Dive Review of Dive Statia in
St. Eustatius

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Dive Statia, May, 2005, by Leanne Wells, TX, USA . Report 1707.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We were travelling through the Leeward Islands on a private yacht. Statia is a beautiful, quiet, friendly Dutch island with the only real anchorage being Oranje Bay. Dive shops are an easy dighy ride to shore. A large portion of reefs is a protected marine park, and the marine life and corals here were healthier than any other island that we visited on this trip. We found Statia marine life much more prolific and interesting than the much touted Saba Island next door. There are many old wrecks within the park, and valuable artifacts were vanishing. Consequently, all diving must be guided. The marine life has benefited from such oversight. Overall, the BVI's and Leeward Islands are the most expensive dive operations we have encountered, but Statia is more affordable than most. The island medical school has a decompression chamber. Rudy and Rinda own Dive Stacia and are experienced professionals who worked in the dive trade in the Caymens before seeking a quieter lifestyle and settled on Statia. They are the oldest dive operation on the island, and know the underwater topography well. They are happy to accomodate divers above water as well as below, giving advice about island hiking, dining, and shopping. Rudy even gave us transportation to trailhead the day we decided to hike up the "Quill", the dormant volcano that formed the island. The second day we dove, we were combined with a group of younger, apparently less experienced divers who wanted to dive a newly (2 yrs) sunk wreck (the Charley Brown) in the bay. My husband and I had expected a reef "critter" dive and returned to the dive boat very diappointed. Rudy promptly and without urging did not charge us for that dive, and gave us exactly what we wanted on the next dive! Anchor Point divesite was lovely: Hawksbill turtle, squid, seahorse, nurse shark, moreys, juvenile drum, barracuda....and a beautiful old anchor colorfully encrusted and lying upright on its side with one end deeply secured in the seabed. A photographer's dream. There are MANY places to eat on Statia, but a local must is Laura and Win's King's Well. Win is from Germany, Laura is Irish and dining with them is more like being guests in a home than in a restaurant. You can expect to be met by their two harlequin Great Danes and a couple of cats, serenaded by tiny "honey sippers" who come to Laura's bird-feeders, and interrogated by her macaws. You make your own drinks on the honor system while Win prepares your dinner. He specializes in German cuisine. You will need to book in advance. Be sure to reserve enough time for some hiking while on St. Eustatcius. The trail up to the Quill is well marked but best attempted early in the morning as the heat and humidity are fierce! You can descend into the crater if you wish, but the climb out is strenuous. The tropical forest within the crater is dense; you expect to encounter a dinosaur around every turn! The view from the top of the Quill is magnificent. It would be a shame to visit this gem of an island without visiting its peak.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Los Roques, Venezuela; Galapagos Islands; Malpelo, Columbia; Cozumel; Indonesia x 3; GBR, Australia; Costa Rica; Sea of Cortez; Pemba Island, Tanzania; Bay Islands, Honduras[Unspecified]
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	78-82°F / 26-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-80 Ft/ 18-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Dive master requested that we follow general dive plan, signal when tank 1/2 empty, stay no longer than 60 minutes. Otherwise, we were generally left to dive our computers.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Dive Statia in St. Eustatius

Dive Statia, May, 2005,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive Statia in
St. Eustatius