Had a great time with Paul on our Frederiksted Pier dive Tuesday (8/26). We had originally planned…read moreon diving with Neptune for all of our dives but they had to cancel our boat dives due to inclement weather, they were kind enough to recommend Bluewater Adventures who has boat that is better suited for choppy water. Paul was knowledgeable and attentive and had us off the pier in no time. He kept a keen eye out for interesting sea life during our dive, which included a turtles, eels, stingrays, puffers, and many other sea creatures. Overall, Paul made my wife and I feel safe and welcome. I appreciate and respect the Neptune crew for cancelling our boat dives, recognizing that they wouldn't be able to provide a safe dive experience and recommending a dive crew that could.

We had a 1 tank pier dive and a 2 tank boat dive and both were amazing! The guides were very…read morehelpful and informative. Paula's great with us being newer divers and we saw some amazing sea life. I can't recommend them enough! We will be back this December with our kids for more dives!

BEST INSTRUCTORS!!!! Nen and Jared, our dive masters, could not have been more helpful!!! They…read morehelped teach, encourage, and cheer on our family on our first scuba adventure. This could have been a harrowing experience in lesser hands, instead, one of the kids wants to now be a dive master. Not only were they patient, they were so attentive, not only to our care, but to pointing out turtles, barracuda, plant life, and coral. Their mutual love of the ocean was apparent and allowed our family to have a truly fantastic time that we will never forget. Thank you!!!

Great shop to dive with. Boat and crew were outstanding. Shop staff was friendly and very…read morehelpful. Thoroughly enjoyed every experience!

Had a great time with Mackenzie and John on our two tank dive Sunday (8/24). Bluewater was…read morerecommended to us by the Neptune dive shop after Neptune cancelled our dives due to inclement weather, Bluewater's boat is better suited for choppy water. Cpt. John put us on two great reefs and we were in the water in no time. Mackenzie was knowledgeable and attentive and kept a keen eye out for interesting sea life during our dives. This included a dolphin, sharks, eels, and many other sea creatures. Overall, John and Mackenzie made my wife and I, as well as 4 other divers of varying experience feel safe and welcome. I would gladly dive with this crew any day.

Wonderful dive guides, great boat, professional, very close to the cruise ship pier, super relaxed…read moreand knowledgeable about the multiple dive sites. We highly recommend them!!

Sweet Bottom Dive Center is located on St. Croix's north shore, at Marriott's Carambola Beach…read moreResort. This is a well run operation, and a PADI 5 Star dive center. Their website says they specialize in small groups and personalized dive experiences from shore or by boat. And that their dive groups are kept small to keep the focus on diver safety and enjoyment. My two tank dive group could not have been smaller, as it was just me and the dive master. I've been here three times, and every time my group was four or less. All of my dives have been shore dives, which I often prefer unless doing a wreck dive. One of the great things about Sweet Bottom, is that their is a very nice reef, just off shore, perhaps 150 yards from the beach. So you can suit up, walk in and get diving fast! Since I'm an advanced diver, I can do deep dives (up to 130 feet), which many of the diver masters like, because they can look for larger fish like barracuda, sharks, etc. And on my first dive, at around 85 feet, we spotted three large reef sharks, which came pretty close, always an awesome site. On a prior visit, I did a dive with Sweet Bottom at the Frederiksted Pier, which is located at the end of the island in Frederiksted. It is considered one of the best micro-dive locations in the world. The pilings are covered in coral, and there is an abundance colorful fish, octopus, seahorses, squid, pufferfish and more. Divers can do a giant-stride off the pier, so it's very easy to dive. The tip of the pier is reportedly 90 feet deep. Sweet Bottom provided all my equipment, except for my mask. Their equipment was newer and in excellent shape. These days, divers would expect integrated BCD's (as opposed to a separate weight belt), and Sweet Bottom did not disappoint, their equipment was newer and in excellent shape. I look forward to future dives here!

It was possible to recertify for PADI scuba. Sweet Bottom had everything I needed. Experienced…read moreDiveMaster Bear put me through the exercises in open water as well as exam and equipment education. This Cane Bay shop is directly across from easy shore entry to a great coral reef where The Wall is located. After proving my techniques we had a pleasure snorkel full of fish, coral and one shark. Folks nice in the shop, helpful w paperwork etc. Full dive shop for rental equipment, purchases cold beverages and t shirts etc.

Culebra divers was amazing. On time and extremely well run. The knowledge that both Heather and…read moreTrevor possesses is truly a gift. I did my advanced open water training and i must say-I learned more in my two days with them then all the diver instructors i have dove with combined! Visit Culebra and if diving is your thing, go with them!

In the dive industry, you tend to come across two types of Dive Shop / Boat operators: those who…read moremake you feel like they're doing you a favor taking you on a dive, and those who truly make you feel welcome and provide a world-class experience. Trevor and Heather at Culebra Divers are very much the latter. I came to Culebra for a long-overdue dive trip. I've spent a week here diving with Culebra Divers as well as doing several continuing education classes (Rescue Diver, DAN's DEMP courses). From my first interaction with Heather when booking the trip several months ago, to the endless string of emails I sent them preparing for the trip, to every dive and every class while here... Trevor and Heather have been consummate professionals and have truly made this trip one that I'll remember for a lifetime. Every dive has left me excited and every course has left me more confident as a diver. Beyond the professionalism at the shop, I've been truly impressed with the level of safety and attention to detail that Trevor and Heather put into everything they do. Their focus on guest and diver safety is at the forefront of everything they do. They're also taking great care to make your dive experience safe in the age of COVID, with extra precautions from the time you enter the shop to the time you splash in the water... and they do so without affecting the quality of the experience. I can't say enough about how great it has been to dive and train with Culebra Divers! (The photos in this review were taken by Trevor @ Culebra Divers on our dives this week)

I highly recommend these guys for diving on Vieques, especially if you or anyone in your group is…read morenew to scuba or kind of freaked out by it. They are competent, fun, and go to great lengths to make sure you're really comfortable with every aspect of diving. Even if you're kind of terrified by the idea of breathing underwater (what? It's scary!), you'll feel safe in their very capable hands. I went for PADI Open Water Diver certification with a group of 9 friends, all of whom had different levels of experience and comfort with diving. Arnaud, Tania, Shauna, and Carlito put us at ease right away with their easy-going yet professional attitude - all of us got plenty of personal attention, and they made sure we really learned and understood everything and didn't rush us through the exercises, even though we got a late start (our fault) on the first day. It's a lot of work over 3 pretty long days, but they kept it fun by joking around and telling us cool things about the island, and my husband (who had actually done open water certification before, but never mailed in his info to get the card) said they were much more thorough than the last outfit he did it with - important, when it comes to little things like being able to breathe! These guys, and particularly Tania, deserve some sort of medal for the way they handled me. I have tiny, crappy lungs and a healthy fear of the ocean, and after screwing up an exercise and gulping a bunch of water at 16' I declared myself DONE with scuba forever (even though Tania got a cleared regulator into my mouth so I could breathe almost instantly). When I didn't come back the next day, they pulled my husband aside and offered to work one-on-one with me to help me overcome my fear and get my SCUBA Diver Certification, which is kind of like Open Water Lite (you can dive up to 40 feet, with a guide). They could have easily just taken my money and walked, but they were genuinely invested in seeing me succeed. Tania worked one-on-one with me and was SO patient and kind: I had a freak-out almost as soon as I went under and she got me calmed down, had me practice surface skills, and then just swam around with me underwater and pointed out fish and turtles along the reef until I was comfortable enough to practice skills again. She has an incredibly nurturing, comforting vibe that comes across even underwater, and by the end of the day I was totally chilled out and excited about diving...a far cry from the hyperventilating mess who first entered the water! I honestly thought I would never dive again, but after working with Tania I actually ended up going back to finish up my Open Water Certification - with Isla Nena Scuba, of course!

Arnaud and Carlos were fantastic! Patient, efficient and thorough instructors who took us to some…read moreof the most wonderful sites for marine life and coral. They were able to answer all my random questions about the fishes we saw, as well as gave pointers on where to dive next. Arnaud has been diving for years and is more than willing to share what he knows to make the experience even more fulfilling. Equipment is top-notch, and he even provided snacks! If you are in Vieques and are in the mood for some diving, give Isla Nena Scuba a call and see if you can dive Arnaud's Reef (yes, named after the instructor himself!).

These guys were awesome. Brandon was great, extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. We did…read morefour dives with them. Each was full of great views and under water wildlife I will absolutely book with them again. Steph was the captian of our boat and made sure to arrange transportation to and from each dive for us. 10 out of 10. I would highly recommended them.

If you love wreck diving Jerry and Admiralty are thinly game in town. And what a game they play…read more Sharks commonplace at the deep wrecks, 13 to choose from. No one else on island goes out there. Brittney keeping every one safe, Tristen keeping everyone entertained and Dave or Jerry captaining the boat. Serious divers this is your best option for St Thomas. Complete hidden gem!

Ann and Taz were nice enough to accommodate us even though it was a fairly slow day (and Ann was…read morefeeling under the weather). We were given a lot of personal attention and the ride was amazing to say the least. The view above water and under water were breathtaking in their own ways. We saw a lot of coral on the reefs (that haven't yet died because of bleaching... but sadly it is more prevalent that we would've liked) and colorful fish and even reef sharks. The spots we were taken to were exclusive too. We were pretty much the only people there to enjoy the glassy water and a deep blue ocean with a coral ecosystem so beautiful that our camera cannot do it justice. Taz was a great captain and had lots of interesting stories to share. All in all, this was an amazing experience. I would recommend - just remember to allot a bit more time because, you know, island time.

Worst. Diving. Experience. Ever…read more I found Taz to be impatient, insulting, and more interested in hunting down lionfish than making sure his clients enjoyed themselves or, more importantly, were safe. I went out for two dives with Taz. I'm still a very new diver, and I explained to him that one of my ears needed extra time to clear during the descent. Because of this, and a problematic mask, it took me several attempts before I was down on the sea floor the first time. He was clearly out of patience by the time this happened. Then, thanks to him underweighting me (even though I told him I had worn more weight during all my other dives), I found myself on a runaway ascent to the surface halfway through the dive. Scariest experience of my life!!! And it was very dangerous too--I could have caused serious damage to my lungs. Taz tried to blame it on me, but later grudgingly acknowledged I probably should have been weighed down more. He never apologized though. On a side note, lunch was nothing to write home about. Ham and cheese sandwiches and chips. The bread was stale. If you value your health and safety: Stay away. Far away.

Just a short walk from the cruise pier to the public free beach. It will cost you nothing to wear…read moreyour swimsuit and jump in the refreshing water of this beach. If you would like to lounge under an umbrella it is rented by the day not the hour. $30 for the umbrella and 2 lounge chairs for a whole day is not a bad deal. The water is clean and there are lots of pretty small rocks on the shore. If you like to hunt for seaglass on the shore, this is a great place to go. Just off the shore is some larger rocks that can be a bit slippery but if you slide in slowly, it is very enjoyable. The snorkeling is good and fun too. There is a trailer that sells alcohol and nonalcoholic drinks and bathroom facilities is portable potties. Parking is free in the gravel lot next to the road and there are a few picnic tables around some shade trees. The walk from the port area is under 5 minutes.

This is one of two beaches on this strip and is the closes to the Cruise Ship Pier. It is also…read moreknown as Fort Frederik Beach. It is not very big, but has clean white sand and clear blue water. It does not have a designated parking area, but, there is a free lot within a reasonable walking distance from the tower and there is also free street parking available as well. This park is a work in progress. Its shelter and restroom facility are closed and currently under construction. Unlike Rainbow Beach down the street, the beach has some trees that offer some shade. They also have chairs and umbrellas available to rent and there are a few chairs and colorful picnic tables placed around the beach's perimeter that you can sit as well. There is a truck in the middle of the beach's green space where you can buy alcohol and soft drinks. You can also rent snorkel gear from there. It is not very big and I am not sure of the selection, but the owner, Calvin, is very nice. Outside of that truck, there are no other adjacent places to buy food or drink. There are quite a few within a reasonable walking distance though, but you will have to leave the beach area. With that being said, I highly recommend you bringing some water with you. I estimate that you could probably spend a half to a whole day here easily. You can also drive directly up to some of the waterfront areas, as you are heading away from the beach and make your own little private beach, if you want some privacy and so choose. Even though this beach does not have as many activities as the nearby Rainbow Beach, some still may find it more convenient. It is not a bad beach and will definitely satisfy someone looking to get some sun and get in some warm clear blue water. So, I guess when deciding between the two beaches you have to weigh you need for activities versus convenience.