Suggest a shop? - Tortola

[CruiseLunatic]

Hello,
**Our 31 Oct, Noordam cruise takes us to Tortola. We arrive mid day and are in until late evening.
***My wife and I would like to know of a good dive shop.
**** We would prefer smaller group diving, guided, and pick-up would be a plus!
Thanks for any suggestions or recommendations.
Matt S

[bruce-r]

Don't have a recommendaiton, but perhaps [url=http://www.scubadiving.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=37717&mpage=1&key=tortola鍕]this [/url]will help.

[CruiseLunatic]

Thanks for the link. It was very helpful. One thing for certain: [SIZE=3][I][B]MUST DIVE THE RHONE![/B][/I][/SIZE]

[bruce-r]

[quote name='CruiseLunatic']Thanks for the link. It was very helpful. One thing for certain: [SIZE=3][I][B]MUST DIVE THE RHONE![/B][/I][/SIZE][/QUOTE]That is indeed the signature dive there. The one I'd want to make as well.

[S&M in Pgh]

You might want to try aquaventuresbvi.com.

They only take small groups and you get very personal attention.

While the Rhone is the big dive there, don't get your heart set on it. Conditions on the wreck can change in a matter of minutes. We were setting up for our dive there and the dive master noticed the current picking up and in a matter of 10 minutes, it was moving at almost 5 knots over the wreck. Unless you are an Olympic swimmer, that is a tough dive. Discretion being the better part of valor, we pulled anchor and went over to the 2 tugs wreck and had over 45 min of bottom time. I'll save the rhone for a day when I can enjoy it.

It all depends on the time of year you will be there and the time of the month (tide wise).

Give Phil at AquaVentures an email. He runs a nice operation.

Mike

[impcinder]

Dove the HMS Rhone during our Carnival Liberty cruise 6/23 - 7/1 2007

We tried to book a SCUBA excursion through Carnival – but it was filled. I investigated and we booked with Dive Tortola for a two tank dive. Took a local cab and arrived at the dive shop. As we completed our paper work – 9 individuals from Carnival joined us! (A total of 13 divers, 2 dive masters)

We rented 4 regs and 1 BCD – the equipment was in excellent condition. Weights and weight belts were available on board the dive boat.

When I booked our dives, I requested the HMS Rhone wreck for our dive site. Dive Tortola would not guarantee the site, it was weather and current dependent. But the Dive gods were smiling on us and we dove the HMS Rhone. FANTASTIC! We did both dives on this wreck and did not repeat the sections we explored. The reefs growing on the wreck were colorful and vibrant! And we discovered lot of fish and turtles. Our group was split and we went with Alex, the others went with Katherine. Both groups had the opportunity to experience two different swim throughs. During our surface interval, Katherine gave a historical review of the ship and what happened that fateful day.

For a wreck from 1867, there was quite a bit of the infrastructure remaining. We had the opportunity to touch the glass remaining in a porthole and touch the lucky numbers.

The following is a quote from their web page:
RMS Rhone
Wrecked during an unexpected hurricane on October 29th, 1867, the Royal Mail Steamship Rhone is now the most popular dive site in the British Virgin Islands and is considered a classic amongst wreck dives. Split into very distinct sections, the RMS Rhone is best seen over at least two dives where divers can spend optimal time exploring her many historical features and abundant marine life.
The deepest and most in tact section of the wreck is the bow which rests on its starboard side and is usually considered “dive one”. Due to its depth the bow has missed out on much of the harm Mother Nature can cause and it still displays many of the ship’s original features, like the fore mast and crows nest which are completely encrusted with a variety of corals and sponges, the bowsprit and rigging that once hoisted the mast and an open entrance hatch that’s large enough for a diver to get through. Further towards the break in the hull divers will see some of the ship’s deck supports which now stand to attention like majestic Greek columns. Pinned under this part of the wreck divers will also see one of the ship’s two signal canons and can view the original davits that used to hold the lifeboats.
The highlight of the bow section though has to be the cavernous interior which is open for exploration. Divers are guided into a gapping black hole by the foremast into the dimly lit hull where Spiny Caribbean Lobsters, Clinging Crabs and Moray Eels are often seen. The crystal blue glow of the exit is always visible and an abundance of marine life is there to welcome you back out into the vast expanse of the ocean.
“Dive two”, which is considered a multilevel dive profile, gives divers the chance to explore both the midsection and stern. The Rhone’s midsection reaches down to 70ft where divers can view more of those majestic looking deck supports. Just by the deck supports divers should look out for the ships HUGE wrench set which was either fused to the wreck in the intense heat before the sinking or later by the growth of coral. Working their way slightly shallower divers come to an additional area of the midsection where they are able to see more deck supports surrounded by schooling fish like Horse-Eyed Jacks and Yellowtail Snapper. This part of the wreck also displays the water pumps that failed to do their job and a piece of original tile flooring that has now been occupied by a fairly aggressive Sergeant Major protecting his purple egg patch.
Moving into the shallowest portion of the wreck, divers are greeted with the rare opportunity of seeing the guts of the ship. During the 1950’s the British Navy considered the section a navigational hazard and used explosives to remedy the situation, which subsequently opened the ship right up exposing the propeller shaft, gear box and engine for all to see. The aft mast, which until the 1950’s broke the surface of the water, now lies forlornly alongside the “wreck of the wreck” of the Rhone, again with the crow nest visible for scrutiny. There are many hand made and individually numbered portholes visible around the wreck; however the most popular one lies just by the aft mast and it is considered good luck to rub the brass rim. The shallowest section of the dive finally brings divers through the coral encrusted propeller housing and out the other side to view the magnificent rudder and propeller. Often divers are unclear as to what they are looking at until they drift away from the wreck slightly so that they can take in the sheer size of the rudder and propeller.
Due to the RMS Rhone’s exposed location conditions can vary a great deal, with currents and a drop in visibility occurring on a regular basis. However, it is a stunning dive and even if you visit it again and again and again, you’ll always find something new and interesting to look at.

Because we did not book with Carnival, we could not use the provided taxi service. We had requested our cab drive to pick us up at 1pm. But at 1:20 he was still ‘on the way’ – the dive shop called to confirm. At 1:30, Katherine drove us back to the port.

I would recommend this Dive Tortola to all. Contact information:
Katherine Huskey
Operations Manager
DIVE TORTOLA
P.O. Box 3514
Road Town, Tortola
British Virgin Islands
At Prospect Reef Marina
Phone: (284) 494-9200
Fax: (284) 494-7264
[url]www.divetortola.com[/url]