Advantages for divers staying at a Sandals resort (You CAN start diving during Quarantine Days)
Sandals has 6 Caribbean islands in it's portfolio that offer scuba diving as apart of the vacation package, for those that are new to diving you can either participate in the Discover Scuba Diving Experience (cost is $120) and do some resort dives, or become a PADI certified Diver (you can either do the full course at the resort, or do the theory at your own pace prior to arrival and do the in-water training at the resort, The certification courses not included in the vacation package.
If you opt for the Discover Scuba Diving Experience you can do one dive a day (max depth of 40 ft) after the one day course, if you become, or arrive as a certified diver you can do two dives a day.
When diving with Sandals you have the following included in your package:
- Tanks
- Mask & snorkel
- Regulators
- Weight belt
- Fins
- BCD
- Boat transportation
- PADI certified dive professionals
Sandals uses twin diesel Newton dive boats, with fresh water shower and 16 ft dive-platform.
Sandals Antigua:
After a successful screening you wont have to quarantine if you booked at certified accommodations, and can participate in certified land and sea excursions.
Sandals Grande Antigua is one of the certified accommodations, and offers 12 dive sites for certified divers.
Get the best deal for the Sandals Grande Antigua.
Sandals Bahamas Nassau:
The Bahamas are open for international travelers, but you have to stay on the property (where you booked your accommodations) until day 5, on that they you will be submitted to a Covid 19 rapid antigen test, once you get a negative result on that test you can move around beyond your accommodations.
The GOOD news for us divers is that if you stay at the Sandals Royal Bahamian you can start diving from day 1 since they leave from the property with their own boats.
Divers at the Royal Bahamian have 32 dive sites available.
Miranda wreck;
This mail boat lies in 60 ft of water on its side, and the 80 ft long wreck is broken in two pieces, among the may tropical fish you'll spot the grunts and rays that made the Miranda their habitat.
Shipyard;
This 90 ft deep dive offers not one but 3 wrecks, 2 are mail boats and one is a tanker, the massive schools of silver sides attract Schoolmasters, Barracudas and the African Pompano.
Oasis wall;
This is a drift dive along a wall covered in hard corals (Brain, Scroll, Flower,Sheet,..). This 80 ft wall really offers spectacular coral formations.
James Bond wrecks;
Never say never and Thunderball where both filmed here. This 40 ft dive offers the props that were used and are covered in soft corals , gorgonians , sponges and sea wipes. Blue and midnight parrot fis made this their home.
Pumpkin patch;
This site with a max depth of 80 ft is the home to turtles, the sponges and vegetation that grows here are their favorites, It is common to see some sharks at this site that offers beautiful coral formations.
Hollywood Bowl;
This site was used in James Bond movies as well as in Splash & Cocoon. This is a shallow 35 ft dive with an abundance of tropical fish (Balloo, Blue Tang, Sergeant Majors,...) and the area is surrounded with hard and soft corals.
Bahama mama;
This 70 ft dive offers a lot of diversity, 3 wrecks, nice reefs, a wall and between 12 and 30 of the local Bahamian reef sharks.
These are some of the 32 dive sites that are offered when staying at the Sandals Royal Bahamian.
Sandals Bahamas Exuma:
When staying at Sandals Emerald Bay you'll have 17 dive sites available.
The Tug wreck dive
This 65 ft long tug boat was sunk in 2005 to create an artificial reef, it lies at 69 ft. The boat is encrusted in sponges and corals. It is now the home to several Nassau Groupers. Parrot fish, Blue Chromis, French Grunts, Spotted Drums and Barracudas are part of the scenery.
Elizabeth reef
This 15 to 30 ft shallow reef is a healthy fish nursery, with nice coral formations. Often schools of Eagle rays can be spotted here.
Dog 'n pup reef
Plenty of corals cover this 33 ft shallow reef, Large schools of Snapper and French grunts live here along with Queen Angel fish, Porcupine Puffer fish and large Groupers. When lucky you'll spot the occasional Sea Turtle.
Buck wall
In average about 80 ft deep, offers tube sponges, fan corals and blue vase sponges that are the home to Jacks, Snappers, Groupers and a variety of other tropical fish
Angel fish blue hole
This 92 ft deep site got didn't steal it's name, plenty of Angel fish share this blue hole with Horse-eye Jacks and large Blue Parrot fish. Often Turtles and Eagle Rays, that live in the bay will pass by while diving. At the bottom is a chamber that you can swim trough.
These are some of the 32 dive sites that are offered when staying at the Sandals Emerald Bay
Sandals Barbados:
Barbados is open for international visitors, but you need to stay on property for 5 days, and take a PCR test, if the test result is negative you can move freely around the island. GOOD news for divers; if you stay at the Sandals properties you can start diving immediately, since they leave and arrive at the property with their own boats.
Dive sites Barbados;
Berwyn wreck
This World War 1, French tug boat was sunk in 1919 by it's own crew.
The Berwyn lies only 100 yards from the shore in very shallow water (10 to 25 ft), and is a site for all level divers.
Healthy Hard and Soft Corals grow on the wreck, Moray Eels, Sergeant Majors, Squirrel fish, Rock Hind, Small mouth Grunt and Golden Tails can be observed here.
Bajan Queen
In the 1960 this became Barbados' first tugboat, about a decade later it was converted into a party boat. Eventually the Bajan Queen was donated to the Coastal Zone Management Unit, cleaned and sunk in 2002. She lies in 40 ft of water and is accumulating a nice diversity of corals. Anemones, Shrimp, Bristle Worms and Glassy Sweepers call her their home.
Old Fort
At this 90 ft drift dive you can find canon balls and antique bottles, average depth is only 30 ft and lots of tropical, small reef fish populate this shallow Barrier reef.
Mount Charlie
This reef is between 70 and 120 ft deep, Turtles, barracuda Horse-eyes, and snapper can be seen here.
Dottins
This 40 to 60 ft reef on the West coast is a popular day, and night dive spot.
The North side of the reef is a mix of Corals and sandy patches, while the South side is in bright Corals and Sponges.Stingrays, Turtles, Creole Wrasse and Grunts are to be observed at this spot.
Boot
A small Coast Guard boat sunk here. With a depth of 40 to 80 ft, this drift dive offers turtles and Eagle rays. lots of smaller tropical fish.
Johnsons
This 70 to 80 ft dive is a very popular spot for photographers, it is located on the West coast.
Tube and Barrel sponges & Soft Corals are the ideal home for the small critters, and schooling tropical fish. Barracudas, Turtles and Parrotfish are always present at Johnsons.
Here are some of the 24 dive sites offered by Sandals:
Bianca C wreck:
600 ft cruise liner that sank in 1961, with a depth of 115 - 164 ft this is a dive for Advanced divers.
Flamingo Bay;
This wall is covered in sponges and corals and runs from 23 to about 100 ft. Lobster, crags, batfish, Tarpon, grouper and sometimes seahorses can be observed at Flamingo Bay.
Moliniere/ Sculpture Park;
An 80 ft wall covered in gorgonians and often plenty of barracudas followed by the sculpture park at 15 ft
Shark reef;
Nurse sharks sleeping in thw stone ledges are often seen on this 62 ft dive, along with lobster, a variety of moray eels, file fish and black durgons.
Dragon Bay;
Whibbles reef;
Fast-paced drift dive, with a depth from 49 to 85 ft. Horse Eye Jacks, Barracuda and Eagle Rays cruise along, keep an eye out for the Hawksbill Turtles that are camouflaged by the reef.
MV Veronica;
This 85 ft long Cargo ship lies between 45 and 60 ft depth. Fully covered in soft corals and sponges. Golden Tail Moray Eels, Sea Horses, Frogfish, Green- and Spotted Morays made the MV Veronica their home.
Sandals St George Grenada is re-opening on the 31 st of March!
At this moment no quarantine time required when travelling to Jamaica or St Lucia.
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