If you are looking for a holiday spot where you can enjoy sunny warm beaches with scuba diving facilities, you need to look no further, because the place youre looking for is definitely Antigua. Located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, Antigua is just adjacent to the north of equator, and provides warm waters and beautiful dive locations. The surrounding islands of Antigua include St. Barts, St. Martin, and Montserrat. Antigua is the largest of the British Leeward Islands, and is 14 miles long and 11 miles wide.
Except for the hurricane season, Antigua has blissfully warm waters all year round. The place offers clear dive locations, great scuba diving tour operators and services, and is overwhelmed with physical and natural beauty. There are a great number of hotels and resorts that provide luxurious accommodation, even in the low budget arena. The place also offers a large number of scuba diving schools and tours, depending on your skill level.
The water in the area of Antigua is unmatchable. As it is encircled by very well preserved coral reefs, walls, and shipwrecks, the water is very clean and the underwater visibility ranges from 40 to 150 feet. The southern and eastern beaches of the island are surrounded by shelves, which make it a fantastic location for diving or snorkelling, in particular for less skilled divers.
Advanced divers can go to many other diving spots, with the most popular being the ledge at Sunken Rock, located on the southern coast of the island. The dive depths may range from 25 to 80 feet. Most of the diving spots are located near Antigua, and can be reached in just five minutes. However, there are some diving spots that could take up to 40 minutes to reach. The wreck of Andes is a popular spot in Antigua, where a merchant ship sank. With plenty of tropical marine plants and underwater life, you can enjoy a lot while underwater.
It is possible to sign up for a variety of scuba diving courses or tours while on the island. If you are a novice and have not yet learnt anything prior arriving on the islands, it is a good idea to register in a one day course which is short, yet intensive enough to teach you all you need to know for fundamental dives.
The coaches are highly qualified and will teach you all the correct techniques and theory, along with the vital safety tips before they let you go under water. Moreover, they also ensure that you are well organized to go under water before they allocate you any equipment.
If you are a formal diver, you can sign up for either daily dives, or three or five day deals, with or without equipment rental charges. For entrance on the island, you need to have a return ticket, but if you belong to the Unites States or Canada, or hold a British passport, you do not require a visa to set foot on the island. In any case, you just need to prove that you have the finances to cover your stay and accommodation expenses. Additionally, you also need to give surety to them that you will leave before your six months are up, as that is the maximum stay allowed on a visit visa.
Thus, if youre thinking to spend your vacations scuba diving and spending time relaxing on the striking beaches, then Antigua is the accurate location for you.