Phone: (246) 243-5816
http://ecodivebarbados.comTraveler ReviewsDiving With The Personal Touch
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Oct 16, 2008
Having not dived for 4 years, my fiancee and I were a little worried that we'd gotten rusty. Andrew was brilliant from the outset and gave us a thorough pre-dive talk and with his calm, clear and friendly approach made us at ease before we had even hit the diveboat. Our refresher dive took place at Carlisle Bay which has some excellent shallow wrecks, with only a small group Andrew and his team looked after everyone superbly underwater. On deck, Andrew, Mickey and Sarah set up all the gear, provided inter-dive refreshments and looked after everyone without fault. Our passion and enthusiasm has definitely come back to bite us and we have EcoDive and Andrew to thank. We will definitely return to dive in Barbados and we'll be calling EcoDive in advance to book our spots!
Birthday plunge
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Oct 15, 2008I wanted to make a splash (pun intended) on my birthday and could think of no better place than Barbados. We dived with Andrew Western and Eco Divers last year and knew it was the way to go. Andrew always takes great care of his customers who quickly become friends, your gear is taken from you and set up all you have to worry about is applying sunscreen for the short boat ride. Andrew will take you to the best places be it reef or wreck. Andrew can not only tell you what you can expect to see regarding fish and their behaviour but also the dynamics of the reef. Like me he is a keen underwater photographer, so he likes nothing better than an excuse to bring along his own camera, priming you on where you are most likely to get interesting shots. Favourite dive, the Stav, Barbados's signature wreck, well worth the visit especially on your birthday.
Diving at its best!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Oct 15, 2008"Ladies & Gentlemen," announced Andrew, "Mikey & I want to thank you for diving with us today. It has been our pleasure....."
In truth? It was indeed OUR pleasure -- EVERY day for 5 magnificent days, to dive with Andrew and Mikey [Eco Dive Barbados]. "We look forward to catering to your every dive need." And that they do, clear down to fastening our fins before back-rolling into the deep blue off of SW/W Barbados. With over 250 dives each @ innumerable dive destinations across the Caribbean and Pacific, this dive operation ranks @ the VERY top for us. Andrew, the owner, instructor, DM, along with his most capable assistant, Mikey, make diving what it is supposed to be ---- safe and FUN! BEWARE, however, if you have a tendency toward kamikaze diving. If you like to dive fast, dive deep, chase after whatever fleetingly catches your eye, and use lots of air fast, this probably wouldn't be for you. But! If you have matured past that and want to enjoy the pure essence of diving within the eco system of what the ocean is about, waiting for the sealife to come to you, rest assured, it will. Do 6 turtles in a single dive within arm's length entice you? Then this is your dive operation. Does waiting and allowing the sea life to surround you in their inquisitiveness intrique you? Then this is your dive operation. Does diving with a SMALL group invite you? Here it is. This is what Andrew and Mikey want you to see. The witnessing of the eco system of the ocean. It is fun! It is unhurried! It is what diving is supposed to be about.
Turtles abound (like in YOUR face), wrecks teeming with schools upon schools of fish; pure, clear water; and, best of all, Andrew who is committed and passionate in his endeavor to help people APPRECIATE and HONOR the eco system of the deep blue. He only takes out a few divers. (Hey! Don't bump me next time I come down there!) because he's committed to quality and learning. And, when you look under catered diving in the dictionary, I'm sure it will say, "See Andrew & Mikey!" Be sure to tell them "hi" from Barry & Lani. We loved it. We'll be back. But please, don't bump us from the boat!
Awesome dives with great people
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Sep 25, 2008I did 3 dives with Andrew and Mikey on referral from a local Barbadan who has dove since a child and is himself very ecologically conscious. He mentioned that Eco Dive sets itself apart from others by being very respectful of the underwater life and from taking smaller dive groups so you get a better overall dive...the divemaster doesn't have to corral a bunch of people like can happen in other dives. Well, the referral was spot on!
Andrew and Mikey are helpful, nice, and make sure you are having a great time. The service was great, too, helping get everything ready for you, which is great as it is one less thing to worry about. Their knowledge of the areas we dove (I did 3 dives) was great and other divers on two of the dives who had a lot more experience than me were also very impressed.
Andrew is also a very accomplished underwater photographer...look out for his book soon. He is working on getting a few more great shots, and he brought along his camera to help out one of the divers in our group take photos (she brought her own). A nice bonus is that Andrew took some shots with me in it and gave me a disc with the photos...a killer bonus!
You can't go wrong with Eco Dive...great people for sure. I had a blast with them, and am sure you will, too.
Could not ask for a better experience!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Sep 24, 2008My and my Wife dove with Andrew and Mikey on two dives and I will say it again...we could not of asked for a better dive master. The dives were incredible due to the fact that Andrew was more than you could possibly expect. He was patient, informative and most of all...truly a person who cares about his divers and will do whatever it takes to make sure you have a safe and pleasurable experience. The small groups and personal care made the dive one that we will hold all other diving companies to as the standard to live up too, though I doubt any ever will! The scenery we was great we saw turtles, rays, stonefish and even the biggest seahorse we have ever seen! Eco Dive Barbados should be your only choice when visiting, anything else would only fail in comparison. Andrew, thank you for everything...I cannot express how grateful I am we were with you while diving in Barbados!
