I posted this report on another board some time ago, but since it relates I'm posting the Saba part again here.
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But now for the best part ..... SABA. This is diving of the highest order. I'm sure it can compete with any diving on the world. Saba is a small volcanically formed island (about 5 miles in diameter) with 1,000' walls dropping straight into the ocean. Peaks on the island reach 3,000'
with rain forest everywhere. I am describing this to assist in visualizing that this same terrain exists underwater around the island. A typical dive site has a mooring buoy located on a pinnacle at 85' to 100' beneath the surface. Visibility is usually over 100', so the pinnacle is immediately visible when you enter the water. From there, the dive may be over the pinnacle top, if broad enough, and becomes a reef dive. Or, it may be swimming through blue water to another pinnacle top or wall several hundred feet away.
One site called 3rd Encounter has three mooring buoys within about 500' of each other. I truly believe one could spend a week diving this site and never repeat the same dive! By way of example, the Eye Of The Needle is a dive which begins by dropping to a pinnacle at 95', then swimming due west through blue water with 200' below and 100' above for about 100 yards. Suddenly you realize a structure is appearing in the distance out of the blue haze. It looks sort of like a pillar. As you approach, the brilliant colors of the coral start appearing and you realize this is a formation about 40' in diameter which begins about 100' below (you can see the bottom) and extends about 40' above you to within 60' of the surface. You drop to 130' or so, and begin a wall dive slowly ascending as you circle the formation like a barber pole. Small fish surround the coral everywhere, caterpillar-like creatures crawl the surface, all the coral is totally alive and brilliantly colored, several black-tip sharks cruise in the distance, and larger fish like jacks and yellow tails are suspended like ornaments everywhere. I just wished I could hang in one spot forever and watch the show before me. If this ain't diving, I don't know what is!
There are two dive operations on the island. I used Saba Deep.....the other is Sea Saba. Sea Saba uses 38' boats, and seems to cater more to groups. I heard they require at least 6 divers to go. Looked like a top notch operation.
Saba deep uses smaller 32' boats, and will go with ONE diver. I indicated I'd like a night dive the day we arrived. They called at 4:30 pm and said the dive was on at 6:00 pm. I arrived at the dock to find only Big Mike at the boat, and he said "Let's go man. I love night dives." We went to a site called Man-O-War, tied up to the mooring buoy, donned our gear and went down together for my first look at the magnificent Saba reefs. Another diver I met wanted a second night dive before leaving, but had to entertain his girlfriend for dinner. Big Mike had him show up the next morning at 5:00 am for the "night dive", then he went with a group at 9:00 am and 11:00 am before leaving the island in the afternoon.
Saba Deep's boats only take 7 divers max on any dive, and ask for suggestions from the group about what sites to dive. I have never received the personal attention, assistance with gear, drying and storage of gear at the shop, and concern for customer satisfaction that Saba Deep provided. Saba Deep has been owned and operated by Mike Myers for 18 years (the reason for calling the other Mike "Big Mike").
What can I say? I'm truly a believer in Saba diving and can't wait to return.
Anyone who wants more information can
Check this link out here!
DSAO
