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Five dives a day, at some of the Caribbean's best scuba sites

Scuba diving on a live-aboard: Frequently-Asked Questions about Sea Squirts

Enjoy relaxed scuba diving on the Caribbean islands of Saba, St. Kitts, and Statia, from the comfort of an award-winning liveaboard.

This FAQ page is intended to accompany other pages about this trip and about our company (see links at left). Some of the answers below may include links to other other sites; please use the BACK key of your browser to return to this page.

Contents:

• What's a Sea Squirt?
  
• When does the trip start and end?
  
• I'm traveling alone. Will everyone else be in couples?
  
• Hey, what's this "Adventure Beds" option??
  
• This is called a 7-day trip. Exactly what does that mean?
  
• Will I feel like I missing out if I don't do all 5 dives each day?
  
• What's the boat like? What amenities does it offer?
  
• How large is the crew?
  
• Is seasickness a problem on a live-aboard boat?
  
• What's the food like?
  
• Should I exchange money before I go?
  
• What's the weather like in this part of the Carribbean?
  
• Can I get my PADI or NAUI scuba diving certification this week?
  
• Is a wetsuit necessary?
  
• Can I rent diving equipment there?
  
• Why can't you just include the Marine Park Fee in the trip price?
  
• Why is the single-room supplement so high for this trip, compared with your others?
  
• Can I sleep on the deck at night?
  
• Am I expected to tip the crew?
  
• How long should I allow between my last dive, and my flight home?
  
• Can I talk to someone who's been on this trip?
  
• Can I take a sea squirt home with me after the trip?
  

What's a Sea Squirt?
You are -- if you join us on this trip.

A sea squirt is also a small marine animal, related to the sea cucumber, that squirts you if you take it out of the water. There are several species of squirts; in the Caribbean, we're most likely to see green sea squirts. If you'd like to know more, check out Sea Squirts: Our Distant Cousins, a web page that a human sea squirt tracked down for us.

When does the trip start and end?
As for most of our trips, the official starting time is 6:00 pm on our official "start date". At that time we'll have a reception and orientation, followed by dinner. You can arrive earlier, but please note that (as of this writing) check-in time is 3:00 pm.

We'll return to Phillipsburg harbor the evening before the trip ends, and spend the that night on the boat in the harbor. The trip ends after breakfast on the last day; check-out time is 9:00 am, and we all need to be off the boat by then, so they can get it ready for the next Squirts. Our pre-trip newsletter will keep you posted on any changes in these times.

I'm traveling alone. Will everyone else be in couples?
Most of our trips draw more single travelers than couples. When couples do join us, it's usually because they're looking forward to interacting with a gay group; if they wanted a holiday by themselves, they wouldn't have signed up to travel with us. Furthermore, the activities included with our trips serve as natural ice-breakers. Within a day, you'll be traveling with friends.

You don't need to pay the single supplement if you're traveling alone. We'll be happy to match you with a roommate. Pay the single supplement only if you want a bedroom to yourself.

Hey, what's this "Adventure Beds" option??
Our boat has 3 double rooms (with one double bed, 48" wide) and 5 rooms with two beds. Most divers on our trip are traveling alone, and we sometimes have a shortage of rooms with two beds.

If you're willing to be matched with a roommate, in a room with just one double bed, we'll give you a discount. Many people prefer to sleep on the deck anyway, and the salon is always available should it rain, so there will be no need for both people to share one bed unless you both are comfortable with doing so.

This option is only available for people traveling alone who have asked to be matched with a roommate, and we reserve the right to limit its availability.

And, while we are happy to entertain requests such as "I want a roommate who's blond, hunky, and has no inhibitions", we cannot make any guarantees. That's why it's an adventure!

This is called a 7-day trip. Exactly what does that mean?
Our trip officially begins at 6:00 p.m., with a reception and orientation, followed by dinner. We officially end after breakfast on the last day, although you can leave as early as you like. Or stay around all day, for sightseeing with your new friends.

Our "7-day" trip thus consists of 6 full days and two partial days. Some companies promote a trip of this length as being 8 days since it includes pieces of 8 different days. We feel it's more accurate to refer to this as 7 days.

Will I feel like I missing out if I don't do all 5 dives each day?
While a few divers are likely to do every dive, most people choose to do just 4 dives a day, and some do only 2 or 3. The benefit of having 5 dives a day is that if you're not up for that much diving, you can select the dive sites, and the times, that most appeal to you.

What's the boat like? What amenities does it offer?
Scuba divers who have tried them all rank the Caribbean Explorer as one of their favorite liveaboards, and it has repeatedly been named one of the top liveaboards by readers of Rodale's Scuba Diving.

This 106-foot vessel includes two entertainment centers with music and movie libraries; a spacious sundeck; a bathroom for each two cabins; individual gear bins; freshwater showers; 8 air-conditioned cabins, vanities, and sinks; a full service E-6 color film processing lab; a recharging station for strobes, batteries, etc.; and satellite phone hookups.

How large is the crew?
For sixteen (or fewer) passengers there's a crew of seven, including four dive instructors, as well as a superb chef.

Is seasickness a problem on a live-aboard boat?
There are no guarantees, of course, about when a storm or rough seas could move in. On a typical trip, however, we'll spend most of our time in waters that are sufficiently calm, few people would experience discomfort.

As we cross open water from one island to another, several times during the trip, we can hit rougher seas. Over-the-counter remedies are effective at preventing seasickness. We suggest taking a standard dose about noon on the day the trip starts, in case our crossing that evening hits rough water, then continue or discontinue it during the week, based on weather, and whether you feel susceptible. Or have your doctor prescribe a patch, which you wear all week, to dispense a low, steady dose of medication. You'll find more advice on the seasickness page of our diving site.

What's the food like?
Those of you who have been on our others trips will know that we wouldn't have booked this boat without making sure the meals would be as superb as the diving.

Breakfasts will include eggs, bacon, pancakes, French toast, muffins, danish and fresh fruits. Lunches vary from soup and sandwiches, burgers, pasta, assorted salads, and quiche. For dinner we'll have lots of fresh vegetables, rice, pasta, chicken, beef, turkey, pork, and fish. Homemade baked breads, cookies and brownies are offered between dives. If you have any dietary restrictions or requests, please let us know on the questionnaire we send out about two months before the trip starts.

Should I exchange money before I go?
No need to. The U.S. dollar is not only widely accepted on the islands, it's preferred. Credit cards and travelers checks are also commonly used.

If you do change money into local currencies, do not change more than you need, as it may be hard to convert it back at the same rate.

What's the weather like in this part of the Carribbean?
The eastern Caribbean enjoys remarkably consistent weather year-round. The temperatures range from the 70's or higher in the winter months to the 80's during the summer, with refreshing sea breezes. Water temperatures range from about 77 degrees in winter to a high of about 84 in summer, with visibility generally between 60 and 150 feet.

Can I get my PADI or NAUI scuba diving certification this week?
You cannot take the full PADI or NAUI scuba certification courses on the liveaboard, nor would you want to; you'd miss out on too much diving.

However, you can complete the open-water diving portion of the certification process, and if you're not yet certified, that's an excellent way to learn to dive. Essentially, it means you do your classroom and pool practice with a PADI operator where you live, then finish up (with open-water diving) on the liveaboard. (It may be possible to make the same referral arrangement to complete a NAUI course, but please confirm with us in advance.)

There is a charge for the instructor on the boat, but you should have some savings at the other end, since you're not taking the full certification course. Just be sure to let us know on our pre-trip questionnaire that you'd like to do this.

You can also take many of the specialized PADI courses, such as getting your Advanced Open Water certification.

Is a wetsuit necessary?
It's highly recommended, at least in the winter months. Most people could do a single dive or two in these waters without needing a wetsuit. But over the course of a week, you'll be happier if you have some sort of extra thermal protection. Anything from a 3-mil "shorty" suit to a full 5-mil suit should be fine. Bring one if you have it; otherwise the dive shop has an assortment available for rental.

Can I rent diving equipment there?
Yes. If you need some diving items, or everything, you can rent it there. Just let us know in advance, on the questionnaire we'll send out before the trip.

Why can't you just include the Marine Park Fee in the trip price?
We try to avoid the practice, all too common among tour operators, of advertising an artificially low price, then hitting you with lots of unavoidable extra charges. Normally, if everyone will need to pay a certain fee during a trip, we try to include it in the basic package.

However, the Marine Parks on the islands of Saba and Statia specifically request that dive operators not include these fees in their package price, so as to increase awareness among scuba divers that reef preservation doesn't happen by itself, but requires the active and on-going efforts of conservation organizations. We therefore add it, as a separate fee, at the end of the trip. This also means you won't pay the fee for any dives you don't do.

Why is the single-room supplement so high for this trip, compared with your others?
We've booked the entire boat for our group. Virtually all of the costs are fixed, regardless of the number of passengers, so our savings are very small if we have only one person in a cabin, instead of two.

Can I sleep on the deck at night?
Yes. Spotting a shooting star overhead, as you fall asleep, or listening to the waves slapping the sides of the boat, will make the week even more special.

Am I expected to tip the crew?
On a dive boat like this, gratuities are a major part of the crew's compensation. Some companies add tips and gratuities on top of the list price as a mandatory surcharge. Others leave it to you, but strongly pressure you to tip. We feel that when a tip is expected or virtually required, it should be built into the list price of a trip, and that's what we've done. We have budgeted an average industry tip into the price you're already paying.

If you are particularly impressed by the quality of service you receive, you're invited to make a small additional tip, perhaps $20 to $50 for the week. But that's voluntary, and should only be done if you feel it's deserved.

How long should I allow between my last dive, and my flight home?
Dive safety experts suggest a minimum of 24 hours between your last dive, and any high-altitude flights. Only two dives are scheduled for the last full day, ending at 11:00 a.m. So you could schedule a flight after 11:00 a.m. on the next day (the day the trip ends), without losing any dives.

Can I talk to someone who's been on this trip?
We encourage you to do so. Outside Magazine says that talking to people who have taken a trip previously is one of the best ways to evaluate whether it will be right for you, and we agree.

Our website includes a full page of comments from past travelers. Most of them have volunteered to talk about their experiences with future potential travelers. Please call for the names and phone numbers of references in your area.

Can I take a sea squirt home with me after the trip?
We'll see.

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