ScubaTech Dive Center

In Depth

ScubaTech is a small and friendly dive operator based at the head of L’Anse aux Epines on Grenada’s meandering southern coastline. It sits on the sand at the Calabash Hotel, looking out onto the bay, which is a popular anchorage for yachts. There are also a number of villas and small resorts around the shores of the bay and in the immediate area. Dives are open to sailors and villa occupants as well as guests of the hotel.

ScubaTech has a daily schedule of a two tank dive trip in the morning and another two tank dive trip in the afternoon. The boat departs from the jetty at the Calabash next to their dive shop. Dive sites tend to be off the south-west peninsular and up along the western coastline of the island. ScubaTech has one boat, which takes a maximum of 12 divers per dive.

In addition, ScubaTech offers a full range of training courses, from beginner up to specialty level. You can get an introduction to diving through their Discover Scuba Diving course, or you can top off your training with a Divemaster qualification. Then the company offers a number of more exotic courses including the Nitrox Rebreather course, Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Procedures and the Extended Range course. ScubaTech is also happy to support referral training, in which you study the theory and/or do the confined water training at home before travelling (saving you time when you are actually on your holiday) and then complete the open water diving in Grenada itself.

For courses based wholly in Grenada, initial instruction takes place in the pool at the Calabash Hotel. Or if you happen to be staying in a villa that permits it, ScubaTech will come to you and give the instruction in the villa pool. For the other family members there are plenty of things to do on board or ashore while you are scuba diving.

ScubaTech Ltd was founded by former owners Rob and Katie Bryant in 2003 and so it is a relatively young company. However, the present owners, German husband and wife team Jochen and Sabine Lenz and their partner Carsten Andres, have a long pedigree in scuba diving in the Caribbean and elsewhere. They bought ScubaTech in November 2006.

Jochen has been diving since he was 17 and it is no surprise that Sabine, then his girlfriend, should take up the sport – they were working in a German dive shop at the time. In 2000 the opportunity arose to move to Egypt, where they established a dive centre the following year. Many holidays to the Caribbean and another dive shop later they came to Grenada in 2006 to find that there was a dive operation for sale. The perfect dive centre in the perfect location – all they needed was a partner.

Carsten became a certified diver in Australia back in 1991. On a round-the-world trip he ended up in Koh Samui where he took his Instructor examination and worked for the following year on Koh Tao. After a short stint in the Philippines, Carsten went to Egypt, where he worked for more than 10 years with a German tour operator specializing in scuba diving.

When he was asked in April 2006 by Sabine and Jochen if he was interested in buying a Dive Center on Grenada, Carsten said yes almost immediately, without even knowing where the island was located on the map. He arrived on the Spice Isle in December 2006 and is more than happy about his own Dive Center, the location, the people and the opportunity to live on the island.

Carsten is a PADI Master Instructor, CMAS** instructor, PRO NRC instructor, TDI Extended Range instructor and TDI CCR Buddy Inspiration instructor. Jochen is PADI IDC Staff Instructor, CMAS* instructor, PRO NRC instructor and Draeger Dolphin instructor. Sabine is a PADI Divemaster.

Grenada Scuba Diving

Grenada boasts over 15 wrecks in close proximity to its shores – all between six and 40 metres below the waves. There is something for everyone, ranging from MV Veronica, a shallow dive with minimal current that is ideal for the beginner, through to the famous Bianca C, a 600’ cruise liner that sank in 1961, which is suitable only for experienced divers.

There are many different types of coral to be seen in Grenadian waters, including boulder corals, soft corals, star and stag horn as well as sponges and sea fans. And amongst this array of colour you will often find barracuda, lobster, turtles, moray and snake eels as well as large groupers and nurse sharks, even the occasional manta ray.

The waters around Grenada are generally very clear, warm and calm, even when it’s raining – so visibility is good. There are some sites that should be treated carefully due to strong currents, but the local knowledge and experience on hand at ScubaTech will set you in good stead.

Excursions with ScubaTech are generally twice a day (9am and 1.30pm) unless special dive trips are scheduled. The meeting time is 30 minutes prior to departure but your equipment will be prepared for you and put on to board. Cruising time to the dive sites is between 10 and 45 minutes and there is a break for an hour or so between the two dives.

You just need to bring your certification card and if possible your logbook.

Nitrox is available and free of charge for all certified Nitrox divers.

Dive Courses

PADI Courses

Discover Scuba Diving - theory, pool work and 1 dive including equipment - US$135.00
Scuba Refresher - theory, pool work and 1 dive - US$110.00
Scuba Diver Course* - US$315.00
Open Water Diver Course* - US$485.00
Open Water referral per module** - US$85.00
* incl. equipment, training material, logbook, certification (if applicable)
** incl. equipment, certification (if applicable)
Advanced Open Water Diver** - US$350.00
Emergency First Responder** - US$150.00
Rescue Course** - US$400.00
** incl. training material, certification
Divemaster on request

Specialties

Nitrox Course (incl. training material and certification) - US$135.00

A range of Technical Dive Excursions, Diving Courses and equipment rental available - please see website for full details.

All prices are subject to Government Tax and to change without notice.
 

Guided Tours

ScubaTech is happy to take guided tours using its boat, which is certainly a different way to sightsee. The coastline of the island is exceptionally beautiful from below and certainly worth discovering. ScubaTech offers custom trips to several destinations, including Hog Island, Glovers Island and Flamingo Bay. Their excursions are usually a combination of sight-seeing and snorkelling and can very well be adapted to include your specific requests.

Snorkelling/Boat Trips

Flamingo Bay US$50
St George's US$50
Hog Island US$45
Aquarium US$45
Glover's Island US$45
Gouyave US$90
Sunset Champagne Cruise US$90
Sandy Island Tour US$150

All prices are subject to Government Tax and to change without notice.

Package Plans

Single Dive US$55
2 dive package (per person) US$100
6 dive package (per person) US$282
10 dive package (per person) US$450
20 dive package (per person) US$880
Night dive US$70
Northend Trip (per dive) US$100
Boat trip for accompanying persons US$20

All prices are subject to Government Tax and to change without notice.

Boats

The ScubaTech boat comes fitted with a DAN Oxygen system, VHF radio, GPS, a depth finder, mobile phones, life jackets, life ring, medic First Aid box, flares and a fire extinguisher.

Shop Rentals

Facilities at the ScubaTech Dive Center include an equipment room, compressor room/workshop, reception, rinse tank, jetty, sitting area, toilets and a shower. It is possible to buy a range of souvenirs such as caps, towels, T shirts, polo shirts and women’s shirts, as well as equipment such as logbooks, safety mirrors, clips, compasses, marker buoys, hangers, mask straps, masks, snorkels and fins. It is also possible to rent an underwater video camera including DVD, digital camera including CD or underwater still cameras (MM2, MX 10). 

Rentals

EQUIPMENT (per dive)
Complete Equipment US$15
Regulator US$5
BCD US$5
Wetsuit US$5
Mask + Snorkel US$5
Fins US$5
Computer US$10
Torch US$15

All prices are subject to Government Tax and to change without notice.

Watersports

ScubaTech now offers a good variety of watersports with its speedboat Dolphin, which will take you out into the calm and sheltered waters of Prickly Bay. There you can ride on an inflatable donut – always a laugh - water-ski or try wake boarding – the ‘snow-boarding’ of watersports.

Safety & Medical

The safety features on board the ScubaTech boat mean that if there is a dive accident you will be provided with oxygen treatment as soon as you are on board right up to the moment you are seen by the doctor from the nearby private hospital (who is fully trained for diving related accidents). If a decompression chamber is needed then you will be flown directly to Barbados with the arrangements being made either with ScubaTech and Barbados in person, or through a DAN operator if you are covered.

Since the end of December 2011 all dive masters of ScubaTech Dive Centre Grenada are equipped with the marine emergency system “Nautilus Lifeline”. See here for more details.