Grand Turk Scuba: Blue Water Divers, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands

Frequently Asked Questions:
Overnight Visitors | Cruise ship passengers | Environmental Responsibility

Overnight Visitors
If you will be visiting Grand Turk and staying on the island, this section will answer some frequently asked questions.

Where will we be diving?
All dives are wall dives along the incredible Grand Turk wall in the Columbus National Marine Park. The top of the wall starts at 25-30 feet and drops off to over 7,000 feet. The most active reef zones are from 30-60 feet. Our Divemasters select the sites each day based on diver input and weather/sea conditions. Please visit our Scuba Diving page to see some of the sites that we regularly visit.

How big is the dive group?
We dive in 24-28 foot Carolina skiffs. The maximum number of divers who are staying on island that we take is 8, although our boats are rated to hold more. To avoid potential scheduling conflicts, our on island divers are on boats separate from any cruise ship divers. We provide a guide service from the Divemaster on all dives.

How do we get to Grand Turk?
To reach Grand Turk, you need to first fly to the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos and then take a connecting flight from Providenciales to Grand Turk.

To reach the island of Providenciales from the U.S., U.K. or Canada, there are a number of direct flight options. The list below is not comprehensive but should give you a good idea of the airline choices.

From the United States:
American Airlines direct from Miami, New York's JFK, Dallas-Fort Worth and Boston.
Delta flies direct from Atlanta.
US Airways direct from Charlotte, Boston and Philadelphia.
Jet Blue direct from New York's JFK and Boston
Continental/United direct from Newark.

From the United Kingdom:
British Airways direct from London's Heathrow airport.

From Canada:
Air Canada direct from Toronto and Montreal.
WestJet direct from Toronto.

From the Bahamas:
BahamasAir from Nassau, Bahamas.

Due to seasonal service, the number of flights per day and the days of the week when these flights are available does vary. Please check the airline's website for current information and flight details.

Grand Turk is serviced from Providenciales by Air Turks and Caicos as well as Caicos Express. You can check availability, obtain pricing and book flights on their websites which are, respectively, http://www.airturksandcaicos.com/ and http://caicosexpressairways.com/.

How do we get to the dive shop?
Our retail shop and office is conveniently located on Duke Street, across from the Osprey Beach Hotel on their Courtyard Atrium property and within short walking distance of a number of hotels and guest houses on the island.

How do we get to the dive boat?
Our dive boats will typically pick you up on the beach in front of your hotel. Depending on weather conditions, we may pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the boat location.

What is the snorkeling like?
We can take snorkelers out on the dive boat if space available, and also offer dedicated snorkeling trips. Please be advised that on sites along the famous Grand Turk "wall", the boat will be anchored in approximately 25-30 feet of water. Under normal conditions, it is a very good snorkel trip with a quite healthy reef system and marine life. If wind increases, or water clarity drops, this can impact the snorkeling quality. Summertime here generally offers the calmest weather and sea conditions while the winter weather conditions can be more variable.

How do I learn to Scuba Dive?
If you have never tried diving before, it is easy to learn. An "introduction to scuba diving" course allows you to try diving under the direct supervision of an instructor. You first go through an informative briefing, followed by a shallow water (3-5 foot depth) training session to get familiar with the equipment and breathing underwater. Providing all goes well there, you are then taken out in the boat for a shallow water dive along the top of the wall. It is truly a great way to try diving!

An alternative for our visitors staying on island is to take a full PADI Open Water Certification course. This course requires approximately four days of elapsed time and upon the successful completion of this course you are certified to dive. We also offer PADI Open Water eLearning Referral course should you wish to complete your bookwork and tests online before arriving on Grand Turk. If you wish to complete your bookwork, tests and confined water training before you arrive on Grand Turk, we offer a PADI Open Water Referral course as well.

If you would like to take either an "introduction to scuba diving" or PADI Open Water Certification course, you will need to complete a PADI Medical Form in advance of beginning your training. Contact us if you would like a copy of this form sent to you via e-mail.

How do I make a reservation?
For booking you can email us or call the number below. To make a package booking we require a 20% deposit taken on Visa or MasterCard. This is a non-refundable deposit. There are no refunds for divers who experience ear problems or for other reasons may choose not to do one or both dives. To scuba dive you will need to present a recognized certification card and let us know what gear you will need, including size.

What is the Blue Water Divers Refund Policy for Dive Packages?
Please refer to our Booking Terms and Conditions for full details.

Cruise ship passengers

I am visiting Grand Turk by cruise ship. Can I make a reservation with you to go diving or snorkeling instead of booking an excursion through the cruise ship?
Yes. We can take cruise ship passengers diving and snorkeling with advance reservations. We are not the dive operator who handles the cruise ship diving and snorkeling excursions, but we are able to take direct reservations from cruise ship passengers who prefer not to join the ship excursions for diving and snorkeling.

Our trips carry fewer passengers than the cruise ship excursion boats, offering you a more personal (and less crowded!) experience. Our boats are 24-28' Carolina skiffs which we limit to a maximum of 6 divers on our certified diver trips or 16 snorkelers for our "snorkel only" trip, and often our groups are much smaller than that.

What trip options* does Blue Water Divers offer for cruise ship passengers?

Certified Scuba Diving with Skills Review (max 6 divers): For certified divers who have not been diving in more than 18 months. Requires a minimum of two certified divers. the dive cost is $160 per person for a one tank dive or $200 per person for a two tank dive, including tanks, weights, weight belt and dive guide. Gear rental, if needed, is $30 per person including BCD, regulator, mask, fins and snorkel. Wetsuits are optional, but are available for rent at $10 per person.

Certified Scuba Diving (max 6 divers): Only for certified divers who have at least one logged dive within the last 18 months. Requires a minimum of two certified divers. The dive cost is $110 per person for a one tank dive or $150 per person for a two tank dive, including tanks, weights, weight belt and dive guide. Gear rental, if needed, is $30 per person including BCD, regulator, mask, fins and snorkel. Wetsuits are optional, but are available for rent at $10 per person.

Snorkel Only Trip (includes mask/fins): Requires a minimum of four participants. The trip cost is $50 per person including snorkel gear for two sites. The first site is in shallower water (depths of less than 10 feet) which allows snorkelers to see the reef and marine life up close. The second snorkel site is chosen from one of the over 40 sites along the famous Grand Turk "wall" in the marine park. The wall is actually a coral reef drop-off that begins in depths of 25-30 feet and plunges to depths of over 7,000 feet!

"Introduction to Scuba Diving" course: For individuals who are not certified open water divers, yet want to give diving a try. Requires a minimum of two course participants to reserve and we follow PADI standards so do not take more than four course participants per instructor. The trip cost is $200 per person for a single guided dive or $265 per person for two guided dives, including tanks, weights, instruction, and rental equipment.

Private Charter for diving and / or snorkeling: No minimum number of participants. Rates available upon request.

*Please note that all rates quoted are exclusive of government tax. It is possible the Turks and Caicos Islands government will be implementing a new tax in 2013. Also, please note that our equipment has a weight limit of 250 pounds per person.

To help determine which of these trips might be best for you, please take the time to consider the following questions:

Certified Divers should think about your most recent dive and ask yourself: Was I comfortable and relaxed in the water? Was my buoyancy well under control? Was my air consumption reasonable? Am I able to perform the basic underwater skills of clearing my mask and my regulator? Would I be comfortable in the water with my dive buddy if a dive instructor was not present? If the answer to one or more of these questions is "no", you should consider our "Introduction to Scuba Diving" course or our Snorkel only trip. If any of the divers in your party have not been diving in the last 18 months, they must take a refresher course prior to arriving on Grand Turk or book the "Certified Scuba Diving with Skills Review" trip to dive with us.

ANYone considering a snorkeling OR diving excursion should ask yourself: Am I in reasonable physical shape? Can I climb up a boat ladder to re-board a 24-28' skiff from the water without assistance? Are my health and physical condition both well suited to participation in an outdoor sport which is subject to weather and sea conditions? If the answer to one or more of these questions is "no", perhaps a different type of excursion would help you get the most enjoyment from your time on Grand Turk.

It is not our intention to dissuade people from either diving or snorkeling activities, but simply to encourage careful thought about the type of excursion best suited to your needs and personal situation so you will have fun during your short time here on our island.

As we are a small operation, not every trip type is available every day, and departure times may vary depending on the ship schedule. Please e-mail us with your date of arrival, cruise ship name, number in your party and trip type preference so we can check specific trip availability for you.

There aren't enough people in my party to reach the minimum for the trip I would like to take. What are my options?
First, send us an e-mail with your arrival date, cruise ship name, number in your party and trip type preference and we'll see if we already have other reservations from your ship for the type of trip you want to take. If we don't yet have anyone else reserved for that trip/date/time, some of our guests choose to use the "roll call" forum on www.cruisecritic.com to find other people on their ship who are also interested in a non-excursion snorkel or dive outing. In addition, we can keep an eye on incoming bookings if you have interest in a specific trip and would only ask you for a deposit if we reach the trip minimum for your arrival date/time before our remaining boats are reserved for different trip types.

I want to go to Gibbs Cay and snorkel with the stingrays, but don't see that listed as a trip option. Can you take cruise ship passengers to Gibbs Cay?
We do not offer trips to Gibbs Cay on cruise ship days as our customers find it too crowded as the cruise ship excursion boats and other vendors take 150+ people to this very small island. Also, we do not support fish feeding (you can refer to our Environmental Responsibility statement for more information). However, we do offer snorkeling trips and sometimes stingrays can be seen along with a variety of other marine life.

My cruise ship arrives in the wintertime. Are there special trip considerations at this time of year?
Yes. During the wintertime, the weather has the potential to be less calm than in the summertime. The seas can be rougher, with some current, and/or the wind can be stronger. This can create a choppier surface for snorkelers and potentially reduce visibility. This is not always the case, but since snorkeling and diving are outdoor sports, it is important that you are aware of the potential for less than ideal conditions.

Wintertime is our busiest season and our boats can fill up quickly since we limit the number of people on each boat. We take advance reservations with a deposit on a first come, first served basis. You must make a deposit for us to hold space on the boat for you.

Also, for ships arriving in the afternoon, please note that our dive boats must be back on shore before sunset as we have no docks or lighted areas available for boat loading and unloading. This may mean that you can only fit in a one tank dive during your visit, depending on your ship arrival date and time.

Where will we be diving?
All dives are in the Columbus National Marine Park along the incredible Grand Turk "wall". The top of the wall starts at 25-30 feet and drops off to over 7,000 feet. The most active reef zones are from 30-60 feet. Our Divemasters select the sites each day based on diver input and weather/sea conditions. Please visit our Scuba Diving page to see some of the sites that we regularly visit.

What is the snorkeling like?
We offer dedicated snorkeling trips which visit two sites: one shallower site and one along the famous Grand Turk "wall". On the latter site, the boat will be anchored in approximately 25-30 feet of water. Under normal conditions it is a very good snorkel trip with a quite healthy reef system and marine life. If wind increases, or water clarity drops, this can impact the snorkeling quality. Summertime here generally offers the calmest weather and sea conditions, while the winter weather conditions can be more variable.

Do I need to make a reservation in advance of arriving in Grand Turk?
Yes. Grand Turk is a very small island (7 miles by 1.5 miles), with only a few operators who are licensed to take cruise ship passengers diving and snorkeling. We are a small business and take bookings on a first deposit, first reserved basis, and some days can fill up quite quickly. If you want to be sure that you are able to get out on the water (which is beautiful here!) during your visit to Grand Turk, please contact us in advance of your arrival to make a reservation. We require a deposit to make a reservation and hold your space on the boat.

How do I make a reservation? What is your refund policy?
Send us an e-mail to let us know the trip you would like to reserve, as well as your date of arrival and ship name, so we can check on availability for you. To make a reservation and hold you a space on the boat, we require a 50% deposit on Visa or Mastercard. We only need card name, card number and month/year expiration date. This information can be e-mailed to us (in pieces, using separate messages for security purposes) or sent to us via phone/fax at 649-946-2432. The balance of the payment will be charged 24 hours in advance of your scheduled trip. Please note that we cannot hold a reservation without a deposit and bookings are taken on a "first deposit, first reserved" basis.

When we make reservations, we will also need the following information from you, depending on the type of trip you are reserving:

Scuba Diving trips (certified divers only):
1. Diver name and age
2. Certification agency and level (i.e. PADI Open Water, etc.)
3. Date certified (you will need to present C-card on arrival)
4. Estimated number of dives since certification course completed
5. Date of last dive (you will need to present log book or dive shop documentation on arrival)
6. Rental gear needed and sizes
    - Buoyancy Control Device (BCD): Small / Med / Large / XL
    - Regulator: Yes / No
    - Wetsuit: Yes / No
    - Mask/Snorkel: Yes / No
    - Fins: Yes / No

"Introduction to Diving" courses:
1. Diver name and age
2. Rental gear needed and sizes
    - Buoyancy Control Device (BCD): Small / Med / Large / XL
    - Regulator: Yes / No
    - Wetsuit: Yes / No
    - Mask/Snorkel: Yes / No
    - Fins: Yes / No
3. Completed PADI Medical Form (can be e-mailed to you upon request)

Snorkeling:
1. Snorkeler name
2. Snorkeler age
3. Estimated experience level with snorkeling (choose one from the list below):
    - No experience / Have never snorkeled before,
    - Some experience / Have snorkeled once or twice,
    - Experienced / Have snorkeled a number of times, or
    - Very experienced / Have snorkeled quite a lot

After we run your deposit, we will send you a booking confirmation by e-mail.

If you are not able to keep your reservation, and you call, fax or e-mail to let us know 7 or more days prior to your scheduled trip, we will retain only 10% of your trip cost and refund the balance to your card. Cancellations with less than 7 days notice, but more than 24 hours advance notice, forfeit the trip deposit. If for ANY other reason you do not go on your scheduled trip - sickness, weather, etc., and we do not receive notice at least 24 hours in advance, the cost of the trip is non-refundable. However, if Blue Water Divers deems it unsafe to go on an excursion due to weather and cancels the trip, we will refund the cost of the trip.

How do we get to the dive shop?
We are located in town, approximately 3 miles from the cruise center. As we are not the dive operation that does the cruise ship excursions, we are not allowed to pick you up at the cruise center. It is a short taxi ride costing roughly $5 per person each way from the cruise center into town. Once you reach our office, you will be met by our staff to sign in.

How do we get to the dive or snorkel boat?
We typically pick up our divers and snorkelers in the boat on the beach right in front of the Osprey Beach Hotel. In some situations (particularly during the wintertime) we may drive you from our shop to an alternate beach pick up location.

Environmental Responsibility

A few simple, environmentally responsible techniques can help scuba divers and snorkelers protect fragile coral reefs and other underwater ecosystems.

1. Simply relax and move slowly.
Marine life is less threatened by a relaxed snorkeler. Swimming slowly is not only more comfortable for you, but also is less likely to intimidate the wildlife we have all come to observe. Many creatures are extremely sensitive to vibrations in the water, and in fact depend on this sense for their survival. Quick motions of snorkelers are easily perceived as potential threats by many fish and invertebrates.

No matter how strong you are, humans simply cannot out swim animals such as whales, rays, turtles, fish and squid. Although the impulse may be to pursue these animals for a closer look, this will only scare them away. The relaxed diver/snorkeler will find that aquatic mammals (including your buddy), fish, and invertebrates will continue their natural behavior, while allowing you to approach them much more intimately.

2. Minimize contact with the reef.
Learning to control our movements and position in the water benefits our own comfort and safety as well as the health of the reef. Both are important! The Leave-No-Trace motto of "take only photos, leave only foot prints" doesn't quite apply to scuba divers and snorkelers, who don't leave footprints. However, scuba divers and snorkelers sometimes leave fin-marks. For example, beginning divers may inadvertently kick a coral reef and destroy an entire community of living organisms. Or a snorkeler may carelessly stand on living coral and smash it.

One of the world's most complex ecosystems, coral reefs are vulnerable to diver and snorkeler impact. Reefs are constructed primarily by colonies of coral animals called polyps. By secreting a limestone skeleton, covered with a thin veneer of living tissue, over many years these slow growing creatures essentially create their own geology. Although the limestone is durable, the soft-bodied polyps can easily be damaged by contact with hands, fins, etc. Hands, fins, etc. can also cut through the coral's protective outer tissue, letting in bacteria and micro-organisms that can kill it. While the loss of one polyp or a cut in the outer tissue doesn't appear to be such a big problem, this spot will be more susceptible to infections and can cause further mortality on the colony.

Besides the impact on the coral, accidentally bumping into the reef can also harm you. Coral will easily cut through your soft skin, especially after you have spent some time in the water. Cuts in general, and coral cuts in particular, will heal slowly in the tropics, and are more susceptible to infection.
Be aware. Diving and snorkeling take place three dimensionally. Divers move not only forward and backward, and side-to-side, but up and down, as well, Paying attention to what is behind (watching feet and fins), and remember that metal tanks and fins can cause severe damage when banged against coral. For the mutual benefit of the reef and ourselves, we believe it’s both prudent and responsible to master the skills needed to minimize accidental close encounters with coral.

3. Live and let live.
In contrast to its initial appearance of grandeur, living space on the reef is very scarce. Every little niche is or will be occupied soon by an organism of some type. Empty shells are a valuable part of the ecosystem, and they get recycled many times. Besides the obvious environmental concerns, some "live shells" can be quite dangerous. Some of the most beautiful (cone shells for example) contain animals that are highly toxic and when "captured" can cause serious problems. We discourage any shell collecting, other than items found above the high tide line.

4. Leave nothing but bubbles.
Although you don’t see as many signs as along a typical highway, littering under water is just as inappropriate as it is on land. We always carry trash containers on our boats. Please use these containers rather than disposing refuse in the water. Pick up any trash you may come across and bring it back to the surface. Pay special attention to plastic bags. They blow away easily, and once in the water they closely resemble jellyfish, the main diet of many turtles.

5. Fish feeding.
While dispersing "food" in the water seems an easy way to attract large numbers of fish, it will often attract just certain species that usually chase other species away. Clearly, this alters the natural behavior (and diet) of fish we have come to observe. We discourage feeding the fish. Express concerns to dive operations that feed or put out chum, or ask that it not be done.

6. Smaller group advantage.
Smaller groups are less likely to bang into each other, thrash about, and generally bump into (and damage) the coral. This is especially true on night dives. Smaller groups are also able to receive more instruction and supervision from the dive master.

Using the guidelines above should enhance the diving/snorkeling experience for you and the reef, and help preserve both for generations to come.

For booking you can email us or call the number below. Please let us know if you have any other questions, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Mitch Rolling
Owner, Blue Water Divers

Blue Water Divers
PO Box 124,Grand Turk
Turks and Caicos Islands

+1-649-946-2432
info@grandturkscuba.com