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Dive Review of Caicos Adventure/Grandview Condominiums in
Turks and Caicos/Providenciales

Caicos Adventure/Grandview Condominiums, Dec, 2007,

by David Dornbusch, California, USA (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 10 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 3790.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 2 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Caicos Adventure is an excellent dive operation. Donna and her reservation/logistics staff are cordial, efficient, and responsive to inquiries and arrangement requests. Fifi chooses excellent dive sites according to tides and currents. He and his boat and dive crews are congenial, efficient and very safety conscious. The two boats have large and clean restrooms. The larger boat is reasonably comfortable for the 15 or so divers that were on board each day. However, the smaller boat is not comfortable for more than about 8-9 divers, although as many as 14-15 were on board twice during our 6 days of diving. However, maximum of six in any dive group. Water and a gatorade-type were the only drinks on the boat, but were plentiful. Between dives lunch was either a turkey or ham sandwich (turkey and tuna on Friday). Nothing to eat after the dives. Inexperienced divers are well guided. Experienced divers are free to do their own thing or follow a dive master. Everyone must use a computer. The nearest dive sites are about a 40+ minute boat ride, but well worth the trip. Corals, wide variety of invertebrates (magnificent sponges), and fish are about as diverse and plentiful as anywhere I've found in the Caribbean. However, pick-up and drop-off from/to our lodging was a fairly tedious 45-minute bus ride, because we were at the eastern-most end of Grace Bay, and therefore were first on and last off.

Trip highlight was an evidently rare visit from a 20-22 ft. whale shark that cruised back and forth through our group for about 30 minutes, swimming within arm's reach on each pass. Aisa, one of the boat captains, said it was only the second he’d seen in six years. Spotted eagle rays and lobster on nearly every dive. Turtles every other day. Some dolphins, sting rays, a few sharks, morays, barracuda, a large spotted drum, many grouper (one who loved to be petted), schools of jacks and all the usual reef fish, even a lion fish.

Stayed in a very comfortable condo in the 18-unit Grandview. Restaurants very good, but many quite expensive. Shopped at a well stocked IGA supermarket and a local lobster retailer, making our own huge breakfasts and a couple of dinners. Best restaurant food we found was at the Caicos Cafe. Much better than the touted Anacaona, Coco Bistro, or Coyaba, and for 2/3rds the price.

A few biting bugs just after sunset; otherwise, bug-free. Some high octane deet kept most away, and Afterbite quickly took care of any damage from the few that got through.

80-degree water makes 3 mm. wetsuits my recommended minimum. 5 mm. would have been better for my wife. One dive master wore a hood. He and another wore 7 mm. wetsuits.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Galapagos, Sipidan/Kapalai, Fiji, Great Barrier Reef, Alor/Indonesia, Tonga, Tahiti, Red Sea, British Virgins, Cozumel, Roatan, Bahamas, Belize, Maui
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm
Water Temp 80-81°F / 27-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Advised max of 90 feet first dive, 70 feet second, but did not enforce limits.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks 1 or 2
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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