Report on Antigua Diving

Jason you are correct in your assumption. If I'd not paid up front I would
have gone elsewhere, although that would have been difficult. Trying to get
money out of someone like him wasn't going to be a pleasant experience and I
was deterimined to do the diving no matter what. You live and learn - its
the only place I have experienced something like that.

Saying that the marine life outweighed the dive centre, so you have to
consider everything whilst you are there for your time involved.

I just hope other people who consider going there read my report and if not
then others will remind them.

I am sure there is a good diving centre on the island and I am determined to
find out, because I want to go back, the local people are so friendly, its a
beautiful island and the pace of life so cool. I consider myself a fairly
seasoned traveller and hope that my report has been of help to others, that
is why we are all here in these circumstances.

As a matter of interest some friends of mine went to Grenada in October and
saw similar marine life as in Antigua, so you may want to consider there as
a 2-centre (BUT Speak to Keith L as I know he has been there I think ??).
Don't know about St Kitts.

Hmm. where do I go this year ? I may have an invitation to Thailand from
an old school friend.

Chrystianne


"Jason" <jason.usenet.nospam@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
newsan.2004.01.04.20.25.06.349821@ntlworld.com.. .
> On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 17:58:05 +0000, Keith S. wrote:
>
> >> I see no flag.
> >
> > Neither did I. Perhaps it only works on IE6?
>
> Nope, it's appeared now. May have been NTL's not so transparent cache at
> work.
>
> What I don't understand is why Chrystianne went back on the second day. I
> wouldn't have and I'd have let him know why too.. I assumed it was because
> you'd paid for the 10 pack in advance.
>
> Still it's good to hear the diving isn't bad in Antigua. I quite fancy a
> two island trip to there and St Kitts.
>
> Jason
>
> --
> http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Maldivian trip reports including
Kuredu,
> Fesdu, Meedhupparu, Summer Island Village and Velidhu
>

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 21:06:22 +0000, Keith S. wrote:

> I couldn't say the diving was any good at all - see
> http://www.peardrop.co.uk/Nevis01.htm for a trip report - I think there
> are plenty of better places to go.

Well having a read on the net, it would seem there are more sites than you
managed on your brief visit. There's even a couple of wrecks. So there
really ought to be enough there to occupy me for a week.

Jason

--
See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:37:01 +0000, Chrystianne wrote:

> Jason you are correct in your assumption. If I'd not paid up front I would
> have gone elsewhere, although that would have been difficult. Trying to get
> money out of someone like him wasn't going to be a pleasant experience and I
> was deterimined to do the diving no matter what. You live and learn - its
> the only place I have experienced something like that.

But I thought you'd only paid for the first day's diving in cash? I'd have gone
somewhere else after being told I'd arrived too late on the first day
myself.

The only place I've been that was anywhere near as bad was in the
Maldives. Unfortunately you can't just go to another dive shop there.

Jason

--
See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.

"Keith S." <false@ntlworld.com> wrote ...

> I'd prefer a week in Grenada and the
> chance to dive the Bianca C on a twinset :)

Chance would be a fine thing
I've "dived" the Bianca C a couple of times, it's dived as a quick bounce
down to the swimming pool then back up again. The main purpose of the Bianca
C seems to be as a way of selling AOW courses rather than being a good dive.

Keith L

Keith Lawrence wrote:

> Chance would be a fine thing
> I've "dived" the Bianca C a couple of times, it's dived as a quick bounce
> down to the swimming pool then back up again. The main purpose of the Bianca
> C seems to be as a way of selling AOW courses rather than being a good dive.

I saw an article in Diver mag a while back (or it might have been Dive)
where they were diving it with twinsets from a local dive centre, so
it seemed it was possible, just like it is possible to do the Windjammer
on Bonaire on trimix. Or as someone I know did, you can do it on air
(hint: it's at 75m...)

- Keith

I suppose I gave him a second chance and flung my credit card at him, but
like you, there was no where else practical to go and join another dive
centre. The resort was very quiet and apart from one other diver who was on
a yacht who had dived on another island, I never met anyone else who wanted
to go diving apart from the few people that turned up in the mornings (that
I never saw again !). The nearest dive centre out of Ken's reach was at
least 1.5 hours away by public transport that has no timetable, or at least
U$60 by taxi which would take an hour, or about the same money if you hired
a car by the day. I think it's just unlucky if you experience a dive centre
like the one in Jolly Harbour, and this is just a reasonable warning to
others that are thinking of going there. I just bit my lip and enjoyed the
diving.

Chrystianne

"Jason" <jason.usenet.nospam@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
newsan.2004.01.05.19.03.02.754839@ntlworld.com.. .
> On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:37:01 +0000, Chrystianne wrote:
>
> > Jason you are correct in your assumption. If I'd not paid up front I
would
> > have gone elsewhere, although that would have been difficult. Trying to
get
> > money out of someone like him wasn't going to be a pleasant experience
and I
> > was deterimined to do the diving no matter what. You live and learn -
its
> > the only place I have experienced something like that.
>
> But I thought you'd only paid for the first day's diving in cash? I'd have
gone
> somewhere else after being told I'd arrived too late on the first day
> myself.
>
> The only place I've been that was anywhere near as bad was in the
> Maldives. Unfortunately you can't just go to another dive shop there.
>
> Jason
>
> --
> See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.
>

On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 21:41:26 +0000, Chrystianne wrote:

> I never saw again !). The nearest dive centre out of Ken's reach was at
> least 1.5 hours away by public transport that has no timetable, or at
> least U$60 by taxi which would take an hour, or about the same money if
> you hired a car by the day. I think it's just unlucky if you experience
> a dive

Hmm, I found a dive centre in St Johns on the web. Don't know if they do
pickups. It does tend to be the rule in the Caribbean. If I do go, then it
would probably be the Rex Halcyon with Virgin and I think they've got a
dive centre onsite.

Jason
--
See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.

There are 2 Rex resorts in Antigua, one near Jolly Divers. The Halcyon is
in Dickenson Bay which is to the north and more on the Atlantic side, and as
I did a catamaran trip round the island it seemed to be rougher weather
there. I don't think any dive centre north of St Johns would pick up from
Jolly Harbour as it is 1/2-3/4 hour drive, but I could be wrong.

The reason we went to Jolly Harbour was on a recommendation from a friend,
who is an ex-diver. The photos looked stunning and the pictures of the dive
boat user-friendly. I wasn't to know, nor she, that the dive centre was
anything other than friendly.

If I went back it would be to the south around Falmouth Harbour/Shirley
Heights to do the 31 sites I saw at Aquanaut Dive Centre. All I have is an
email :
aquanaut@candw.ag

I also have a map of all the resorts I can scan in if you want one.

If you do go could you please let me know how you get on. I'm all for
Virgin, that's who we went with.

Chrystianne


"Jason" <jason.usenet.nospam@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
newsan.2004.01.05.22.39.38.543324@ntlworld.com.. .
> On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 21:41:26 +0000, Chrystianne wrote:
>
> > I never saw again !). The nearest dive centre out of Ken's reach was at
> > least 1.5 hours away by public transport that has no timetable, or at
> > least U$60 by taxi which would take an hour, or about the same money if
> > you hired a car by the day. I think it's just unlucky if you experience
> > a dive
>
> Hmm, I found a dive centre in St Johns on the web. Don't know if they do
> pickups. It does tend to be the rule in the Caribbean. If I do go, then it
> would probably be the Rex Halcyon with Virgin and I think they've got a
> dive centre onsite.
>
> Jason
> --
> See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.
>