St.Lucia Scuba Diving & Watersports
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Scuba Diving
In Soufrière, Scuba St. Lucia, in the Anse Chastanet Hotel (tel. 758/459-7000), offers one of the world's top dive locations at a five-star PADI dive center. At the southern end of Anse Chastanet's .4km-long (1/4-mile) secluded beach, it features premier diving and comprehensive facilities for divers of all levels. Some of the most spectacular coral reefs of St. Lucia, many only 3 to 6m (10-20 ft.) below the surface, lie a short distance from the beach.
Many PADI instructors offer five dive programs a day. Photographic equipment is available for rent (film can be processed on the premises), and instruction is offered in picture taking. Experienced divers can rent any equipment they need. PADI certification courses are available for US$480 (£250). A 2- to 3-hour introductory lesson costs US$85 (£44) and includes a short theory session, equipment familiarization, development of skills in shallow water, a tour of the reef, and all equipment. Single dives cost US$40 (£21). Hours are from 8am to 6pm daily.
Another full-service scuba center is available on St. Lucia's southwest coast at the Jalousie Plantation, at Soufrière (tel. 758/456-8000). The PADI center offers dives in St. Lucia's National Marine Park; there are numerous shallow reefs near the shore. The diver certification program is available to hotel guests and other visitors ages 12 and up. Prices range from a single dive for US$60 (£31) to a certification course for US$535 (£278). There's a daily resort course for noncertified divers that includes a supervised dive from the beach; it costs US$85 (£44). A 10-dive package is US$347 (£180); a six-dive package is US$237 (£123). All prices include equipment, tax, and service charges.
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Sandals St.Lucia Resorts Scuba Diving
Sandals includes the most comprehensive resort scuba diving program. And even if you've never dived before, our resort course will have you experiencing a whole new underwater world by the very next day. If you're already a certified scuba enthusiast, you can enjoy up to two dives daily.
Sandals offers some of the most exciting dive sites in the Caribbean. Each possesses a unique character with colorful marine life and pristine coral reefs. So take the plunge and explore the calmest, clearest waters anywhere on earth.
At Sandals, guests who are not certified or have never experienced scuba diving before can attend a resort course (extra cost) and become "Resort Certified."
Sandals includes an entire ocean of adventure. Sail away to a romantic rendezvous for two or windsurf atop the waves like dolphin at play.
For Sandals guests who are not certified or would like to scuba for the first time, we offer a resort course (a fee of US$70.00 applies to guests who require the resort course). To qualify you must pass a water skill check, meet medical requirements and fill out a liability release. After completing the course, guests will be allowed one tank dive (of approx. 30ft) per day. The resort course is valid for one year at any Sandals or Beaches Resorts.
The Sandals resorts offer a resort course for those who want to try scuba diving without getting too serious. For the already certified divers, they require a quick check-out session in the swimming pool. This was necessary even for those with advanced open water certifications. They didn't check log books, just your C-card.
There are three one-tank dives scheduled each day. The first one is a 9 AM deep dive for certified divers only; the second is an 11 AM shallow dive for resort divers only; the third is at 2 PM, and both types of divers can come along. There are a few exceptions to this schedule. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the certified divers get to go on a two-tank 8 AM dive, and I have no idea how that affects the later dives. Also, on Sundays, there's no diving at La Toc, but you can always shuttle over to Halcyon. |
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Other Watersports The best all-around watersports center is St. Lucian Watersports, at the Rex St. Lucian Hotel (tel. 758/452-8351). Water-skiing costs US$17 (£8.85) for a 10- to 15-minute ride (three rounds). Windsurfers can be rented for US$45 (£23) per half-hour. Snorkeling is free for guests of the hotel; nonguests pay US$10 (£5.20) per hour for equipment. Reviews: “Best Dive all Week!” Scuba Steve's Diving Ltd.What a wonderful experience June 4, 2008 at Scuba Steve's Diving in St' Lucia! We were promptly met exiting the cruise ship to our destination under the Piton's. The crew was very accommodating! I dove while my wife snorkeled. Both enjoyable events in this gorgeous setting. We then left the water for lunch. Again... an AWESOME event! Finally Steve and Shirley drove us to the volcano. Nothing we could have purchased from the ship could compare with regard to comfort, convenience and price. Thanks so much Scuba Steve's! I've just returned from two weeks in St Lucia, and completed 18 dives with Steve, including the Deep, Wreck and PPB specialities, plus a night dive and the "Dive and Drive" day trip. I was staying at Rendezvous, where diving is included in the price, but preferred to pay the extra to dive with Steve, and I'm very glad I did. Steve and his wife Shirley, instructors Tim and and Al, Captain Theo and Gavin are a fantastic team who really get on with each other and their guests, and literally go out of their way to make sure you have the best possible diving holiday in St Lucia. I can whole-heartedly recommend Steve and his team for their professionalism, hospitality, service and value. Best dives: Daini Koyomaru wreck, South Beach Anse Cochon and Anse Chastanet Wall. |
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Deep-Sea Fishing
With the sparkling Caribbean Sea on one side and the mysterious depths of the Atlantic Ocean on the other, sailors and fishermen will fall in love with St Lucia. Not only is it possible to charter any form of sea-going vessel anywhere on the island, but St. Lucia also offers opportunities for some of the best deep sea fishing in the world. Described as "an angler's dream come true", it is home to several species of big game fish, and you may even catch a trophy white marlin as your prize!
The waters around St. Lucia are known for their game fish, including blue marlin, sailfish, mako sharks, and barracuda, with tuna and kingfish among the edible catches. Most hotels can arrange fishing expeditions. Call Mako Watersports (tel. 758/452-0412), which offers half-day fishing trips from US$450 (£234) or full-day trips from US$750 (£390). Captain Mike's (tel. 758/452-7044) also conducts fishing trips, renting boats by the half-day for US$450 to US$550 (£234-£286), or a whole day in the US$750 to US$900 (£390-£468) price range.
Boating
The most dramatic trip offered is aboard the 42m (138-ft.) brig Unicorn (tel. 758/452-8644), used in the filming of the TV miniseries, Roots. Passengers sail from Rodney Bay in Castries to Soufrière and the twin peaks of the Pitons, among other natural attractions of the island. A full-day sail costs US$90 (£47) for adults, US$45 (£23) for children.
Yachting in St Lucia is an unforgettable experience. Imagine the crystal clear, warm waters. Picture the fine white sand beaches, lined with gently swaying palms. Where better to go sailing than St Lucia? With the sparkling Caribbean Sea on one side and the mysterious depths of the Atlantic Ocean on the other, sailors have been falling in love with St Lucia for centuries. Not only is it possible to charter any form of sea-going vessel anywhere on the island, but St Lucia also serves as a hub for some of the best yachting adventures in the world.
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