BVI Diving Charters
Whether you’re a Scuba diver or want to learn to dive there are many options: most fully crewed charter yachts offer Scuba diving or rendezvous diving. There are many yachts that offer diving packages with all-inclusive rates including PFDs, regulator and tanks & refills. If you wish to do an occasional dive while visiting, there are several diving operators in the British Virgin Islands that offer rendezvous dives and resort courses.
BVI is a world class scuba diving destination. The diversity of dive sites and its location is what makes the area special. Besides having one of the world’s most spectacular wrecks, the RMS Rhone, (rated in the top five in the world by Skin Diver magazine) the BVI has pinnacles, coral gardens, walls, caves and grottoes. And the locations are such that often you can drift dive. Using the wind driven current you can glide slowly over beautiful reefs and underwater scenes without expending any energy and thus getting great value out of your tank of air.
The site called ‘Alice in Wonderland’ on the south side of Ginger Island allows for an east to west drift over a well populated and beautiful coral garden with unusual giant mushroom corals (hence the name). There is nearly always a good dive site. When the north shore is untenable because of winter swells, sites south of Tortola, Ginger, Norman and Peter are usually fine. Randy Keil ( Peter Island Divers) , long time BVI scuba instructor, attributes the BVI’s success as a sport diving location to exactly these two blessings - location and diversity of sites.
The Rhone for example is a superlative dive because of the situation of the wreck. The aft end including the giant propeller are in about 30 feet. The bow section and forward mast are in 80 feet. The remainder of the ship and associated bits and pieces are all between these two depths. And the wreck lies adjacent to a relatively quiet anchorage on the western end of Salt Island. Having been blown ashore during the last half of a terrible hurricane in 1867 when fierce south westerly winds caught the ship unaware, she lies in mostly calm waters in the lee of the easterly trades. In short, if the Almighty had wanted to bestow on the BVI a perfect dive location, he could hardly have picked a better spot.
Just to mention, the wreck of the Rhone has been lying in its final resting place for 140 years. A myriad of fish call it home - from schools of snapper, grunts and porgies to a giant green moray eel that seems happy living in the condenser. From giant sponges and waving sea fans and gorgonians to bright gold elkhorn coral, this underwater spectacle is a diver’s dream.
Catamaran Breanker
BREANKER can accommodate 8 guests in 4 cabins. Breanker is a well establish dive catamaran around British and US Virgin Islands. They offer diving charters all years around divided by two set of crew (summer/ winter).
Winter Rate: 08/09 - $15,500 x 6 - $17,500 for 8 guests
Diving:$150/Diver/Week - Guest rent BC's
Catamaran Fantasy Island
This exciting catamaran is one of the most successful charter yachts in the Caribbean, offering a high degree of luxury at a very affordable price, and she uses her space so efficiently that she seems larger inside than other catamarans of her size. No other catamaran has more activities, more amenities, or offers better value for the money.
Winter Rates: $2,1000 for 6 $2,2000 for 8 and $23,500 for 10 guests
Christmas week: +10%, 8 guests min. New Years week: +15%, 8 guests min
Diving: $30/diver/dive for certified divers, includes gear. Resort Course: $150
Sailing Yacht Lady Yoseph
Captain Rick has a charming personality and is certain to make sure his guests have a good time.
Capt. Richard is a dive instructor. Open Water certification $500 (incll. gear), Advance Diver Certification $350 (not incl. gear).
Capt. Richard is an ASA Sailing Instructor: Courses available: 101, 103 & 104
1 course/person/week: $100 - 2 courses: $200, & 3 courses: $300/person (+ books)
Resort courses: $140, two dives only.
Dives for up to 2 certified divers included in charter fee, guests rent gear. Rendezvous for more than 2 divers,
Winter 2008/09: Weekly Rate: $4,300 for 2 and $6,300 for 6 guests - Captained-Only -- Plus all running exp
Christmas and New Years: plus 10%enses
Catamaran Quest
June and Vince are an adventurous and outgoing couple who look forward to welcoming you aboard Quest. They are world travelers who first met in Thailand and they have visited many remote parts of South East Asia, where they have been diving on some of the most untouched coral reef left in the world.
In the past few years they have worked on a variety of vessels in the South Pacific, New Zealand and the Mediterranean. Their passion for sailing and diving brought them to the Caribbean, where they enjoy sharing the beauty of this tropical paradise.
Vince finished his captain’s education and obtained his Yacht Master Offshore certificate in New Zealand, where he worked on some of the fastest yachts in the world. In 2006 he served as a watch captain on a New Zealand team in the Auckland - Fiji Ocean Race and proudly won first place onboard an ex-Whitbread racing boat named Lion New Zealand.
June’s father was a commercial diver, and she often accompanied him on the working ships. When she left Denmark she wanted to explore the deep blue underwater world of the tropics.
One dive per day for certified divers is included. Guests rent gear $150/diver/week
Rate $15,500 for 6 - $17,500 for 8 guests