Cruising Caribbean | St. Kitts Scuba Adventure

When I think of the biggest adventure in my life, one experience inevitably comes to my mind. Last Fall Mr. B and I spent 8 days cruising the Caribbean Sea. For our second port of call we docked at beautiful St Kitts.

Basically as soon as you disembark and exit the port, you find yourself in the middle of the bustling city of Basseterre. The island has luxuriant mountain rain forests; uncrowded beaches; historic ruins and towering, long-dormant volcanoes.

We opted to do something really adventurous and signed up for scuba diving since the island boasts with gorgeous marine life.

We certainly were not disappointed and cannot rave enough about this experience and the tour company Kenneth’s Dive Center in particular. The company is owned and run by a very humble, yet extremely friendly fisherman and commercial diver. They offered a unique package geared towards those who are not certified, but still want to dive without the restriction of a cord as is the case with snuba diving.

Ken picked us up with his run-down truck at the dock next to the port and drove us to a secluded beach. On our way there he shared a bit about himself and some stories of his previous students. He spoke about diving with so much love and fondness that you were bound to get inspired and excited for what was coming.Once we arrived to a little rustic Timothy Beach and unloaded all our gear, Ken gave us an hour-long, condensed class in basic diving techniques, and explained the details of the gear. He let us practice in the shallow water and made sure we nailed everything he taught us. He was extremely patient and let us take as much time as we needed.Once we were ready, a boat Lady Peggy picked us up and took us off-shore to the diving spot – Corinthian Ship Wreck site.I was a bit nervous and the pressure on my ears was quite discomforting at first. However, Ken made sure I was at ease and let me dive very slowly giving me tips on releasing the pressure as we dived deeper. Honestly, once I saw the beauty of the underwater world I forgot about all my worries: the colorful fish, spectacular reefs and then a wracked ship appeared like a ghost. We went as deep as 50 ft. While Ken kept a careful watch on us, we were free to explore on our own. It was certainly one of the most memorable moments in my life! Unfortunately we didn’t have underwater camera, but here is a short video to provide the visual.

Ken has over 50 years of diving under his belt. In fact he shared with us that he helped build many of the man-made reefs on St. Kitts. He is a highly experienced and passionate diver who genuinely cares for “his ocean”. When I watched him swim around the reefs, it seemed like it was his second home and he knew every nook and crevice of that underwater wonderland. He let me hold a huge purple conk and a sea star. Naturally, we returned both to their natural habitat. He made everything he can to make my first scuba adventure as enjoyable as possible and for that I will be forever greatful.

Other Things To Do in St. Kitts:

For those who prefer to stay on the land, dry and safe, there are multitude of island tours. My parents-in-law opted for a train tour on St Kitts Scenic Railway that took them for a ride for 18 miles along a narrow gauge line built to transport sugar cane.

As they reported back, while the ride was certainly scenic, it can be a bit disturbing as the railway is very old and the train was constantly swaying from side to side.

Have you ever been to St. Kitts? What was your favorite part about your trip? 

This post is part of a travel link-up hosted found on Angie‘s, Jessi‘s Emma’s or Andrea‘s blog from the 1st till the 7th.