| The Virgin Islands are east of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Some are part of Great Britain, others form part of the USA. | |
| British Virgin Islands |
BVI waters average 84F/29C in the summer, 75F in the winter with an average viz of 25m/70 foot. |
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If sailing is
another of your hobbies have you been to the British Virgin
Islands Spring Regatta held every year at the beginning of
April? See www.bvispringregatta.org
The Grenada Regatta is held every January at www.grenadasailingfestival.com The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is every March www.heinekenregatta.com The Antigua Race Week www.sailingweek.com is at the end of April St. Lucia holds their regatta in January The regatttas of Carriacou and Anguilla are both held in August |
Please mention you heard about the air station from Dogs Breath Divers when you buy your air or mixed gasses. |
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Other contacts:
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| RMS Rhone |
Last updated by Marcus Hoare, Sept 02 E-mail: Marcus@stmarketing.co.uk |
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RMS Rhone is the Caribbean’s most
famous wreck – plenty of history (130 yrs old) as well as the
location for the film The Deep. It is a genuinely good dive too.
The wreck is in two sections, with the bow section in about
70-75 feet, and the stern section from 15 to 40 feet. Initially
it’s best to dive each section separately. Knowing the wreck
well I find it a great dive to do both at a reasonable pace,
finishing at the one remaining funnel which runs up to about 10
feet from the surface – no boring safety stops required!
It’s safe to enter the hull of the bow section where plenty of
fish will greet you, and where there is still plenty of light
from where the ship broke in two. The crow’s nest and the main
mast are also easy to spot and a good starting point. Because the site is a National Park, the fish are used to being fed by divers and so are incredibly inquisitive! If you can get there early you may be lucky enough(?) to see the odd shark. I would highly recommend getting there early to avoid the busy times when you can have anything up to 15 boats sat over the wreck – takes away the romance somewhat! I always dive the site at 7.30am when we have the place to ourselves – worth the early wake up call!! Does of course mean you have to have the means to get there!! |
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The Chikuzen |
Last updated by Marcus Hoare, Sept 02 E-mail: Marcus@stmarketing.co.uk |
| The Chikuzen is 10 miles out from Virgin Gorda, but well worth the trip. Dive operators only go on certain days of the week, so check early for when they’re next planning to go. The wreck lies on its side at about 75 feet and is in reasonable shape – it’s also huge at 246 feet long. It was sunk deliberately on a sandy bottom, and hence is a massive collecting point for large pelagic fishes. Jewfish, rays cobia and sharks are all keeping the schools of barracuda company. The rigging is still intact on the ship, adding to the eerie atmosphere associated with most large wrecks – but don’t be tempted to enter any part of the wreck as it is starting to show its age and deemed unsafe. One tank is enough for either two circuits of the ship at a decent pace or one leisurely roundtrip. This site is bound to be a highlight of anyone’s trip. |
BVI Tourist Bureau:
