Dive Review of Octopus Diving/La Vista in
St. Maarten/Gran Case, St Martin

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Octopus Diving/La Vista, May, 2012, by Timothy Waite, Arizona, US ( 1 report). Report 6552.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Went to St. Maartin on a vacation with a timeshare I had bought independently of the resort. The resort was very well maintained and beautiful. The staff was very helpful, and it was located in a central location near the airport, with plentiful eating, drinking and entertainment establishments very close by. The Property (La Vista) was on the ocean, with a beach. I did some snorkeling off the breach, and while the marine life directly off the beach wasn't plentiful, there was lots to see. Based on other trip reports from Undercurrent, I opted to dive with Octopus divers, on the French side of the island. They gave me good directions to get to their shop, and the morning commute was about 25 - 30 minutes. Their staff is fantastic, they only take 6 divers on each boat, and their departure schedules are promptly at the time stated! As depths were not significant (50-60 ft max on only one dive), surface intervals were a bit rushed (about 30 minutes), but the crew was very helpful. The Octopus Diving staff carries your gear to the boat, sets it up for you, swaps cylinders in-between dives, and then rinses your gear after diving is done. There is a small bucket for camera's and they carry defog and ensure your mask is defogged before each dive. We dove a wreck (the Tugboat) which was our deepest dive. Marine life wasn't plentiful, but there was enough to keep the diving enjoyable. Other dive locations (Basse Espagaole, Chris Reef, and Marianne's Reef or New Reef) proved to have a greater abundance of sea life, but still not as much as places such as Cozumel or the Philippines. Visibility was generally descent, and the diving was relaxed, comfortable, and the dive guides made attempts to point out marine life as they found it (had I kept up with them). I brought my own gear, so I cannot speak to the quality of their gear. However, it appeared rental gear included a BCD which required a weight belt (I prefer integrated weight systems).
Websites	Octopus Diving La Vista
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Cozumel, La Paz Mx, San Carlos Mx, Thailand, Philippines, Fiji, Hawaii, Florida Keys, Beleze, Roatan, So. Cal.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy	Seas	choppy, surge
Water Temp	76-78°F / 24-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	50-70 Ft/ 15-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Dives were lead by dive guides / Instructors. While they lead the dive, they really allowed divers to explore independently as long as they stayed in sight of the dive leader.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Octopus Diving/La Vista in St. Maarten/Gran Case, St Martin

Octopus Diving/La Vista, May, 2012,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Octopus Diving/La Vista in
St. Maarten/Gran Case, St Martin