Less crowded snorkel excursion

[Stmar]

Anybody have experience with a less crowded snorkel trip. Will be in St. Thomas on Carnival in February. Most of the snorkel excursions that we have been on in the last few years are overcrowded and the experience is less than optimal.

[Ms411]

Try this company. They sell out so need to reserve as soon as you can. I couldn't get the date I wanted when I tried to book a few days before.

 

http://www.stthomasadventuretours.com

 

[Stmar]

Thanks, looks like our schedule does not match . We cannot get off the ship until noon and their tour starts earlier on that date.

[crossfitmama]

check with https://stthomascruiseexcursions.com/ too

[mitsugirly]

Do you have to have an excursion? There's plenty of snorkeling right off the beach at Sapphire or Coki Beach. No need to pay for an expensive snorkeling trip if you don't want to.

[blue_water]

You didn't include your port times, if in port long enough you can take one of the smaller snorkel excursions by boat and avoid the biggest crowds. Your date in port is also pertinent, for off-the-shore snorkeling Sapphire would be our choice, you can find great reviews on that. But if a big ship day Sapphire, Coki, etc will be more crowded. Taking a sail/snorkel excursion is the ultimate way to avoid the crowds on a busy day...

Edited January 16, 2020 by blue_water

[Ms411]

The ships offer excursions to both Sapphire and Coki so those beaches will be more crowded than other private excursions that will go to other beaches and provide gear, transport, and maybe bottled water.

 

[blue_water]

Yes if you want a private charter, or even a shared independent as mentioned, that is the ultimate in "less crowded" snorkeling, of course, and most of these excursions (non-cruise line) will entail off-the-boat snorkeling off the cays of STT or STJ. It sounds like you may have been on cruise line excursions, and if so they are the busiest. 

As Mitsugirly noted you can easily taxi on your own to Sapphire, for example, which is an excellent choice, and enjoy snorkeling in different reef areas as well as a seagrass area with sea turtles and rays with few others around you if you are good swimmers. Read her informative review, and read recent reviews to get a feel for the great snorkeling that is offered there...The beach gets crowded with fellow cruisers, but most hang around the beach bar and the sandy swimming area...you will be well away from there...

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by blue_water
typos

[Nerkbuck]

St Thomas Scuba and Snorkel Adventures, they take you to Brewers Bay and Hull Bay away from all the crowds. 

https://www.stthomasadventures.com/

 

[mitsugirly]

32 minutes ago, Nerkbuck said:

St Thomas Scuba and Snorkel Adventures, they take you to Brewers Bay and Hull Bay away from all the crowds. 

https://www.stthomasadventures.com/

 

 

 

Hey thanks for the link. I have been looking for a place to do a scuba dive that isn't outrageous in price and didn't know about this place. Where is it located in comparison to the cruise ship dock?

[Nerkbuck]

16 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

 

 

Hey thanks for the link. I have been looking for a place to do a scuba dive that isn't outrageous in price and didn't know about this place. Where is it located in comparison to the cruise ship dock?

They are about 20 mins from the port at Hull Bay, but they come and pick you up across the street from all the shops and bring you back. 

[mitsugirly]

4 hours ago, Nerkbuck said:

They are about 20 mins from the port at Hull Bay, but they come and pick you up across the street from all the shops and bring you back. 

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Is their place located on a beach? Do you know if there is good snorkeling in that area? Their website says they scuba from the beach so if there's decent snorkeling I would think the scuba would be good too.

[Nerkbuck]

2 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Is their place located on a beach? Do you know if there is good snorkeling in that area? Their website says they scuba from the beach so if there's decent snorkeling I would think the scuba would be good too.

They are on Hull Bay beach and I think that is where they scuba from. Google St Thomas Scuba and Snorkel Adventures

[Ms411]

Hull Bay is a popular beach area for surfing in winter. Water not as calm as other beaches.

 

You need to ask if they have recommended taxis if you want to go there. Taxi drivers don't like going there because they don't want to go off the beaten path. 

 

If you want to snorkel/dive a reef, you need to check online maps that list locations of reefs. There's no reef at Brewers but not sure about Hull Bay.

 

[Ms411]

I was on a St Thomas tour yesterday, and the driver commented on the number of boats at Brewers. He said that didn't use to be the case. Hard to get off the beaten path these days, imo.