Undercurrent

HTML Example of New Style Reports

Dominica Diving Reports
a custom-made Mini Chapbook®
for the year 2014

Showing 8 Reader Reports, Generated Dec 04, 2014
Land-based and Liveaboards, Dive Operators: All,
Areas Chosen: All,
Ordered by Dive Operator, Visit Date (earliest first)

Dominica Diving Overview

Dominica is the best all-around adventure island in the Caribbean, with gorgeous reefs, plenty of reef fish, lush rainforests, hiking, waterfalls, warm water springs, splendid fruits and vegetables, modest hotels and restaurants - and it's inexpensive. Small seaside hotels and diver retreats are affected by the nearly continuous cloud cover over the mountains, and there's not much happening beyond residents leading their lives. Expect daytime temperatures in the 80s and night lows around 68 in winter and 73 in summer, although a few minutes up the mountain into the cloud forest can change that. July to November is the wet season. Dominica's at the edge of the hurricane belt. The13- mile, round-trip hike to Boiling Lake is worth getting in condition for.

Dominica Seasonal Planner

Dominica is covered with rain forest and has 365 rivers. As you would expect, it gets a lot of rain, about 70 inches a year along the coast, and up to 400 inches on the interior mountains. I asked a taxi driver on the island how many times a day it rained during the dry season. He replied, "Once or twice." And during the rainy season? "Sometimes it rains 12 times a day, other times it starts and doesn't stop for days." Fortunately the area most dived, around Roseau, gets only about a fourth of what the rest of the island gets. That much rain does affect hiking in the interior. And it's a great island to hike, as long as you bring a poncho and a sweater. It can get cool, especially at altitude. For a mountainous island, the run-off doesn't affect the water clarity as much as you would expect. The dry season is from February to mid-June.

Reader Reports

Land Based Dive Operations


"Rosalie Bay / AlDive"
Contributor
AlDive/Rosalie Bay, Apr 2014 (Rpt #7805 has 1 Helpful Vote) by ann mcgrath (email), VA, US, 16 reports filed with 1 Helpful Vote. Dive Experience: 501-1000 dives. Where else diving: almost everywhere Closest Airport: Melville Hall. Getting There: From DC, you will have to overnight in MIA or SJU if you want to avoid LIAT (which is recommended).

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 4 stars Beginners: 4 stars Value for $$: 5 stars
Dive Operation: 5 stars Accommodations: 5 stars Food: 5 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 5 stars
Shore Diving: N/A Snorkeling: 4 stars

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny. Seas: calm, choppy. Water Temp: 80 to 82 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 20 to 60 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? N/A. Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: They are not strict, but do recommend depth and time limits for safety.

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2. Whales: > 2.
Corals: 4 stars Tropical Fish: 3 stars Small Critters: 4 stars
Large Fish: N/A Large Pelagics: 5 stars

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 4 stars Boat Facilities: 3 stars Overall rating for UWP's: 4 stars
Shore Facilities: 4 stars Comments: I don't remember if there is a rinse bucket on the boat, but the staff will thoroughly rinse cameras when they are taken off the boat.

Overall Comments I've been to Dominica many times, and I keep returning because the diving is very good, the island is gorgeous and I love the people there.  This time, we stayed at Rosalie Bay Resort, which opened three years ago.  We've already booked our return trip!  Rosalie Bay's prices are very reasonable considering the excellent accommodations, services and restaurant.  The service at Rosalie Bay is the best of any place I've stayed on the island.

Rosalie Bay is on the southeast end of the island, so is about a 45 minute drive to any of the dive operators, but the resort will drop you off and pick you up.  It's not cheap to do that, at a minimum charge of $50 round trip for two people, but if you have more in the van, the cost goes down accordingly.

The rooms are spectacular, the resort itself is just beautiful, and I can't say enough good things about the staff and the restaurant.  And in case you're interested, the beach is where turtles return to lay eggs!  We say leatherback turtles twice in six days, which is a first for us!  We are going back a little later next year (May/June) to be there when the baby turtles hatch.  There is a turtle protection initiative, started by the owners of Rosalie Bay, to help make sure the eggs hatch safely, and the baby turtles get to the sea.  Check out their web site for pictures.

I have also dived with AlDive before, and will do so again next year.  They have the best dive staff, comfortable boats, and reasonable prices.  Like me, many of their customers are repeats, for good reason.

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


Reviewer
Castle Comfort Lodge in Roseau, Dec 2013 (Rpt #7491) by Todd Lichtenstein (email), NJ, US, 5 reports filed. Dive Experience: 251-500 dives. Where else diving: Cuba,Lembeh Strait,Ganga Island,Papua New Guinea,Bonaire,Little Cayman,Andaman Sea,Burma,Galapagos

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 3 stars Beginners: 3 stars Value for $$: 4 stars
Dive Operation: 4 stars Accommodations: 5 stars Food: 5 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 5 stars
Shore Diving: N/A Snorkeling: N/A

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, windy, rainy. Seas: calm, choppy. Water Temp: 79 to 82 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 60 to 20 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: Come up to the boat with 500psi

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: None. Whales: None.
Corals: 3 stars Tropical Fish: 3 stars Small Critters: N/A
Large Fish: N/A Large Pelagics: N/A

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 3 stars Boat Facilities: 5 stars Overall rating for UWP's: 3 stars
Shore Facilities: N/A Comments: There was a dedicated rinse tank on the boat. There was also a dedicated rinse tank at the dive shop.

Overall Comments We flew United Airlines from Newark to Antigua.Then we were supposed to get a LIAT flight from Antigua to Dominica. The flight was at least an hour an a half late. We boarded the plane to discover that even though we had assigned seats there were no empty seats left on the plane. We were bumped off the flight and had to overnight in Antigua (which was paid for by LIAT). We missed the first day of diving at Castle Comfort due to our late arrival. The next night there was a flash flood. They had to cancel the diving for that day also. So all in all we only dove 3 out of the 5 days. The visibility was ok to poor due to the tremendous run off from the rivers and streams. I really can't judge the diving on Dominica due to these circumstances. What I would like to tell other readers is there is another way to get to Dominica which does not involve taking LIAT (one of the worst airlines I have ever flown). There is an airline called Seaborne. They took over for American Eagle. They fly out of San Juan. In my opinion this is the way to go . Travelers take heed. We did enjoy our stay at Castle Comfort. It's a well run operation with good food and a very friendly staff. We will have to return under better circumstances.  

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


Top Contributor
Castle Comfort Lodge, May 2014 (Rpt #7595) by G. Tripp Jones MD (email), SC, US, 44 reports filed with 1 Helpful Vote. Dive Experience: Over 1000 dives. Where else diving: Caribbean, Truk, Australia, etc

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 4 stars Beginners: 5 stars Value for $$: 5 stars
Dive Operation: 4 stars Accommodations: 3 stars Food: 4 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 4 stars
Shore Diving: 4 stars Snorkeling: N/A

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, dry. Seas: calm, no currents. Water Temp: 80 to 81 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: mm. Water Visibility: 50 to 80 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: Recreational limits.

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: None. Whales: None.
Corals: 4 stars Tropical Fish: 4 stars Small Critters: 4 stars
Large Fish: 3 stars Large Pelagics: N/A

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 4 stars Boat Facilities: 3 stars Overall rating for UWP's: 3 stars
Shore Facilities: N/A Comments: My wife had no complaints.

Overall Comments Our dive shop, Wateree Dive Center in Columbia, SC, returned a year after our only other visit to Dominica. We flew from Charlotte to San Juan on USAirways without any problem. We were to connect with LIAT for a continuation thru Antigua, on to Dominica. However, the flight from San Juan was 3 hours late & we missed our connection. To LIAT's credit, they overnighted us at Halcyon Cove & it was very nice. We had a 3:00 am wake up to get to the airport for a 6:00 am flight to Dominica. However, we went to St. Lucia first, finally arriving in Dominica about 10:00 am. We then went over the mountains to Roseau & the roads were definitely better than a year ago.
The Castle Comfort staff prepared breakfast & arranged for 2 pm dives the day of arrival. The food at Castle Comfort is excellent, with banana pancakes,my favorite. Local fruit juices & fresh fruit are daily staples. The food was really good & we ate at the hotel nightly.
The diving was very nice. 2 dive masters are in the water & Imron showed a lot of really neat critters. The viz was quite good, & no current was noted. We had 14 divers on our boat & it did not seem crowded at all. Cameras were cared for & the dive staff was helpful.
Unfortunately, my wife & I had to leave urgently due to a death in the immediate family & Arienne & her staff were extremely helpful with arrangements to return to the US as was our group leader, Serena Ogburn.
We want to return to Dominica again. Our group did a night dive, whale watching ( success!) & a tour of a Calibishie village the rest of the week, & all were happy with our experience.
The only unusual thing on the way back was that my loose cable ties in my carry-on were confiscated in Dominica as a security threat!?! Go figure!!??!! This is a very good dive operation & basic clean hotel & we will return, despite LIAT's deficiencies.

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


"Caribbean diving in Dominica"
Castle Comfort Lodge, Jun 2014 (Rpt #7859) by Laurie Pemberton (email), CA, US, 2 reports filed. Dive Experience: 501-1000 dives. Where else diving: Caymans, Turks, Cozumel, Curacao, StKitts-Saba, Florida, California, Sea of Cortez, Socorro, Palau, Yap, Fiji Getting There: via Puerto Rico.

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 4 stars Beginners: 4 stars Value for $$: 5 stars
Dive Operation: 5 stars Accommodations: 5 stars Food: 5 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 4 stars
Shore Diving: 3 stars Snorkeling: N/A

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, dry. Seas: calm. Water Temp: 77 to 84 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: mm. Water Visibility: to Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? ?. Enforced diving restrictions: One hour dives, that they ask everyone to adhere.

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: 1 or 2. Whales: None.
Corals: 4 stars Tropical Fish: 4 stars Small Critters: 4 stars
Large Fish: N/A Large Pelagics: N/A

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 4 stars Boat Facilities: N/A Overall rating for UWP's: 4 stars
Shore Facilities: N/A Comments: Need to take your camera equipment between your room and boat. There is a rinse tank at the dive center, but not a place to leave photo stuff.

Overall Comments Recommend Castle Comfort Lodge as Dive Dominica is at their location and you can grab a tank and dive the house reef any time. We did 2-tank boat dives every day; had the same dive guides our whole trip (we were with a group of 12 friends). Food at Castle Comfort Lodge is good, and the lodge is quiet. If you want to go into town, it is an easy taxi ride. Dive guides are good to show interesting fish. House reef was fun for a couple of dives, too. The dive center has a place for your diving equipment, and the dive staff help take it on/off the boats. People are very friendly. I liked the way they tell you "we don't say goodbye in Dominica, we say until we see you again-please come back."

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


Castle Comfort Lodge/Castle Comfort/ Dive Dominica in Southwest Coast - Roseau, Aug 2014 (Rpt #7708 has 1 Helpful Vote) by Linda Burlak, MA, US with 1 Helpful Vote. Dive Experience: 101-250 dives. Where else diving: Florida, Hawaii, Caribbean, Bali, Northeast

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 5 stars Beginners: 5 stars Value for $$: 5 stars
Dive Operation: 5 stars Accommodations: 4 stars Food: 5 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 5 stars
Shore Diving: 4 stars Snorkeling: 3 stars

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, windy, rainy. Seas: calm. Water Temp: 81 to 82 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 2 mm. Water Visibility: 50 to 80 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: 100 feet on the deeper walls.  Dives generally conducted following a guide who would point out small critters, but divers could follow at their own pace.

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: Schools.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: None. Whales: 1 or .
Corals: 5 stars Tropical Fish: 5 stars Small Critters: 5 stars
Large Fish: 2 stars Large Pelagics: 2 stars

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 5 stars Boat Facilities: 4 stars Overall rating for UWP's: 4 stars
Shore Facilities: 4 stars Comments: The boats have a dedicated camera tank but cameras seemed to bang around in it so most people held them after a quick rinse.  There was no dedicated rinse tank back on shore, but since we were staying there it was easy to rinse the camera in the room.

Overall Comments The reefs in Dominica appear very healthy, particularly in comparison to the Florida Keys - this isn't Indonesian plate and soft corals, but for the Caribbean it's very good, comparable, say, to the shallower diving at Saba and rich in crinoids. There are many truly lovely walls, sloping from way down in the blue up to good safety-stop puttering at the end, so you can travel along at a range of depths and see a wide variety of organisms. The (relatively new) reserve on the south-west coast where we were diving seemed to be protected well - no fishing boats seen in the reserve - although we didn't see a lot of lobsters or large fish.  There were tons of little critters and we also saw frogfish and seahorses on almost every dive as well as eels, snake-eels and all the standard reef fish.  The guides were great at finding them and pointing them out.  We did see lionfish on many dives, ranging from small to big.  The dive-masters said they are no longer allowed to spear lionfish during the guided dives (for safety reasons) but people do hunt them at other times and several restaurants serve them. Castle Comfort had them if requested, though not listed on their menu.  Evergreen next door had them on the menu.

Dive Dominica was set up well - multiple boats available.  The largest number we had on a boat was 12 divers plus 4 dive-masters (one conducting OW certification.)  The young woman getting certified seemed to get good training and was happy with the experience.  The main dive guide, Imran, really knows his Paul Humann books and could find all sorts of hidden creatures.  Standard plan is two morning dives - leave at 8:45, back around 1:00.  Boat staff transports BC's, regs, fins, weights and tanks on and off the boat; you are responsible for suits and masks and setting up your own tank on the boat.  No afternoon boat dives, but unlimited shore diving - the house reef is mostly rock and patch reef, but has tons of eels, puffers (and lobsters at night.)  Be careful to stay off the bottom and not stir up the silt.  When it seemed like there might be interest in night diving amidst the divers there that week, D.D. took the initiative to poll the group and arranged a boat night-dive.  

Castle Comfort is a simple, low-key resort.  Rooms have tile floors for people coming in wet and the rooms are clean but worn.  The beds were very comfortable, and there was plenty of hot water and A.C.  We were in #14 with 2 double beds, above the dive shop and with a great balcony for sunsets and morning rainbows.  #15 next door is similar, with a king bed.  If you're there to dive, the "dive shop morning noise" is a non-issue as you'll be at breakfast while they're opening up shop.  Rooms 1-4, and 9 face the road with a fair amount of road noise.  #5,6 & 7 are on the ground floor with garden (and limited ocean) view.  #8 on the 2nd floor and #10 on the 3rd floor have balconies with ocean view.  #16 & 17 are above the office and face the driveway, with a little road noise.  (One of 11, 12 or 13 probably also faces the road across from 10  - not sure.)  Rooms 14, 15, 8 and 10 are probably the nicest for view.

Breakfast is included in the dive packages and is tasty & substantial.  They are set up so you can bring a carafe of coffee back to the room half an hour before "official" breakfast but we found the kitchen staff happy and ready to start serving us at the same time.  Lunch and dinner are essentially the same menu except for the daily special.  Everything we ordered was good, and not too pricey, although the menu is a little limited for the week if you don't use the specials.  We found we could take just part (main course but not dessert, for example) of the specials.  When T.S. Bertha blew in on our 2nd night, they pulled everyone together at a set time and still served us a very pleasant dinner - the wind blew, and the power dropped for a short time at night, but no other real consequences.

You can walk to Roseau town reasonably in the daylight - staying on the ocean side of the street keeps you out of the way of most traffic.  We didn't try the taxis / minibuses to go in for a dinner meal, but that would probably be better than walking the road at night (too narrow.)  Castle Comfort can set up "tours" to hike or visit various places.  They also helped us set up a visit via Papillote Eco-resort to their restaurant for lunch (delicious) and walking around their gardens, as well as to Trafalgar Falls and Titou Gorge - and the tour itself was cheaper than the standard tour company that C.C. uses.  Titou Gorge is a (short) swim-in to the fall - a fair amount of current washing downstream right by the falls.  There's a place to leave towels near where you get into the stream.  Another time I would plan to take a bus or taxi along the coast up to Portland at the other end, and explore there - it looked like it would be a nice afternoon, but we didn't figure that in.  The whales we saw were on their Sunday afternoon whale watch (sperm whales plus pods of dolphins.)

Purchases can be made in US$ anywhere, but change will always be in EC$ (roughly 2.70 EC to 1 US$). There is a departure tax at the airport - they also only give change in EC dollars, so it's best to set aside exact change when you arrive (currently $23 per person) or change money ahead of time at the resort to have it in EC.  The airport's exchange rate is not as good as in town so paying in EC$ may be a good idea.  Left-over EC change can be left as tips at the resort.

Driving is on the left (British-style) and the roads are narrow, often with gutters right at the edge, very curvy and amidst a massive bridge-rebuilding project that makes them very rough in spots.  Renting a car is a somewhat dubious proposition.

We flew Southwest to Puerto Rico and then Liat to Dominica.  Liat lived down to its reputation and left two hours late, although it was only half an hour late on return.  Make sure to leave extra time for connections.  They were very picky about the 15-pound carry-on luggage limit on the way there, but not particularly so on the way back.

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


Reviewer
Castle Comfort Lodge, Aug 2014 (Rpt #7753) by Jim Willoughby (email), OR, US, 5 reports filed. Dive Experience: Over 1000 dives. Where else diving: PNG,Lembeh indonesia,Bunaken Indonesia, Anilao Ph,Ticao Island Ph,Malapascua Ph, Hawaii,California, Oregon,Bimini,Bahamas, Roatan, Utila,Saba,St Kitts,Nevis,Bonaire

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 4 stars Beginners: 4 stars Value for $$: 4 stars
Dive Operation: 4 stars Accommodations: 4 stars Food: 4 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 5 stars
Shore Diving: 1 stars Snorkeling: N/A

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, windy, rainy. Seas: calm. Water Temp: 80 to 83 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: mm. Water Visibility: 40 to 80 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: 60 minutes max bottom time. back on the boat with 500psi

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: Schools.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: 1 or 2. Whales: None.
Corals: 3 stars Tropical Fish: 3 stars Small Critters: 3 stars
Large Fish: N/A Large Pelagics: N/A

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 3 stars Boat Facilities: 3 stars Overall rating for UWP's: 2 stars
Shore Facilities: 1 stars Comments: there were no facilities at the dive shop for cameras other than a rinse tank that was usually so murky  I would not put my camera in it. There was no where in the room to work on my camera. I had two beds and was only using one so the extra bed became my camera table. There was a rinse tank on the boat but no where to set your camera while getting ready to dive. The dive crew did do a very good job of getting me camera too me in the water and taking it from me at the end of the dive.

Overall Comments I had heard many stories about how difficult it is to get to Dominica. I did not find this to be the case. I have been on trips where the travel was much more challenging. After an uneventful, although very long series of flights  we arrived and were promptly picked up by the shuttle van.  After a very beautiful 1 1/2 hour drive from the airport to the resort  we were greeted by a friendly staff where we were quickly checked in and shown to our rooms. I was leading a fairly large group of 18  and the resort did a good job of meeting our needs.  We did have to over flow into the neighboring hotel where the rooms were not as nice but still acceptable. I personally found the food to be above average for a small remote island. More than satisfying even if it was pricey. The wait staff were very accommodating and friendly.  The house keepers kept my room clean and tidy.  The diving over all was quite good for the Caribbean. Most of the dives that we did had healthy coral, not much trash  which is saying something for the Carib  and a fair amount of sea life. I was disappointed to see fish traps on many of the dives with panicked beautiful tropical fish trying to escape. It was sad to see this especially in what is supposed to be a marine preserve. The boat crew were competent, very safety oriented  and helpful when asked. Other wise it was pretty much hands off.  We changed out our own gear, got our tanks on with out much assistance and frequently climbed back on the boat with fins under arm  as no one was  there to help. None of that was really an issue for our group as we were all experienced divers.  My only real complaint was the strict adherence to the bottom time. All of the dives were relatively shallow, our group had the boat to ourselves and many of us were getting back on the boat with 1500+psi in our tanks.  I could understand if we were a mixed group or if we needed to fit a time schedule but we were only doing 2 dives and when we got back to the dock, the dive crew sat under a tree for the rest of the afternoon after unloading the boat. Over all,  I was happy with the resort and the boat. The price of the package was reasonable. Food is very expensive, much more so than any other Caribbean Island I have been to. I am glad that I went. Would probably not go back as I can go to Asia for less money and have much better diving but for those that are restricted to the Caribbean for their international dive trips, Dominica is a good choice.

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


"Excellent Diving"
Castle Comfort Lodge/Fort Young, Nov 2014 (Rpt #7930) by David Van Ryn (email), IN, US, 2 reports filed. Dive Experience: 501-1000 dives. Where else diving: Multiple locs incl Caribbean and Pacific Closest Airport: DOM. Getting There: LIAT very unreliable. Big delays down and back. Extra night in PR on return..

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 4 stars Beginners: 4 stars Value for $$: 4 stars
Dive Operation: 5 stars Accommodations: 5 stars Food: 5 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 4 stars
Shore Diving: N/A Snorkeling: N/A

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, windy, rainy. Seas: choppy. Water Temp: 84 to 85 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 75 to 150 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: Dove as a group, but several dives between 1:10 and 1:20

What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None. Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2. Whales: None.
Corals: 4 stars Tropical Fish: 4 stars Small Critters: 5 stars
Large Fish: N/A Large Pelagics: N/A

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: N/A Boat Facilities: N/A Overall rating for UWP's: N/A
Shore Facilities: N/A Comments: [None]

Overall Comments Our Dive Education group landed in Dominica after an overnight stay in PR due to tight connections. LIAT refused to allow us to connect despite a 2 1/2 hour connection. Our flight on LIAT the next day was three hours late and stopped on Antigua despite not being scheduled to do so. Once on Dominica it is a 1.5 hr bus ride from airport to Roseau and our hotel. Fort Young staff were awesome - very accommodating. Hotel is easy walk to town. Rooms very nice and front ocean. Food very good. Dive operators picked us up at hotel dock. Dive gear stored on racks in dive shop. Boats are open and roomy. Dive staff worked hard to help divers. They were great at spotting critters. Helped when one diver was injured. Coral/rock formations were great. Sponges were awesome. Small critters great - stuff in every little hole. Dive sites seemed in good shape. Limited total number of sites. Didn't see a lot of big stuff - LOTS of fishermen around. Island is beautiful. Non-dive excursions great - jungle, waterfalls, etc.  Great visit, nice dives. HARD to get to.

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


"Great diving, wonderful people and suburb accommodation: Dominica"
Fort Young Dive Center in Southwest (leeward) side, Nov 2014 (Rpt #7952) by Edmond Kay MD (email), WA, US. Dive Experience: Over 1000 dives. Where else diving: Pacific Northwest, Fiji, Australia's GBR, Little Cayman, Roatan and Bonaire Closest Airport: Douglas-Charles Airport. Getting There: Flights to Dominica all land first in Puerto Rico and from there a Caribbean Airline (LAIT) takes you on an unpredictable "milk run" through the islands until you reach your destination. "Island Time" guarantees a very unpredictable departure so best leave a huge layover in PR when going home so you do not miss your connection. From the airport in Dominica you take a bus or taxi for a 90 minute ride through the rain forest. Sit in the front seat if you are prone to motion sickness..

Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 5 stars Beginners: 5 stars Value for $$: 5 stars
Dive Operation: 5 stars Accommodations: 5 stars Food: 5 stars
Service and Attitude: 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity: 5 stars
Shore Diving: 3 stars Snorkeling: 3 stars

Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny. Seas: calm, no currents. Water Temp: 87 to 89 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 100 to 150 Feet.

Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes. Dive own profile? ?. Enforced diving restrictions: Recommendations for each site given in thorough intro before each dive. Dive Master carried high visibility slate and pointed out sights of interest frequently during the dive. Accommodations could be made for the more adventurous.

What I saw
Sharks: 1 or 2. Mantas: None. Dolphins: Schools.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: 1 or 2. Whales: None.
Corals: 2 stars Tropical Fish: 5 stars Small Critters: 5 stars
Large Fish: N/A Large Pelagics: N/A

Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: 5 stars Boat Facilities: 4 stars Overall rating for UWP's: N/A
Shore Facilities: 5 stars Comments: Well equipped shop and knowledgeable staff (note: I am not a photographer but I heard no complaints)

Overall Comments With good visibility, calm seas and an incredible profusion of tropical fish this was a five-star dive to remember.  One of my benchmarks for a high-quality dive is to see at least one juvenile spotted drum, and on this trip I saw 20 or more (I lost count).  All sizes and shapes from a tiny newly hatched baby, to multiple juveniles and many adult Drum.  Of course, the wide variety of fish and sea snake was mind-boggling.  We saw seahorses on almost every dive, and unusual sites like the Caribbean octopus showed up frequently.  At Champagne Reef volcanic hot water bubbled out of vents in the seabed to create a very unusual effect (hence the name).  The sea temperature was 87 to 89°F (no thermocline) and the daytime ambient air temperature was 90°.  While a thin wetsuit was recommended for the frequent diver, it certainly was optional.  Lionfish were present but culled frequently by Divemaster’s and trained and willing volunteers. On the last evening the hotel staff prepared the scrumptious feast including Lionfish Ceviche and Breaded Lionfish.  If all the Caribbean sites trained volunteers to safely collect invasive lionfish, IMHO there would be much less trouble with encroachment.  Of course careful attention to removal of poisonous spine was overseen by experienced dive masters and a diving physician was along on the trip.  Other memorable sites included giant barrel sponges in profusion, and half of the sponges had interesting critters inside of them like the Caribbean Basket Star and various forms of crab and shrimp.  I will include a link to a video, and a photo collage of one diver’s experiences.  The only negative thing about the trip was the unpredictability of the Caribbean Airline LIAT.  The standing joke was that LIAT stood for “Leave Island Any Time”.  I was one of the lucky ones and my flight was the only delayed two hours.  My connecting flight from Puerto Rico was also delayed and this allowed me to stay on time and make my connection, but no one else in our group had such good luck.  Tight connections do not work in the Caribbean.  While mosquito repellent is necessary in Puerto Rico and sand fleas can be an annoyance, we had no need for insect repellent of any kind on Dominica.  There was plenty of rain in the rain forest but all the water ran off quickly to the sea.  We left our windows open all the time and had absolutely no trouble with biting insects.  The people of this Caribbean island were cheerful and friendly, helpful and welcoming, the place felt safe everywhere we went.  Just about every night there was some new festival or celebration and the entire month of November is celebrated as their Independence Day (month).  Parades, parties and happy people were encountered everywhere.  This is an island run by the Caribes and we were the only white guys around, unless you count the 3000 cruise ship passengers that landed every day.  Those visitors melted into the landscape as they were ushered to their various destinations, and there was plenty on land to see.  We swam upstream through a narrow chasm to be pummeled by waterfall, and for the more adventurous a boiling lake (literally) awaits exploration after a long hike in the rain forest.  Quite a memorable trip.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucwgRaw0fnc

Images of the trip:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.937791596249945.1073741854.100000573416626&type=3

The information reported here are the opinions of the author of this report and not necessarily those of Undercurrent or any of the owners or staff. It has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.


End of Mini-Chapbook Section for Dominica

Copyright © 1996-2014 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.