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Dive Review of Golden Rock Dive Center/Old Gin House in
St. Eustatius

Golden Rock Dive Center/Old Gin House, Apr, 2004,

by Joni & Bobby Lamb, GA, USA (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 8 reports). Report 1228.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 3 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 1 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments On our first morning, we knew we were off the beaten path after we awoke to roosters crowing outside our hotel room at 4:00 am, and every morning thereafter. There were free-range goats, donkeys, cows, and chickens as well. And we loved every minute of our stay. This is the kind of island life we seek. We enjoy visiting a place that is away from the popular tourist traps. We traveled to Statia with three other couples, and all of us had a wonderful time. Golden Rock Dive Center (www.goldenrockdive.com) owners Michelle & Glenn Faires made sure our stay on the island was comfortable and enjoyable. They booked us in the Old Gin House and provided transportation to and from the Statia airport. Divemasters Lisbeth and Michael were entertaining and very knowledgeable of the dive sites. All of the staff was very friendly and accommodating. All of our dives were from their pontoon boat, which was never crowded. We never had more than 10 divers on this boat. Golden Rock provided plenty of space for us to rinse and hang our gear to dry. They also put away our gear in their shop at night. The diving was great with plenty of healthy marine life and corals. The Old Gin House was a charming little hotel. There were few wait staff personnel, but they were friendly and we all managed fine by ourselves. We have to remember, we were on a very small island and we have to make do with what we had. The breakfast that’s included in the dive/hotel package was mainly continental, but did include cook-to-order eggs. The poolside rooms were comfortable and clean. We had hot water and a/c. The pool area had shade for those of us who like to stay out of the sun. We never had a bad meal anywhere on the island. We ate most lunches at the Blue Bead Restaurant since it was located at the boat docks. We would work up an appetite walking up the steep “Slave Walk” just behind the hotel for dinner in “Upper Town”. When flying there, we had a four-hour layover in the St. Martin airport. We found an upstairs cocktail lounge in the in-transit side of the airport that provided plenty of free drinks and munchies for a $20 cover charge. It was well worth it. When flying back home, always plan for long lines at the St. Martin airport. This was our third vacation through this airport and it never gets any better. We are required to claim our luggage from the island hopper planes, and recheck it on our connecting flight coming back home.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas choppy
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-60 Ft/ 15-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Marine Park required purchase of BC tags and dive master escort. Only limit was stay within no-decompression limits.
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
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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