Antigua Diving Review: Dive Carib Antigua
Looking for an Antigua diving review? You’ve come to the right place.
I went diving with Dive Carib Antigua. Whether you are a seasoned diver or a beginner, Antigua offers a great variety of dive sites for all levels.
Crystal-clear waters, vibrant corals, and a wide variety of marine life make for a memorable scuba diving experience.
Let’s get right into what it’s like to go scuba diving in Antigua with Dive Carib.
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Diving in Antigua is more expensive than my other Caribbean experiences diving in Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras, BUT the diving was great, which makes up for the higher price.
During my trip to Antigua, I did a two-tank dive and here are the dive sites I visited:
Dive Site – Carib House
Carib House is a reef dive site off the coast of Falmouth Harbour. It takes its name from being considered Dive Carib’s home reef.
This 40-70 ft depth site contains colourful reefs with cliff overhangs and sand gullies. In the dive area, you can see Caribbean spiny lobsters, nurse sharks, southern sting rays, green moray eels, and octopus.
During my Carib House dive, I saw a spotted stingray, colourful fish, lobster, and plenty of beautiful coral. I was sad to not see a nurse shark resting under one of the cliff overhangs, but it was still a great dive site.
Dive Site – Black’s Point
Black’s Point is a reef dive site off the windward tip of Falmouth Harbour.
This 10-30 ft depth site features coral-covered boulders from erosion and byproducts of the extinct volcano. In the dive area, you can look for stingrays to swim with, spotted spiny lobster, Atlantic blue tang, and vivid-coloured coral.
During my Black’s Point dive, I saw jellyfish, colourful fish, and bright-coloured coral. I enjoyed swimming over large rocks and the visibility was amazing. And unlike my dive in the Philippines, I didn’t get stung by the jellyfish this time.
Black’s Point was my favourite of the two dives in Antigua.
About Dive Carib Antigua
Dive Carib is a 5-star PADI dive shop and school in southern Antigua.
In addition to scuba diving, Dive Carib offers snorkelling so those with friends and family who don’t want to dive can still get out on the water together.
They are the only dive shop on the island that offers Nitrox diving.
Location
Dive Carib is located in English Harbour, Antigua, which is the best area to stay in for adventure activities.
It’s located inside the National Sailing Academy complex along the water. Pulling into the parking lot, it can look like you aren’t in the right place, but it’s tucked behind the small hotel right at the water.
There are washrooms and an outdoor shower available for divers. I hadn’t seen showers before at a dive shop, but I loved it. It comes in handy to wash off after diving and go explore the rest of the island.
If you are not renting a car in Antigua, you will need to take a taxi to reach English Habour.
Address: National Sailing Academy, Dockyard Drive, Antigua and Barbuda
The Scenery
Located within Antigua’s southeastern coast, you will pass harbours and can admire the mountainous shape of the island while you sail to your diving site.
You will see the scenic region of Antigua from a unique viewpoint: under the water.
Scuba Diving with Dive Carib Antigua
Here is what it’s like scuba diving with Dive Carib:
Once you’ve booked your dive and arrive on your diving day, you will fit check for a mask, wetsuit, and fin size.
Get into your wet suit and your dive master will go over a detailed explanation of what to expect, and what dive codes to use, and prepare you for a fun and safe day of diving. It was the best pre-dive briefing I’ve ever had. While that is happening, the staff will load your scuba gear onto the boat.
Board the boat and prepare for smooth sailing on their tri-hull boat. After a short boat ride, you will reach your dive site.
Put on your scuba gear. The dive staff will help you do a safety check to ensure everything is put on properly and in working condition. Once ready, it’s time to go diving!
Carefully walk towards the edge, make sure that your mask is on properly with no hairs in the way, put your reg in your mouth, place one hand over your mask and reg, then take a giant step forward off the boat and splash. You made it in the water!
Follow the instructions from your dive master where to swim towards, and get ready to descend. Take slow, deep breaths, let the air out of your BCD and equalize as needed. Now that you are underwater, it’s time for the fun part!
Prices
Prices for diving with Dive Carib start at $95 USD for single-tank dives with rentals and $159 for two-tank dives with rentals for licensed divers.
They also offer nitrox diving starting at $195 USD for a two-tank dive with rentals and snorkelling starting at $50 USD.
New to diving and want to try scuba diving in Antigua? Discovery dive prices start at $159 USD for a 3-hour introduction, including a lesson in a shallow reef.
Scuba diving is the best way to experience Antigua’s underwater beauty. Snorkelling is great, but diving in Antigua will show you more.
Tip for Scuba Diving in Antigua
- Scuba diving in Antigua is possible year-round, but the best visibility is between December – April. Summer and fall are the wet season.
- Summer is the slowest season of travel in Antigua. You will find less dive shop options in September as many are doing maintenance ahead of the busy winter season.
- If you get motion sickness, take medication before boarding the boat to go scuba diving. While a pretty steady boat, the ocean waves can still affect you if you are prone to motion sickness.
- Bring an underwater camera to capture the underwater world. I brought my Insta360 with a dive case to take pictures and videos.
- Drink plenty of water before, in between dives, and after to stay hydrated. They offer water and fruit punch on the boat.
Things to Do Nearby
- Nelson’s Dockyard National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in English Harbour
- Shirley Heights – a restored military lookout with epic island views
- Galleon Beach – a beach with great snorkelling tours and frequent turtle sightings
Antigua Diving Review of Dive Carib & Final Thoughts
I would choose to scuba dive with Dive Carib again. The dive master was very patient and easygoing, and I really appreciated that as someone who takes longer to equalize on my descent.
We had the boat to ourselves in the off-season, so it felt even more special. All in all, I had a positive diving experience and would recommend diving in Antigua with Dive Carib.
Whether you are a licensed diver or someone looking to try a fun dive for the first time, the caring staff at Dive Carib will help you feel comfortable.
To learn more about Dive Carib, and book your Antigua scuba diving adventure visit their website.
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