Looking for Southern Caribbean Dive Shops

[Airrace]

Hello

 

I am looking for dive shops in the following piers:

Castries, St Lucia

Kingston, St Vicent

Bridgetown, Barbados

Oranjestad, Aruba

Willemstad, Curaçao 

Kraiendijk, Bonaire

 

I plan to do a two tank morning dive and could use some help in where to dive and some good dive shops that cater to small groups.

. I like wreck diving but am open to anything.

 

Thanks in Advance

Bill

 

 

[omeinv]

St. Kitts:

 

Pro Diver St. Kitts.  A good operator with a nice boat, and they run out of the marina that is adjacent to the cruise port.  Austin makes diving fun and easy from the ship.  (https://prodiversstkitts.com/)

 

St. Lucia:

 

I’ve used both Scuba Steve’s and Eastern Caribbean Divers.  They’re both good, but the nod goes to Eastern Caribbean in every respect.  The boat picks you up at the same pier the ship will dock at.(http://www.easterncaribbeandivingstlucia.com/index.html)

 

St. Vincent:

 

Vaughn Martin and his crew, at Serenity Dive are fantastic.  They will pick you up in their boat at the pier, and are just great people.  The diving is quite good.  (http://www.serenitydive.net/)

 

Barbados:

 

Dive with Peter and Heather Grannum’s West Side Scuba Centre.  I would recommend requesting the Stavron Ikita if you haven’t dove it before.  It’s one of the best wrecks in the Caribbean, and it’s not nearly so well known as it should be.  Peter will pick you up at the cruise terminal.  

(www.http://westsidescuba.com/)

 

Aruba:

 

Jeffrey Kost and Happy Divers Aruba.  Port Pick up and return, small boat, great guy, and the Antilla wreck.  You don’t need more.  Be patient for email responses, Jeffrey can take a couple days.  (www.happydiversaruba.com)

 

Curacao:

 

Hans Pleij and CURious2Dive (I think it’s the same place you referenced as the Kenneth Dive Center, as Ken is an instructor there).  Hans picks you up at the port, and generally there are no more than a couple divers in the group.  (http://www.curious2dive.com/).

 

Bonaire:

 

VIP Dive.  They pick you up at the port, and you select the sites you want in consultation with your guide.  It pays to do you research in advance, so you can make intelligent suggestions.  The Hilma Hooker is the only wreck there, but it’s a good one.  Nitrox is included in the price, so get your nitrox cert if you don’t have it.  Also, they have both 80 and 100 CF tanks, so ask for the 100’s and Get more bottom time for the same price.  (www.vipdiving.com)

 

Harris

Denver, Co

Edited March 16, 2019 by omeinv

[PAcruiser19372]

Wow, such a helpful detailed answer and not even a thank you?  BTW, scheduled to be with Hans in Curacao later next month based on your recommendation.

[omeinv]

6 hours ago, PAcruiser19372 said:

Wow, such a helpful detailed answer and not even a thank you?  BTW, scheduled to be with Hans in Curacao later next month based on your recommendation.

Say hi for me please.  Tell him Harris and Rito will be there in January.  🙂

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Airrace]

Hello Harris

 

I am forever thankful for all your help. My scuba diving wouldn’t be complete without your help. I hope you do know that I am for ever greatfull and if I can do anything for you just let me know.

[omeinv]

7 hours ago, Airrace said:

Hello Harris

 

I am forever thankful for all your help. My scuba diving wouldn’t be complete without your help. I hope you do know that I am for ever greatfull and if I can do anything for you just let me know.

Bill,

 

I appreciate that.  I should have mentioned above that you had emailed me, so the whole story didn't appear here on the message boards.  My mistake in letting the wrong impression persist. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Airrace]

24 minutes ago, omeinv said:

Bill,

 

I appreciate that.  I should have mentioned above that you had emailed me, so the whole story didn't appear here on the message boards.  My mistake in letting the wrong impression persist. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

[PAcruiser19372]

Guys, my apologies to the both of you. At my age i should know better than to assume and I was guilty of that so again please accept my apologies.  Part of getting caught up in social media and was guilty.

[omeinv]

11 hours ago, PAcruiser19372 said:

Guys, my apologies to the both of you. At my age i should know better than to assume and I was guilty of that so again please accept my apologies.  Part of getting caught up in social media and was guilty.

Your punishment will be a sentence of 40 minutes at a depth of 70 feet in warm Caribbean waters.  🙂

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[spillers493]

On 3/16/2019 at 9:38 AM, omeinv said:

St. Kitts:

 

Pro Diver St. Kitts.  A good operator with a nice boat, and they run out of the marina that is adjacent to the cruise port.  Austin makes diving fun and easy from the ship.  (https://prodiversstkitts.com/)

 

St. Lucia:

 

I’ve used both Scuba Steve’s and Eastern Caribbean Divers.  They’re both good, but the nod goes to Eastern Caribbean in every respect.  The boat picks you up at the same pier the ship will dock at.(http://www.easterncaribbeandivingstlucia.com/index.html)

 

St. Vincent:

 

Vaughn Martin and his crew, at Serenity Dive are fantastic.  They will pick you up in their boat at the pier, and are just great people.  The diving is quite good.  (http://www.serenitydive.net/)

 

Barbados:

 

Dive with Peter and Heather Grannum’s West Side Scuba Centre.  I would recommend requesting the Stavron Ikita if you haven’t dove it before.  It’s one of the best wrecks in the Caribbean, and it’s not nearly so well known as it should be.  Peter will pick you up at the cruise terminal.  

(www.http://westsidescuba.com/)

 

Aruba:

 

Jeffrey Kost and Happy Divers Aruba.  Port Pick up and return, small boat, great guy, and the Antilla wreck.  You don’t need more.  Be patient for email responses, Jeffrey can take a couple days.  (www.happydiversaruba.com)

 

Curacao:

 

Hans Pleij and CURious2Dive (I think it’s the same place you referenced as the Kenneth Dive Center, as Ken is an instructor there).  Hans picks you up at the port, and generally there are no more than a couple divers in the group.  (http://www.curious2dive.com/).

 

Bonaire:

 

VIP Dive.  They pick you up at the port, and you select the sites you want in consultation with your guide.  It pays to do you research in advance, so you can make intelligent suggestions.  The Hilma Hooker is the only wreck there, but it’s a good one.  Nitrox is included in the price, so get your nitrox cert if you don’t have it.  Also, they have both 80 and 100 CF tanks, so ask for the 100’s and Get more bottom time for the same price.  (www.vipdiving.com)

 

Harris

Denver, Co

Wow!  Thank you for such great information!  We'll be in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao this December, so I've already put out some emails to your referred companies hoping to get my hubby booked for some diving!

[omeinv]

Feel free to email me (Link below) if you have any more questions.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[mac66]

On 4/18/2019 at 6:31 PM, spillers493 said:

Wow!  Thank you for such great information!  We'll be in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao this December, so I've already put out some emails to your referred companies hoping to get my hubby booked for some diving!

 

If you don't find what you're looking for in Curacao try scubacao.com.  I've snorkeled with them several years ago and then went back and did my OW certification dives with them.