snuba in st thomas

[1skier1]

will be on the connie in two weeks, was wondering if anyone has done the snuba in st thomas, we are looking for things to do besides shopping at this port... thx

[traveller99]

Hi, 1skier1. I went on the BOB (Breathable Observation Bubble) trip last August, if that is the same thing you are referring to. If so, do it!:D Here's the link - http://www.bobusvi.com/index.asp - It was really fun, safe and amazing. I took a FUJI underwater camera along, just for this this excursion and the photos were great. The leader of our group took all types of photos of me "BOB-ing" along. Let me know if you have any questions about it. I highly recommend it! ENJOY!

[1skier1]

thx for the response.. but from what i understand, snuba is just like diving except your tanks are floating on the surface and you can only go about 20 ft deep or so...

[traveller99]

That's about right. With the BOB the tanks are integral to the underwater scooter that you ride. The tour divers set the depth to about 16'-20' down, just like a submarine. There is a teather to a float on the surface and you literally ride around, well, like a scooter, starting and stopping. You're underwater for aobut 20 - 30 minutes and can cover a lot of ground. If you looked at the website, it's just like the photos!

[canderson]

thx for the response.. but from what i understand, snuba is just like diving except your tanks are floating on the surface and you can only go about 20 ft deep or so...

You've got it in a nutshell. Did the SNUBA down in Aruba in December.

 

While far more convenient in some respects that SCUBA (primarily, no tanks), be aware that some of the same issues apply --

 

If you have a mustache, be prepared to lube the heck out of it to get a decent seal on the masks they supply. If you have your own mask for SCUBA that you like, I'd bring it along and use their flips and weight belt. If you have issues clearing your ears, understand you will be up to 20' down -- the length of the hose. Dive time won't be long enough to take notice of depth/time, but if a person wanted to do an extended dive, same rules would apply.

 

My only complaint with the event in Aruba was that I thought their regulator pressure was a tad low. I wound up using the purge valve a couple of times to get an extra shot or two of air.