Explorer Ventures - St Kitts/Saba/St Maarten trp
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volvorules
Registered
Awesome! Hope you have a great time! Be sure to post when you get back, my girlfriend and I are headed on that trip in November and would love to hear how yours goes! 
kennedy,
i have done this trip twice.
you will like the diving around saba.
be aware that the current around saba some times can be ''brisk''.
please take advantage of the island tour of saba.
ask the tour guide where ''saba spice'' can be purchased.
i am almost out.
the only way i can get more is to go to saba.
however, if you could be so kind to get me some, a deal could be made.
i am willing to pay you back, plus shipping and i'll pay for your jug.
this would be cheeper than going on another great trip to saba.
thank you,
i have done this trip twice.
you will like the diving around saba.
be aware that the current around saba some times can be ''brisk''.
please take advantage of the island tour of saba.
ask the tour guide where ''saba spice'' can be purchased.
i am almost out.
the only way i can get more is to go to saba.
however, if you could be so kind to get me some, a deal could be made.
i am willing to pay you back, plus shipping and i'll pay for your jug.
this would be cheeper than going on another great trip to saba.
thank you,
judydivescoz
Contributor
We are headed out on this trip in September..please post a trip report. We are looking forward to your experience.
Just got back - we had a great trip!!! Trip report and some pics soon!!
Send me your info in a private message - I picked you up a bottle.
Here is a quick version of our trip - I can be quite.........wordy. So I'll try to keep it short!
We got up at 2:45 a.m. that Sat to get ready to leave for the airport at 3:45 a.m.
That is just so beyond wrong I can't express it in words. It was us and the
donut makers on the road. We made it just fine to JFK and checked in. We got such
a deal on the air that my husband upgraded us to Business class on the plane to San
Juan. BIG SEATS. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The plane from San Juan to
St. Kitts was a puddle jumper........2 seats on each side...........questionable
AC. We hit some rough weather about 15 mins outside of St. Kitts and the
plane did some drops. There was a family across from me - the MOTHER started
acting up (read that as squealing like her life was over) and that scared the
two young girls and they joined in. It was a trying few minutes but I managed not to open my mouth or
start swinging. We landed w/o any incidents. Tho the customs lady didn't like my passport for some reason - but after making several faces and giving me the once over twice. She let us go.
Our EV cab driver was nowhere to be found when we landed in St. Kitts but the taxi guys all know each
other so w/in about 15 mins they hunted him down and he showed up and off to the boat we went.
We were the 1st ones to arrive on the boat - which was nice. The boat is older
but it was clean. I like my room cold when I sleep so I could have used more a/c but it was okay. There is very limited storage room in the cabins - we were in room 3. Took some creative arranging but we made it work. There was no need to have both Dan and I in the room at the same time unless one was up on the bed. The water in the shower (all of them) was HOT. No other choice. Even in the sink the water was HOT. Guess that's better than COLD.
There were 12 of us on the boat not counting crew. The group was fun. We had a nice mix of folks. We enjoyed them all.
Crew - fabulous. I can't say enough about the crew. Three DM's. Typically just one in the water - one hauling you in out of the water and the other was a steward each day - they all rotated. One DM had to be
6'2 or so - kinda big boy and was a big ol' teddy bear - from Liverpool. Everything was "quite lovely" or "quite pretty" - just a hoot. One was from New Orleans - and being from the south myself - he got his heart blessed several times. He KNEW exactly what I meant. Just a great crew - one of the best we have had on EV trips!
Food was fabulous....... Jane was the cook - her deserts were to die for too. You didn't go hungry. There was always cookies, nuts and a snack mix available. The liquor cabinet is stocked and brought out at dinner.
Diving - viz was low on most dives. 30-50'. Water typically 82 ish - I wore a
skin on most dives. The life is good. Lots of small stuff, crabs, shrimp,
nudis, butterfly fish, tangs, trumpet fish, eels, HUGE angels of all types, lots
of blennies - which I really just discovered - they are very cool. On our first
dive (a wreck in St. Kitts) I went down to look at an anemone and to the right
of it was the biggest green moray eel I've ever seen - I almost screamed. I
didn't see him till I was face to face with him. One night dive - they had
warned us the nurse sharks were not afraid of divers - they were right. I had
them bump my fins several times and I'd squeal. BEASTS. The coral is
pretty too - sea fans etc. The viz took some getting used to....I am spoiled to
100' viz. Some current.......most dives. On another night dive a squid about 11" or so -
came up at our safety stop - there were just 4 of us including the DM (the teddy
bear) and the squid focused in on one girl's light beam and it just kept coming
up and up in it and it actually head bumped her light and then took off - it was
beyond cool! Of course..........Dan didn't take his camera on that dive!!!!
We also did the land tours for St Kitts and Saba. It was nice to get off the boat for a few hours and see the sights. The tours are not expensive and worth it if you haven't been to the area.
We had a great trip!
We got up at 2:45 a.m. that Sat to get ready to leave for the airport at 3:45 a.m.
That is just so beyond wrong I can't express it in words. It was us and the
donut makers on the road. We made it just fine to JFK and checked in. We got such
a deal on the air that my husband upgraded us to Business class on the plane to San
Juan. BIG SEATS. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The plane from San Juan to
St. Kitts was a puddle jumper........2 seats on each side...........questionable
AC. We hit some rough weather about 15 mins outside of St. Kitts and the
plane did some drops. There was a family across from me - the MOTHER started
acting up (read that as squealing like her life was over) and that scared the
two young girls and they joined in. It was a trying few minutes but I managed not to open my mouth or
start swinging. We landed w/o any incidents.
Tho the customs lady didn't like my passport for some reason - but after making several faces and giving me the once over twice. She let us go. Our EV cab driver was nowhere to be found when we landed in St. Kitts but the taxi guys all know each
other so w/in about 15 mins they hunted him down and he showed up and off to the boat we went.
We were the 1st ones to arrive on the boat - which was nice. The boat is older
but it was clean. I like my room cold when I sleep so I could have used more a/c but it was okay. There is very limited storage room in the cabins - we were in room 3. Took some creative arranging but we made it work. There was no need to have both Dan and I in the room at the same time unless one was up on the bed.
The water in the shower (all of them) was HOT. No other choice. Even in the sink the water was HOT. Guess that's better than COLD. There were 12 of us on the boat not counting crew. The group was fun. We had a nice mix of folks. We enjoyed them all.
Crew - fabulous. I can't say enough about the crew. Three DM's. Typically just one in the water - one hauling you in out of the water and the other was a steward each day - they all rotated. One DM had to be
6'2 or so - kinda big boy and was a big ol' teddy bear - from Liverpool.
Everything was "quite lovely" or "quite pretty" - just a hoot. One was from New Orleans - and being from the south myself - he got his heart blessed several times. He KNEW exactly what I meant. Just a great crew - one of the best we have had on EV trips! Food was fabulous....... Jane was the cook - her deserts were to die for too. You didn't go hungry. There was always cookies, nuts and a snack mix available. The liquor cabinet is stocked and brought out at dinner.
Diving - viz was low on most dives. 30-50'. Water typically 82 ish - I wore a
skin on most dives. The life is good. Lots of small stuff, crabs, shrimp,
nudis, butterfly fish, tangs, trumpet fish, eels, HUGE angels of all types, lots
of blennies - which I really just discovered - they are very cool. On our first
dive (a wreck in St. Kitts) I went down to look at an anemone and to the right
of it was the biggest green moray eel I've ever seen - I almost screamed. I
didn't see him till I was face to face with him. One night dive - they had
warned us the nurse sharks were not afraid of divers - they were right. I had
them bump my fins several times and I'd squeal. BEASTS.
The coral is pretty too - sea fans etc. The viz took some getting used to....I am spoiled to
100' viz. Some current.......most dives. On another night dive a squid about 11" or so -
came up at our safety stop - there were just 4 of us including the DM (the teddy
bear) and the squid focused in on one girl's light beam and it just kept coming
up and up in it and it actually head bumped her light and then took off - it was
beyond cool! Of course..........Dan didn't take his camera on that dive!!!!
We also did the land tours for St Kitts and Saba. It was nice to get off the boat for a few hours and see the sights. The tours are not expensive and worth it if you haven't been to the area.
We had a great trip!
volvorules
Registered
Thanks for the trip report, really appreciate it! Did you end up on board with anything you didn't need? Or anything you didn't bring that you should have? Just looking for suggestions, as it will be my first liveaboard. Thanks!
Volvorules - pack light! Whatever you pack - take 1/3 of it OUT. You will live in swim trunks and t-shirts - the boat is very informal. I lived in a swim suit and cover up. It is nice once in awhile to just be DRY tho.
if you aren't picky about shampoo/etc - the boat supplies it in the shower. Of course I brought my own.......... There really is NO place to store things in the room. There is a large area under the bed to place bags and stuff to store.
Back up batteries for your computers - we went through 3 in Galapagos - in ONE week.
tank light - you can't dive at night w/o one. You can purchase on the boat - but I'm not sure of the price
crew likes you to have 3 flashlights between a buddy team. My light flooded on our 1st night dive and exploded when I opened it. I rented one for the week
If you can do it - one pair of shoes - they take your shoes from you when you arrive on the boat - you will need a good pair for land tours tho.
If you have bad ears - swimmers ear - worth the money
sinus issues - same thing - bring something just in case
hope this helps - you will have a great time!
You will live in swim trunks and t-shirts - the boat is very informal. I lived in a swim suit and cover up. It is nice once in awhile to just be DRY tho. if you aren't picky about shampoo/etc - the boat supplies it in the shower. Of course I brought my own..........
There really is NO place to store things in the room. There is a large area under the bed to place bags and stuff to store. Back up batteries for your computers - we went through 3 in Galapagos - in ONE week.
tank light - you can't dive at night w/o one. You can purchase on the boat - but I'm not sure of the price
crew likes you to have 3 flashlights between a buddy team. My light flooded on our 1st night dive and exploded when I opened it. I rented one for the week
If you can do it - one pair of shoes - they take your shoes from you when you arrive on the boat - you will need a good pair for land tours tho.
If you have bad ears - swimmers ear - worth the money
sinus issues - same thing - bring something just in case
hope this helps - you will have a great time!
Shasta_man
Contributor
Even good ears can go bad, so definitely bring solution to dry ears. the repetitive dives can be tough. The water isn't the prob, it's the ear infection you get that prevents equalization even when you otherwise feel fine.
so definitely bring solution to dry ears. the repetitive dives can be tough. The water isn't the prob, it's the ear infection you get that prevents equalization even when you otherwise feel fine.dave2063
Registered
missing you already sandy........xxx kiss kiss xx
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