2000 Chapbook

This is a lovely island with plenty of hotel amenities (and lots of swinging-singles and couples-only all-inclusives), but the impoverished population (22 percent of whom are unemployed) eats anything a fisherman can scoop up, and you can hardly blame them.... Experienced divers will become bored on the first dive, but the diving's okay for beginners (although the local divemaster may be stoned if he's not working for a respectable hotel or shop).... Jamaica lies in the hurricane belt....

Beaches Negril, June 1999, Tiff Hudson, Elkridge, MD. Vis: 80-100 ft. Water: 81-83 degrees. Dive staff friendly and helpful, good attitude so long as you were just doing the dive. Did advanced open water cert. Very disorganized, divemaster didn't know we were doing one of our cert. dives unless I told him. Instructor did not communicate with staff enough to make me feel like I was learning anything beyond. Just reading the book and turning in the paperwork. Condition of boat and rental equipment poor. Staff said "Beaches wouldn't upgrade, but the Equip/boat at "Sandals" (same company as "Beaches") looked new. Boat had one non-functioning motor, awning support rusted away at diver entry. Most regulator hoses showed cracks. BCD's lacked strap to hold octopus - two BDCs malfunctioned (one slowly lost air, the other slowly gained it!) One or two regulators were clogged (and not fixed) and reissued the next day. Tanks pressurized to anywhere from 1900-3600 psi. (Beaches Negril, Norman Manley Boulevard, P.O. Box 12, Negril, Jamaica, W.I.; Phone: 1-888-BEACHES or (876) 957-9270; Fax: (876) 957-9269; website www.beaches.com/ne-mainframe.html)

Jamaica Divers/Caribbean Club, January 1999, Kevin Poeppelman, Clarksburg, MD. Vis: 100-120 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Dive restrictions: 100 ft. I had been to Jamaica 12 years ago and was shocked to see how reefs have deteriorated. Most fish smaller than 5 inches; fish being sold by spearfisherman were under 6 inches! Brochures talk about pristine reefs and abundance of fish, but are misleading and incorrect. Dive shop personnel knowledgeable and courteous. Crimes against tourists increasing. Locals feel all-inclusive hotels have ruined the businesses of many who have had to resort to spear fishing, collecting corals to make a living. Most tourists never get out to see other parts of the island or buy items outside the resort. Unfortunate since Jamaica is a beautiful island with large tropical plants, water falls, mountains and rainforest. Scenery above is far better than the sad state of decay beneath the waters. (Jamaica Scuba Divers; Mr. Ian Dalley, Halfmoon Hotel, Roundhill Hotel and Sea Castles Hotel, Main Office: PO Box 80, Montego Bay #1, Jamaica; Telephone 876-953-2211 or 876-953-9266; Fax 876-953-9266)

Club Jamaica Beach Resort, August 1998, Rick & Lynn Wohlers, Blue Grass, IA. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 80-84 degrees. Weather: rainy. Water: calm, no currents. Glenda, master instructor, was very cautious as the wife and I are only occasional divers. Two tank dives limited us to the reef just off the Renaissance resort. Operation is geared toward resort lessons, open water certification and the working poor divers who only get to dive sporadically. Apple vacations got a great price and we had a marvelous time. Glenda works out of a kiosk by the pool. Average fish was 2-3", but there was a marvelous variety. Lots of coral & sponges, fair number of spiny sea urchins. Dunn's River falls is a must and we enjoyed tubing the white river. Rain most afternoons. Everyone wants your dollars.

Negril Scuba Center/Tengsing Pen, August 1999. Third trip. People at the dive shop are great, particularly James the divemaster, who found a dozen lobsters congregated under a ledge. Not a fancy operation, but high quality, safe diving experiences. (Ph: 809-957-4425; www.negril.jamacia.com/nsg)

Sandals Negril, July 1999, Keith Hilton (khilton@ntws.net), Decatur, TX. Vis: 75-150 ft. Water: 82-85 degrees. Sunny. Restrictions: begin ascent at 1000 psi. Stay in loose group. Equipment is in fair shape but gets used a lot. Your first dive has to be a shallow dive, usually with resort group. Resort group uses small boat and carries 10-14 divers. Certified divers got new 46 ft Newton. 10 divers max. Not concerned with certified divers doing skills verification. Two divemasters dive with every group. Let certified divers pick spots. Reefs starting to make a come back. No larger fish. Divemasters try to destroy as many submersible fish traps as possible. Resort all inclusive with great food. (Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa, P.O. Box 12, Negril, Jamaica; phone: 888-SANDALS or 876-957-5216; fax: 876-957-5338; website www.sandals.com)

Sandals Montego Bay, August 1999, Les Alan Levinowitz, Brooklyn, NY. Water: 84-86 degrees, Vis: 50-65 ft. Restrictions: depth, time, all dives guided. 36' Newton; head, small 2 level camera table, showers (2), radio, fruit and punch. Will result in 2 tank diving in the future. Dive gear all Cressi-Sub in good shape. My own BC malfunctioned and resort gave me a new BC to use. No charge. Aluminum 80's with a few smaller tanks available. Good service and professional staff. Bring a skin! No tipping, no kidding. Not much fish life, lots of sponges. (P.O. Box 100, Kent Avenue, Montego Bay, Jamaica; phone: 888-SANDALS or 876-952-5510; fax: (876) 952-0816; website www.sandals.com)