The Virgin Islands are ideal waters to dive in. The water temperatures remain constant between 79F in winter & 85F in summer months. Average dive visibility is 80Ft. The BVI has over 75 dive sites that range in depth from 50 – 85Ft. No wetsuit is necessary in the summer and a 3mm shorty is suitable for winter months. A dive skin or rash guard is advisable to wear anytime.
With reefs teeming with large fish and healthy corals, the Virgin Islands are the ideal place to SCUBA dive. There are many shipwrecks to explore including the RMS Rhone and the Chikuzen. The water is crystal clear and most dive sites are protected from the waves providing for comfortable entry and exit from the water. The Virgin Islands sits atop a plateau so most dives are fringing reefs and shallow pinnacles, the reef face is protected by excellent mooring systems, maintained by the BVI’s National Parks Trust.
Captain Jerry Blair is a NAUI SCUBA Instructor with over 3000 dives in the Virgin Islands and will take you to dive sites not on the usual routes. He offers several dive programs on Copper Penny to suit all levels of divers from beginners to certified divers. Up to 2 dives per day maximum and normally not more than 12 dives for the week are possible with a normal itinerary but may limit other activities and sailing to non-diving destinations.
Jerry offers the Discover Scuba diving- Resort Course for those wishing to try scuba diving or wanting to dive again but are not certified divers.
Discover Scuba diving course- there is a small pamphlet to read, quiz, short video, and a short lecture on the basics of scuba and swimming underwater followed by a 35-45-minute dive on a shallow reef (max 40 feet) after getting the guests acclimated in the shallow water.
If you would like to get certified on your vacation there are a couple of options: Get certification started at home and finish onboard Copper Penny with Open Water Referrals or the e-learning full certification program.
E-Learning certification requires getting text books and instructional videos ahead of time and completing the quizzes and exams online prior to your arrival on Copper Penny. Jerry can follow your progress online as you go and help answer questions. Once onboard there is a day needed to do shallow water skills on the beach before you go on your 4-5 required open water dives.
BEST OPTION – Open water referral – This is the best of both worlds, take the classroom exams and pool sessions at home and do your 4-5 “check out dives” in the warm waters of the Caribbean.
Additional dives are $75 each. Students can dive all week with Jerry but are not certified at the end.
