HTML Example of New Style Reports
Dominica Diving Reports
a custom-made Mini Chapbook® for the year 2010
Generated Nov 28, 2010
Dominica Reader Reports the year 2010 (6 Reports)
Land-based and Liveaboards, Dive Operators: All,
Ordered by Dive Operator, VisitDate
Dominica Diving Overview
Dominica is the best all-around adventure island in the Caribbean, with gorgeous reefs, plenty of reef fish, lush rainforests, hiking, waterfalls, warm water springs, splendid fruits and vegetables, modest hotels and restaurants - and it's inexpensive. Small seaside hotels and diver retreats are affected by the nearly continuous cloud cover over the mountains, and there's not much happening beyond residents leading their lives. Expect daytime temperatures in the 80s and night lows around 68 in winter and 73 in summer, although a few minutes up the mountain into the cloud forest can change that. July to November is the wet season. Dominica's at the edge of the hurricane belt. The13- mile, round-trip hike to Boiling Lake is worth getting in condition for.
Dominica Seasonal Planner
Dominica is covered with rain forest and has 365 rivers. As you would expect, it gets a lot of rain, about 70 inches a year along the coast, and up to 400 inches on the interior mountains. I asked a taxi driver on the island how many times a day it rained during the dry season. He replied, "Once or twice." And during the rainy season? "Sometimes it rains 12 times a day, other times it starts and doesn't stop for days." Fortunately the area most dived, around Roseau, gets only about a fourth of what the rest of the island gets. That much rain does affect hiking in the interior. And it's a great island to hike, as long as you bring a poncho and a sweater. It can get cool, especially at altitude. For a mountainous island, the run-off doesn't affect the water clarity as much as you would expect. The dry season is from February to mid-June.
Reader Reports
Land Based Dive Operations
Aldive/Titiwi Inn, Jan 2010 (Rpt #5342) by ann mcgrath (email: amcgrath AT att DOT net), va, us. Dive Experience: 501-1000. Where else diving: just about everywhere.
Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced: 
Beginners: 
Value for $$:
Dive Operation:
Accommodations:
Food:
Service and Attitude:
Environmental Sensitivity:
Shore Diving: N/A
Snorkeling: N/A
Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, dry. Seas: calm, choppy, surge.
Water Temp: 79 to 82 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 40 to
80 Feet.
Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? no.
Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: Depth and time, based on your dive computer
What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None.
Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2.
Whales: None.
Corals:
Tropical Fish:
Small Critters:
Large Fish: 
Large Pelagics: N/A
Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter:
Boat Facilities:
Overall rating for UWP's:
Shore Facilities: N/A
Comments:
There is a rinse bucket on the boat for cameras.
Billy and Samantha Lawrence are doing an excellent job! Billy knows just about everything there is to know about diving, Dominica, and what's underwater there. I've been to Dominica many times before, but Billy took us to dive sites I hadn't yet seen, including wrecks! Our night dive was absolutely amazing!! We saw slipper lobsters, octopus, channel crabs, a flying gurnard, decorator crabs, snake eels, orange ball corallimorphs, and much more.
Aldive currently has an open boat that is very comfortable for six or eight divers. They are planning to get a larger boat in the future. Their staff (we enjoyed Kieran, Odell and Francis on this trip) are fun, good divemasters and extremely helpful. We had two senior citizens on this trip, and they were well cared for.
There is fresh drinking water on board, and fresh fruit for a surface interval snack, which is perfect. They will put a tarp up if requested, for some shade during the surface interval.
I have dived with a bigger dive operation on Dominica, but would recommend Aldive as my first choice. Give them a call and book your next trip!
ALDive/Titiwi Inn, Apr 2010 (Rpt #5472) by Clem Clapp (email: cclapp AT bellsouth DOT net), AL, US. Dive Experience: 251-500. Where else diving: Mainly Central America and Caribbean.
Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced:
Beginners:
Value for $$:
Dive Operation:
Accommodations:
Food:
Service and Attitude:
Environmental Sensitivity:
Shore Diving:
Snorkeling: N/A
Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny. Seas: calm, no currents.
Water Temp: 80 to 82 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: mm. Water Visibility: 50 to
80 Feet.
Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? no.
Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: Stay above 100' if possible
What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None.
Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2.
Whales: None.
Corals:
Tropical Fish:
Small Critters:
Large Fish: 
Large Pelagics:
Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: N/A
Boat Facilities: N/A
Overall rating for UWP's: N/A
Shore Facilities: N/A
Comments:
na
AL Dive proved to be a credible and responsible op. They had a rental bc in good repair and it fit well. They went out of their way to make you feel like they appreciated your business. I was the only diver one day and they said that was ok since I purchased a package on the front end. They have an older, center console boat with dual 90 outboards that will take six divers at a max or another or two if they use another boat as a tank tender. The "Vigilant" is an open boat but they can put on a canvas cover if need be. They handle, store and wash your gear throughout the dive week. I only touched mine at suit-up time.
AL Dive was located in Loubier, just south of Castle Comfort and the other diver's hotels. Titiwi Inn was just to the north, a one minute drive away. Diving was just a few minutes away from the dock and all done to the south near and around Scott's Head. There was little or no current on all dives. Viz could have been better but was satisfactory. Most of the diving was on large pinnacles with safety stop done on top of the pinnacle on most dives. There was a very good variety of both coral and critters. Nothing large to see except for the turtles which were seen on most dives and routinely on the surface. Saw a nice yellow frog fish on one dive and sea horses(brown, yellow, orange and brown) on 4 dives. One eagle ray was seen as well as several spotted drum of various ages. Lots of urchins on all sites as well as banded coral shrimp and arrow crabs. Watched one trumpetfish buddy hunt with a parrotfish and grab a snack from something the parrot stirred up.
I was very satisfied with the diving, AL Dive and Titiwi Inn. My non-diving wife and I agreed that the people we met from one end of the island to the other were the friendliest of any place where we had visited. There were many encounters with them since there were very few road signs and stopping for directions is a routine to be expected. No one ever minded taking their time to speak with us. Never felt safer on any trip although the local drivers could give you an occassional surprise as you negotiated the many switchbacks while driving on the left side of some pretty narrow roads. The north of the island we thought was prettier as we traveled about. We stayed at Calibishie Cove on the windward side for the last few days. Very nice accomodations with a constant breeze from the Atlantic. Nice kayaking on the Hodges River and between the beach and Treasure Island. Reasonably price good food throughout the village and the island. I did not dive to the north around Cabrits or in the central west region. Another couple with whom I dove who did dive the other ares said the diving in the south was better overall diving in their judgement.
Castle Comfort Lodge, Jun 2010 (Rpt #5587) by Serena Black (email: serenablack AT infobonaire DOT com), NY, US. Dive Experience: Over 1000. Where else diving: Carribean, Pacific.
Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced:
Beginners:
Value for $$:
Dive Operation:
Accommodations:
Food:
Service and Attitude:
Environmental Sensitivity:
Shore Diving:
Snorkeling: N/A
Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, rainy, cloudy. Seas: calm, surge, no currents.
Water Temp: 84 to °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 50 to
25 Feet.
Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes.
Dive own profile? no. Enforced diving restrictions: 60 minute maximum time, 100 feet maximum depth
What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None.
Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2.
Whales: None.
Corals: 
Tropical Fish:
Small Critters:
Large Fish:
Large Pelagics: N/A
Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter:
Boat Facilities:
Overall rating for UWP's:
Shore Facilities:
Comments:
[None]The boats had large
fresh water rinse tanks and there was a dedicated fresh water tank at
the dive center. Boat crew was careful when handling the cameras.
Castle Comfort is a small resort about a 20 minute walk south of Roseau. It has a bar, restaurant serving good, varied food at reasonable prices, 15 rooms and a dive operation.
The rooms were very clean, the beds comfortable, the A/C worked, there were lots of outlets, both 110 and 220 volts and some TVs even got cable.. The beds provided the only work space for cameras. Wireless internet was free.
Dive Dominica is located on the grounds. Boats leave every morning at 8:45 for 2 one hour dives with a one hour surface interval. The 60 minute limit is strictly enforced so the boats get back in time for lunch or to deal with cruise ship people. Briefings were like the recorded safety announcements on airplanes. There was little site specific information except ‘reef on the right, ocean on the left’. No sketch maps showing the topography. These would have been useful since visibility rarely exceeded 50 feet. I was with a group of 6 divers who had visited CC numerous times and we were all interested in creatures and small fish. Most of the time a DM was assigned to this slow group but you still could not lag too far behind and since we did not know where we were going you did not get very far in front.
Current was occasionally noticeable but not memorable.
Nitrox was available but not necessary. 80 cu ft were standard and 63 cu ft tanks available.
The boats all had a marine toilet, rinse tanks for cameras, a dry storage area and plenty of drinking water.
In spite of heavy silting big colorful sponges were thriving and there was some healthy hard and soft coral. When the light was good they were magnificent. Large fish of any species were absent. Corallimorphs and odd anemones could be found on most dives.
A night boat dive was scheduled most weeks.
Unlimited shore diving day or night, from the hotel’s dock was included. Grass beds started just north of the dock; 15-40 feet deep. Flying gurnards, bat fish, garden eels, Atlantic long armed octopus plus the grass dwellers: black ear wrasse, blue lip and buck tooth parrotfish and more. Wow No dive masters, no time limits and since it was shallow no deco worries.
Diving in front of the hotel was so good I skipped the whale watching and inland hikes in favor of being underwater.
18 days was long enough to realize how little I know about the grass environment. I am already planning a return visit.
Plus NO lion fish or breakins like Bonaire.
Dive Dominica/Fort Young Hotel, Jul 2010 (Rpt #5591) by Tom Rain (email: tomrain1 AT hotmail DOT com), TX, US. Dive Experience: 501-1000. Where else diving: Cocos, Palau, Yap, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Utila, Bonaire, Caymens, Puerto Rico, Turks&Caicos, Saba, Tobago, Bahamas, Flower Gardens.
Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced:
Beginners:
Value for $$:
Dive Operation:
Accommodations:
Food:
Service and Attitude:
Environmental Sensitivity:
Shore Diving: N/A
Snorkeling: N/A
Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, rainy. Seas: calm, no currents.
Water Temp: 84 to 85 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 30 to
40 Feet.
Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes.
Dive own profile? no. Enforced diving restrictions: Depth (more or less) and time 45min-1hr. Two dives each morning
What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None.
Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2.
Whales: 1 or 2.
Corals:
Tropical Fish:
Small Critters:
Large Fish:
Large Pelagics:
Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter: N/A
Boat Facilities: N/A
Overall rating for UWP's: N/A
Shore Facilities: N/A
Comments:
[None]
Dive Dominica/Ft. Young, Oct 2010 (Rpt #5804) by Frances Lewis (email: govlewis AT hotmail DOT com), MI, US. Dive Experience: 501-1000. Where else diving: Bonaire, Cayman, U.S. Virgins, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Fiji, Solomons, Palau, Great Lakes.
Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced:
Beginners:
Value for $$:
Dive Operation:
Accommodations:
Food:
Service and Attitude:
Environmental Sensitivity:
Shore Diving: N/A
Snorkeling: N/A
Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny, rainy. Seas: calm.
Water Temp: 82 to 83 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 2 mm. Water Visibility: 75 to
100 Feet.
Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? yes.
Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions: Depth and time limits.
What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None.
Dolphins: Schools.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2.
Whales: None.
Corals:
Tropical Fish:
Small Critters:
Large Fish:
Large Pelagics:
Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter:
Boat Facilities:
Overall rating for UWP's:
Shore Facilities:
Comments:
Lots of macro subjects; no
big fish at all. Reef generally healthy with lots of sponges and soft
corals. Many lobster, crabs and eels. Dive guides good at pointing out
stuff & allowing time for photos. Separate rinse tank for cameras,
but no camera table or stowage for cameras other than rinse tank.
Nature Island Dive/Gallette Cottages, Apr 2010 (Rpt #5616) by Suzanne Leeson, David Vickery, (email: twodivers AT att DOT net), NJ, US. Dive Experience: 501-1000. Where else diving: Florida, Caribbean, California, Central America, Mexico, Hawaii, Fiji, Palau, Yap, Australia, Maldives, PNG, Bikini Atoll.
Ratings 1 (worst) - 5 (best)
Advanced:
Beginners:
Value for $$: N/A
Dive Operation:
Accommodations: N/A
Food:
Service and Attitude: N/A
Environmental Sensitivity:
Shore Diving: N/A
Snorkeling:
Dive Conditions
Weather: sunny. Seas: calm.
Water Temp: 78 to 82 °F.
Wetsuit Thickness: 3 mm. Water Visibility: 40 to
100 Feet.
Dive Policy
Liveaboard? no. Nitrox Available? no.
Dive own profile? yes. Enforced diving restrictions:
After the fist dive, the staff let us do our thing. If there were a lot
of people from the cruise ships, they separated us into two groups:
experienced and noobs.
What I saw
Sharks: None. Mantas: None.
Dolphins: None.
Whale Sharks: None. Turtles: > 2.
Whales: None.
Corals:
Tropical Fish:
Small Critters:
Large Fish:
Large Pelagics:
Underwater Photography Rating
Subject Matter:
Boat Facilities:
Overall rating for UWP's:
Shore Facilities:
Comments:
Ask for a rinse bucket
on-board, and watch your gear, there is no photo table. Electric is 240
volts with outlets similar those in the UK.
We took the later flight and didn't arrive in Dominica until 5:00. Another hour to retrieve gear, rent jeep, and we were off on the 27 mile but two hour drive over twisty mountain roads with no lights, to Soufriere. Wed stopped to buy provisions at supermarket outside of Roseau, would have done better downtown, but it was dark, and there's a lot of one-way streets in Roseau.
The little villages lining the coast are, ummm, "quaint". The two-way roads are 12 feet wide and the national sport is playing chicken with anything that looks like a rental car.
As we arrived in Soufriere, the Easter weekend celebrations were in full roar. Reggae & island-hop echoed off the mountainside from the rented PA. Locals danced in the street, and if there was a sign for Nature Island Dive, we couldn't see it. So two bleary-eyed travelers staggered around with bleary-eyed locals until we found Weefy Jules, an instructor from NID, who got the lady in charge of the cottage and we trundled the last 1/4 mile to our home away from home right on the water.
We stayed at the cottage (there's a small picture of it on the NID website) because of Undercurrent reviews that said the hotels near Roseau like Castle Comfort, had noise issues, unlike our cottage where we could still hear the aforementioned PA. The local eateries are in Scots head, a 2 mile drive, and there was no way we were getting back in the jeep, so we dined alfresco on chips, salsa, and plastic goat cheese.
The cottage was, ummm, "quaint". We were in the lower unit of two. No A/C, TV, internet, or phone, and the oven didn't work. There were two rotating fans, one of which was kaput, and no ceiling fan. A mosquito net over the queen size bed kept the bugs out. The locals were very concerned that we felt part of the festivities, so every half hour or so they drove by with mobile PA's to be sure we could hear the music. That continued until 3AM, when the second shift was taken by the hounds across the street who barked at anything that moved. One of the things that moved was my partner who arose to gaze at the moon and reported, at high decibel, a “crab the size of a Volkswagen in the shower.” This was followed by a series of undecipherable shrieks that explained her Native American name: “Swims with Sharks, Runs from Spiders.”
The following morning, looking and feeling our best, we arrived at Nature Island Dive at 8:30, checked in, and waited until 9:45 while 3 guys from the cruise ship sorted out their rental gear. Weefy and Tony filled the AL 80’s to 3,000psi (no Nitrox) and humped them and our gear across the street to the boat. The 10-15 minute ride across the protected bay took us to Dangleben's North. We took a stride and descended to a granite ridge covered with whip coral, lots of sponges and no algae. At 95’ a large hawksbill turtle munched a tube sponge, oblivious to our presence.
If you want to fill your log with all the critters you haven’t seen elsewhere, Champagne is the site for you. Don’t overlook tiny coral heads. We dove it twice, and were blown away by the sea horses, several species of frog fish, snake eels, golden spotted snake eels, jawfish, squid, pipe blennies, a magnificent sea urchin, octopods, morays, and turtles, all within a small area with a depth of 10-50 feet.
But for us the signature spot is Scot’s Head, with sites like Crater’s Edge. The edge forms a wall to the east, dropping to 150’ or more. Large Boulders ring the site, and are covered with outrageously healthy yellow coral, luminous azure vase sponges, forests of elephant ears and barrel sponges like Volkswagens. Schools of chromis and silver streamers swarm the upright rock while a large crack in its north side is home to a school of black margates.
The staff will carry your gear back and rinse it, but you’d best check the tank and fill it with fresh water. Over all, they were great, and loaned my partner a safe second at no cost when hers developed a leak.
When the cruisers made for a late departure, we didn’t get back from the 2nd dive ‘til 1:00, so after rinsing & changing there was a mad dash for lunch, which we frequently did not finish ‘til 3:00. We complained, and when there were no cruisers, we left right at 8:30. One such day we roared through the rainforest to Papillote Wilderness Retreat, arrived between tour buses, got the table at the balcony’s edge and dined on brilliant pumpkin soup, garlicky kingfish in banana leaves, and home-made ice cream. Later we walked the retreat’s nature trail and up to Trafalgar Falls, basking on the rocks near a family of friendly German tourists.
Back at the shack we moved to the upper unit which had a better breeze, two working fans, a nicer kitchen and an oven that didn’t work. In the mornings we watched local fishermen seine for bait. We also watched smoke from forest swirl around the ridge. Bored teenagers set fires to annoy the world and scar the hillsides.
We waited until Thursday to ask for a guide to go to the Boiling Lake, and got skunked. You guys puffing out your chests and thinking, “Wussy. I don’t need no guide.” Yes, you do, and grammar lessons as well. We opted for a hike to the 200 foot high Sari Sari Falls just outside of La Plaine. Locals would not direct us until we hired a guide and after haggling from $60 to $50, provided two 14 year old boys. So we got screwed, right? Wrong. After two stream crossings, a swim through a pool, clambering up & down over slick rocks and slimy twisted roots (which the kids did barefoot) we got to the Falls. Well worth the journey, but if you go without a guide and twist an ankle, you’re done. In 2006 a tourist on a guided trek died in the rain-engorged stream. Wear Tivas.
The Emerald Pool walk is a trifle more sedate with groomed trails, and hand rails. Early or late arrivals may have the place to themselves.
The last night we stayed at Jungle Bay Resort, within earshot of the Atlantic, in a hillside cottage with king size bed. No A/C but we didn’t miss it with the constant ocean breeze. Excellent restaurant, great seafood, and a decent wine list. Creole dancers entertain on the weekends. They’ll take you to Sari Sari or the Boiling Lake. I went for a massage at the Spa and opted for the Tres Forte treatment. They sent me back to the room in a pillow case.
Returning to the airport, we were the first to check in with LIAT and had to pay $125 for overweight bags and check our carry-ons. The passengers who arrived later were not charged and were allowed to board with their wheelies.
Then the rains came and we waited for LIAT. And waited. Three hours later the flight arrived and the LIAT staff, in assisting a disembarking wheel-chair bound little old island lady, dumped her out on the tarmac in the pouring rain. Suffice it to say that when we finally got to Antigua we ran off the plane and literally waved good-bye to the Newark-bound Continental flight. The next available CoAir flight was Tuesday. They put us on standby because we were on free tickets. Delta was happy to accommodate us for the next day (into JFK, not EWR), so we headed off to the Blue Waters Resort. They had quoted us a $500 rack rate for garden view room, but my MBA partner got them down to a $298 corporate rate. The place was full of friendly Brits and MD’s at a conference, all of whom were on all-inclusive packages. It was easier for the staff to assume we were on the same package than to charge us for drinks, though I certainly didn’t look medical in the only clean clothes I had left, Grateful Dead board shorts and a T-shirt that said “Bite Me.”
Some of the issues we had were “first time blues”. OK, the cottage was Spartan and the dives left a little late. But the diving is pristine in the south, and we paid 940 bucks for the cottage and the diving, for both of us.
We’d definitely go back, and make sure we got to the Boiling Lake. Next time we’d try to arrive earlier, take the American Eagle flight out of San Juan instead of LIAT, maybe stay the first night on the north end at Calabishie Cottages, then head to Soufriere the following morning. We’d stay at the Zandoli Inn perched on a cliff above a bay on the Atlantic side and hump the 45 minute drive to the dive shop. Hey, the boat don’t leave ‘til 9:00 anyway.
End of Mini-Chapbook Section for Dominica
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.