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Dive Review of Carbrits Dive Center/Comfortel de Champs in
Dominica/Portsmith

Carbrits Dive Center/Comfortel de Champs, Oct, 2008,

by C Vernon Hartline Jr, TX, USA (Reviewer Reviewer 5 reports). Report 4496.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments This is a our second trip to Dominica.

On our repeat visit to Portsmith ,we stayed at a new B&B/Guesthouse named Comfortel de Champs - owned by an ex-pat Dutch couple we met diving last year. Great facility with a killer view of Portsmith harbor. AC,ceiling fans, well stocked refrigerator, great new bathroom, great cooked to order breakfast, "eco friendly" operation, great Spanish wines by the glass and friendly Dominica knowledgable hosts. They have chosen to live here, traveled as tourists in the country, and it shows they love their newly adopted country. They are presently completing a new bar and hot tub as an extra addition for their guests.

Last visit was in November - we went this time in early October. It is the rainy season and one day we chose not to dive because of storms including storm including lightening. It rains in buckets. I guess it's the reason this island is so incredibly green. But the rainy season had caused huge potholes and sometimes rockslides onto the road. Drive on the left(holdover from the Brits). This is the 30th year of independence from the British and large celebrations are planned in early November. We rented an SUV (Rav4) and can't imagine not having your own transportation. Lunch and dinner are on your own. We had the best and cheapest meal at "Iguana" a seaside shack owned bt rastas. No meat but great seafood (including grilled lobster), pasta and vegetables. We also ate at the Purple Turtle, Blue Bay , Tomato , Strawberry and the local "foodstalls" near the US based medical school - Ross University.

Diving: Helen and Peter ,the owners of Cabrits are passionate about quality service for their clients. That attitude works down to the staff and crew. Cabrits owns 3 dive boats (although we heard one was damaged severely after we left by the backwash of Omar). John, Evan and Fabin are careful and attentive divemasters. They do their best to point out interesting critters,unique formations and sea life to make the diving enjoyable for what ever level of dive experience you have. Portsmith does not have the walls of the South but the sea bed is alive with sponges,tropical fish of every kind (including an electric ray and flying gunard), turtles, squid,eels (including the snake eel) and invertbrates. We even did a small "ship wreck". Pole to Pole is still our favoritr dive - in spite of the viz being lower because of rain. The underwater scene is equal to the above water. Between dives Helen even sends her famous English tea (milk and sugar) and "biscuits". Very elegant and classy.

Dominica deserves the title "Nature Island" and it would be missing a substantial portion of Dominica's underwater wonders to dive only in the South.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Cayman(s), Belize, Bahama, Turks & Caicos, St Vincent, Dominica, Red Sea, Mexican Caribbean and Pacific, Coco Island, Truk, Palau, Indonesia
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, rainy, cloudy Seas calm, currents, no currents
Water Temp 79-84°F / 26-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 30-60 Ft/ 9-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Don't run off and get lost - often we were the only two on the boat - custom dive guide and buddy
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales 1 or 2
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 3 stars
UW Photo Comments I had my HD Video -crew helped with the camera on and off the boat - put on board a separate rinse tank. No separate camera table but took special care with our equipment.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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