Scuba Diving in the Virgin Islands
Embarking on a yacht charter vacation in the Virgin Islands isn’t just about luxurious cruising; it’s an invitation to plunge into a world of scuba diving wonders. For diving enthusiasts, the Virgin Islands offer a plethora of options to seamlessly integrate diving into your charter experience. Picture yourself on a pristine yacht, exploring the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, and diving into the vibrant marine life below, all without the hassle of hauling your dive gear. Let’s explore the thrilling world of scuba diving in the Virgin Islands aboard a crewed yacht charter, where every dive is a new adventure waiting to be discovered.
Dive In With Ease: Onboard Scuba
Dive aficionados will be delighted to know that there are yachts in the Virgin Islands that come equipped with onboard diving abilities. Even better, you don’t have to worry about carrying your dive gear around; these yachts provide the necessary means. Additionally, professional divemasters and instructors are often part of the crew, ensuring you have expert guidance throughout your diving escapades. Whether you’re a beginner looking for resort diving or aiming to get PADI certified, these experienced SCUBA professionals have got you covered.
Warm Waters, No Wetsuits Required
Unlike colder dive destinations, the Virgin Islands boast inviting waters with temperatures around 85 degrees during the summer and pleasant 70s in the winter months. You can leave your wetsuit behind; a rash guard is all you need to comfortably explore the underwater wonders of the region.
Dive Certification Onboard: Your Gateway to Underwater Adventures
The Virgin Islands offer the unique opportunity to obtain your scuba certification during your yacht charter vacation. To make the most of your time, consider completing the pool and online classroom portions of the certification process before your trip. This preparation allows your instructor to focus on the exhilarating “open water” dives, enabling you to fully immerse yourself in the certification experience. Opt for a yacht equipped with an onboard instructor for a seamless and enriching certification journey. These SCUBA professionals can take you “resort diving” or even get you PADI certified.
Yachts Without Diving Certification: Rendezvous
For certified divers or those seeking a guided experience, rendezvous diving is the perfect solution. Yachts without certified professionals onboard can arrange rendezvous diving sessions, where experienced instructors meet your yacht. While you explore the depths, your companions can enjoy snorkeling or beach activities, ensuring everyone has an enjoyable time.
Gearing Up for Scuba Adventures
Preparing for your scuba adventures on the yacht is effortless. Gather with fellow divers on the back deck, near the sugar scoops, and take a confident stride into the inviting Caribbean waters. If you have specific diving equipment preferences, such as a prescription mask or well-fitting fins, feel free to bring your own gear for added comfort and familiarity.
Exploring Dive Sites: A Bounty of Underwater Treasures
The British Virgin Islands boast an extensive array of dive sites, ranging from serene seagrass beds, ideal for perfecting open water skills, to captivating wreck dives featuring remnants of historical maritime moments. Hundreds of wrecks, colorful reef fish, eagle rays, moray eels, and sea turtles adorn the underwater landscape, offering a visual feast for divers. Don’t forget your camera; you might uncover buried treasures, old glass bottles, cannons, and even spot lionfish amidst the vibrant marine life.
BVI Reef Art: Where Creativity Meets Conservation
In addition to natural wonders, the British Virgin Islands are home to breathtaking artificial reefs created by Beyond the Reef. These artistic marvels, such as The Kodiak Queen, Willy T’s Wreck, and SharkPlaneo’s, are made from repurposed planes, ships, and vehicles, transformed into captivating underwater sculptures. Beyond providing shelter for marine life, these creative structures contribute to environmental conservation efforts, attracting divers and fishermen alike. Experience the fusion of art and marine ecology, enhancing your underwater journey with these unique attractions.
Dive Limitations and Additional Options
Most luxury yacht charters include three dives per week as part of the charter fee. For avid divers seeking more underwater adventures, additional dives can usually be arranged for a nominal fee. Whether you prefer guided dives, resort diving, or rendezvous diving, the options are diverse, ensuring you can customize your diving experience to match your preferences and skill level.
A crewed yacht charter in the Virgin Islands opens the door to unparalleled scuba diving adventures. It’s not just a vacation; it’s an exploration of the mesmerizing underwater world, where every dive unveils new wonders. So, prepare to dive into the azure depths, capture breathtaking moments, and let the Virgin Islands enchant you with their underwater marvels on your next crewed yacht charter vacation.
Book your scuba diving Charter today! Look at these yachts that offer scuba diving.
Check out our featured yachts COLIBRI and Odyssea
⛵️ COLIBRI ⛵️
Specifications:
⚓️ Length: 67FT
👥 Guests: 8
🛌 Cabins: 1 King 3 Queens
🧑✈️ Crew: 3
🤿 Diving onboard- Three dives per week are included for certified divers. Non-certified guests can experience a complimentary Discover Scuba Dive.
💵 All- Inclusive $48,900 – 57,900 for 7 nights. 2023 Holiday pricing, Up to 8 guests $66,585. Minimum 7 nights. Available for New Years starting December 30th.
⛵️ Odyssea ⛵️
Specifications:
⚓️ Length: 59FT
👥 Guests: 8
🛌 Cabins: 4 Queens
🧑✈️ Crew: 2
🤿 Diving onboard- Odyssea now offers diving onboard.
💵 All- Inclusive $29,000 – 34,000 for 7 nights. 2023 Holiday pricing, 1 to 8 guests $36,500 Minimum 7 nights. Available for Christmas.
🌍 Available to charter in the @britishvirginis #bvi
✈️ When to go? November – June.
Come Sail Away!
eagle ray
What About RendezVous Diving on my yacht charter vacation?
Rendezvous diving is a great alternative when your charter yacht doesn’t have a certified professional onboard, or your other members want to hang at the beach or do other activities, then anchor at each dive spot. However, they can usually snorkel each location while you are diving. Local dive shops such as Red Hook Dive Center or Blue Water Divers can arrange to meet your yacht. Options to meet around Norman Island, Peter Island, or Cooper Island, and they will take you off to the dive site in the BVI. The rest of the family or group of friends can be happily drinking cocktails or snorkeling in calm anchorages while you are getting a rush of adrenaline underwater! The Captain can assist with arranging these options for your yacht charter vacation when they know the weather for the week as well as where you will be each night.
Gearing Up for your SCUBA experience.
Getting all your gear together for diving on your yacht is easy. Everyone will line up on the back deck near the sugar scoops and take a large stride step into the Caribbean waters.
Gearing up to dive.
Can I bring my own DIVING equipment?
Of course! If you want it and are more comfortable with it, bring it!
This is more important if you have a mask with a prescription and well-fitting fins. One year I tried the yachts facemask, and when I jumped in thought, I would choke. I have a rounder face, and the mask didn’t agree with me. This will not be the case for everyone, of course.
How many dive sites are there?
Literally hundreds in the British Virgin Islands. Jim Scheiner is practically the Bible of the dive sites here. This is an older book, but you can still find it on Amazon.
SCUBA Attractions in the BVI
There is shallow calm sea grass, like at Norman Island, that is great for doing your open water skills to wreck dives. Hundreds of wrecks have been lost over the centuries. There are artificial reefs, colorful reef fish, eagle rays, moray eels, sea turtles amongst the sea grass, and so much more. Do not jump in the water without your camera! With a good eye, you can hunt buried treasures, old glass bottles, canons, reef fish, and hunt lionfish.
Reef Art
What about BVI reef art? These are beautiful art pieces that are created by Beyond the Reef.
Willy-T’s-Wreck-Beyond- the- Reef
What about BVI reef art? These are beautiful art pieces that are created by Beyond the Reef.
They have several dive spots now, The Kodiak Queen, Willy T’s Wreck, and SharkPlaneo’s. These reef art pieces have multiple reasons for being created. They take old planes, ships, and vehicles, welding creatures in addition to the structures or out of vessels, then sink the creation at specified locations.
This aids in ridding areas of old trash and repurposing old items into new ones. These creations become fish homes, helping life grow and flourish. Whether they are placed in a spot for divers or for fishermen when they are placed in a barren area, they grow coral and attract fish to hide in their superstructure.
These creative structures increase tourism and give us more places to dive and experience the underwater world of colorful reef fish, eagle rays, moray eels, parrotfish, and reef sharks. The British Virgin Islands offers the Kraken, also known as the Kodiak Queen. A joint effort between Commercial Dive Services and Sir Richard Branson, owner of Necker Island. Though it received some damage from the hurricane in 2018, it was sunk off Virgin Gorda and is still a fantastic dive.
Is there a limit to how many DIVES I can do on my luxury yacht charter?
Yachts usually offer 3 dives per week that are included in your charter fee. You can usually pay per dive, per person, for additional dives.
Check out Cuan Law for large groups of divers in the BVI.
CUAN LAW 105 Ft. (Cat)
Sleeps 20 Guests in 10 Queen/ 10 Twin
There are ten double staterooms. These cabins can be set up to accommodate the group. Cuan Law is spacious and comfortable.
3 dives per day if already qualified
Diving Costs
Included with your package:
tanks (aluminum 63s, the 80s, and 100s),
weights,
belts, masks,
fins,
snorkels
air
High-quality rental dive equipment onboard, including regulators and BCs.
$50/week – Regulator with octopus, pressure and depth gauge
$40 per week- Jacket BC with power inflator
$15 per week – “Daily” rate for rental of both
$120 per week or $10 per tank – Nitrox
$145 – Resort Course (“Discover Scuba Diving”) up to 4 dives- gear rental, instruction, and PADI book.
The program with PADI Discover Scuba Diving allows you to try diving safely. You will experience the same excitement and sense of wonder while under the careful supervision of a PADI Instructor; participants actually go on up to four scuba dives in shallow, calm water.
