USVI-On-Line

Hello All,

We're very excited to be staying on St. John for the first time next week.

We visited St. John and St. Thomas on two different cruises. We've been to Trunk Bay for a snorkeling excursion, and Secret Harbor Beach Resort for a self-organized relaxing beach / snorkeling day. Both visits made a huge impression on us. I was in the Miami airport waiting for our return flight trying to find a way to get back. And now we're about to!

We booked Villa Luminaria through VIVA! Villas, and they've been a huge help with bookings and other pre-trip arrangements. Everyone I've spoken with has been great.

Also, this board has been an excellent resource! I'm looking forward to the actual vacation now, and writing up a trip report when we get back... to help give back for all the information and tip I've found here.

Thanks!
- Pete

Well Pete, it sounds like you've already got the STJ Bug, for which there is no cure, only temporary relief while on the rock!
Wishing you good weather, warm sun, cold drinks. Have fun!

Thank you so much! I definitely have the bug!

We're celebrating my wife's 40th birthday, and she chose St. John. I can't wait to escape the snow for 8 full days and get to snorkeling.

I've been swimming with snorkel gear for the past few months in the local warm-water pool. I finally got a mask that fits from the local scuba shop, and has vision correction. I've been staring at the pool-bottom for hours and hours and miles and miles... I'm completely ready to see sea-life! My goal is to be able to brave any currents around Waterlemon Cay. I'm not a great swimmer, but I'm able now to do one mile in one hour without fins or pushing off. I'm probably over thinking it, but it's been fun training. Getting in the warm water brings me just a bit closer to the trip.

We're using Chris and Dohm for transportation from the airport. The villa rental recommended them, and I saw really really good reviews here. We love being on the water. My wife used to sail as a kid. We've had fun on catamarans and hobie-cats (got thrown from one in Jamaica once)

We don't have any excursions planned, but we enjoyed kayaking in Florida for the first time in 2013. I might check out Hidden Reef.

Thank you for the warm wishes!
May isn't too far away, Nancie.

Pete: As a newcomer to snorkeling, and self-described "not so great swimmer", planning to circle Waterlemon Cay, please be advised that tidal currents are amplified through "The Narrows", the slender passage between St. John and Great Thatch near Leinster Bay, so depending on the phase of the moon and the time of day, you may experience strong currents there. Pools let you get good swimming practice, but they lack currents. The best advice that I can give is to carefully watch land or mooring ball references as you begin the passage, and test swimming back to your launch point part way there. If things seem fine, go for it, but if you notice currents that seem in any way challenging, bail on the mission and get back to shore. There are many recommendations on which way to swim around the Cay (CW vs CCW), but since tidal currents reverse direction every six hours, such suggestions are at best useless.

Forum members may be familiar with the VIOL thread on this, as well as discussions on Trip Advisor (links below). Lives have been lost on this snorkel, and posters on TA seemed to break into "Yeah, there can be an issue at times", and "Drunk cruise ship people who were out of shape" camps. What crystallized it for me was a TA post by a guy who enjoyed a beautiful, current-free snorkel around the Cay, returned to shore for a leisurely lunch, decided to try it one last time, and ran into hellish conditions (link and my response below). Recall that the timing difference between tidal max flow and no flow is every three hours. Look at a large scale map of the islands, and imagine all the water of the Sr. Francis Drake channel being tidally funneled between Mary Point / Leinster Point and Tortola / Great Thatch through "The Narrows".

VIOL link: http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... =1&t=25087

TA thread: Check posts #55 and my response, #59, here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1 ... lands.html

Enjoy the snorkel, but maintain situational awareness, and be willing to turn around. The drive and hike out to the launch point is an investment that you need to be totally willing to bail on, as circumstances dictate.

All the best,

Kevin

PS: We looked at Luminaria back in 2000 or 2001, back when it was simply called "Catlett", presumably after the owner's names, and before the new owners added the pool, and access to said from the lower bedrooms. It was $990K back then; it is on the market again today, but listed for $2.2M. Whoever picked it up from them really improved things; the lower bedrooms seemed to be hemmed in by too much concrete before they were opened up. There was a spa in the living room back then, which seemed like an odd twist. The view down over Coral Bay from the living room is spectacular; I vividly remember one window facing the view that could for all the world have been an amazing painting, but happened to be "real". I'm sure that you will have an amazing stay there.

coconuts gives some good advice re: snorkeling....
one thing you may want to consider is swimming with a noodle.-- provides a bit of buoyancy.....

Welcome to the obsession! While caution is always prudent in any body of water, I think you are well prepared to snorkel Waterlemon if conditions permit. The current is stongest closest to a full moon which is March 5th so should be ok there, also when you arrive at Annaberg parking lot, cross the street and look out to bay, if there are white caps it will be to rough. Thirdly don't go alone. Leinster bay itself is also a good snorkel.
Just my opinion but if someone NEEDS a noodle to stay afloat for long periods and not just prefers one, that person should not be out in open water as a noodle cannot pull you out of a current or get you to shore. Open water or traversing currents requires the ability to swim, tread water and self rescue.
Cinnamon Bay has Hobie catamaran and Sun Fish rentals if your wife wants to go sailing.

Thank you very much for the clear warning on Waterlemon Cay. I'd like to make it back to write trip report!...

I come back and read all those links carefully.
Should we bring snorkel vests?

We're going 6-15 March. I'm looking at the tide predictions from NOAA. Am I looking for the tides to swing less?

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaati ... id=9751309

Pete: You would want to time your snorkel to where the water level line has the least slope. This could be at high or low tide, and it also helps if those tides don't change water levels much. The worst time would be half-way between a strong low and high tide, such as 11 PM on the 13th. By the way, I just noticed that they now provide predictions for Lovango Cay, just north of St. John; this would probably be a better station to monitor than Lameshur on the south shore. The weakest tides during your stay appear to be either Saturday, March 14th, around noon, or, as long as you aren't superstitious, the day before: Friday the 13th (again, around noon). No guarantees, be alert for any currents, but these days and times are probably your best bets.

Here's a link:
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaati ... id=9751467

and an image (something has changed on VIOL inline images; you will have to click to see the whole image):
LST is local standard time, which is normal time on St. John.

All the best,

Kevin

Kevin, I can't thank you enough for your advice!

Our trip was fantastic. Luminaria was excellent.

We did swim around Waterlemon Cay on Thursday and lived - there was very good snorkeling there. Salt Pond, Hansen Bay (Pelican Rock), and Princess Bay (Mangroves) were amazing snorkeling. We saw so much.

People were very relaxed, friendly and open.

Bottom line - I want to go back!

Hi So glad you had a great time! You have the St John Bug!