Valerie512

Leaving for Provo in a few weeks and I'm looking into some snorkeling/sightseeing trips. My boyfriend and I have never scuba dived, but is it worth it to try or should we just stick to snorkeling on this vacation? (I'm assuming that we could get scuba certification there if we wanted--correct me if I'm wrong)

Can anyone recommend a good company to use for a snorkeling/day trip? We'd love to sightsee on one of the other islands, but I'm clueless as to which sailing companies are good and which islands you can visit.
I know Dive Provo is one of the more popular ones, but I've also come across Sail Provo, Caicos Dream Tours, Turkoise Excursions, Silver Deep and Caicos Adventures...

I'd appreciate any comments or advice...thanks!!

virginia

hi val, you won't be able to dive from provo unless you take a course at home really quickly. (i think you can do 30' dives in mexico and on some island? with just a short pool course) call a local dive shop and see if you have time for the class at home...
the snorkeling is excellent. from grace bay beach you can go in front of coral gardens hotel, or smith bay reef which is by turtle cove marina. all the companies you mentioned are reputable. also consider provo turtle divers. i don't know if any offer sailing? they take tour boats out to the reef that rims the island for good snorkeling also.
or you might rent a small motor boat from the leeward marina and go to one of the cays by yourself for a picnic/snorkel day. they even come with a built in cooler. you are not like out to sea here. you can pretty much see your destinations from shore.
have never done the other islands but i think on grand turk there are some cool caves there is a tour to.
hope this helps some..

truppidavies

I also know they offer 'snuba' which allows you to get a little deeper then snorkeling. You do not need to be certified or experienced.

Re: Scuba; for some reason I think that if you are staying at Beaches (or maybe they offer for non-guests too) - but you can get certified there to dive (limited depth). Not 100% sure, but think so..

HowardC

Snuba is located right by the reef at Coral Gardens. The concept is you have the breathing apparatus in your mouth but the tanks are above you in a rubber raft. Lots of people seem to be doing it. The phone # to book is 241-7010. Matt Williams of Cacuts Voyager at Coral gardens does resort scuba certifications and orientation dives.

Valerie512

I've heard about snuba and forgot to mention it in my original post. It does sound like something I'd like to do, since I don't know how comfortable I'd be getting scuba certification and and then being in the open water shortly after.

Also, I saw that Sail Provo has a sunset wine and cheese cruise. That sounds perfect to me, has anyone been on that one before?

cdt

We did two Sail Provo trips and enjoyed them both: a half-day sail with a stop at "Iguana Island" and snorkeling at the barrier reef; and the "glow worm" trip, which includes a sunset sail and only happens a few days after the full moon.

The various websites are confusing because outfits with different names are really booking the same trips. We had trouble finding sail-powered trips that weren't Sail Provo.

Valerie512

cdt, do you know off hand which companies are the same? I have been noticing that some of the packages at one website sound very similar to those at another website...

cdt

I think Turkoise Excursions basically just books trips for other operators. I know they sell Sail Provo and J&B. We took a powerboat trip with J&B.

I can also recall seeing boats labeled Silver Deep, and I think Dive Provo is a separate operation.

It's really confusing, but you can probably just wait until you get there to sort it all out. We were there in the off-season (early Dec.) and the majority of the trips we had researched weren't even running due to lack of demand.

You might want to try to book one trip ahead of time and figure out the rest after arriving on the island.

SFRIEDMAN

Just to add my 2 cents.....snorkeling in Provo made me want to learn how to scuba!! I have never had a snorkeling experience like I did in Provo, so many beautiful fish, I even saw a nurse shark within pretty close range (I now know they don't hurt you but at the time I didn't know that) I was so mesmerized by what I was seeing that by the time I realized what it was the SHARK factor didn't even matter, it wanted nothing to with me and I am so glad I didn't freak, it was just awesome....I want to learn how to scuba because when I have been other places I have never seen fish like it and IMO I have been to a few great places. My friend did a resort course while we were there and she was able to go on a dive without prior certification and she really enjoyed it but she was just as happy snorkeling. We went on a private charter with just 6 of us and the captain crumbled cookies into the water and we jumped in surrounded by fish in our faces. Watch out though, I got a little to cookie happy and was promptly reminded that big fish like cookies too!! I think SNUBA sounds like the best alternative and I am definatley doing that on my next vacation......sounds like the best of both worlds!! Whatever you choose you will be more than happy, have a blast!! Also if the Stardust nightclub is still there you have to go,there is not a lot of nightlife except for Club Med but Stardust was a great outdoor place, don't miss it!Do yourself a favor, rent a car and go to Sapadillo Bay, if you think Grace Bay is gorgeous wait until you go Sapadillo! The sand is like powder!!!
Good Luck!

HowardC

Stardusr and Ashes is no longer there, Hasn't been for a couple of years. It is now called Sound Stage which is run by BET, Don't know what they do but understand they have slot machines