Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Caicos Adventures/Royal West Indies in
Turks and Caicos/Provo

Caicos Adventures/Royal West Indies, Jul, 2014,

by craig grube, VA, US (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 21 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 7674.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations N/A Food N/A
Service and Attitude N/A Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments Caicos Adventures continues to have one of the best dive boats we have ever been on. Lots of space, smooth ride, great upper deck for viewing, nice bathroom. We generally had 17-20 divers on board but never felt too crowded. We were broken into groups of 5-7 divers, but not given the option to buddy dive away from the DM. We would therefore need to turn around off the wall when the first diver in the group hit 1500psi. Depending on the dive that could have been at 15 minutes or at 25 minutes. Fortunately, once the heavy breathers were directed back to the boat, the remaining divers could continue until 600-700 psi. However, it was a bummer to have to leave the wall early on some dives. We dove exclusively on West Caicos and had decent viz. Saw at least one reef shark on most dives and usually a turtle each day. We also saw swimming stingrays usually each day. My son had a close encounter with an approx. 8’ hammerhead on one of the days I did not dive. A reasonable amount and variety of fish but seemed like fewer grouper and fewer large schools than in years past. Usually back to the hotel by 2:45-3:00PM every day. They also provide a sub sandwich and chips.
Websites Caicos Adventures   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving hawaii, tahiti, belize, little cayman, costa rica, florida keys
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, dry Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 83-85°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 2
Water Visibility 50-70 Ft/ 15-21 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions First dive max depth 70-80', second dive 60-70'. Dive with DM and turn around when first person has 1500 psi. start safety stop when at 600-700 psi.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

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 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

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

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments dedicated rinse bucket.
Was this report helpful to you?

Subscriber's Comments

By Craig A Wood in PA, US at Jul 24, 2014 09:42 EST  
My son and I did 15 dives with Caicos Adventures in 2009. We dived without the DM on all dives. I'm surprised the policy would have changed, that would be disappointing, are you sure of this? We had a great time diving West Caicos and French Cay and generally saw multiple Reef Sharks on most dives, with a particularly good encounter at Boat Cove. All our dives were between 60-70 minutes.
By Craig A Wood in PA, US at Jul 24, 2014 14:19 EST  
The Caicos Adventures website states diving without the DM is allowed: "Beginner divers will get the needed attention and devotion from a friendly and willing dive-master whom will help you from beginning to end (equipment organization and setup, water entry, during dive); while experienced and advanced divers will get the freedoms they desire from a knowledgeable dive masters (or they can partner amongst themselves)."
By report author: craig grube in VA, US at Jul 24, 2014 17:26 EST  
Many things in diving have changed since 2009. I have been diving with Caicos Adventures since 2004. In fact, in April 2014 they let me buddy dive. This time they seemed like they wanted the groups to stay together.....maybe it was the number of divers on the boat or maybe it was newer DMs. I can only report what i experienced.
By Craig A Wood in PA, US at Jul 24, 2014 18:27 EST  
Thanks Craig, this is important information. Being able to dive independently would be important to me, I would confirm with the operator prior to booking. What else has changed? I see they run their Thursday 3 tanker from their smaller boat, Hercules rather than off Caicos Cat. But, they do advertise that they run, at least some, drift dives during this trip.Did you do the 3 tanker during your visit? Anything else change in a significant way since my visit? Apppreciatively, Craig
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 393 dive reviews of Turks and Caicos and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest, Dive & Adventure Travel
A full service dive travel agency that specializes in Turks & Caicos. We know the best Caribbean and Pacific diving

Want to assemble your own collection of Turks and Caicos reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

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.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 5.51 seconds