau on the southwest side of the island but we gave up after five dives and concentrated on the land.

There were fish traps everywhere. Many abandoned and full of dead fish. The locals have no respect for the sea or what lives there. I saw piles of trash that they just dump into the water. They drag nets between two boats and take everything, breaking the coral and everything else in the path of the nets. Most of the fish I saw were three inches or smaller except for the lionfish, lots of lionfish.

Instead of mentioning what I saw, I'll mention what I did not see: no turtles, sharks, groupers, jacks, barracudas, angels or parrotfish.

I would not recommend diving in Dominica or going to Dominica to dive.

lol..........I go 180 degrees opposite in directions........IMO, you went to the wrong place----on the island.........

 

[belette]

Hello
We have dived in Dominica lots and it really is stunning. The dives around Soufriere are very varied and full of fish. There are few shark spottings but loads of turtles, rays, seahorses, frog fish and angel fish. There are walls, coral gardens, swim throughs, sandy areas, even Champagne bubbles. There are concentrated attempts to keep the lion fish population in check.
also night dives are great with huge crabs and lobsters, sting rays and lots of strange creatures.
in addition, Dominica is a beautiful country with lots to do, especially hiking into the rainforest, and the people are delightful, fiercely proud of their country.
soufriere has been a marine reserve for a while and so it is perhaps better marshalled than Cabrits.
hope you have a wonderful time.