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Green Fins Member: We are located inside The National Sailing Academy, and dive within the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, and we are a certified Green Fins Member, which means we hold a strict no-touch, no-take, no-feeding policy on all of our dives; please do not bring gloves, pointers, or anything else that may encourage you or others to make contact with the reef or seabed.
In booking to dive with DiveCarib, you agree to follow this policy, as well as any other guidelines that you read on arrival at the diveshop/diveboat, or any that you hear as part of the dive briefing.Dive Site Choice: Due to the very unpredictable nature of the weather here, we never promise a particular dive site more than 48 hours ahead of time, but rest assured, we do try our very best to get divers to as many different sites as possible. Keep in mind that we not only have to take into account the weather, but also the group’s experience and comfort level; safety always comes first. If you come as a group, we can more easily cater to your specific wants/needs.
No Refunds: There are no refunds or cancellations once an activity is booked. You may reschedule at any time up until 48 hours before the departure time of your booking, but the date which you can reschedule to, will of course depend on our availability. Contact us by phone at +1(268)732-3475 or email at [email protected] to enquire about adjusting your booking. You must speak directly with our staff to change your booking
Gift Card Option: Customers have an option to reschedule or convert to a gift certificate up until 48 hours prior to departure.
No Shows: Participants who do not show up for the activity without prior reschedule requests will forfeit the entire booking total and will not be eligible for rescheduling.
Last Minute Bookings: Reservations made for a departure time within the next 48 hours will be considered as FINAL SALE.
The Weather: We operate in all weather conditions, rain or shine! Please check the local weather report and dress appropriately.
In the event that we need to cancel due to extreme weather or unsafe conditions, you will receive a refund or have the option to reschedule at no extra cost. We will notify you as soon as possible via phone call, text, or email. If you do not hear from us, please do not assume the excursion is cancelled and fail to show up. If the excursion proceeds as planned and you do not attend, you will be charged as a no-show.
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By completing a booking with DiveCarib, the parties aver and agree that in the event of any dispute or litigation arising, the laws of Antigua and Barbuda shall apply, and the resolution of any such disputes or litigation shall be confined to the judicial jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda. -
No Returns, No Exchanges, No Refunds, No Servicing/Repairs, No Liability
Please be aware of the following policies:
No Returns: All sales are final.
No Exchanges: We do not offer exchanges for any items purchased.
No Refunds: We do not issue refunds for any items purchased.
No Servicing/Repairs: We do not perform any servicing or repairs on items purchased. Please ensure your items are fully inspected before purchase.
Why do we not offer servicing or repairs? The items we sell are either of low value (e.g. t-shirts/snorkels/masks), which are either impossible, or not cost effective to repair/service, or high value (e.g. dive computers), which will come with a limited manufacturer’s warranty, meaning you should be able to send it to an authorised service centre for repairs.
No Liability: We do not take any responsibility for faulty/malfunctioning equipment. Please ensure your items are fully inspected before purchase (items are sold ‘as is’), and considering DiveCarib does not manufacture any of these items, please take up any issues you have with the manufacturer; DiveCarib would be happy to help you contact them.
By purchasing an item of scuba equipment (e.g. dive computer) from DiveCarib, you (the buyer) affirm that the recipient of the item, will not use the item, unless they are a certified scuba diver trained in safe dive practices, with knowledge of how to use the item safely, having read any instructions accompanying the item, and know that skin diving and scuba diving have inherent risks which may result in serious injury or death. You (the buyer) affirm that it is the user’s responsibility to inspect all of their equipment prior to every use, and that they should not dive if their equipment is not functioning properly. Neither you (the buyer) nor the intended user will hold DiveCarib responsible for your failure to inspect equipment prior to diving or if you choose to dive with equipment that may not be functioning properly.By making a purchase, you acknowledge and agree to the terms of our No Returns, No Exchanges, No Refunds, No Servicing/Repairs, No Liability Policy.
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By completing a purchase with DiveCarib, the parties aver and agree that in the event of any dispute or litigation arising, the laws of Antigua and Barbuda shall apply, and the resolution of any such disputes or litigation shall be confined to the judicial jurisdiction of Antigua and Barbuda. -
Scuba diving, snorkelling and other forms of marine tourism are fantastic activities to introduce people to the marine environment and create new ocean advocates. However, unmanaged, these activities can have acute negative impacts for fragile ecosystems like coral reefs.
GreenFins is a proven conservation management approach – implemented internationally by The Reef-World Foundation and the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism. It aims to protect coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines promoting sustainable diving and snorkelling. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for marine tourism and its robust assessment system measures compliance.
How can you use Green Fins?
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On site accommodation is offered at The Lodge, which is run by The National Sailing Academy.Read about accommodation options, and discounts available, on our Diving Holiday Accommodations page.
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If your travel insurance does not cover you for scuba diving, we recommend that you take out scuba diving accident cover.
This is not particularly costly, e.g. annual ‘Worldwide Preferred’ dive cover with DAN (Divers Alert Network) through DAN World costs ~$125US (individual cover) for Antiguan residents.
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We are very lucky in Antigua, as we have good conditions for scuba diving all year round. We have 2 distinct seasons; the windy, slightly cooler, and short winter season, and the still, longer summer season. However, the weather cannot be relied upon, and we recommend that you come whenever is convenient for you. You are more likely to get deals on accommodation, and dive in very small groups, if you come during our quietest months (May/June/September/October).On average, surface conditions (wave height) are better (lower) during the summer months (May – November), allowing us more frequent access to the windward dive sites (highly dependent on tropical storm formations). However, these months are more prone to algal blooms (not common), making visibility more variable. Keep in mind that the low/high tide cycle has a much bigger impact on the visibility at the dive sites. FYI bad visibility for us is 30-40ft (9-12m); so still pretty good!
On average, surface conditions (wave height) are worse (higher) during the winter months (December – April), often limiting our dive site choice. However, the visibility during these months is almost always in excess of 18m/60ft, if not 30m/100ft. Spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) are more social during the winter months, and tend to congregate at our shallow, sheltered dive sites (The Pillars of Hercules and Black’s Point), although we do spot them year-round.
English Harbour, and the island as a whole, is busier during the winter months, therefore more restaurants and bars are open, and more events are taking place. However, for this reason, accommodation is normally more expensive.
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Some swimming ability is required. You need to have basic swim skills and be able to comfortably maintain yourself in the water. For the PADI Open Water Diver course, your PADI Instructor will assess this by having you:
Swim 200 metres/yards (or 300 metres/yards in mask, fins and snorkel). There is no time limit for this, and you may use any swimming strokes you want.
Float and tread water for 10 minutes, again using any methods you want.
Please find more scuba diving related FAQs at PADI FAQs
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The most likely negative interaction you could have with marine life while scuba diving in Antigua would be brushing up against some fire coral (Millepora). This normally results in a weak sting, leaving an itchy area on your skin, which does not usually last long. To avoid this, and to protect the coral, we practice good buoyancy, and stay streamlined, keeping our arms close to our body.
Other than this, as long as you don’t tease or harass marine life, nothing will actively try to harm you. We have never had a dangerous incident with any kind of marine life.
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Normal beach attire e.g. swimwear, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion (reef safe! = non-nano zinc oxide!), a hat, and a towel. Although water and juice are included and offered on board, feel free to bring any snacks that you may want to eat between dives. If you tend to suffer from motion sickness it may be an idea to take motion sickness pills prior to meeting at the dive shop.
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The average journey time is only 20mins, and the maximum journey time is 30mins.
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No. But there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance.
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Unfortunately no, the distance between resorts is just too large. The easiest way to travel to us is by taxi, but over the course of a few days, the most economical way would be to rent a car.
We highly recommend staying in Falmouth or English Harbour, where you will likely only have a short walk, or a short bus ride, in order to reach us.
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Taxi
If you’d like to take a taxi to reach us here at DiveCarib, or for any other adventures around Antigua, we’d recommend Del Taxi. Please inform them that you were recommended by DiveCarib.
Phone: +1(268) 725-7484
Car Rental
If you’d like to rent a car during your stay so that you can reach DiveCarib, and explore the rest of the island, we’d recommend using Titi Rent a Car. Titi Rent a Car is located within English Harbour town, and is only a 10mins walk from DiveCarib. Please inform them that you were recommended by DiveCarib.
Phone: +1(268) 460-1452
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Yes, it actually is a good idea to eat light before a dive. However it is not recommended to have a full heavy meal before a dive.
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No, alcohol consumption is not recommended before scuba diving, and anyone who has consumed alcohol (or taken a narcotic of any kind) will not be allowed to board the boat. It is also recommended that you avoid drinking heavily the evening before diving.
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Here is some advice from PADI:
After completing a single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
For multiple dives per day, or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.
To err on the side of safety, many divers plan a 24-hour surface interval and spend their time exploring topside attractions.
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Here is some advice from PADI:
- Deep Tissue Massage – What? No massage? Relax and breathe. Here’s the good news, according to DAN, “massage has not been confidently associated with…cases of DCS.”
Experts caution against deep tissue massage, but a gentle relaxation massage is probably fine. The two main concerns with deep tissue massage are:
– Increased blood flow might lead to bubble formation
– Muscle soreness that might cause soreness which can lead to misdiagnosis (or delayed diagnosis) of DCS.- Relaxing in a hot tub – As the body warms up and circulation improves, there is an increased chance of bubble formation. According to DAN:
Since the solubility of gas is inversely related to temperature, tissues will hold less in solution as they warm. Warming tissue with significant loads can promote bubble formation. Since the warming of the superficial tissues precedes the increase in blood flow, such bubbles can become problematic before the circulation can remove them harmlessly.
- Intense Partying – Drinking a lot of alcohol can cause dehydration and delayed diagnosis of DCS. If you want to unwind with a few adult beverages, first drink lots of water, then enjoy in moderation.
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The Sailing Academy, where we are located, is a five-minute walk from the centre of town, where you will find a number of restaurants and bars offering various cuisines. It is only a ten-minute walk to the UNESCO world heritage site locally referred to as Nelson’s Dockyard. The stunning beaches Pigeon Beach, and Galleon Beach, as well as the look out – Shirley Heights, which hosts a famous Sunday/Thursday night bbq and party, are also located nearby.
