HD Scuba USVI - St Thomas Diving Club
4,556 views · Published 31 January 2011 · 9:59 · Indexed 20 October 2026
Channel: Ron K. · 2011 · Education
http://www.stthomasdivingclub.com Thanks to St. Thomas Diving Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands we had a great scuba trip in December 2010. The St. Thomas Diving Club is located at the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort. We did not stay there, only because they did not have Internet in the rooms. They do have it in some common areas. If it changes in the future we may stay there. The St Thomas Diving Club is a fully equipped dive shop with friendly and knowledgeable staff. It is easy to get too if your staying on the island or are visiting on a cruise ship. Next to it is a beach restaurant with excellent food, relaxed atmosphere and a nice place to hang out in. Walk across the sandy beach to the dock where you find the dive boat. A second smaller one is also available if needed. Before you get to the boat look off the dock into the water you will see two small maybe 1 or 2 foot long sharks hanging around. They have made it their home. They do not bother anyone but are beautiful to look at. If it was not for the diving I'd be in the water at their beach snorkeling. The bay here is calm and unlike others we visited it does not look like just a sandy bottom. The dive boat is okay. No complaints other then once we did we felt there where too many people on it. Understandably nobody wants to miss out on a dive or turn anyone away. We did get spoiled having small groups all the other times. Getting in and out of the boat is easy. If you are going to dive there for a few days you can leave your gear at the doc and have it locked up. Next dive when you return it is all set up for you! They really have their act together there. There is no shortage of staff. There are many great dive sites and plenty of coral to look at. Lots of marine life but not much fish. I found it very strange. Where are all the fish? Tons of coral and amazing color. Look under all the over hangs, bring a flashlight. There is lots to see. I'm in some video. I have turned the camera on myself. My son who is 12 and has been diving since he was 10 is also seen taking photographs. I'm very proud of him and my wife who you also see here. Both make diving so much more enjoyable when you can trust each other and have excellent communication above and below the water. I was not happy with my camera work and lighting. I've done much better in the past. I've found it harder to see the display on my camera this time. I'm also using a new mask with reading lenses on the bottom of them but not being able to see the display at the angles I'm shooting make it impossible for me focus and compose the shots. I was using Canon Vixia HFS100 HD camera with a Raynox DCR-730 Wide Angle Conversion Lens. The under water housing is by Ikelite. I alternated between using a Ikelite video light, external lens filter and sometimes another one I have inside the housing screwed directly to the lens at times. What I do not like is the halogen lights. They are too warm in color resulting in too much reds close up. Next dive trip I'm switching to my Sony NEX-5 camera with a LED video light that has a wider spectrum of light and more balanced underwater so I hope it will fill in better and not ever exaggerate the reds close up. The other thing I'm looking forward too is the fact the display is on the back and tilts up a bit so I can shoot with the camera below me and still see the display. What balancing is far easier and I'll be able to take it off automatic unlike every other time I've been underwater. As for the island, it is beautiful. I've never seen so much vegetation in the Caribbean. Tons and tons of bays and sandy beaches. Rent a car, take a taxi or get picked up from your hotel. Whatever mode of transportation you use, be sure to visit St. Thomas Diving Club. I just can't imagine being any place else.
