Scuba on Windstar

[mielyse]

Has anyone used the Scuba services aboard the Windstar? We are trying to decide if we are going to use the ship or book with an outside dive shop.

[kathy16]

We participated in Discover Scuba on Windsurf 2 years ago on their STT to Barbados cruise, and the staff was great, and it was convenient to depart from the sports deck, and the serious scuba divers seemed to enjoy the services too.

[lovecruisingtoo]

We participated in Discover Scuba on Windsurf 2 years ago on their STT to Barbados cruise, and the staff was great, and it was convenient to depart from the sports deck, and the serious scuba divers seemed to enjoy the services too.

 

Could not have said it better. Took the Discover Scuba class this past year on the Spirit and had a great time. The staff was great and very familiar with the area.

[winegirl]

My spouse was able to get his resort certification in the Mediterranean through Windstar at what we felt was a very reasonable price, personal attention and a nice underwater record of the dives taken by his dive instructor, Crispin. He really enjoyed this and thought highly of the service.

[Lylealiberman]

I'm an experience diver with over 130 dives logged. I dove twice with them.

 

1st time in '05 on the Surf in French Polynesia. Good time, good conditions, very good dive masters. I brought my own gear.

 

2nd time in '06 on the Spirit in Greece/Turkey. I didn't bring my own gear which was a mistake. They had good regulators and BCD's but the condition of the larger size suits was poor and the selection of masks was limited. Mine leaked due to a poor fit. The suit they gave me was ripped so they exchanged it for a smaller one which was all they had. It didn't fit correctly which is very important and the compression was so tight around my chest that I couldn't breath. I had to abort the dive as soon as I hit the water. They still charged me for all of the day's dives even though it was not my fault. I spoke to the head of actvities with no positive outcome and was charged $260.

 

That's inexcusable in my book! :(

 

If you are a diver, bring your own gear...

[yogagal47]

My husband has experience diving with Windstar in Tahiti, Med, and most recently in Costa Rica. Although he already had his certification on the CR trip, our son and a friend chose to spend the sea day doing the cert. course. This worked out very well. The diving excursion(two tank) to Cano Island off of Drakes Bay was wonderful for them. In addition to the Windstar Dive Staff, they were accompanied by a local dive outfit and their boats. Everything was very professional and the gear was fine. In fall of 2002 on a Windsurf dive in Corsica my husband had a bad experience with a weight belt. They plan to dive again on the Barbados New Year's Cruise coming up.

[winegirl]

There are some other discussions on this board about the scuba services, that indicate people were pleased. My spouse got his resort certificate on Windstar in the Mediterranean. He had excellent instructors, very individualized attention and the prices were very reasonable in our opinion. This was the highlight of his two week cruise, the chance to dive two or three times in the Med, with Crispin, the divemaster, recording the underwater scenery for him as a souvenir.

[rickcohen2]

I'm an advanced diver and have used the ship's dive staff on every trip we've taken. But, it has been a while.

 

I also always bring my own mask, snorkle, booties, suit and fins... regardless of where I dive. And, he staff has always taken good care of my personnal gear.

 

I can't say Costa Rica is my favorite dive destination, but I always felt the dive staff aboard was superior to any ashore.

[yogagal47]

Rick-do you (or anyone else) know who is doing the Scuba/watersports on the Surf now? We will be on board for the New Year's Cruise and were curious.

Thanks.

[cruister71]

The Diving on Windstar is now done by shoreside operators and not through the Sports Coordinators on the Ship unless you are sailing in Costa Rica. You book your dives the same as a Shore Excursion and taken by a shoreside PADI dive center. This is to give guests more use of the Sports Platform.

[yogagal47]

That is disappointing to hear there are no scuba services aboard the "Surf." Does anyone know who is doing the watersports and whether or not the watersports platform is working these days?