Visit Date: November 2010

I was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see the blue underworld of the waters surrounding St. Thomas, USVI. I booked my excursion through my cruise company not knowing what to expect from this operator. Now having completed the experience I have to say KUDOS to the boat crew, Excellent job!!!!

The boat crew (Blake, Russ & Capt. Jim), were very attentive and professional. Great guides with lots of local knowledge, excellent skills in guiding all levels of divers to get the most out of their time on air.

My only concern with this center was the fact that management refused to allow me to fill my spare air. As a safety conscious diver I like to ensure that I plan for a safe return to the surface. Following my request the manager addressed me in a dismissive tone advising "You don't need that, there will be lots of extra air if you need it" and promptly walked away. This interaction left me feeling less like a guest and with the feeling of "We have your money now so no more Ms. Nice Lady"

Despite the initial ripple with the manager, the boat crew made the experience very positive and I thoroughly enjoyed my day with them.

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.