Unless you intend to take up scuba as a hobby/sport back on the mainland, I suggest you save your time and money and snorkel. STJ has so much to offer that snorkeling will open your eyes and fill your 6 days faster than you expect. If you are concerned you will run out of beaches or places to visit (doubtful) you should consider a day sail taking you to off island locations. There are many to choose depending upon what you want (i.e. small groups or larger 'party' boats). We used Wayward Sailor (www.waywardsailor.net) out of Cruz Bay which takes you to Lovongo Island just north of STJ.
I suggest you buy the gear and bring it with you rather than finding a place, having to go there and get fitted, worry about losing anything and having to get back in time to return it. Besides, who wants to share teeth patterns on the mouth piece?
I suggest you buy the book 'St John Off the Beaten Track' which provides a wealth of information about the island, beaches, history, trails, etc. The link is at the top of this page. For snorkeling, Honeymoon, Hawksnest, Trunk, Maho Francis and Waterlemon are all very good. Trunk tends to get 'crowded' depending upon cruise traffic and time of day. Go early and then move on to a quiter beach. If you rent a 4WD, the Lamshure Bays are very nice also and rarely get more than 4-5 people.

Hello Jerry,

You can do an intro. course in scuba. Check out

http://www.6paqscuba.com

That outfit is on St. John.

I would say do both.

If you want to buy snorkel gear or rent it for a few days try Cruz Bay Watersports (in Cruz Bay on St. John).

Have a great time.

--Islander

My husband and I did something call Snuba when we were in St. John in August on our honeymoon. It's the closest to scuba you can get. I had no idea how wonderful an experience it would be until we went. We also snorkled, but an additional experience of Snuba was great. We met our "guide/instructor" right at Trunk Bay which is where it's done. It was about a half-day experience of training and then underwater exploration. I know you can check it out at www.visnuba.com where there are lots of pictures and information. There's my two cents! I would definitely recommend it in addition to the great snorkeling there.

The "crash course" is called "Discover SCUBA" and many places offer it. I recommend Pete and Laura at Coki Beach Dive Club. They only charge $60, whereas most places charge $100. Check them out at www.cokidive.com.

Thanks to all for the information. Much appreciated. I think we'll definitely buy the gear on the mainland and check out the different options when we get to StJ.

Any suggestions RE: BVI excursions. I've looked at all the different options and prices.
I just want to know, since we've never been to the VI, if we should spend the time going to different islands. It seems that StJ offers plenty to do and see for a 6 day vacation.
We certainly don't want a hectic visit, but if there is something that is really worth seeing elsewhere then we'd consider a day trip somewhere. Thanks for any direction.

Jerry

The 'answer' depends upon your definition of 'hectic'. When you get down to it, 6 days could go fairly quickly depending on what you like to do. Shopping in STT can easily use up most of a day if you factor in ferries, local sight seeing, meals and down time. That leaves 5 days for STJ and with 10+ beaches, numerous hiking trails, local shops and reataurants...you get the idea. I would schedule the BVI trip but make sure you select it based on what looks good rather than pure financial limit. Everyone has limits but this doesn't come round too often so don't hold back for a few dollars.

We had 7 days and came with a general idea of what we wanted to do. We scheduled a day sail and mapped out what beaches we wanted to see. The first few days we were at mainland speed and met our 'schedule' but we soon ramped down to island time and let things happen as it felt right.
Thank God for Island time. It is what vacation is all about.

Thanks Chris for your response.

Is there an excursion or island you would recommend especially related to the BVI? Regarding the night life-we're not the party type, but we do enjoy live music. We're just mainly coming down to relax. Lots of shopping is not on our list. We're interested in the beaches, snorkeling, hiking, the history and culture etc. We've ordered "Off the Beaten Path" so I'm sure that will give numerous ideas for StJ.

What we your favorite things your 7 day trip?

Thanks,
Jerry

We brought our kids along (21 & 16) this summer since we felt this may be our last family unit vacation before my daughter gets her own life. We all looked through the books (bought the VI trader package but spent most of our time with Beaten Track) and came up with different 'must do' items.
My wife and I had been to STJ 16 years ago so we knew something about the beaches, etc. but Beaten Track was tremendous. Since it was a special vacation, we took the day sail and were glad we did. We chose one out of Cruz Bay for convenience as the major ones all leave from Red Hook so you have to get an early ferry and then the return after a long day. We discussed BVI, but everyone wanted to stay on STJ. I think we would have gone to BVI if without the kids.
All of the celebrity beaches along the North Shore are truly breath taking. You are 'required' to visit Trunk but I would plan on going when the fewest cruise ships are in STT that week so check the schedule. Go early in the day, get your snorkeling in and move to the next beach when the 'crowd' shows up. For beaches we loved Honeymoon, Hawksnest, Trunk, Maho and Francis along the North Shore. Waterlemon Cay is also great although a fair walk from a car park. We also like Salt Pond, Genti Bay and the Lameshure Bays. You will need a 4WD to visit Lameshures and Genti is only accessible from the Reef Bay trail or eastward from Parrot Bay.
The shops in Cruz are enough for us although Charlotte Amalie could have really hurt us had we gone. We were there in June during the month long Carnival celbration and spent all day in Cruz for a food fair followed by a Steel Drum competition between 10+ bands. It was a great day.
Really loved driving to the East side (Coral Bay) and Skinny Legs. The Reef Bay hike is beautiful, but make sure you do it with the Parks Department to avoid long hike back.
The villa was great and we loved sitting in the pool at night, drinks in hand watching the cruise ships fade into the horizon.
I have to stop now as I am having serious withdrawl issues...

Unless you are a robot or serious ADHD the island will make you slow down to its pace. That is what we loved the most. The day we left and traveled to STT airport, we went into sock with the traffic, crowds and "Look...I think they call that a traffic light!"

Enjoy

Chris,

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Thanks for the tips. My wife and I can't wait to go-we leave Sunday. We're looking forward to the slower pace-it will be the antithesis of the 'million miles an hour' we've been doing here.
We just got our "Beaten Track" so I look forward to perusing when I get home.

Thanks again,
Jerry