Snuba in St.Thomas...Book through Carnival or Privately....?

[chipmunkdream]

Pleaseeeeee Help!?

 

We are going to be in St.Thomas in Aug on our first cruise. Scuba looks like alot of fun for the whole family:)

So far I see 2 options....

1. Coral World. Has anyone been to coral world? I'm afraid of the "park" type feeling. Too crowded,rushed and all about getting as many people in as possible...It seems that you get 20-30 mins of total water time...

2. Private excursion company ( VI snuba excursions, sorry if i'm not allowed to mention the name,lol)...They say if you book through them you get 45mins-an hr of total water time! And they like smaller more intimate groups....Fee Also includes a pass to Coral World:)

The cost of both is about the same, so that's not a deciding factor..... Has anyone done either of these options? Good? Bad? Is there another choice out there????

Thank you oh wise one's of CC...I love reading all the tips and info:D

[Ms411]

I did this last year while on the Serenade and booked through Coral World before I checked the ship's excursion.

 

I had my session early morning, and was the only participant. A hotel couple had reserved, but they didn't show (they say many people on vacation miss their reservations).

 

Matt, the instructor, was absolutely wonderful! I didn't go down to maximum depth, because my ears kept popping, but I got pretty far. I was also trying to take photos with my underwater camera, and probably would have done better if I weren't trying to focus on photos, breathing, and clearing my ears!

 

When my session ended, I saw the group from the ship, and there were more than 10, and I think they shared one instructor.

 

I think the excursion is cheaper through the ship (especially since the ship excursion includes your transportation), but the premium for a smaller group was worth it for me. If you're very confident in the water, the larger group may be just as good for you.

 

I'll probably do this excursion again when I'm in STT in November.

[chipmunkdream]

I did this last year while on the Serenade and booked through Coral World before I checked the ship's excursion.

 

I had my session early morning, and was the only participant. A hotel couple had reserved, but they didn't show (they say many people on vacation miss their reservations).

 

Matt, the instructor, was absolutely wonderful! I didn't go down to maximum depth, because my ears kept popping, but I got pretty far. I was also trying to take photos with my underwater camera, and probably would have done better if I weren't trying to focus on photos, breathing, and clearing my ears!

 

When my session ended, I saw the group from the ship, and there were more than 10, and I think they shared one instructor.

 

I think the excursion is cheaper through the ship (especially since the ship excursion includes your transportation), but the premium for a smaller group was worth it for me. If you're very confident in the water, the larger group may be just as good for you.

 

I'll probably do this excursion again when I'm in STT in November.

 

 

Thank you for the reply:) .... Do you remember how much time you spent in the water? Or was your experience cut short due to you trying to do much at once? Poor thing with your ears :mad: that must have taken some of the joy away! Carnival is soooo expensive but they do provide transportion so that's a plus...ohhh choices choices....:rolleyes:

Snuba is something the whole family would love to try. So difficult to decide what to do in each port! We wanna do it all,but time and $ does not allow,LOL

[Ms411]

I'm pretty sure I didn't use all my allotted time in the water, because my as we went deeper, I started feeling a little uncomfortable. Also, I think they can only keep you down for so long, because of the water pressure.

 

Since I did it in Sept during hurricane season, there had been a few storms recently, so the water wasn't as clear as it probably is when there are fewer storms. There's so much to consider when you're exploring a natural environment!

 

I don't think the amount of time you spend in the water should be your concern. I've always fantasied about scuba diving, so SNUBA is a great way to test it out to see if it's something you want to pursue. Getting used to the weights and pressure is what I wanted to experience.

 

I try to do something different every chance I get, and with each new activity I try and survive, my confidence level really increases. I'm not a young person, and I don't think my adventures should end just because I've had a few birthdays.:D

 

If you have kids that really LOVE the water, and think they could/should take a step above snorkeling, you should definitely let them do SNUBA to see how they like it. If others in your group are kind of lukewarm to the idea of being that far underwater, they can have fun snorkeling at Coki while the others do SNUBA.

 

That's one of the things I like about Coral World - there are so many activities that introduce you to the world beneath the water, and each one gives you a different experience.

 

Let me know how it works out for you.

[chipmunkdream]

I'm pretty sure I didn't use all my allotted time in the water, because my as we went deeper, I started feeling a little uncomfortable. Also, I think they can only keep you down for so long, because of the water pressure.

 

Since I did it in Sept during hurricane season, there had been a few storms recently, so the water wasn't as clear as it probably is when there are fewer storms. There's so much to consider when you're exploring a natural environment!

 

I don't think the amount of time you spend in the water should be your concern. I've always fantasied about scuba diving, so SNUBA is a great way to test it out to see if it's something you want to pursue. Getting used to the weights and pressure is what I wanted to experience.

 

I try to do something different every chance I get, and with each new activity I try and survive, my confidence level really increases. I'm not a young person, and I don't think my adventures should end just because I've had a few birthdays.:D

 

If you have kids that really LOVE the water, and think they could/should take a step above snorkeling, you should definitely let them do SNUBA to see how they like it. If others in your group are kind of lukewarm to the idea of being that far underwater, they can have fun snorkeling at Coki while the others do SNUBA.

 

That's one of the things I like about Coral World - there are so many activities that introduce you to the world beneath the water, and each one gives you a different experience.

 

Let me know how it works out for you.

 

 

Thanks again

The DH and I have tried scuba diving. He worked in Curacao for a few months a couple yrs ago..He scuba dived often enough to get certified, he even did a night dive :eek: and he loved it. I went once on the discovery dive and I thought I was going to DIE! I couldn't get my breathing or my buoyancy right. I just kept floating up or down and at one point I shot straight to the top ( I was down pretty far ). And similair to your experience I didn't enjoy the scuba at all, was too focused on everything else, I couldn't tell you one fish I saw:( . I would try it again, I think, maybe someday....While in Curacao we also did a scuba dive with the stingrays, it was at a water park there ( can't remember the name of the park for the life of me). I enjoyed that experience but we just did the dive in a big tank within the park and we were only down about 10 ft I believe....

But this trip we have a 13 DD and 12 DS going with us and scuba just isn't in our budget. Snuba looks great for us all to do as a family. This is their first time in the Caribbean, first time outside of Canada too :D they have never tried snorkeling but they both LOVE the water. Can't wait for them to see the crystal clear waters, the beautiful white sandy beaches and to be able to swim in the warm ocean! They are going to be beside themselves! Ohh how I miss the Caribbean:(.....

I guess my biggest concern with Coral World is...Is it in a tank they take you in or do you actually get to go in the ocean outside the park???

We really want to try Snuba with the kids, just need to figure out which port offers the best experience......

 

Here's to many more birthday's for us both:D Thank again for all your feed back

[Ms411]

Please don't get the impression that I didn't enjoy it! I did. The pressure wasn't painful - just a little uncomfortable.

 

Ha, ha! I asked about the difference between Discover Scuba and SNUBA, and this is what you'll like about SNUBA - NO TANKS! They put the tanks on a raft that floats above you, and the air hose feeds from that tank. The instructor adds weights to help you descend.

 

You're in the ocean - the REAL ocean. We saw a jellyfish, and the instructor kind of captured it so I could get a photo. It was a small one, though. You can see the people doing the helmet dive below, and you'll probably see schools of fish.

 

If you book independently, your family might be able to do it as your own private group.

 

I'm sure you and your family will love Coral World and Coki beach which is right next door. People will be feeding the fish as they snorkel at Coki, so you're guaranteed to see LOTs of fish. Though fish-feeding is discouraged, nobody can control it, unfortunately.

 

The approach to the area looks slummy, but once you get to Coral World and the beach, it's all gorgeous!

 

Sigh, I should get my act together so I can post those photos on my blog! Your post may be just the inspiration I need!

[Ms411]

I found my SNUBA photos. I was using a cheapie Vivitar underwater camera that I bought off ebay for around $50, and the SNUBA session was one of the first times I'd used it.

 

I think one of the reasons I abandoned "ship" is because I could see my photos weren't coming out as I had hoped. Many have a definite blue cast, and I was hoping for more WOW photos. I need to use a photo editor to enhance them before I post them.

 

I've bought an underwater Pentax since that Sep 2011 trip, so maybe I'll do it again using that camera. That way I can compare the two.

 

But, I'll clean up my photos and post them for you in a few days. Unfortunately, most of them are of Matt because he's better looking.;)

[chipmunkdream]

I'm feeling much more comfortable about coral world now, thank you!

Can't wait to see your pictures!!! :D

[Ms411]

I'll try to post them on Sunday. Unfortunately many of them have a blue cast, so I'm going to run them through PhotoShop to see if that'll help. I tried Picasa, and wasn't happy with the results.

 

I kept missing most of the fish, but I managed to catch a few!

[Ms411]

Sigh, unfortunately, I can't fix my pictures. I was so hoping to have some nice underwater photos. The camera did well from the surface, but I guess it couldn't adjust to the lower depths though it's usable to at least 10 feet.

 

Maybe you can google for others' photos/videos?