Well my 14 year old son and I just returned from PR last night and in spite of some rain early in our stay, we had a wonderful time indeed! Ironically it has been raining hard back in Rhode Island since our return last night only the difference is that the RI rain is in the upper 30s while the PR rain was in the upper 70s!
The rain did not cancel any of our trips though as it occured in the afternoons. All 3 of our charters were on the Culebra Diver out of Palmas Del Mar with
Sea Ventures and Captain Bill and DM Pedro were wonderful indeed.
On Wednesday, 28 March, we went to sites called "Islands in the Sand" and "Rooms". Islands in the Sands included a maximum depth of 60' and total time of 40 minutes. We also saw an 8' nurse shark. Rooms was probably our favorite dive as it included a number of coral pass throughs and Pedro is a talented guide as he is well versed in the sites. The maximum depth was 54' and time was 42 minutes.
Thursday, 29 March we visited the sites called "The Reserve" and "The Retreat." The Reserve was a depth of 84' for 35 minutes while the Retreat was 53' for 46 minutes.
On Sunday, 01 April, I was part of a group that privately chartered the whole boat for an all day trip to Vieques. It was a long trip across and we also had snorkelers along that we dropped off at Green Beach while we went out to do our first dive. The dives in Vieques included reef sites where we dove 58' for 46 minutes and a second dive of 51' for 44 minutes. Pedro and the gang really went all out to make our experience special as our charter included a wonderful lunch and plenty of drinks and fruit. It was a beautiful day with plenty of sun as my face is now peeling from my sunburn!
Vieques holds some special memories for everyone in our group which is why we wanted to go. However I was rather surprised in that I actually found our dives out and around Humaco to be nicer with more life than we found around Vieques. I too heard that Culebra is now particularly nice since it has been protected over the past decade. From my discussions during this trip, I would plan on going over for a few days in any future visits.
I can not say enough kind remarks about how wonderful Sea Ventures was. Although I typically prefer to go off on my own with my dive buddy than being guided on a tour with a DM, my experience with Pedro was much different. He knew the particulars of each of the sites so well and provided the space that each diver needed while gently and professionally helping those less experienced without being pushy or arrogant. It is always a fine line and he is able to walk it as well as I've seen.
The sea is everything........Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the 'Living Infinite,' ..........
Capt. Nemo...........20,000 Leagues under the Sea
