Please Register / Login to take part in discussions about the Virgin Islands.
Good Evening!
I hope everyone is doing well!
I would appreciate some advice on whether to Snuba, Helmet Dive or try the breathing observation bubble.
My husband and I will be in St. Thomas 11/2 from 7-6 and St. Maarten on 11/3 from 7-6 via Royal Carribean. Our goal is to get into the water (with a very very small group....if not just us) and get up close with some gorgeous marine life. I'd like to try a 1/2 day or full day boat charter but I'm not sure if they offer super snorkeling without emailing or calling evreyone of them.
My husband and I tried surface snorkeling once in Cozumel with a group of 15 and I thought it was the pits, because besides a few stray fish that swam nearby.....everything else was about 20 feet below. Not to mention getting smacked in the face with fins because we were kept together like a school of fish.
Thank you
Melissa
Richmond, Virginia
When in St.Thomas you should try to arrange a trip over to St.John, the snorkeling is fabulous in many different locations - the majority of tourists go to Trunk Bay, but if you can get over to Lameshur or dozens of other great spots (others on this site have better specifics than me) you won't be disappointed. Trust me, I snorkeled on Cozumel a couple of years ago...pure disappointment... you will NOT be disappointed on St. John !! Hope you have a great trip!
My wife used to manage the BOB Underwater Adventure business, and it is an absolute thrill! I've done it about 100 times and will do it in the future any chance I get. Since I live here, I can snorkel and SCUBA anytime I'd like, but going down on BOB is a hoot! They get my vote. Try to book it thru their website www.bobusvi.com and I think you will pay less tan the cruise ship charges. Not sure how ethical that it, but hey, money is money.
Hello Melissa,
The charters are going to have you snorkeling; not super snorkeling. For a charter it would be boating & snorkeling - great day.
I think you should give snorkeling another try at a better location with smaller group.
The Snuba trips are small groups and you can do it on St. John had you been interested in heading there (at Trunk Bay). http://www.visnuba.com/index.htm
The helmet dive at Coral World is neat. I have snorkeled often; at good snorkel spots I have seen much more than I saw while doing the helmet dive. So it’s really the whole package that makes it fun; walking underwater, seeing the marine life. Coral World has interesting exhibits and that is also part of the trip since the helmet dive is done there. You can do snuba there too.
Similarly for BOB, you are riding an underwater scooter basically so that is part of the fun. This is a group trip. They only take out a few people on the scooters at a time, so others stay on the boat or snorkel until it’s their turn.
Based on what you have said on perhaps wanting it to just be you guys I would say give Snorkeling another try and do a private charter, the ones that take a max of 6 people. Or try Snuba either on St. Thomas or St. John and then spend some time snorkeling as well since both locations are at beaches with good snorkeling (Coki Beach on STT and Trunk Bay on STJ).
You could also consider taking an intro. dive class, if you really want to get close to the marine life.
--Islander
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR FEEDBACK!!!
