We're Always Happy to Answer Questions for You Whether About Diving
or St. Croix
Here's some of the more common ones we hear
Updated
07/09/05
Where are we going today?
Do you dive Buck Island?
What's the best
time of the year for diving on St. Croix?
Are the morning or afternoon
dives better?
Do I need to rent gear?
Is there a discount if I have
my own gear?
Are there drinks onboard?
What about my
non-diving buddy?
Do you have dive packages with
hotels?
Where's a good place to eat
after the dive?
What about (fill in the blank storm name)?
The peak of hurricane season for our area is mid
September. We've been fortunate that for the past couple of years we
haven't really had any scares from storms. (I'm knocking on wood right
now). We're the model for the Caribbean on how to prepare for a storm.
Email us if you're concerned. We're pretty high tech now (wireless DSL in
the dive shop) so we keep a pretty close watch on all the weather systems
between us and the coast of Africa.
Where are we going today?
(Our #1 Most Asked Question)
There are only two things our Captains can't answer, "Where are we going?", and
"When are we going to get there?" That's because we seldom know.
Each days dive sites are decided by the Captain and Crew based on a number of factors
including where we think the best visibility is, what sites our divers have already
visited, and if we have any students aboard. This decision is usually made as we're
on the way out for the first dive. With so many excellent choices of sites it's a
sure bet we'll choose a great one for you.
Do you dive Buck Island?
Buck Island has great snorkeling and an excellent beach, but we find the diving along our
walls and coral gardens to be much better so we don't dive Buck Island. We do highly
recommend a couple of tour operators for a full or half day trip to Buck Island. Click Here
What's
the best time of the year for diving on St. Croix?
There's great diving year round. The weather changes somewhat and the water
temperature varies but the diving itself is always good. Our winds tend to be higher
in late December and January which leads to higher waves but we just adjust our dive site
locations for the most comfortable one. It's sunniest from February through April.
Beginning in June and running through early November we get Tropical Waves (sort of
like a front) moving through every four or five days which can mean one cloudy day every
week. Water temperatures range from 78 degrees in January through February, warming
to 80 for March and April, and 82 by summer (though this past summer it's
already up to 86!)
The waters begin to cool in late October.
Are the morning
or afternoon dives better?
Depends on how early you want to get up while on vacation. There's not much
difference in the conditions or what we see. A lot of divers like the morning dives
so they can have an afternoon on the beach or shopping while others prefer to sleep in
while on vacation and wander down for an easy afternoon of diving.
Do I need to rent gear?
Essential dive gear is provided at no extra charge. This includes tanks,
weights, BC, regulator, mask, fins, and snorkel. If you'd like a wetsuit,
computer, or underwater camera we have those available for rent.
Are there drinks onboard?
Since keeping yourself well hydrated is one of the best things you can do to help prevent
DCS, we provide lots of fresh bottled ice water. We also have a cooler if you'd like
to bring your own soft drinks or juice. In the interest of diving safety
(and the sanity of our insurance carrier) we don't
allow alcoholic beverages aboard during dive trips.
Can
my non-diving spouse/friend/relative/etc., go along?
When we have space available we welcome "Bubble Watchers" or snorkelers aboard
for a $25 fee. For the snorkelers, keep in mind that we're usually moored in 25 or
more feet of water. Of course we'd hate for anyone to miss out on seeing the
beautiful underwater world surrounding St. Croix so let's try to talk them into a Discover Scuba Diving course. We
can have them underwater in under two hours--No Experience Necessary.
Do you have dive
packages with hotels?
We work closely with several hotels, condos, and bed and breakfasts. Check them out
on our Accommodations page.
Where's a good
place to eat after the dive?
There are several great lunch spots near our dock including Rum Runners (which
is right next to our dock), Shenanigan's, and the Fort Christian Brew Pub. Our Restaurant
list provides an up to date listing of many restaurants on St. Croix that we
recommend. Keep in mind that no restaurant pays us to be on the list. We
maintain it as a service to visitors to St. Croix. Our staff have all lived here for
quite a while and we're always happy to recommend places to eat if there's something
particular you're in the mood for.