New Diver Headed to Aruba- Need Dive Shop/Site Advice

[buckeye_sports]

My Dad and I will be heading to Aruba in a few weeks and plan to do some diving. Both of us are new divers. I've done my OW and completed a few dives beyond that. Nothing in Aruba though. He's just completing his OW now. I have a couple questions about diving in Aruba:

1) What's the best dive shop in Aruba for divers of our level?

I'd prefer to avoid the "cattlecar" operators like Red Sail. JADS seems to be geared towards more advanced divers. Everything I've read on ScubaBoard says Romeo at Native Divers is great. Also, were staying at the Marriott so he's very convenient. Would he be too advanced?

2) Do we need to book dives ahead of time?

It seems the better operators in Aruba are the smaller ones. Do their boats fill up quickly? I don't want to miss out.

3) What are the best dive sites for new divers?

The Antilla wreck (sp?) is something I'd like to see. Beyond that, most posts seem to recommend the reefs on the South side. At 90+ ft, those would likely be too deep for new divers like us. What else is there to see?

Just as a comment, I'm really glad I found ScubaBoard. It's been a great resource when deciding when/what kind of equipment to buy. Thanks!!

 

[snowdog]

I will be heading to Aruba in May for a week of diving. It will be my first trip to Aruba, but...
I have friends the have dove there and they have used a few different operations...
Hands down, JADS should be at the top of your list, they have great one on one service, but you should expect to do a few shore dives first off.

Working with pre-booking with them through the email process, can be a bit slow. But well worth the wait. I feel its always better to have your dives booked before hand.
Paul

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I will be heading to Aruba in May for a week of diving. It will be my first trip to Aruba, but...
I have friends the have dove there and they have used a few different operations...
Hands down, JADS should be at the top of your list, they have great one on one service, but you should expect to do a few shore dives first off.

Working with pre-booking with them through the email process, can be a bit slow. But well worth the wait. I feel its always better to have your dives booked before hand.
Paul

You have posted this exact same post in 3 different threads?

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

1) What's the best dive shop in Aruba for divers of our level?

I'd prefer to avoid the "cattlecar" operators like Red Sail. JADS seems to be geared towards more advanced divers. Everything I've read on ScubaBoard says Romeo at Native Divers is great. Also, were staying at the Marriott so he's very convenient. Would he be too advanced?

2) Do we need to book dives ahead of time?

It seems the better operators in Aruba are the smaller ones. Do their boats fill up quickly? I don't want to miss out.

3) What are the best dive sites for new divers?

The Antilla wreck (sp?) is something I'd like to see. Beyond that, most posts seem to recommend the reefs on the South side. At 90+ ft, those would likely be too deep for new divers like us. What else is there to see?

Romeo is a great dive operator. He will take out divers of all levels of experience. I usually just go down to their tent when I first get there to set up my dives for the week. If you want to book your dives ahead of time, it is better to call them directly. If you want their cell phone number send me a PM.

The Debbie II is a 120' fuel barge. Not the biggest wreck but you have to push fish out of your way and there is usually a big moray eel out on the deck. The Sonesta airplanes are at about 60'. You can dive most of the reefs, just don't go below 60'.

 

[BeadDent]

I'm in Aruba now and can recommend Diversity. Very friendly, personal service, smaller boat. Best dive Areschi. I made reservation while here from my consierge. I would stay away from Red Sail. Crowded lines, long waits, not diver friendly. They concentrate on the snorkelers.

 

[Stichus III]

I would go with Jads. It is not true that they are geared towards advanced divers.

The Antilla is a great dive site, as is almost everything along the South Coast (the further away from the hotel area, the better the reefs seem to get). The reefs at the South Coast are all on slopes that start at about 25/30 feet and go down to 90/100+ feet. It is entirely up to the diver to decide how deep to go.

Best dive Areschi.

You mean Arashi. I could not disagree more. Arashi is mediocre at best.

The Debbie II however, is indeed a good dive.

 

[buckeye_sports]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm thinking of trying both Native Divers and JADS.

 

[robstercraw]

I've been to Aruba in the last few years and I dove with Mermaid divers. While I liked the DM's, the shop itself used very old equipment. I probably wont dive with them when I go in 2 months.
A lot of people like JADS, but I was a bit put off by their rep I met recently at the Boston Travel expo. She was badmouthing a few other dive operators. She also mentioned that the Antilla wreck was over-rated and it has collapsed recently. They were heavily pushing the Jane Sea wreck.

 

[mike_s]

I've been to Aruba in the last few years and I dove with Mermaid divers. While I liked the DM's, the shop itself used very old equipment. I probably wont dive with them when I go in 2 months.
.

A quick search on here and other boards will show that this shop has had a very shadowed past....

I chose not to use them for that reason....

 

[Chadd]

I'm in Aruba now and can recommend Diversity. Very friendly, personal service, smaller boat. Best dive Areschi. I made reservation while here from my consierge. I would stay away from Red Sail. Crowded lines, long waits, not diver friendly. They concentrate on the snorkelers.

The only issue I ever had with Red Sail was that the dive schedule was altered to suit the cruise ships in the fall. Never had a line or wait when diving with them. Their divemasters and captains are great.