Print Subscribers' Area Navigation Bar

Just a sample of what you'll read in the Travelin' Diver's Chapbook !

(But the book will include names and phone numbers for those out-of-the-way operations that don't advertise.)

 

Bonaire ... XXX resort, August yyyy. "Small dive inn. Outstanding service, good guides. Eat out or take food for cooking, grocery stores sparse. If you rent a car, take insurance; had wheels stolen at night. Still, we love this island and inn!" RD Steepman, Cape Coral, FL. Belize . . . XXX resort, April yyyy. "Emphasis on hospitality, service and flexibility, but laid back. Lodge caters to 6-10 people; coffee and juice brought to your door at 6:00 am, without waking you. Food wonderful. Freshly baked bread. No currents, healthy reefs, lots of sting rays, eagle rays, turtles, nurse sharks, and sometimes dolphins. Best instructor I have seen, in pre/post dive briefing. Tried Nitrox; I'd never dive on air again if I could avoid it." PW, NYC. Hawaii . . . Kauai, XXX resort, May yyyy. "Few corals, lots of fish life. Super operation for divers with a naturalist bent. Enthusiastic owner taught me more about marine life than in 100 previous dives. Boarfish, Hawaiian morwong, dwarf moray eel, leaf scorpion fish, Titan scorpion fish, hairy yellow hermit crab, snorkeled with pod of spinner dolphin. vis: 30-50 ft. water: 74-78 degrees. Head, radio, first aid and oxygen on board." TD, Annapolis, MD. Bahamas . . . XXX resort, June yyyy. "Reefs as good as most in the Caribbean (Belize, South Caicos are exceptions), people friendly. Recommend to divers who travel with children, as they are entertained while you're diving." JDO, Charleston, SC Galapagos . . . XXX live-aboard, May yyyy. "Not a dive boat. Tanks are hoisted by rope into a dinghy, and after they are hoisted back up, BCs and regulators are tossed into a pile. During crossings we pitched so much we had to hold on, while doors slammed and loose items fell. Almost no one slept. Diesel smell everywhere .... Might have forgiven problems had it not been during El Niño. Crew took us all over to find big stuff, but without success." DAS, New York. Honduras . . . XXX live-aboard, August yyyy. "Food and staff superb. Did not visit advertised dive sites: Guanaja, Silverlode, Turtle Bight, Pigeon Cays and Barbareta. I had impression that sites were chosen based on fuel consumption. Still a great experience." DL, Coral Gables, FL. Fiji . . . XXX resort, October yyyy. "Place is magical. Possible to see anything that inhabits the ocean on these pristine reefs (locals say maybe even great whites outside the reef); locals who work here are happy in a magical sense. Many areas for beginners and most dives are easy in slack current, but the fun is when it rips. Any diver who doesn't get Undercurrent is a fool; if I didn't I would not know of this place. Five Stars Plus for this find of a lifetime." BM, Pittsburgh, PA. Bikini Atoll . . . .XXX resort, July yyyy. "Better than WWII wrecks in Truk. Dives are deep and decompression. Four of us had at least one if not two divemasters with us. vis: 80- 200 ft. water: 84 degrees. My wife was not interested in diving to 180 ft, so a dive master showed her parts of the wrecks that weren't so deep. Wrecks so deep that with only 2 dives a day, a week is too short." MD, Santa Ana, CA. Eastern Caribbean . . . XXX live-aboard, July yyyy. "Water 81 degrees. A bargain. Crew superb, food excellent, diving spectacular. Boat spotless and diver friendly. Shore trip on Saba interesting topside but St. Kitts not worth missing a dive. Rooms small but functional. 4-5 dives a day, so monitor your computer." RT, Paradise Valley, AZ. Grand Cayman . . . XXX Resort, March yyyy. "Prices high; beer $35/case, dinner $20/person. Dive restrictions 100 feet max and 20 minutes (30 with a computer) on the first dive; 30 minute surface interval; 40 minutes, 50 feet max on second dive. When I asked why there was an arbitrary time restriction, I got a lot of double talk-they wanted to hurry back to the beach so they could load up the afternoon crowd. Returned with 1250-1500 psi." NBR, Abilene, TX. Red Sea . . . XXX live-aboard, August yyyy. "Egyptians have closed the best sites. Water 76- 81. Diving good, a notch below Fiji or Palau. Transfers and upwind rides in Zodiac with 4-5 ft. chop were hair-raising. Getting back into the Zodiacs if you are not agile is quite a trick. Had to stay an extra night in Cairo at our expense because of flight schedules. Too much hassle and expense for the diving." AR, Manhattan Beach, CA. Dominica . . . XXX resort, September yyyy. "Chose due to Undercurrent review. Outstanding service, knowledgeable divemasters, some current; had to abort one dive, but most were calm with manageable currents. vis: 60+ft. Water 80 degrees. Terrific diversity of fish, free swimming morays, black corals, crinoids spectacular. Charming, 1 bedroom cottage, living room with sleeper sofa, kitchen, did own cooking; bussed for groceries, an adventure." PR, Key Biscayne, FL. Honduras . . . XXX resort, June yyyy. "No-see-ums day and night, no respite! Took cortisone to fight fever and severe itching from hundreds of bites; luckily, they don't itch when you're under water. For some, this ruined the trip." BL, Brookfield, CT. Cozumel . . . XXX operator, July yyyy. " Every bit as good as Undercurrent recommended. They must be listening to you; five boats operating, equipped with ladders for easy reentry. Diving exquisite. Exceeded an hour every dive. Dived far south and north of the island, where most operators won't. Service as good as the diving. Steel 120's. Been to Cozumel often and this is the best. Thanks for the recommendation." GK, Raleigh, NC. Indonesia . . . XXX resort, July l997. " Rooms great, food excellent, courteous staff, Diving: WOW! Saw creatures had not seen in 1000+ dives. Ghost pipefish, cuttlefish, blue ribbon eels, pygmy seahorses, football size frogfish. Larry Smith takes unique delight in showing you unusual creatures. Thanks, Undercurrent for recommending this special place." M&R Toombs. Trinidad and Tobago . . . XXX resort, January yyyy. "Inn is isolated, quiet and perfectly situated on its own bay with golden beach. Food excellent, rooms immaculate. Sites 10 minutes away. Currents can be strong (visibility variable: 50-75 ft., water: 77-81 degrees). Huge sponges, clouds of reef fish, remarkably healthy hard and soft corals. Huge tarpon, the world's largest brain coral head. NOT for beginners." MM/AS, Gaston, IN. Papua New Guinea . . . XXX live-aboard, July yyyy. "Most disappointing trip in 25 years. Ship billed as a dive/tour boat at $380/person/day, then tried to charge us extra for each dive. Not well designed for divers. Continuous problems with the Zodiac's motor and radio. No qualified guide. Potential here is fabulous." A&K Knoblock, Littleton, CO. Cozumel . . .XXX resort, June yyyy. "Computer users restricted to same profiles as group. DM spent a lot of time over sand. Dives ended with anywhere from 1400 psi for me to one out of air at the safety stop. Main concern seemed to be getting everybody off the boat together. Boat ran over two divers bruised but not cut. Dove most popular sites frequently had other groups in view." FF, Kansas City, MO. Grand Cayman . . . XXX resort, July yyyy. "Maximum of 12 divers; asked for opinions and made every effort to accommodate preferences. Could follow along or strike out on own. Computer divers allowed as much freedom as possible. Tanks 3400 PSI. Boat big, fast, comfortable with a large deck." LB.