2000 Chapbook

These islands, situated south of the Bahamas and north of the Virgins, feature awesome walls and some of the clearest water in the world. On a good day, visibility is about 200'.... South Caicos wall, off Cockburn Harbor, has a stone arch at 50', a lip as sharp as a knife, and a breathtaking vertical face.... Provo, the glitzy island, has spectacular beaches, but it's at least an hour's boat ride to the better diving of South or West Caicos. Grand Turk, on the other hand, is a funky, laid-back island that has a wall right offshore. Salt Cay has a guest house and decent diving; West and North Caicos have no dive facilities; a small dive operation on South Caicos has had a series of ups and downs (mostly downs), but it now has a new owner who hopefully will do better... Bring a long-sleeved shirt during the winter months; it can get cool in the evenings, and water temperatures can drop into the mid-70s.... Stop by a post office and check out the marine life commemorative stamps U/W photo contests are held periodically here, and part of the prize is having your photo placed on a stamp.... Don't be tempted by contraband; for decades the Turks and Caicos have been a clandestine refueling stop-over for dope-smuggling pilots from South America; a Customs dope-sniffing dog will greet you in Miami....

For full reviews of the following Turks and Caicos destinations, see:

Salt Cay, Undercurrent- July 1998

Grand Turk, Undercurrent- June 1998

Grand Turk

Blue Water & Oasis Divers/Turks Head Inn/Sea Eye, May 1999, DocVikingo@aol.com. Vis: 65-80 ft. but can go higher; Water: 77 degrees. Turks Head on Duke Street across from beach is oldest continuously operating hotel in the T&C's; refurbished rooms/kitchen. Seven units decorated in antiques with A/C, TV, phone & minibar. Bathrooms small; recommend second floor front with porch & table/chairs overlooking the patio/garden. Dive kayaks (a plus given that good shore diving starts 200 yards out), personally propelled water gizmos, bicycles, rinse tanks, dry storage. One of the better restaurants, but prices high. Managers Simon & Andrea work hard but unobtrusively. Wall runs about 7 miles 200 yards off the western shore. Can start at 30 feet and drop to 7,000+ feet; some sensational abyssal vistas. About 14 moorings, serving 30 sites. Boats return to shore for surface interval; almost exclusively 24' Carolina Skiffs. Can't imagine more relaxed diving. Dove all 3 operators and all excellent and cooperate well. Similar boats & tempos; Nitrox; dive same sites and charge $25/dive. DM Smitty from Sea Eye quite memorable. Reefs remarkably healthy, wide range of tropicals, sponges and corals. Spectacular black coral and deep water gorgonians at Coral Garden. Regular sightings of nurse sharks, green and spotted morays, hawksbill turtles; Lemon and Hammerhead sharks occasionally. Mature male seahorse at Rolling Hill; saw orange ball corallimorph on night dive, Humpback migration to Silver Banks reaches its peak in Feb. & Mar. (Ph: 809-946-2432, Fax: 809-946-2432)

Blue Water/Salt Raker Inn, July 1999, David Bowen, Denver, CO. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 80-86 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft. Lynx Air efficient and on time. Salt Raker quaint and relaxed, food good, service a bit too lax. Ate most meals at Turks Head Inn, Food expensive, well prepared and served by the Inn's charming hosts Simon and his wife Andrea. Wall diving great - short boat rides, good vis, and healthy coral. Mitch with Blue Water Divers was relaxed and let us dive our own profiles, 100' dive restriction - but the best was above that anyway. Good dive trip, not high voltage diving but well worth the bucks.

Oasis Divers/Sitting Pretty Hotel, September 1998, Wayne Manning, Coral Gables, FL. Vis: 60-70 ft. Water: 79-82 degrees. Sitting Pretty Hotel had inadequate plumbing. Toilets operate on seawater. Flush valves clog after every flush. Even after the valve was cleaned, we got one flush and the flush valve was clogged again. We changed rooms got one flush. Went to the lobby restroom and again got one flush. I nicknamed this hotel "The One Flush Sitting Pretty." Fresh water intermittently. Could not depend on finishing a shower or having enough water to shave both sides of my face. Oasis Divers very accommodating. Divemasters were interested in helping every diver enjoy to the max. Picked us up at the hotel beach though the walk to the anchoring site was only two blocks. Even got an extra dolphin dive when a school of porpoise showed up. (Ph: 800-892-3995 or 809-946-1128, Fax: 809-946-1128, e-mail: oasisdiv@caribsurf.com, Website: www.oasisdivers.com)

Oasis Divers/Sitting Pretty Hotel, October 1998, Norma Carey, Erie, PA. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water 80-82 degrees. Restrictions: 100' recommended, dive with buddy or group. Efficient and customer oriented. Dale and Everett ensure their divers get everything they expect from their dives. Austin was the best divemaster we've ever encountered. Safety conscious, a great dive guide and best of all, fun! Though windy and cloudy, diving was phenomenal. Walls are everything you'd expect; saw turtles, sharks and every type of tropical. 18 dolphins joined us on a dive, but didn't stick around long. Sitting Pretty is in need of renovations. Meal service is slow so we didn't end up having many dinners here although the food was good when it finally arrived.

Oasis Divers/Salt Raker Inn, February 1999, Steve Bergerson, Lisle, IL. Vis: 60-80 ft. Water 77-78 degrees. Restrictions: 120 ft. Salt Raker Inn works well, especially upstairs rooms. Food basic, but good. Oasis Divers well run. Smaller boats (24 ft.), but not crowded. Reefs healthy, nice walls, but no fish! Seven days of diving became very boring. Good for beginners.

Oasis Divers/Arawak Inn, March 1999, Steve Mason, Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Vis: 40-80 ft. Water: 72-74 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm. Divemaster guided on profile set before dive. No tourist shops, not many people (we had 2 miles of beach almost to ourselves) no high-rise hotels, just a relaxed quiet island. All wall diving, with the chance to spot a manta, turtle or whale. Short boat rides to wall. You can see it from the beach. Oasis Divers did an excellent job; relaxed dive schedule that starts with pickup at the hotel at 9:00 AM, a short ride of 10 min. to dive site, back around 1:00. Sites never used by more than one dive boat at a time! Only 4 to 6 divers on the boat. Stay down after the guided wall dive and explore on your own until you get to 500 psi; hang line off the stern for safety stop. Couple from England stayed down an hour and a half on one 80 ft dive. Oasis takes care of all your equipment. We were spoiled by Austin, Paul and Everett with easy diving, relaxed atmosphere, cookies between dives and a friendly attitude. 15 dives in 7 days; went out of their way to ensure every dive was better than the last. Gibbs Cay the high point; fed stingrays, a spotted eagle ray and a lemon shark. They catch and prepare conch on the spot.

Oasis Divers/Sitting Pretty Hotel, April 1999, Steve Duncan (wdwerker@aol.com), Norcross, GA. Vis: 80-125 ft. Water: 76-78 degrees. Sunny, no current. Restrictions: 120 ft.. no gloves, no touching, no collecting, dunk tanks in hot sun, but covered camera tables. Film hard to find and pricey, APS film could not be found. Oasis Divers wonderful. Everett runs the operation and dives with the groups. Like having a guided tour of the reef, he showed us stuff we would have swum right past; got plenty of time to poke around by ourselves! Eating is not cheap, 2 eggs scrambled with nothing else was $3.25, basic breakfast small portions toast, juice (tiny) fruit (half cup) sausage, 2 eggs, 1 cup coffee $8.95. Lunch $12-18, dinner $18-25. Hotel OK but it could use work, our air conditioner was barely working. You only need shorts bathing suits and t-shirts for the nicest place in town, you can walk almost everywhere. People are friendly. Currency is the American dollar.

Oasis Divers/Salt Raker Inn, June 1999, Dana Mardaga (dmardaga@leland.stanford.edu), San Jose, CA. Saying hello and waving is the norm. Diving first rate; coral healthy, brilliant orange and purple colors everywhere. Fish life good, our guide Austin kissed a large grouper he has been visiting for nine years. Couple of turtles and one nurse shark. Gibbs Cay: guide will catch and kill conchs for lunch. Some people said it was upsetting and brutal watching the conchs get killed. I could not find a shop that would run the trip without killing them, so I didn't make the trip. Salt Raker Inn: Ivy was helpful, friendly and fun. Nice restaurant in the garden behind the hotel. Food good, but if you are a vegetarian that could be a problem. Couple of restaurants a short walk. Fruits and vegetables scarce but could be purchased at local store. Oasis Divers: small boats, short rides. Austin and Paul good guides. Met several people staying at the Arawak who complained the hotel did not give them rides to town as promised. AA to Miami was delayed and our luggage didn't make AA to Provo. Had no dive gear, camera gear, or clothes for a full day of our vacation. Grand Turk has many historical buildings, 17th century anchors underwater, cannons above and below water. Donkeys and horses roam the streets. No high rise hotels, golf courses, casinos, etc. Not a lot to do other than diving. Great place.

Oasis Divers, July 1999, Renee Punzi & Mary Sanders, Morro Bay, CA. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. Restrictions: Safety stop at 30' for 10 minutes. Everett and Dale run a fun and efficient shop. They take good care of you and your equipment. Everett really cares about the island and your experience. Consistently good quality of tropical fish, pelagics, small critters, turtles, and corals added up to an overall experience that I would rate outstanding. Quiet charm of the island may not hold up to many tourists unless they put some effort into garbage handling, water supply and environmental preservation. Avoid "Sitting Pretty." Guanahani is nice. Turks Head would be my pick next time.

Oasis Divers/Turks Head Inn, August 1999, Larry Davis (ldavis@rollanet.org). Bahama Air from Miami to Grand Turk eliminates overweight charges and going thru Provo. Immigration agent in Turk was surly. Turks Head Inn: Good, quiet hotel, large rooms, instant coffee in room, hair dryers, lots of storage space adequate air conditioner and ceiling fan. Bad: Rat and several mice in our room, small bugs everywhere. Dining room and bar hot and stuffy. No hot water, toilet flushed only half the time. Managers have a large aggressive dog that has the run of the hotel. Owner had to hold the dog every time I walked by or he would lunge for me, had me afraid to go out of my room. Owner actually asked my husband if he would hold the dog. Oasis Divers: good operation, they store gear overnight, haul it for you. My husband and I dive alone; OK, but not to go beyond 110 feet and come back with 500 psi. Good briefings, beautiful walls. Water 84 degrees, vis 80-100+ ft. Fish population good and varied, many friendly groupers, barracudas, turtles. No camera rinse tank on boat but short trips from sites, wet boats but have canopies. Everett great help. Coral in good shape with lots of beautiful soft corals and big schools of fish. Most dives 60 min., lots of good photos. Gibbs Cay a good trip for the last afternoon when you can't dive. Friendly stingrays rub you like kittens.

Oasis Divers Grand Turk/Island House, August 1999, Eric & Laura Donnell (eric.donnell@sterling.com), Austin, TX. Vis: 80-100 ft. Isolated location with pristine sites. Not many large fish but corals in excellent shape with vibrant colors and teeming with small fish. Bahamas Air goes direct out of Miami. Island House great little place. Quaint, 9 room hotel; great romantic getaway spot. Each room had a small kitchen, sitting area, private deck or balcony. Excellent condition; plenty of windows to let the tropical breeze keeps it cool, though there is a window unit. A little secluded, 5 minutes from town and dive shops by golf cart, which they provided. Owner Collin accommodates most requests and provides a tour of the island. Oasis divers did a great job. You stay with the same divemaster all week. Dive your own plan; only restrictions being recreational limits and come back up with 500 psi. Divemaster rinses and stores your gear and sets it up for dives. We recommend half day trip to Gibbs Caye. On the way you free dive and get Conch for lunch.

Sea Eye Diving/Guanahani, August 1998, Stephen Hamp, Boonton, NJ. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 82-86 degrees. All walls, best night dives in 9 years. Terrific dive operation. Gibbs Cay snorkel with rays on a par with Sting Ray City but a nicer beach party and food (rum punch and fresh conch salad). Bikes free to go to town, hotel staff slow but friendly. Rinse hose not tank, no fresh water on dive boat or camera rinse. Finally used sea water tank to hold cameras. Although food was good, prices were high, same meals for $6-10 at the Diplomat south of town. Broken glass, horse manure and spikey grass seeds everywhere don't go barefoot. (Ph: 649-946-1407, Fax: 649-946-1407, e-mail: ci@caribsurf.com)

Sea Eye Diving/Turks Head Inn, September 1998, Mike Mullins, Woburn, MA. Vis: 60-70 ft. Water: 80 degrees. Turks Head quaint, old English style. Nice court yard. Pick it over any others on Grand Turk. Vis poor. No large animals (mantas or sharks, however saw 4 small ones), nor schools of fish other than at "Aquarium." Alex and Gulp; two 30 lb. groupers. Scratch Alex under the gills; Gulp follows you on night dives waiting for the light to land on a fish so he could "gulp" it up. Night dives at the "Library" are awesome. Giant spider crabs, basket star, crab, lobsters, full range of sponges and tube corals. Last dive a pod of dolphins swam overhead. When I did a dolphin kick and rolled around, one circled me and rolled within 5 feet.

Sea Eye Diving/Guanahani, March 1999, Lisa Trueblood, (frenzy@centuryinter.net), La Crosse, WI. Vis: 75-200 ft. Water: 75-78 degrees. Sea-Eye Diving was excellent, especially "Smitty" the divemaster. Excellent variety of fish, excellent visibility. Saw humpbacks, dolphins, sting and eagle rays. Food expensive. Very laid back island.

Sea Eye Diving/Salt Raker Inn, May 1999, Susan Fuchs, Chicago, IL. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 80-85 degrees. Here 7 yrs. ago and nice to see that some things remain the same. Still wild horses and roosters crowing in the morning. Reef is in great shape: healthy coral, lots of fish and even groupers! Black Forest has 4 types of black coral. Favorite dive was Aquarium. You come over the wall and look into an expansive bowl with a sandy bottom at 100+ ft. Sea Eye made diving a breeze. Did two dives in the morning and one dive in the afternoon. Smitty pointed out a seahorse, lobsters, crabs. He would signal by knocking two rocks together. Dived with computers, so almost every dive was 60 minutes. The Salt Raker Inn was very pleasant, and restaurant (The Secret Garden), offered a nice selection for dinner.

Sea Eye Diving/Arawak Inn, June 1999, N. Shelton, Tempe, AZ. Vis: 20-60 ft. Water: 79-82 degrees. Sea Eye diving great. Told "the mantas were running" which raised our hopes, but never saw one ... disappointing. Reef fish plentiful; trunkfish, trumpet fish. spotted drums, some highhats and soap fish. Arawak Inn clean and nice. Our group worked out a meal plan that made the trip very affordable. Kitchens in the spacious suites. Beach, great snorkeling. Library excellent night dive!

Sea Eye Diving/Arawak Inn, June 1999, Doug Welsch, Fennville, MI. Attractions and amenities were adequate but not exceptional, but Grand Turk has genuine hospitality along with some very good diving. From Ft. Lauderdale, flew Lynx Air, one of those island airlines that asks your weight when you make reservations and has a baggage limit of 65 lbs. and no lavatories on board the aircraft, so don't load up on liquids before the 3-hour flight. Arawak: all apartments are "ocean view," with the less expensive at ground level. Apartments are spacious and clean, with a large bedroom and a poorly equipped kitchenette. Air conditioning is required despite constant trade winds; front doors have no screens and will let in the hordes of mosquitoes. The salt water toilets malfunctioned constantly and we were forced to flush the toilet with a pan of water. Pool is a basic saltwater pool. The grounds were in a natural state, except when a herd of wild horses passed through and trimmed the flora with their teeth. No tennis courts, the beach was primitive, and town two miles away. Bicycles for rent or one of the staff might drive you into town, though there were only two gift shops and a couple of bars. Arawak Bar is the center of activity, where guests, staff, and local characters meet for a beer. Comp. breakfast was several pieces of fruit and a bagel, but the fruit gave out until the fruit boat came midweek. If you can't smile and go with the flow, avoid this island. Food at all restaurants was good, being some version of chicken, fish, or chicken. Sea Eye Diving. No "C" cards shown, dive your own profile, do what you want, just come back alive. Mackey picked us up by boat off the resort beach. Though punctuality was not Mackey's strong suit, great diving and people pleasing were. First dive sort of checkout dive, just Mackey watching us. That was the only time he set depth limits (100 ft). English Point: saw several Batfish, Pipehorses, Shieldheads, tiny jellyfish, great photo ops. After dive we would land in town where we would spend 45 minutes "off gassing." Mackey would load tanks and we shop or have an ice cream cone. Then the second dive, and back to the resort where we would carry our gear back to the pool where we could hose it down. Afternoon, we could take shore dives from the hotel beach and Mackey would drop off tanks. The wall was about 1000 feet offshore, a long surface swim, but provided a safety "stop" during the swim over the shallows on the way back. The wall was somewhat plain and one tired of it after doing two or three dives each day. In contrast, the wall in front of the Guanahani was alive and interesting, and would have been an equivalent distance from shore. Don't think of doing a shore wall dive from hotels in town: swim is much too far. Walls start at 40-50 feet and plunged to about 110 feet, where they sloped to 150 feet, then descended in a series of steps until they plunge into the abyss at 220 feet. Dive to 250 feet, swim away from the wall over the blackness of the abyss, turn around and look at the huge white wall disappearing into the void below. A sight you will never forget! Vis 60-80 feet, and water temp a constant 82-83°F. Few large fish; most of the fish were juveniles. Night life is virtually nonexistent, save the action at a bar if a local bands are playing. The eight of us would hop into the back of someone's pickup and we would hang on for dear life as we roared into town. Often that was how we would get to town to go to a restaurant in the evening. They'd drop us off and come get us when we would call. The alternative is an $8/person taxi ride ($10 each for less than 5), steep for a 5 minute ride. My friend, a competitive sport fisherman, spent our last afternoon with the hotel staff on their afternoon off, fishing for tuna from someone's 14 foot skiff. He was privileged to join three of the locals who were lifelong friends on their day off as they bounced through the waves in search of fish. No liability waivers, no money, just a group of friends bringing another fisherman along for a good time.

Sea Eye Diving/Guanahani, July 1999, Dr. Don Schexnayder, New Orleans, LA. Vis: 35-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Quite warm so undesirable to go for walks or ride bicycles. Coral was spawning, which attracted manta rays. Nice soft coral and interesting formations. Large grouper; small fish plentiful. Easy diving with no current. Dives can be as deep as you like. Shore diving available. You need a compass for night dives. Staff and restaurant of the Guanahani were good. I would prefer to be in town to have more choices for dining. Constant breeze at the Guanahani pleasant. Bring insecticide if you use the hammocks.

Providenciales

Beaches, February 1999, Lani Seltzer, Winston-Salem, NC. Wish I had the 1999 Chapbook before booking Beaches. They require check out of all divers no matter what their skills or number of dives. The purpose, they say, is for safety and to protect the reef system. On our first dive, the divemaster threw the anchor directly on the coral and then jerked it back up and threw it on the sand. If that's "protecting the reef," I think the 6 divers on board would have done a lot less damage, if any, than he did with that one anchor throw. Dive times are strictly limited to 30-35 minutes no matter how shallow nor how much air one has. On all dives I came up with over 1000 psi and once came up with 1500. They are notorious for underfilling tanks. Out of 6 possible dive days, we were only able to dive 2 days "due to weather." The other dive businesses were taking out divers. Beaches would wait until it was too late for us to contact other dive businesses before informing us that they would not take us out. They had to do with mechanical problems with the boat and they wanted "your understanding." We were not reimbursed for the missed dives. Dive crew is arrogant and cocky. The supervisor over the dive operation was argumentative and rude. The dive personnel seemed focused on impeding divers and throwing up all sorts of obstacles. (Ph: 1-888-BEACHES or 649-946-8000, Fax: 649-946-8001; website: www.beaches.com)

Beaches, May 1999, Karen Morton, Santa Cruz, CA. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 79-82 degrees. No restrictions after check out. Worst dive experience so far. Resort was filled with drinkers and uncontrolled children. The famous "concierge" service didn't exist: my husband was never given an important call from his office. Dive operation checked all certified divers in the pool before diving. Even at West Caicos we saw little. The captain of the boat twice anchored in a school of thimble jelly fish (they were unnoticeable to us) causing those who did a safety stop to be stung anywhere there was uncovered skin, cheeks, forehead, hands. My face was a mess of ugly, itchy welts for days. We later discovered you could rub yourself with Baby Oil to discourage them. This explains why none of the crew wanted to dive!

Caicos Adventures/Sands at Grace Bay, August 1999, Ricky Tuss (Rtuss@aol.com), Wilmington, DE. Vis: 50 to 80 ft. Water: 84-85 degrees. Sunny and dry. No currents. Dive own profile. Dives on shear walls off West Caicos, 1 hour from Provo. Walls and hard corals as spectacular as Grand Turk. Abundant soft corals, tropical fish, and pelagics. Many sites spectacular. Of the 13 dives, only two we did not see sharks (mainly reef, but also lemon and nurse) or eagle rays. Sands a new condo complex. Construction noise. Had one bedroom, one and a half baths, washer and drier, cable tv, full kitchen, living room with a couch that pulls out to a double bed, huge screened patio, beautiful ocean view. Caicos Adventures is a class operation. They pick sites on our desires and experience. Divemasters in the water to guide the group or you could do your own thing. Requirement: 5 minute safety stop and begin hang with 500 psi. Divemasters and captains courteous. Smart enough to leave people like me alone to take care of my own equipment. Boat equipped with O₂, first aid, drinking water, camera bucket, fresh water shower. Lunch: sub sandwiches (including vegetarian), pasta salad, sodas, and watermelon. Most trips 9 divers (equipped to handle about 12 divers) but one day 17 divers, way too many for a 3 tank trip. We were all experienced divers so trip went smoothly. No Nitrox. (Caicos Adventures: phone 800-513-5822, fax/phone 649-941-3346, e-mail divucrzy@tciway.tc, website www.caicosadventures.tc.)

Dive Provo, December 1998, Norman Jensen, Boise, ID. Vis: 65 ft. Water: 78 degrees. In our one dive on the reef bordering Grace Bay we encountered a diversity of life, including sharks, large barracuda, turtles, moray, small tropical fish. Healthy reef, clear water. Grace Bay Club: good ambiance, food and commodious rooms. They gave no credit for our deposit and charged us for an extra day of meals took time to resolve. Otherwise, an enjoyable stay. Providenciales is bustling with construction. The wonderful beaches may be over built. (Ph: 800-234-7768 or 649-946-5029, Fax: 649-946-5936, e-mail: diveprovo@caribsurf.com, Website: www.diveprovo.com)

Dive Provo/Coral Gardens, July 1999, Bill & Alice Miller, Arden, NC. Vis: 30-75 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Maximum dive time 45 min-60 min. Coral Gardens a 12-unit condo project fronting on Grace Bay. Lovely facility, not set up for divers, no restaurant, no bar, no snack or drink machines, no ice machine. To get food or drink required a $6/person rt taxi. Rented a car: $24/day. "Dive Provo" booked and didn't know Coral Gardens had no food or drink facilities; apparently, they book divers into resorts they had not visited. Coral Gardens: snorkeling on a superb reef, lovely pool, accommodating management even guided us on a night dive at the resort at no cost. Dive Provo a sparsely stocked dive shop away from the docks. They keep boats at Grace Bay and Sapodilla Bay. They pickup and delivery you by van. Boat at Sapodilla, Bay had no camera rinse tank, the mask rinse bucket was not filled until the site was reached (with salt water), advertised shower was a garden hose at the stern. Only two or three tanks with 3000 psi or more, several with less than 2300 psi. First day: picked up at 8 a.m. and taken to the shop where to check in; at 10 a.m., the van arrived; 20 minutes later, over the worst roads, we arrived at an abandoned structure above the boat dock. Surrounded by mounds of garbage and building materials, we carried our gear down a long, winding stairway to the dock. Pulled away at 10:30 a.m. for 45 minute boat ride to West Caicos. Had to idle around until another boat cleared the mooring at the "Gully." Our profile was to be 80' for 30 minutes unless you were using a computer, then you were on your own. 60 minute surface interval. The Driveway: Profile: 60' for 30 minutes, unless you were using a computer. We arrived at the dock at 3 p.m., lugged our gear up the stairs to the van, which would not start, stood around 90 plus temp for 40 minutes waiting for another van. Had had nothing to eat since breakfast except crackers offered by the boat captain. Not forewarned we would need a box lunch. Dropped off at resort at 4 p.m., During our week we were associated with seven divemaster; only two seemed to have interest in helping divers or in their jobs. Several were rude. One, when asked to help a small woman off with her gear, said, "she's certified isn't she? She can do it herself." Most divemasters would enter the water last, swim out along the reef for 15 minutes then head back for the boat. They were the first ones back, several minutes ahead of the divers. One of our biggest concerns, as Ambassadors for The Coral Reef Alliance, was the lack of concern for the reef. Two divemasters dived with their gauges dragging along the coral. Dive sites at Provo in various stages of ill health; extensive areas of coral and sponge covered with a fine layer of sand. Fish life seems to be suffering. No eagle rays, no turtles, no whale sharks, no sea horses, one nurse shark, two small stingrays, no large schools of fish such as tangs, goat fish, grunts, or jacks, one queen angel, two grey angels, one scorpion fish, limited butterfly and damsel fish. There is a marine park, but we could not determine who was responsible or how they enforced. While we were disappointed in our trip, an average day of diving is significantly better that a great day at work. We met new diver friends, got tans, and had some out-of-this-world food.

Dive Provo, August 1999, Mark S. Heckman (msreckman@ woodlamping.com), Cincinnati, OH. Your report on West Caicos is right on the money, however, don't sell short the diving off Provo, especially the west end. Dive Provo serves both West Caicos and Provo. They did a good job. The islands now rank very high on my list of Caribbean favorites.

Provo Turtle Divers/Ocean Club, April 1999, John Bullard, New Bedford, MA. Vis: 100 ft. Water: 78 degrees. Restrictions: 100' depth, 500 lbs on return. Lush resort with good food and great beach. Turtle Divers is 45 minute bus ride. Art Pickering's operation is professional, safe, easy going and fun. West Caicos is a l-2 hour boat ride but excellent and uncrowded dive site. ( Ph: 809-946-4232, Fax: 809-946-4326)

Provo Turtle Divers/Beaches Divers/Beaches Resort, June 1999, Dawn A Bannister (dbannister@compuserve.com), Powder Springs, GA. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Beaches depth limits 110 ft., Some time restrictions: 60min. Provo Turtle Divers, no restrictions. Beaches boat is set up with good tables but other divers were setting mask, towels, and food on the tables. We complained but it continued. Held cameras in our laps to change tapes and batteries. Third trip to Provo, which has something for everyone. First time at Beaches. Room very nice; we were upgraded. They make sure you are having a good time. 5 restaurants ranging from casual to a no-shorts policy. Food good at every one. Food and drinking expensive so all-inclusive resort is a nice change. Beaches dive operation pretty good. 3 Newtons make 60 min run to sites not so bad. Max of 15 divers on the boats. They divided divers into groups of 4 with a divemaster. Most diving is follow the leader. We asked do to one profile and we got it with a couple rules: be first in/last out and stay around 60 min. Had to do a checkout dive and one regular dive, but after that we were pretty much on our own. I pushed the time but always came up with 1100 psi so they didn't say anything. After dives they have sandwiches and snacks. We requested North West Point more and they scheduled it. They have to go a ways to attract experienced divers. Went back to the best dive operation on Provo for a 3-tank dive to West Caicos. Provo Turtle Divers are my favorite and the 3 tank dive was a refreshing change. They cater to experienced divers. We could dive our own profile.

Provo Turtle Divers, July 1999, Gerald Smolensky, Palm Harbor. FL. Do not allow photographers to balance themselves, in a surge, by using only one finger on dead coral as we have all been taught. Mr. Carter Takacs informed me that unless I promised not to touch any coral, even dead coral, that they would not allow me to dive with my camera. I have been taking underwater pictures for over a decade and no one has ever told me that touching dead coral was a sin. I was taught by instructors to steady myself with one finger on dead coral. Divemasters do not change regulators and BCs between dives as is routine at many other resorts. They also try to insist that you put your flippers on while standing at the back of the boat fully geared up. Try to do that in rolling seas.

Sandals (Beaches), June 1999, John & Sandra Quick, East Grand Rapids, MI. Water: 82 degrees, Vis: 60-100 ft. All-inclusive resort catering to families. Diving included (except night dives). Food and wine mediocre. As a diver you don't have the time to eat and drink enough to make it worth the price. Rooms are standard hotel type. Service lackadaisical. Dive staff was courteous, competent and professional but no latitude afforded experienced divers. Very restrictive profiles. Bone jarring ride to boat for most dives. Grace Bay dives done from boat right off resort beach. Dives were nice. Grace Bay is beautiful rivals seven mile beach on Grand Cayman. Good place for divers with children as day care is provided. Not a resort for hard-core divers. (Beaches: (Ph: 1-888-BEACHES or 649-946-8000, Fax: 649-946-8001; website: www.beaches.com; Sandals: 1-888-SANDALS; website www.sandals.com)

Salt Cay

Salt Cay Divers/Sunset Reef Villa, Michele Belanger McNair, August 1998, Fresno, CA. Salt Cay Divers know how to deal with people. Debbie answered all questions about coming to such an out of the way place. Haven't always liked night diving, but Ollie got me turned on to it. Now, I love to turn out my light and see what happens. Ollie and Debbie really improved my abilities as a diver. Sunset Reef Villa is a great private home on the water. 2 bedrooms, TV, FAX, great kitchen, elevated deck, large screen porch with dining area, 2 bathrooms. I'd take it over everything else anytime. (Owner building a second apartment on the front, with ocean view, one bedroom, bath and kitchen). We entertained other divers and had a ball watching the sunsets. Other lodgings and private homes for rent: Miss Irene, Pirate's Cove and a new bed and breakfast. Flan made by Marie, our housekeeper, was outstanding. Miss Irene's homemade bread like brioche; made fantastic French toast. Get fresh snapper from fishermen and grill it yourself. Salt Cay is for those who want to get away. scdivers@tciway for help with accommodations. (Ph: 649-946-6906, Fax: 649-946-6922, e-mail: scdivers@caribsurf.com, Website: http://exposonline.com/scuba)

Salt Cay Divers/Sunset Reef Villa, October 1998, Michele McNair, Fresno, CA. Vis: 60-80 ft. Water: 80-84 degrees. Weather: dry. Water: choppy. No diving over 100 feet; if you weren't advanced open water you weren't supposed to go over 70 feet, though, you could dive on your own after you checked with the divemasters. Rented private home, Sunset Reef Villa, and took most of our own food. When we ate at Mt. Pleasant and Miss Irene's, the food was great. Sunset Reef is a great place to stay, pricey, but worth it. Have stayed at Castaways and found it to be great also, though no A/C. Mt. Pleasant is like a frat house, but has a great bar and restaurant. Debbie and Ollie at Salt Cay Divers were great to dive with. Did AOW with Debbie and found her a great instructor. Ollie would rather be underwater, at night, than on land. He can find anything. Both owners make sure you have a good time, see what's there and dive safe. Went to the wreck of the HMS Endymionand Salt Cay sites and Grand Turk. Do not charge extra to take you to either sites. Boats are well maintained, as is the gear. Allowed to dive on our own at night, no questions asked. Just let them know. Pt. Pleasant is the best shallow dive I've done. Schools of squid lined up, a resident barracuda, caves, conch all over, beautiful coral and some bones of an old wreck. Powerhouse one of the best night dives I've been on. Sleeping turtle, slipper lobsters, octopus, nurse sharks, crabs and lobster. Went to Grand Turk, shopped and dove and had lunch too. Grand Turk sites are very good and we enjoyed meeting Alexander the Grouper. Three dives a day, read, slept, ate and had a great time. No nightlife except going to Mt. Pleasant for drinks. No grocery stores on the island, so we took our own ice chest of goodies.

Salt Cay Divers/Castaway/Irene's, December 1998, Buzz Waterston. Thanks, Ben, for helping me decide to go to Salt Cay with my non-diver wife. Good basic Caribbean diving. I saw a free-swimming 12' nurse shark with remora. Had 13 dives in 6 days, and could have done more if I had wished. Saw 4 turtles, 5 nurse sharks, 3' lobster walking in broad daylight, octopus, a few rays, lots of tropicals. Wasn't calm enough to do the Endymionwreck (was windy the whole time). No whales. Visibility 30-80 and the water was a cool 76-78. Debbie and Ollie sell a terrific little neoprene dive hat that helps hold in the heat. What sets this island apart are the people really remarkable, like going back to a time when everyone knew everyone else, doors were left open, people treated you like family. Can't say enough about Ollie and Debbie, the divemaster/owners of Salt Cay Divers. They invested so much of themselves into my enjoyment, and would do anything to see that we had a great time. Stayed at Castaways the first four nights; Ken Christensen very nice. Private and isolated location, a mile from dive shop (an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your needs). Debbie picked me up on mornings when my wife slept in. Otherwise, rode our rental golf cart to dive shop. Beach at Castaways private, clothing-optional. Had the place to ourselves three days. Ate at Bryan Sheedy's Mount Pleasant Guest House. Excellent food, served in a leisurely fashion. Bryan prides himself on top-flight ingredients, and his pride is justified. Kenyan AA coffee, roast goose for Christmas, and some guests had buffalo one night! Mount Pleasant is the social center of the island. After dives and in the evenings, most of us hung out at Mount Pleasant no matter where we were sleeping. Last two days, another party was taking the cottages at Castaways, so, we stayed at the home of Irene, a lovely and very-well-respected local woman. Very good cook and prompt - if you wanted breakfast at 8 A.M., it was ready. Basic accommodations, but inexpensive ($65/room in high season). Only negative was TV she keeps on every waking hour (a problem if you want to sleep late and skip diving). Irene is such a sweet and refined lady that it was easy to forgive. Dick Zebo (who books himself as "The" travel agent for the Turks and Caicos) took 3 months to complete arrangements! Book through Debbie; she's sharp. She knows everything about the island, is as honest as could be about things (very direct and trustworthy), and she and Ollie really made us feel like family. I agree with you completely on the specialness of the experience.

Salt Cay Divers/Mt. Pleasant Guest House, February 1999, John Stuart (jastuart@ponyexpress.net), St. Joseph, MO. Vis: 40-100 ft. Water: 72-78 degrees. Dive restrictions: None other than basics (i.e., return to boat with 500 psi and no deco diving). Highlight was the Endymionwreck, an unsalvaged 17th century British war ship and diving with "whale song." We spotted several whales on the surface. Island is isolated and primitive. The people were friendly. Advertising for the accommodations and dive operations were misleading. The small dive boats were rough riding and we experienced mechanical problems. No water or food on the boats.

Salt Cay Divers/Sunset Reef, February 1999, Mike and Marilyn James, Hannibal, MO. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 77 degrees. Seven minute flight from Grand Turk! Salt Cay Divers outstanding. Debbie and Ollie very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Most dives guided, but let you dive your own profile. Most dives less than 90 feet. No large fish. Heard whale songs on several dives, but never encountered them. Sites 10-15 minute ride in Carolina skiffs. One day, went to sites at Grand Turk. Shop has rinse tanks and gear storage. Sunset Reef: new small one-bedroom with all amenities, fridge, coffee pot, blender, stove, radio, TV, fans, outside tables, chairs. Highly recommend. Island is small, quiet, and friendly, Bar at Mt. Pleasant Guest House nice gathering place. Ate mostly at Miss Irene's good Caribbean "home cooking." Get around by golf carts rented from Nathan. Photogenic place, with old ruins, rocky beaches, free-ranging cows and donkeys.

Salt Cay Divers/Sunset Reef Villa, March and August 1999, Harold & Jan Bedoukian, Montrea, QC, Canada. Vis: 100 ft. Water: 83-84 degrees. We enjoyed this island and the dive operation so much in March that we went back in August. Salt Cay is quiet and picturesque, with none of the nightlife of Provo. In March we stayed at Mount Pleasant Guest House. The proprietor is Brian Sheedy, who has a wealth on information about the island. Food was excellent. Some rooms have to share a bathroom. In August we stayed at Sunset Reef Villas, excellent accommodations on the ocean, and ate at Mt. Pleasant Guest House. Salt Cay Divers is a small operation, which specializes in personalized service. Debbie and Ollie are knowledgeable, helpful and accommodate everyone. They have small groups and allow you to dive your own profile. In addition to Salt Cay, trips are made to "The Wall" off Grand Turk and to the 18th century wreck of the Endymion. March is whale season and we managed to get a quick glimpse of one whale. The seas were choppy and the water temperature 77 degrees. In August the seas were like glass and the water temperature 85 degrees.

South Caicos

Ocean Haven, August 1999, Dick Joseph & Sharon Greenspan, McDonough, GA. Vis: 40-60 ft. Water: 85 degrees. Restrictions: Don't go below 120' and make a stop. Bob and Diane are pros. After reading your report on the Canadians who bought Club Caribe on South Caicos (March 1999) and renamed it Ocean Haven, we went. Wow! One slide taken at 100' has a squadron of 22 eagle rays coming over the wall and this was half the group. Corpulent southern sting rays wider than a nose tackle's waist and sharks; nurse, reef, lemon and tiger. Even without the big staff, the walls were splendid. Nary a biting bug. Hotel is a bit raggedy and not for the Club Med crowd but it has hot water, if unspectacular food. We went to Little Cayman last year after a 20-year hiatus and yes, Gladys' food at Pirates' Point is scrumptious but if it's jaw-dropping diving you're looking for, head to South Caicos. (Phone: (905) 898-0982; Fax: (905) 898-0982; hotel phone: (649) 946-3444; Fax: (649) 946-3446; e-mail: dive@southcaicosoceanhaven.com; www.southcaicosoceanhaven.com)