Great diving ...if you like wrecks, check out the Antilles wreck
Written: Jun 25 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful water, Lots of fauna, Antilles WWII Wreck
Cons: ? (I'm a bit biased)
The Bottom Line: Easy, relaxing dive opportunities. Opportunity for wreck penetration at the Antilles Wreck dive site.
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| bowbiter's Full Review: Aruba |
The Antille's wreck is from WWII. It is located about 15 minutes from the island by boat, so it is a very convenient for a short day trip. (If you are staying on the island.)
The wreck is located on the NE part of the island (I think). It is approximately 400 feet long and has ample opportunities for wreck penetration. The ship is covered in coral and has a wide variety of fish living near it. Wide variety meaning the large variety of Carribean fishes...damsels, wrasses, etc... Oh - I don't remember seeing any fire coral on the shipwreck...which is definitely a good thing. So if there is any there, there probably isn't much of it.
If you are looking to do wreck penetration, I would highly suggest bringing a powerful flashlight. Visibility within the shipwreck is very poor - partly due to the lack of light and partly because of the sand you stir up when you swim.
Visibility
Outside of the ship, visibility is great. Of course this also depends on the day's conditions...but because of the shallower depth and clear water good visibility is the normal.
Currents
At the bottom, there were no noticeable currents or undertows. At the surface, however, there was a noticeable current. It wasn't exceptionally strong but it did require holding onto the line to stay in one spot at the surface. It was also weak enough where it didn't make climbing the ladder into the boat any more difficult than it already is.
Depth
Divewise, the maximum depth of the wreck is 60 feet. The deepest I ever noticed I went (I went to the bottom) was 35-40 ft...but I didn't check every few feet...just once in a while. This shallow depth allows you to stay down for a significant amount of time. My dive group was down for 40 minutes, plus a 3 minute safety stop.
Water Temperature
I went in May and the water was warm...probably around 75 degrees F. The temperature down below was cooler but not so much to make me cold right away. When I dove I did not wear any type of protective clothing (I was on a cruise and did not pack one) but was fine for most of the dive. Even though I never hit any of the coral, I would have felt safer if I had that extra protection. Also, I was cold the last few minutes of the dive. I'm not really sure if that was because we stopped moving (safety stop) or if it was a result of the warm/cold patches we hit. Regardless, I would suggest at least a 2-3mm shortie because that is what our divemaster used..and obviously he dives there year round.
Cost
The cost depends on the dive shop you go through. When we were there several other diving boats were also anchored there. The dive shop we dove through was called Pelican Tours. (It offered beginner scuba (to the wreck) and several other types of dives. It also had a beach area for guests.) The cost of our dive was $65 including the boat/divemaster tour fee, tank of air (size 80, 3000 psi), regulator, bc, pressure gauges, depth, gage, and warm water flippers if you need them. You could also rent other equipment for an additional $8.
Overall
It was a very easy, relaxing dive. In my 40 minute dive we were able to swim the entire wreck and a very comfortable pace, with lots of air to spare at the end. The visibility was very good, with the exception of inside the wreck. The fish and coral were abundant, even with all of the scuba divers around. This dive would be good for any level from beginner to advanced.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bowbiter
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Location: Westmont, NJ
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 18 members
About Me:
Chemical Engineering Graduate Student at Rowan University, BS in Biological Science, Fulbright Korea Alumni
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