ocpaul:
I am heading to Saba for a 10 day dive trip at the end of the month. Just curious if Scuba Board members have any suggestions for "must do" sites or "don't bother" sites. Also on-shore suggestions for places to eat, etc.
Thanks for your inputs!
Here's my last trip report:
Part I
"Thanks to AA seriously delaying 3 of my 4 South Caicos flights last month, I was able to get a smartly priced ticket to anywhere they fly. Given limited travel days, and an absence of about 4 years, it was time for my third visit to that green volcanic peak called Saba. And, it is with great glee that I can report the development on Saba since my last has been modest & tasteful. Quite unlike the serene St. Martin of 20 years ago that is now unrecognizably crowded & tacky, replete with drug activity, traffic jams & fetid cesspools.
The friendly citizens of Saba continue to go about their leisurely island business, including tending small but eye-catching flower gardens (often around the graves of relatives buried in the yard), and producing delicate lace & secret blends of "Saba Spice," a sweet, sapid & strong rum-based concoction. The place is quite in contrast to such trashed venues as the Bahamian out islands, being extraordinarily neat & tidy. Crime worries here are about a low as they get anywhere. The two cell jail, which does include a sun deck for pallid prisoners, is mostly used for such serious matters as holding a goat involved in an ownership dispute. However, the occasional islander foolish enough to attempt to liquidate a serendipitously found "brown grouper" may enjoy a brief stay until the authorities arrive from St. Maarten.
Sporting one of the niftiest passport stamp around anymore, Saba is located in the northeastern Caribbean, about 28 miles south of St. Maarten. Together with St. Eustasius & St. Kitts, it forms the Windward Islands of the Dutch Caribbean. Only 5 square miles, it rises to 2,900' at the top of Mt. Scenery. Its Four Main Villages are linked by the road engineers said couldn't be built. A protected marine reserve since 1987, the enforced & self-supporting park is situated around the entire island and extending to the offshore seamounts.
Like many of the smaller islands in this part of the Caribbean, Saba can be bit of a chore to get to. One needs to fly into St. Maarten and hop over from there. About 3? hours from NYC and 2? hours from Miami, St. Maarten is served by AA, Continental & BWIA from several major US cities along the eastern seaboard. Windward Island Airways (Winair) makes as many as five of the 15-minute flights to Saba each day. A r/t ticket is $119, but nonresidents can use a 50% off coupon available from the tourist office in the Princess Juliana arrival hall or the promotional rack by the security office in the concession area. If you can?t find one, ask at the Winair desk, where agents range from quite helpful to exemplars of what can be a French-Caribbean oxymoron, "customer service." I have no idea how long this deal will be offered, but it made my day to save a buck or two.
For the island hopper challenged, between the Edge (599-5-442640) & Voyager (599-5-424096) ferries there are crossings 5 days a week, taking about an hour in sometimes rough water. A r/t ticket is about $60.
I most enjoy the approach when Mt. Scenery is ringed with light cloud cover. Something about the Gestalt strongly draws to mind the opening shot of Skull Island in the original "King Kong." Even if you don't recall that film, the white-knuckle landing will provide a fright, and alone is worth the price of admission. Using short take off & landing Twin Otters, they bring you into the island one of the world's most minuscule runways, with cliff on one side & water on the other. Expect to whisk through the Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, a facility that is rather smaller than its name, without hassle by the Immigration/Customs agent who drives out to meet incoming flights. No matter where you are staying, it's only a modest cab ride, all of which will be traveling either up or down hill along a road built by the islanders themselves after Dutch engineers repeatedly insisted it was impossible. Take my word for it, flat land on "The Big Green Gumdrop" is a rarity.
There are now 3 dive shops on the island, my previous favorite, Saba Reef, having thrown in the towel following the last hurricane. This is very sad, as they had battled back from the staggering May 1998 death of the shop?s owner, Chris. While driving his truck, one of the large rocks that precariously teeter over stretches of the road fell on the cab, crushing him while his significant other in the passenger seat sustained only minor injuries. Charlotte, one of the shop's DMs, also in the vehicle but unhurt, is now working for Sea Saba.
(1) Saba Deep: A/C restaurant/pub & boutique on-site; nitrox/rebreathers; Mike Myers has been running this op for what must be nigh on 20 years, and aims to please, and does DM "Big Mike"; small & intimate;
(2) Sea Saba: Slick 38' Deltas with twin Cat turbo diesels & all the amenities you could ask for & allow for surface intervals at sea. The smaller craft of other ops mean a return to the marina for SI, not to mention close quarters; nitrox; for the guys, DM Thilde alone makes it worth a dive or three with this op (you'll see what I mean); owners John & Lynn most accommodating; excellent op, but if you want a 4-6 pack arrangement, this is not it;
(1) The newest, Saba Divers: European op largely catering to the German crowd, has only been open for about a year; have recently added a V-hull craft to their fleet of ribbed Zodiacs; have not personally gone out with them.
All shops are located at the harbor in Fort Bay, and will arrange for transportation to & from your hotel for diving. None offer E6 processing, but the owner of the Brigadoon Restaurant in Windwardside will often do a few rolls if there's time & fresh chemicals in stock. Best to call ahead. Also accommodating is the owner of the little grocery store in Windwardside, who was gracious enough to extend credit when I didn?t have enough dinero to cover a bag of snacks (be prepared for sticker shock). BTW, dollars are widely accepted & English spoken everywhere.
[CONTINUED]