Provo Dive Op Alternatives

If you don’t mind larger-sized operations, Undercurrent readers say Art Pickering’s Provo Turtle Divers (800-833-1341; e-mail ProvoTurtleDivers@Provo.net; website www.artpickering.com) offers excellent diving opportunities. (Ben Davison first dove with him 20 years ago and says that even back then, Art was tops.) Reader Stephen Cohen, there in March, writes, “Fourth time diving with Turtle Divers since ’87. First-class. They get you to the best sites — Northwest Point, West Caicos, Parrot Cay — and let you dive your own limits. Saw reef sharks — a tiger shark cruised by the boat in the shallows — many spotted eagle rays, lobster, a dinner-plate size octopus. Art has amassed a good collection of guides, and while he caters to experienced divers (who can stand one-hour open water trips that can be bouncy even in his great 42' Newton), there were also a few people doing their first open-water dives.”

And, of course, everyone seems to love Fifi Kunz and his Caicos Adventures (809-941-3346; e-mail divucrzy@tciway.tc; website www.caicosadventures.tc). David E. Bishop (Bratenahl OH) says of his March trip: “Caicos Adventures dives 2 tank West Caicos dives six days a week. On Thursdays it is a 3-tank trip. Fifi has been diving West Caicos for a dozen years. One day we stopped and Fifi sent a divemaster over the side to check the site. We went to another — Fifi said the visibility wasn’t good enough. Half the days we never saw another dive boat once we approached West Caicos. We dove from a comfortable 40’ custom dive boat equipped with a marine head, fresh water shower, and plenty of shade. 4 to 12 divers. They urged, but not forced divers to stay above 130 feet. Each diver’s air supply determined dive length. After an 80 minute surface interval, our second dives were relatively deep — 80 to 90 feet — within the computer limits. After the first dive, Fifi serves a tasty lunch of sub sandwiches and pasta salad and soft drinks. Saw eagle rays, Nassau groupers during the week, three large nurse sharks, couple of reef sharks. Caicos Adventures is an A+ operation.”

You can’t expect to get this kind of diving at places such as the Club Med or Beaches, so make reservations with one of our three recommended operations.