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Trip report - non-SD trip on EV CE II


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#1 John57

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Posted 15 September 2016 - 07:24 AM

Trip Report – Caribbean Explorer II – Dec 5 to 12, 2015

 

I thought you might like to know about my trip on the Explorer Venture Caribbean Explorer II in Dec 2015.  I highly recommend this trip as I had a great time and know that doing it as an SD trip would make it even better, given the wonderful attention of Kamala.  If you are on the fence about this trip, hopefully this will encourage you to go. 

 

I was on the EV CE II from St Kitts to St Maarten, via Saba – same itinerary as the New Year’s trip. The sign-up was easy, the EV office was quick to respond to questions and good information passed along.

 

After the usual hassles with airlines changing flights, delaying flights, worries about losing luggage, etc., etc., etc. I made it to St Kitts to join the trip. 9 or 10 of us were met at the airport by a taxi from the ship and whisked on our way. The crew was very helpful in getting us settled and oriented to the boat and safety procedures. We stayed overnight at the dock in St Kitts then were on our way bright and early Sunday morning. We were 16 divers plus 6 crew for the week. Divers ranged from someone finishing their Open Water check-out dives to someone with almost 1000 dives. Some of the divers were on the second week of a back-to-back.

 

As is often the case, the first dive was an easy check-out / tune-up dive to let us wet our gills. We had the chance to do 27 dives over the course of 5.5 days, including 5 night dives and a dawn dive. I did 21 dives but a couple of people did all 27. Dive briefings (called by a crew member blowing the conch) were conducted in the upstairs dining room. They provided a good sketch of the site, things to look for, and safety concerns. The main level dive deck is well organized and set up with safety in mind. You set up your gear once and then they refilled your tank after each dive. There are 2 fresh water showers on deck with nice hot water. Nitrox was available and most fills were in the 3200psi range. We were free to follow the in-water Dive Master or do our own thing. We were asked to limit our dives to 1 hour but they didn’t scream too loudly if we went a few minutes over.

 

Most dive were reef dives with the occasional wall or wreck thrown in for variety. The reefs are healthy with lots of life. I did see a lot of Lion Fish over the course of the trip – one dive I counted 43 LF, including one spot where 6 were having a convention around a sponge. I would have liked to have been allowed to hunt a few but we could not for “liability” reasons. They were worried about fresh kills and the sharks in the area. But we only saw a very few sharks and lots of LF! Maybe Kamala can persuade them to allow the crack SD Lion Hunter team to take a few.  There were lots of lobsters, turtles, crabs, shrimp, morays, octopus, nudibranchs, a few nurse sharks, a couple of seahorses, and lots of colorful fish. There was no lack of things to see and photograph. Dives ranged from 110 feet to 30 feet. Visibility was generally good but not the gin-clear I have seen at other diving venues. A couple of times the current would increase during the dive so we had to work a bit to get back to the boat. The dingy was always available for pick-up if you got blown away, but no one needed a lift.

 

Meals were excellent. Cathy, the cook, provided fresh baked cookies during the surface interval. She had no problems accommodating the varied tastes of the divers, including a couple of vegetarians. Food was hot, flavorful and plentiful - we did not go hungry. They also had beer, wine, and spirits included in the price, but as per usual, the first sip ended your diving for the day.

 

Divers were accommodated in 9 cabins. Each cabin has its own washroom with shower. Pack lightly since storage is limited but you don’t need much beyond a couple of T-shirts and shorts. The cabins were clean, the blankets warm (very much needed since the air conditioning settings are “off” and “meat locker”) and the showers hot. Don’t expect the Marriott but it all works.

 

We had the option of skipping dives for tours of St Kitts and Saba. Both were interesting and well done. Lots of things to see and learn about the history of the island including Brimstone Hill Fortress. Saba is highlighted by the “Road That Couldn’t Be Built”: the island is so mountainous that European engineers said they could never build a road on the island. The stubborn islanders proved them wrong through lots of pick-and-shovel work directed by a local engineer. There are very few spots where drivers can get beyond second gear, drivers replace their brake pads a lot, but it is a 7.5 mile long road connecting the communities. I enjoyed both tours.

 

After a dawn and early morning dive on Friday we made the crossing to St Maarten. It was a bit rough but ginger cookies helped. We had most of the afternoon free for drying and packing gear, touring Philipsburg, and shopping. We had a nice closing out dinner in a nearby restaurant on Friday night, then one last overnight onboard. Taxis were arranged for getting us to the airport and another wonderful trip was finished.

 

I salute Captain Ian, Purser Rob, Cook Cathy, Dive Masters JT and Tuna, and Engineer Terrance for providing a wonderful experience. I enjoyed the diving, the people I met, the crew, and the boat. I would not hesitate in recommending this trip.

 

Pictures at https://photos.googl...GpaYXNyRmxkbWZn

Information about each picture is available by clicking on the picture then the “i” next to it.  The dates on the first few are wrong because I forgot to reset the time on the camera. Name format includes the day and dive number (ie D1D3 is Day 1, Dive 3).

 

Dive Sites:

Day 1 – St Kitts South

  • River Taw – wreck
  • River Taw
  • Monkey Shoals
  • Monkey Shoals
  • River Taw - night

 

 

Day 2 – St Kitts Central

  • Corinthian - wreck
  • Ye Old Anchor
  • Camps Reef
  • Old Road Bay
  • Old Road Bay – night

 

 

Day 3 – St Kitts North

  • Paradise Reef
  • Paradise Reef
  • Anchors Away
  • Anchors Away
  • Paradise Reef - night

 

 

Day 4 – Saba

  • Tent Wall
  • Ladder Labyrinth
  • Diamond Rock
  • Man O’War Shoal
  • Ladder Labyrinth - night

 

 

Day 5 – Saba

  • Third Encounter
  • Tedrans Wall
  • Tent Reef
  • Tent Reef
  • Torrens Point - night

 

 

Day 6 – Saba

  • Ladder Labyrinth – dawn
  • Tent Reef

 


And on the eighth day, God said "OK, Murphy, you take over."

#2 WreckWench

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Posted 15 September 2016 - 07:53 AM

Thank you John! Great report and if you can't travel on one of our group trips... we can ALSO SAVE OUR MEMBERS MONEY ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL BOOKINGS!!! Just send me an email! kamala



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