Hello from the Caribbean

[lottie]

Hey all,
Just thought I'd introduce myself - My name's lottie, I now live in St Lucia (ex-pat from the UK) and started diving a couple of months ago just (had a bad first experience in Cairns a few years ago and thought that scuba wasn't for me....) and got my PADI OW a month ago and have loved it ever since.

Now done 4 dives since and am trying to go diving at least twice a month (hopefully more once I start getting some income coming in)...trust me to pick an expensive, but great, hobby!!!

Lottie )

[Sarah]

Hi Lottie, thanks for the opening post and welcome!

[dalehall]

Welcome.. St. Lucia is definitely on my "Wish List." Hope to make it there in the next year or two.

[Zero]

G'day and welcome aboard Lottie. Care to enlighten us about the Cairns experience?

Matt

[seasnake]

Love to hear about your recent dives too ...

[lottie]

Thanks for the replies.

Zero - the Cairns experience...you really wanna know? - ok - two words - cattle boat....

After that experience, I thought thats the end of my taste of scuba, but one of my friends has been diving for years and when she came over in January and used the local resort, she said they were very good and shouldn't put one bad experience in the way of trying it again....good job I took her advice..just wish i'd taken the plunge (pun intended) sooner.

As for the experiences in St Lucia - absolutely fantastic. The dive resort staff are superb, helpful and patient. The reefs are really well preserved, loads of fish (obviously!), seen loads of cudda, butterfly fish, lobsters, cowfish, flying gurnard, fireworms...etc...etc and good viz always helps.
I dove tuesday just gone and it was a drift dive - it was okay to start off with, just floating along with the current, but then it got a bit too strong and I was drifting too far off, plus got a bit of cramp in my foot as well, but going back out next friday and maybe a couple of dives the week after that as well....

I'm going to hire out a camera in a couple of months time (I might buy one next year, but too many to choose from and I hate making decisions) and I'll post up some pics.

I'm also having a busman's holiday (as one of my friends put it) in September to St Maarten (about an hours flight north from here) to do some more diving - including a shark awareness dive, which I'm really looking forward to. Again, i'll be hiring out a camera

I don't just scuba dive over here...my parents have a guesthouse near the beach and a bar (the best bit) which isn't up and running yet and will be managed by yours truly..

Does that help your curiosities?

Lottie

[PinayDiver]

Welcome Lottie, glad you signed up. This forum needs more women!
Pass on the mixed drinks, brews, and shooters (from the bar that you will be managing)

[Sarah]

Pinay, I agree. Our advertising goes out to all but I do really try to get women too, besides, the guys love us, and we love them!

Lottie, sounds like you had a great time. Taking off 10 days, going diving in the tropics, what a life!

[lottie]

Lottie, sounds like you had a great time. Taking off 10 days, going diving in the tropics, what a life!

iDiveChick - If I'm reading this right, you make it sound like as though I went to St Lucia on holiday??

If that's correct, I actually live in St Lucia (and I ain't going back to the UK!!!)

Lottie

[Zero]

Thanks for the replies.

Zero - the Cairns experience...you really wanna know? - ok - two words - cattle boat....

Ahh yes the exact reason why i go overseas diving instead of the reef up north. Cheaper to head for the Solomons or Vanuatu than go to QLD and less people and restrictions. Not knocking it cause ive never tried it up there but the reports ive heard from people up there make me think twice before heading there.

Matt