What the press say............. complete diving guide to the caribbean - all islands - all dive sites - all dive operators go back to complete caribbean dive guide home page

Diver Magazine, October 1998, Brendan O'Brien

The Complete Diving Guide - The Caribbean (Volume 1) is exactly what it professes to be. Intended to be the first in a series, it looks at the southern islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Each chapter starts with a short island introduction followed by a very specific description of the dive sites, operators and hotels.

The write-ups of the dive sites are full of interesting personal experiences. The rest of the chapter provides just the sort of information you need, such as which operators have english speaking dive guides and which recognise the depth limitations of BSAC rather than PADI.

Throughput the book's 390 information-packed pages are numerous interesting side panels. One describes the ships that sank in St. Pierre Harbour on Martinique when Mount Pelee erupted in 1902. The resulting dive sites sound so fascinating that I at once booked a trip to the island. Surely this is the acid test of a dive guide?

 

PADI Undersea Journal – First Quarter 1998

"At last, the Eastern Caribbean has the dive guide it deserves. "

Volume I covers the Caribbean Islands from Dominica to Tobago. The first book of its kind for the area, The Complete Diving Guide - The Caribbean Volume 1 by Colleen Ryan and Brian Savage is meticulously researched and packed with useful information. The book describes over 240 dives sites and covers 50 extensively, and includes full-color underwater site plans.

All in all, the guide contains everything a diver needs to know to decide which island to dive and where to stay, which operators to dive with, which sites to visit, what to expect to see and even which camera lenses to use to capture on film what you actually see. "

PADI Undersea Journal – Second Quarter 1998

From an article on diving in the Windward islands:

"This book on the area is a must for visitors and tour group leaders"

 

Dive International, March 1998, Max James

"Three years ago Colleen Ryan and Brian Savage traded in their highly successful London careers for a life cruising the Caribbean on their yacht. And being keen divers they needed a guide to the area.

Dissatisfied with what they found they decided to write and publish their own. It took two years’ hard work, the mastering of a whole new set of skills from marine biology to desktop publishing and some dogged determination. The result is the most accurate, useful and interesting guide to Caribbean diving yet published.

The first volume covers the southern part of the Caribbean from Dominica to Tobago, but does not stretch to Bonaire and Curacao. More than 240 dives are described with detailed graphics for 50 sites and most usefully all the dive operators are listed and evaluated.

The book looks as if it has been produced by a slick publishing house with all the resources in the world. It is hard to believe it was compiled by two amateurs in the saloon of their tiny yacht moored off out-of-the-way Caribbean islands. A remarkable achievement and essential reading for anyone planning a diving trip to the area. The only problem is that you will end up wanting to sell up, buy a boat and spend the next several years checking out the dives in detail."

 

All at Sea – January 1998

"Colleen Ryan and Brian Savage, currently cruising in Venezuela aboard their Sundeer 64, Theta Volantis, have just brought out The Complete Diving Guide, The Caribbean, Volume 1, Dominica to Tobago - a must for all dive enthusiasts.

The guide lists 80 dive operators and 250 dive sites, with various dive sites on each island. Each is given a difficulty rating, an indication of which are suitable for diving without a local dive guide. The sites have all been dived by the authors, who describe the marine life you can expect to see at each spot as well as a giving brief but informative description of the type of dive, and the terrain and profile of the site. Some sites have accompanying maps as well.

Everything divers need or might like to know - and not only about under the water, but information about each island too."

 

Caribbean Compass – December 1997, Suzanne Gabriel

"This is the first diving guide of its kind to be published for the Windward Islands, and it gives a good insight into what these islands have to offer. It assists in your planning a diving vacation by giving detailed information on '80 different dive opera- tors and listing over 250 dive sites and the types of marine life you can expect to see there. Background information on each island is also presented, also helping you plan a great vacation.

The introductory chapter suggests different diving options available, ranging from all-inclusive resorts to bareboat yacht charters. I feel the best way to guarantee that you will see the best of what the Caribbean has to offer is to dive with local dive operators, and these are listed at the end of each chapter. The instructors and divemasters who are diving daily know just where to find the large green moray, seahorse or frogfish you hope to see. The all-inclusive resorts mentioned can be a little misleading as some only dive on 3 or 4 reefs and you may be taken back to the same site several times (if you manage to secure your place on the dive boat, that is). Cruising the islands by yacht is a popular type of vacation which of course will give you an increased variety of diving and island life.

Scuba diving can be a hazardous sport and it is the responsibility of the individual to make sure each dive is within their capabilities before proceeding with that dive. sts - The guide lists a number of dive sites on each island and indicates which sites are suitable for diving without a local dive guide (for certified divers only). A difficulty rating is also given for these sites, however you must bear in mind that the rating is based on normal conditions and very strong currents can be present in these islands - be aware if diving without a local guide.

Beginning divers or those who have never been diving at all can select a dive operator who offers a "resort course" (an introduction to diving, together with a little shallow water work and finishing up with a dive). This course will allow you to dive with an instructor or divemaster for a period of 14 days. Another option is to enroll in the Open Water Certification course. You can even do the confined and classroom work at home prior to your trip and save your precious vacation time for the open water dives. You need to comylete a minimum of four dives to complete the course and these can be done with different instructors, even on different islands, so long as they are with the same diving organisation, e.g. PADI.

Each dive site was personally experienced by the authors who give a detailed description of the marine life you can expect to see on each particular site. Of course this makes the book invaluable, as scuba divers can then select which dive sites to visit; what makes a great dive for one person may not be so for another. If you want to see a particular type of critter then take a look in the back of the book at the Index which lists the most likely places for sightings.

The majority of dive sites are documented and a brief description is provided detailing the type of dive, terrain and profile of the site. Approximately one in five dive sites has an accompanying map with a more detailed description, however I feel that it would have been a good idea to include more dive maps for the sites that can be visited independently (without a local guide). The maps and accompanying descriptions are very informative although depths indicated and dive routes should be used as a guide only, as conditions at the dive sites may change. Sidebars are forever present throughout the book giving lots of extra information - very nice.

The authors Colleen Ryan and Brian Savage are both from England and are PADI dive instructors. They have done a wonderful job of detailing the exciting world of diving in the Windward Islands. A great guide for the diving enthusiast, and just in time for the holidays."