Dive Centre name: Underwater Safaris
from 1 reviews
For Divers with less experience we have sites ranging from depths of 35' to 55' that offer very relaxed diving with little or no surge or current and outstanding visibility. More advanced divers would enjoy the challenge of the Kennedy and the Miss Opportunity. Certified PADI Divemasters and Instructors accompany all divers throughout the dive tour giving informative pre-dive briefings. They also point out unique marine life and any hazards along the way, greatly enhancing the overall educational value, safety and enjoyment of the dives.
Local weather conditions the day of the dive determines the best sites to dive. Normally, we do two dives in the morning; the first is a reef dive and the second is a wreck dive. The dive leaves at approx. 8:30 AM and returns at approx. 12:30 PM. Often we go to Buck Island Wildlife Refuge and dive the wreck of the Cartanza Senior. Another favorite spot is the Navy Barges, a great wreck dive with lots of intriguing marine life. All of our certified dives are guided with a maximum of 10 divers per instructor with no surge or current and great visibility!
| Technical: | No |
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| Snorkelling: | No |
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Underwater Safaris Yacht Haven Marina 5300 Long Bay Road Suite 2, Charlotte Amalie St Thomas 00801 Virgin Islands (U.S.) |
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Reviews
10th June 2009 by divediva
A real mixed bag
Visit Date: June 2009
We were in St Thomas on a cruise ship, for only half a day, so it was handy to have a dive operator right at the port. There were 14 divers in our party. We were set up with rental gear, some of which was poor, like the tiny snorkel fins that they tried to give us. I managed to get a pair of full-sized open-backed ones with boots instead. How is an adult meant to move through open sea with fins only a few inches long? The rest of the gear was in good condition. The boat was large and well-equipped, with plenty of room for tanks and people. Besides the captain, there were 2 dive leaders, who each took half the group. The dive site was about 20 mins away over rough sea, but in a sheltered, calm cove. There were already 3 other dive boats anchored there. The first dive was delayed when one of our party had problems equalizing, so the rest of us spent 5 minutes sitting on the bottom waiting. Our dive leader counted us repeatedly in the water, and there were several roll calls above, which is good. He also asked us several times underwater for an air reading, and took pains to point out interesting features, like a baby nurse shark hiding underneath a wreck. The sites were ok but not that interesting. We did 2 dives with no surface interval at all. The first one was about 35 minutes at 60 feet. Once back on the boat, we were instructed to gear up again immediately. When I queried this, the response was, 'an SI isn't necessary because we've not been deep enough'. Even if the dive tables don't require it, a few minutes topside to rest is a good idea. There were lots of snorkelers and other divers around. Everything felt very rushed. Obviously the sailing time of our ship was a factor, but we were back on shore with plenty of spare time. We overheard our dive leader saying that he was intending to qualify as a DM. Intending?? We had just assumed that the leaders were at least DMs, if not instructors, as has been the case everywhere else we have dived. This does not inspire confidence. So it was a strange mixture, of extreme safety-consciousness about some things but not others, a really nice boat but some shoddy gear, very helpful and friendly but under-qualified staff. Very convenient if you're on a cruise, but best to be prepared and manage your expectations.
