St. Croix Assistance Please

[Scuba_Vixen]

Looks like a lot of folks have been here. This week is my roomate's vacation, so I took some days off too and we lined up a great west end (Fredericksted area) dive schedule. We seldom get to that area as it requires a boat there. (Except for the Pier dive) It's a new DO, but the guy's been here as an instructor for a long time, and now operating on his own. www.n2blue.com If you want to do the wrecks and armageddon (the old pier wreckage from when it was destroyed, They get 2 thumbs up from us. It depends on what you like as to what you'd want for must do dives. I like a bit of adventure and excitement, so my recreational list would include:
Armageddon
The Wrecks
The Pier (must do at night, that's when the critters abound)
The Wall @cane bay, or at northstar (just a tad west of cane bay)
The West Wall Outer @ Salt river (the little canyons and swim-thrus are great)
If you do your cane bay/salt river dives with SCUBA or DE, you'll do a reef dive as your 2nd tank dive, and that would include the upside down barge with the big green moray (named Earl) and Eagle Ray, with some nice swim thrus and topography.

My tech dive list is has some great deep sites with awesome holes and caves, plus the crossing of the salt river canyon, but those are a whole 'nother world.

Gotta go mix some gas,
Hope to see ya when you get here.

Darlene

 

[Beach Bum k10]

Scuba_Vixen once bubbled...
I like a bit of adventure and excitement, so my recreational list would include:
Armageddon
The Wrecks
The Pier (must do at night, that's when the critters abound)
The Wall @cane bay, or at northstar (just a tad west of cane bay)
The West Wall Outer @ Salt river (the little canyons and swim-thrus are great)
If you do your cane bay/salt river dives with SCUBA or DE, you'll do a reef dive as your 2nd tank dive, and that would include the upside down barge with the big green moray (named Earl) and Eagle Ray, with some nice swim thrus and topography.

My tech dive list is has some great deep sites with awesome holes and caves, plus the crossing of the salt river canyon, but those are a whole 'nother world.

Gotta go mix some gas,
Hope to see ya when you get here.

Darlene

Darlene,
Your Island is unforgettable. I was there 4yrs ago. Still dream of going back to Cane Bay....... Enless beauty on this island, slow relaxing life. you live on paradise....

 

[ihh]

We love St Croix both above and below the water. Have been diving with Anchor, Cane Bay, and Scuba Shack. Am surprised at some of the comments on Anchor Dive as we have always found them to be a great operation. When we were last in St Croix this spring there were turtles everywhere. Don't miss the walls at Salt River, Cane and Davis Bay and the pier at Friedrichsted. Best site in my opinon is a deep pinacle called Jimmy's Surprise.

For dinner or nice lunch though a bit of a drive for you the Sunset Grill is great.

enjoy
Hugh

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

It's amazing how many folks have been here. Since a number of you have used Anchor and been satisfied, perhaps what are viewed as shortcommings to us as an experienced local divers are not viewed the same by those of you just here for a visit. If that's the case, then I owe them an apology for any disservice. There's basically 2 areas we think they could improve on. One is range, there are 14 to 18 (depending on how many balls have been lost or cut loose) mored sites along the north shore over about 6 miles or so with salt river being about 2/3 the distance east to west. It's rare to see them more than 1 ball east or west from the 4 at salt river.The other DO's with boats do all the sites and choose which ones for each days dives based on where the vis looks best and who onboard has been where already. The other area is in giving you some choice in your profile. You will basically not be permitted to go deeper than 80'. It's like you are gonna meet some dreadfull fate instantly if you do. Qualified divers with computers, who demonstrate competant watermanship skills, should be able to decide for themselves and not have to be ducks in a row. It's my observation that most DO's believe that as well. At the retail end, they have a nice little shop, well stocked by island standards. They are the only shop with scooters (dpv's) in stock and for rent (you have to take the class to rent one). They have Dacors and Torpedos and their gear line is Mares. The pricing is locally competitive. I hope I've set things straight, I don't want to cost anyone business in these tough economic times, but at the same time, I don't want some one not to want to come back, or to discourage others from comming because they got less than they expected when they shouldn't have. Safe diving everyone, hope to see a few of you.

Darlene

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

In retrospect both criticisms are very valid.

 

[Geez]

I have found a thread here that says something to me. Those who said that the dive sites were not memorable seemed to dive with an operator at Salt Pond and only dove that area. So sad.
The wall ( do it as a shore dive if at all possible) is indeed memorable....and I have been to Roatan, BVI, Bonaire etc. and I think STX has it all!!!! plus it is USA.

 

[buttermanr]

Mike,

My wife and I did some diving at Cane Bay and this still lives as one of our favorite places. The sloping area in front of the beach is great for snorkeling and you can just swim out to the reef, which is really a wall that runs parallel to the shore. Visibility was great, lots of sea life (lobster, turtles, fish, eels etc.) and corals.

The dives are very easy. We dove with the dive shop that is right on the beach there (forgot the name) and the instructor was very professional.

Enjoy!

RB

 

[5615mike]

Thanks buttermanr

We leave on the 25th for STX and can't wait. We hope to be able to do some shore diving off of Cane Bay. Did you happen to try that as well?

 

[Scuba_Vixen]

September is about the slowest month for DO's here, so SCUBA's having their regular boat hauled out and painted next week. Which means it'll be all spiffy and ready for the season when you get here. It also means it won't be crowded and you can have more choice in where you want to dive. The water is still nice and warm and the food and diving at Cane Bay are as memorable as ever.

And best of all, I'll be happy to show you how great diving on St Croix can be....... now if this pesky huricane Isabel thing would just stay up a bit to the north for a while more.......


Darlene

 

[5615mike]

Good vibes coming your way Scuba_Vixen to push that thing north. We'll say a little prayer for all of you.