Stowaway night is April 28th and we set sail on the 29th. It ends unfortunately on the 4th of May. I can't wait. I've always wanted to do a Windjammer Cruise, but hubby gets seasick. A group of people I'm associated with got the trip together and I decided it was now or never. That was two years ago. I got a Citibank card and got free tickets from buying what we normally buy anyway, ie: groceries, meds, gas, misc., clothes, etc. And I saved up the cruise fare. I thought I wouldn't even get to dive, because I found out I have Osteonecrosis in Dec. and had surgery on my knee to try to revive the dead bone. I thought it would be the end of my diving since breathing compressed air at depth can cause it. It's not what caused mine though, and a dive medicine specialist said I could dive if I stay very conservative on depth, bottom time, and surface intervals, so the dive gear goes back in the suitcase! I hate to drag all that gear on a cruise, but I'm a small woman and I need the BC, mask, and fins, that fit, and I might as well take reg too. I'd love to meet you really, if you want to come aboard. I hope the dive charter they use is a good one. You might know which day we're gonna be where, but I understand that is really up to the captain according to weather.
Going to the BVI's
- Thread starter artsprite
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We were on the Windjammer BVI cruise in October. You'll have a great time. We got to do a resort course when we were there and that's what got us to start our class to get certified.
The guys that Windjammer uses are Blue Water Divers in Nanny Cay. (http://www.ultimatebvi.com/bluewater/).
They were a great bunch. In fact, now that we are 1/2 way through our class I must say they did an excellent job with the basics for our introduction to diving. We got to dive a total of three times that week with them.
On a side note, if you've never done Windjammer before you'll have a blast. Captain Adrian is a hoot!
The guys that Windjammer uses are Blue Water Divers in Nanny Cay. (http://www.ultimatebvi.com/bluewater/).
They were a great bunch. In fact, now that we are 1/2 way through our class I must say they did an excellent job with the basics for our introduction to diving. We got to dive a total of three times that week with them.
On a side note, if you've never done Windjammer before you'll have a blast. Captain Adrian is a hoot!
for anyone reading this thread, Windjammer has recently reduced the fare for this cruise to about $689 per person for double occupancy. That's a great price for a week long cruise, and I don't think the airfare costs very much if you get it through them. Of course, if you have frequent flyer miles it would be extra cheap. Sign on while they still have spaces available.
It's the Flying Cloud out of Tortola on April 28th.
It's the Flying Cloud out of Tortola on April 28th.
Stay away from Twin Towers off the North side of Jost, also stay away from the Playground also off Jost. Not easy dives even though the Playground is listed as easy. Lots of currents there.
I go to the BVI yearly, Ive been going my whole life it really is a great place. Too bad for all the growth in the area from tourism. Tourism really kills reefs, tourism=development=pollution, but in any case enjoy. Flying Cloud anchors in front of Jost usually one night and takes the crowd down to Foxys. Usually they anchor in front of White Bay, JVD. You can see my family home from there, right next to the Campground.
Diving is great at the Rhone, not crowded IME. Remember to rub the lucky port hole!
I go to the BVI yearly, Ive been going my whole life it really is a great place. Too bad for all the growth in the area from tourism. Tourism really kills reefs, tourism=development=pollution, but in any case enjoy. Flying Cloud anchors in front of Jost usually one night and takes the crowd down to Foxys. Usually they anchor in front of White Bay, JVD. You can see my family home from there, right next to the Campground.
Diving is great at the Rhone, not crowded IME. Remember to rub the lucky port hole!
Artsprite,
I am sure you will have a great time in the BVI. I don't know much about the Windjammer cruises, but have seen them in the BVI. They are quite impressive ships (I think it's the White Cloud? in the BVI). I have done a couple hundred dives all over the BVI and love it. There are many easy dives all along the Islands. As others have mentioned, the Rhone is a great dive. As for it being crowded, it depends on when you get there, and even when there are several boats around, it's not too bad underwater. You can also dive to suit your tastes. The ship is broken into a deeper bow (85') and shallower stern (35 to the surface). Here are some other recomendations for Easy-intermediate sites that I think are cool.
Peter Island:
Norman Island:
The Indians (basically big rocks sticking out of the water which create a nice pinnacle to dive around )
Ginger:
There is a dive site on the North Side of Ginger called Alice's steps by Dive BVI and Mario's Wonderland by Odyssey Expeditions. It's really easy diving and features button like coral formations with bright blue chromis at the top of each.
Cooper:
MarieL/Pat: Two 30 foot or so ships side by side in about 80 feet of water. This is more an intermediate dive, but on good day is a fantastics dive. The ships attract large stingrays and eagle rays.
Inganess Bay: This one is also more intermediate to advanced, but I throw it in because it is a wonderfull dive on a calm day. It attracts stingrays, large parrotfish and the shipwreck looks neat isolated in the sand.
The Dogs:
Try the Chimney (off great dog), it's a great easy dive with nice walls and lots of inverts and verts to look at.
Tortola:
Brewers bay has some really nice dive sites at the tip of the bay with a nice wall and rock formations and lots of fish.
If you want more details on any of the dive sites, or any I have not mentioned, feel free to ask. I have taken notes on all the sites I have dived in the BVI. Have fun! I am actually going in June for a week of sailing and diving myself.
David C.
I am sure you will have a great time in the BVI. I don't know much about the Windjammer cruises, but have seen them in the BVI. They are quite impressive ships (I think it's the White Cloud? in the BVI). I have done a couple hundred dives all over the BVI and love it. There are many easy dives all along the Islands. As others have mentioned, the Rhone is a great dive. As for it being crowded, it depends on when you get there, and even when there are several boats around, it's not too bad underwater. You can also dive to suit your tastes. The ship is broken into a deeper bow (85') and shallower stern (35 to the surface). Here are some other recomendations for Easy-intermediate sites that I think are cool.
Peter Island:
Norman Island:
The Indians (basically big rocks sticking out of the water which create a nice pinnacle to dive around )
Ginger:
There is a dive site on the North Side of Ginger called Alice's steps by Dive BVI and Mario's Wonderland by Odyssey Expeditions. It's really easy diving and features button like coral formations with bright blue chromis at the top of each.
Cooper:
MarieL/Pat: Two 30 foot or so ships side by side in about 80 feet of water. This is more an intermediate dive, but on good day is a fantastics dive. The ships attract large stingrays and eagle rays.
Inganess Bay: This one is also more intermediate to advanced, but I throw it in because it is a wonderfull dive on a calm day. It attracts stingrays, large parrotfish and the shipwreck looks neat isolated in the sand.
The Dogs:
Try the Chimney (off great dog), it's a great easy dive with nice walls and lots of inverts and verts to look at.
Tortola:
Brewers bay has some really nice dive sites at the tip of the bay with a nice wall and rock formations and lots of fish.
If you want more details on any of the dive sites, or any I have not mentioned, feel free to ask. I have taken notes on all the sites I have dived in the BVI. Have fun! I am actually going in June for a week of sailing and diving myself.
David C.
I don't recommend Baskin In the Sun in Tortola at all.
Here is my trip report:
http://www.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=1387
Here is my trip report:
http://www.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=1387
Natasha
Contributor
TravelEM:
I read your report. I have to say I agree. I wouldn't recommend them any more. Baskin has gone through some changes in upper management. I know of two people that have left and things have changed since.
They need to get their act back together.
They used to be a top notch operator. Until I hear of a better plan from them I will not use them.
As a matter of fact I pulled a whole group of mine from using them. They did refund our money.
I read your report. I have to say I agree. I wouldn't recommend them any more. Baskin has gone through some changes in upper management. I know of two people that have left and things have changed since.
They need to get their act back together.
They used to be a top notch operator. Until I hear of a better plan from them I will not use them.
As a matter of fact I pulled a whole group of mine from using them. They did refund our money.
I got back late last night from my trip to the BVI's.
We dove with Blue Water Diver's. Since this was my first dive from a dive boat, I don't really have anything to compare it with, but it seemed like a good set up. There were four of them to eight customers, so there was plenty of supervision. I think they are a great bunch of people, and very nice except for being overly obsessive about some medication that I take. The divemaster is apparently an RN, and he said some things about my medication that just aren't true. I'm married to a pharmacist, and we have discussed all my meds in depth, and I know what's true and what's not. He wouldn't have let me dive except that I had a letter from a DAN referred doctor saying I was fit to dive. I don't know why he thought he knew better that a doctor, but in my experience, RN's always have the wrong idea about medication.
I was not, however, impressed by the diving in the BVI's. I don't remember the name of the place we dove because I was at so many different places with the Windjammer Ship, but it was around some rock formations and narrow openings in the rocks. Their wasn't much coral, and the fish were few and far between. We saw some interesting types of fish, but not any large schools of any one type. The day after this dive, I went snorkeling at the Baths in Virgin Gorda, and the snorkeling there was much more interesting than the diving at the other place. There were lots more fish and lots of coral.
I did have a great time on the trip though. We even saw some sharks feeding off the side of the ship one evening where some fish were schooling in the lights. About 2 hours earlier in the day we had all been swimming right there, and one of my friends had his mask in the water and said that the largest shark (6 ft.) was there while we were swimming. :shark:
We dove with Blue Water Diver's. Since this was my first dive from a dive boat, I don't really have anything to compare it with, but it seemed like a good set up. There were four of them to eight customers, so there was plenty of supervision. I think they are a great bunch of people, and very nice except for being overly obsessive about some medication that I take. The divemaster is apparently an RN, and he said some things about my medication that just aren't true. I'm married to a pharmacist, and we have discussed all my meds in depth, and I know what's true and what's not. He wouldn't have let me dive except that I had a letter from a DAN referred doctor saying I was fit to dive. I don't know why he thought he knew better that a doctor, but in my experience, RN's always have the wrong idea about medication.
I was not, however, impressed by the diving in the BVI's. I don't remember the name of the place we dove because I was at so many different places with the Windjammer Ship, but it was around some rock formations and narrow openings in the rocks. Their wasn't much coral, and the fish were few and far between. We saw some interesting types of fish, but not any large schools of any one type. The day after this dive, I went snorkeling at the Baths in Virgin Gorda, and the snorkeling there was much more interesting than the diving at the other place. There were lots more fish and lots of coral.
I did have a great time on the trip though. We even saw some sharks feeding off the side of the ship one evening where some fish were schooling in the lights. About 2 hours earlier in the day we had all been swimming right there, and one of my friends had his mask in the water and said that the largest shark (6 ft.) was there while we were swimming. :shark:
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