Just came back from a 4 day dive trip with Stuart Cove's and can recommend the facility. Check in was very efficient, especially since we'd already filled out the paper work. We were able to add lunches and souveniers to the tab through out our stay, which was also done with efficiency (and they have a good selection of souveniers!).
Did two dives on Sunday morning... both wreck dives.. I was surprised at the quality and health of the coral growth, which was beautiful.. some of the best I've seen in the caribbean.. especially on some of the manmade underwater structures.. what I was equally surprised about was the total lack of fish... no schools bigger than 10 or 15... it was weird... did see some huge groupers, though, and of course the sharks!
The dive staff was friendly and helpful. Ricardo was our DM and he was funny and friendly and knowledgable... stuck with the group but let those of us who wanted to, go our own way. Sites were properly explained, and we were given options on what to see and which direction to go in.
Day two of diving was cold and very windy, with huge swells... we were given extra safety briefings due to the rough seas, and the dive staff on board was courteous and helpful when I was hanging off the edge of the boat between dives getting sick. They brought me water and asked about my welfare.
We were supposed to do the two shark dives the second day, but I just couldn't get back on the boat for more dives, so they gladly let us postpone until the next afternoon. Day 3 the water was like glass, and we ended up with four dives.
The two afternoon shark dives were spectacular. The safety briefing we got was detailed and thorough. I am not afraid of sharks at all, but felt that they had really covered their bases on the safety aspect and what we should expect, and what we should and should not do. Since we missed diving with our own group on this, we did have some obviously new divers, but the dive staff took time to help them with their gear and wetsuits.. the boat was also very uncrowded.. maybe 10 people, which made moving around really nice. it's one thing to be on a crowded boat with all your friends, but another to be on a crowded boat with strangers!
They overall dive operation is huge and well run, it seems. They have a grill where they serve lunch.. gigantic burgers, veggies burgers, chicken, grouper... chips and soda.. I had the fish the first day, and then a cheese burger the next two days... eating between the morning and afternoon dives is, however, a rushed event.. would be nice if they allowed just a bit more time, but it wasn't a problem.
Don't expect to leave the docks at any particularly started time... they leave when everyone is on board and ready.
I did find that tanks were generally slightly underfilled, but our dive times were short... in the 30 to 45 minute range. The water was about 70 F, though, so short dives were preferable, and being underfilled didn't really matter. We did insist on analyzing our own nitrox tanks, and occassionally found that they were a percentage or two off from what the SC staff had marked.
They have water on board, and anyone with a mechanical issue was quickly taken care of... extra O rings, wrenches to tighten loose equipment (ours, not theirs). They did not, however, serve any type of snacks between dives. I don't think I've ever been on a dive boat where there weren't snacks. Not then end of the world, but a nice perk.
If you're diving in Feb/March, note that the water is quite cold, and consider a 5mm wetsuit, with additional shorty, hood and gloves, or a 7mm with hood and gloves. We dove in 5mms, and I was cold by the end of each dive.
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