St. Vincent Diving - October 2006
So after being dry for a couple of months, I was able to get down to St. Vincent for the first time to try a little critter diving. While St. Vincent does have some reefs to dive, they also have other, more interesting, things to see that you won't see elsewhere. Of course it's mostly macro critters so if that doesn't suit your fancy then it's probably not the place for you.
To get to St. Vincent we flew through San Juan. From San Juan it was a twin engine prop plane for a couple of hours to St. Vincent. Upon arrival it was interesting that Customs was very inqusitive. They searched all our bags and asked many questions about why we were in St. Vincent. I guess they have a problem with visitors bringing things into the country and not paying proper duty on the goods. It wasn't a negative thing, but was very different to experiences I have had traveling to other places around the world.
As it was just three of us guys on this trip we selected the cheapest - comfortable - accomodations. We stayed at Paradise Inn. Again, it was comfortable with a friendly staff, clean rooms and a working air conditioner - but a restaraunt that was limited in selection - both at breakfast and at dinner. Not a problem though as there are a number of places to eat within walking distance which were very nice. Our breakfasts were good and included juice, fruit, eggs and a meat. Bacon, ham, or sausage.... Bacon was not available every day, sausage was a hot dog, and ham was actually ham.. Again - not knocking the place. We got what we paid for and would stay there again.. But know it's not a resort that your non-diving partner would enjoying lounging in while you're off having a great morning of diving.
Dive St. Vincent was the outfit we dove with - in fact they set everything up for us! Bill Tewes - remember that name - runs a great shop. Bill takes great care to ensure that his customers are taken care of. He has a dry wit and a bit of a sarcastic tone - like me he's an old guy - but he cares greatly about your experience and strives to ensure you see what you want to see. Take the time to talk to him and you'll find a comrade who cares about the critters, the environment, the island he calls home and of course the future of the dive industry in St. Vincent.
Bill has a few boats - his "fleet" is parked right in front of the dive shop. As we were visiting during their low season we were always on one boat. It was a nice dive boat, complete with all the requisite safety gear and access features we divers like to have. Bill takes care of everything, including setting up your gear and assisting you with getting it on. Do pay attention to the dive briefing - Bill will give you very good insight as to what you can look for in different areas of the dive. If you multi-task during the dive brief, you'll miss details that you will wish you hadn't missed. It's a simple back roll off the boat to begin your dive. After the first dive you're free to dive your dive. I say after the first dive because Bill wants to see that you are proficient in your dive skills before turning you loose (not invasive, but if you haven't dove in a while and need a little help, Bill wants to know that and ensure you get it). Bill really is "all about you".
Unless you are very experienced at spotting macro creatures that you probably have never seen before I'd suggest you hang near Bill during the dives. He is a MASTER at finding the little critters. He'll write profusely on his slate identifying the little critters for you. Remember to take a photo of the slate and then the critter - that way you'll remember what it was! :-)
My desire was to find Seahorses - and Bill led us to Sea Horses - two different kinds actually! Long Nose and Lined. Above is a photo of the Lined. A 16X20 hangs on my wall at home!
I'd certainly recommend taking a trip to St. Vincent if you are wanting to see some very unique macro critters. There's only one outfit to dive with - Bill Tewes and Dive St. Vincent.
Cheers,
Monty
posted by Monty Chandler | 2:16 PM
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