Nurse Ratchet

June 7th, 2007

St. Croix Nurses Gather for Holiday but Sleep Through Entire Event

I am here for the Fourth of July week and am loving every minute. The air is warm but tempered by the sweet sea breezes. This is a great time to dive. The water is pleasant, there is little current and the visibility is good.

Dive # 424 Date: 7/3/07 Location: Jimmy's Surprise, & Lobster Ledges / Type of Dive: Solo, DPV / Time: 50 minutes / Maximum depth 127 ft/ Average depth: 47 ft / Water temperature: 82 degrees.

I head out into the back yard from our shore entrance just 100 feet from the villa. I drop down over the spur and groove formations and follow a sand chute till I am at the steep slope that leads to depths unknown. I make a left and stay at 100 feet watching the topography below looking for navigational clues. Suddenly I see a thick rope that doesn't belong here. I am soon able to spy a recently set fish trap below me. The only prisoners thus far are small tropicals. I continue on to the small cave behind Jimmy's Surprise (AKA Sea Mount) and find a large frying pan size red fin snapper along with other game fish that hope to someday grow as big. From here it is up to Jimmy's where I spot a departing turtle who seems to be uninterested in my company.

I dally here for several minutes taking in the magnificent beauty of this breathtaking pallet of many coral shapes and sizes. I then point my compass South with Lobster Ledges as my destination. Little do I know I will soon witness something I have never seen in over 400 dives on St. Croix. (I found Lobster Ledges when I first started diving this area. It is a veritable nursery for dozens of common species. Located in just 22 to 26 feet of water the deep undercut ledges also provide housing for turtles, morays, lobsters, and my personal favorite, nurse sharks.) It is not uncommon for me to see a nurse here so as I approached I was not that surprised to see a seven footer departing the area. As I got closer to the West ledges I was happy to see that the departing nurse Ratchet had not been alone. I stayed low & slowly approached the deepest part of the ledges. As I neared I realized this was no ordinary sighting. I could see large tails crisscrossing each other. Some were running parallel to the entrance of the undercut, while still others were pointing out toward me. When I dared to, I turned on my flashlight and illuminated a small portion of the area. Much to my surprise two previously unseen huge nurse faces where staring back at me.( I am sure their perceived size was in direct proportion to my shock.) Their bodies were completely enveloped under the ledge.

I tried to stay still and just watch these beautiful creatures rest as they pumped water over their gills and swayed slightly as the gentle ebb of the water moved them side to side. I have seen many nurse sharks large and small. But, I have never seen anything like this. By counting heads and tails I am positive there were at least 7 very good sized sharks taking their siesta at Lobster Ledges in preparation for their nocturnal Fourth of July celebration. With any luck they will be back at Lobster Ledges when you or I visit to enjoy the sight.

Contact Dave now to make your reservation. Plan now and reserve your spot in the sun.

November 23rd, 2006

Greg "Dishes It Out" on St. Croix

Greg "the dish keeper" and my son Nelson discuss the cosmos, scuba diving, and how to walk on a wet dish without slipping.

But can you take it? Recently my son Nelson and I visited St. Croix's giant radio astronomy antenna. If you have seen past "What's New " articles you know that I believed that the giant dish on the East End of our island was part of the SETI program that listens for ET phoning home. However, I recently found out that this 240 ton behemoth is part of a very long array of dishes that includes 9 others from here to Hawaii. The array collects electrical emissions from such things as black holes and stars all over our galaxy and stores it on magnetic tape that is sent via overnight mail to headquarters where it is combined with other data and analyzed so as to keep us abreast of what is going on in our planetary neighborhood. My grossly over simplified explanation was eloquently explained by our tour guide Greg in easy to understand terms. Of course he had at his disposal lots of audio and visual aids which makes the guided tour extremely fascinating and educational. Greg is an avid diver as well and would love to discuss his trip to the Galapagos Islands with you. Most importantly he will educate you about the

National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the amazing technological marvel he mans here on our humble island. So after you make your reservations to stay at 2DIVE4 be sure to contact Greg at 340 773 4448 or gworrell@aoc.nrao.edu and make a reservation for Greg to dish it out to you. Be sure to take along the kids as I did. Nelson is an English major in College and he kindly wrote a detailed story about our tour to share with you.

Get a taste of island entertainment and good food at the Harbormaster Beach Club

On Tuesday nights the place to be for good food is on the cay located in Christiansted. Start by calling 773-2035 to make your reservation. Park your car along the street in town. Walk toward the sea until you hit the boardwalk. Next turn right and follow the boardwalk till just before the fort. From here you will hop on the ferry over to the cay. The walkway will take you to the Harbormaster Beach Club (the cay is also a great place to come during the day for some easy snorkeling and for jet skiing). Make your way to the cash register and purchase your tickets. The buffet feast will start promptly at 7:00. Even a vegetarian like me can get his money's worth from a menu including:

All the meat is grilled in front of you. The food is kept warm and desert is included. Marina will keep you plied with your favorite beverage.

Once your belly is full it is time for the fun to start. First, the steel band uses traditional island instruments to play mainland favorites. Next, a Mocko Jumbie struts his stuff and has a good time with the crowd. Broken bottle dancing gets everyone in the mood for the limbo dancing climax.

Tip: Try to get a table near the stage but just off the patio so you will be close to the Mocko Jumbie performance while having a great view of the sea and the lights of Christiansted. For more information go to www.kronegadeinn.com.

October 2nd, 2005

Just another dive on St. Croix

The US Virgin Islands holds a wealth of diversity when it comes to recreation. I happen to enjoy the underwater part of Virgin Islands the most. In fact I enjoyed it so much that it is now my backyard.

Following is a page out of my actual dive log as written during my recent stay at 2dive4.

"Dive # 336 Date: 9/21/05 Location: Jimmy's Surprise, The Trench & Lobster Ledges / Type of Dive: Solo, DPV / Time: 1 hour 11 minutes / Maximum depth 130 ft/ Average depth: 49 ft / Water temperature: 86 degrees

While on my usual route to the sea mount (AKA Jimmy's Surprise) I am 5 minutes into the dive. I am heading West along the slope that leads to a series of overhangs near Jimmy's when a big turtle crosses my path as if he wants to interact with me. I am 20 feet from the bottom in water about 110 feet deep, and he goes out his way to cross my path! I had to change course to keep from hitting him. I looked into his eyes and waved as I veered away from him suspended in mid water. In hindsight, I should have stopped to mingle, but I had my appointed rounds to keep, excuses, excuses....

About the same time I see a school of silvery fish (maybe 100 of them) moving West above the slope as if they are one. However, what I find unusual is that this school has a large barracuda directly in the middle of it. Very strange. Something tells me he wasn't there to swap recipes.

Next I arrive at the first overhang at 110 feet. Off to my right and 20 feet deeper I see a 6 to 7 foot black tip reef shark. Wow! He was going very slowly and was easy to watch.

I continue toward Jimmy's and find a 5 foot nurse shark resting under another overhang. Swimming up to the sea mound I peer into the undercut and find a good size red snapper chasing a black margate out of his home turf.

As I circle the Sea Mound, I rouse 2 other turtles that may have heard about my bad manners and want nothing to do with me.

I press on to the Trench for a meeting with a green moray's tail (I had to look for a while to find his head ). I say good-bye to a large white spotted file fish as I head toward my safety stop, Lobster Ledges.

Located in just 22 feet of water, Lobster Ledges is often home to sleeping nurse sharks, turtles and juvenile game fish. Today I find another green moray. This one is out and about, but he quickly hides when he sees me coming. And, as the ledges are so named, I find several lobster deep under the safety of their rock ceilings.

Now it is back to the entrance / exit at 2dive4 with 500 PSI still in my tank. Thank heaven for DPVs!"

June 5th, 2005

Come for the beauty, stay close to The Beast.

This world class triathlon is famous for its uphill climb.
(Photo by Kristie Silvius)

The month of May on St. Croix saw the 17th annual running of the Half Ironman Triathlon. This is a qualifying race for the autumn Hawaii Ironman competition. World-class professional and amateur all-around athletes converge on St. Croix each year for this exciting event.

Participants face a grueling course in three parts: a 1.24 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. A hill less than one mile from 2Dive4 is so challenging to bikers that it has become known as "The Beast," for its 600 ft climb in a stretch of highway 7/10ths of a mile long with an average grade of 14% and a maximum grade of 18%. According to the events web site (www.stcroixtriathlon.com) "Once you've conquered The Beast, you will never look at a hill the same way."   (The photos linked in this paragraph are courtesy of John Dukes Photography)

Plan now to attend the 2006 triathlon to be held on May 6. Contact Dave to secure luxury accommodations at 2Dive4 and watch the bikers ride by without leaving the comfort of your villa. A traditional "Half Iron Man Jump Up" street fair is held the night before the race. Restaurants cater to "carbo loading" racers, stores stay open late and Island style entertainment rocks the town all night long.

2Dive4 making the world a better place for divers.

December 30th, 2004

Horseback riding in the lush tropical rainforest; an equine adventure in paradise.

During a recent stay at 2Dive4 my friend Peter and I rode horses with Paul & Jill's Equestrian Stables. Jill is a St. Croix native with a passion for the island, horses, and showing her customers a good time. I had not ridden a horse since I was a child, but Paul and Jill quickly made me feel at home with my new friend "Mr. McGregor". Starting with a bonding experience, I held a pan of oats and other horse-goodies as Mr. McGregor licked up every last bit. We began our ride through the rainforest with some basic horsemanship. The paths were easy to navigate. Most of the time the horses walked but we also got a chance to trot and canter as well. Jill and her horse led Mr. McGregor and me, so there was not a lot of room for error on my part. On our nature tour we saw many things including:

• Very large termite nests
• Tarzan vines and wild Bromeliads
• Beautiful green and black zebra butterflies
• Kapok trees whose silk cotton pods were once used to stuff life jackets and pillows
• Tamarind trees, source of one of the ingredients in steak sauce
• Turpentine trees
• Mango trees
• Passion fruit (we sampled this excellent fruit on the ride)
• Papaya trees
• Mahogany and teak trees used for furniture
• Wild mongoose

Most of the time we were under the rainforest canopy , but we also took a short walk on the beach as well. I highly suggest the afternoon ride as the sun is much less intense than on the earlier tour. The perfect ending to our equestrian adventure was a visit to the near by Sunset Grill . Here we enjoyed an excellent meal and a beautiful sunset.

Later in my stay my friend, Chris, arrived. Aside from getting wet, he also got to further adorn the villa with new and beautiful sea life murals. I am particularly fond of the majestic spotted eagle ray that now keeps watch over our swimming pool.

Announcing 2Dive4's new Broadband Internet Connection!

Keeping in touch with the office? "No problem Mon!" 
Sending Postcards back home via email? "No Worries!"

Now you can enjoy the sun and surf at the same time!

2Dive4 now provides you the ability to "stay connected" with our state of the art high speed satellite system. Enjoy wireless connections at speeds up to 500 Kbps Another 2Dive4 amenity, at no additional cost to you!

Roam around the villa with your Internet connected laptop using high speed 802.11b wireless technology!

March 11th, 2004

"We've been home a week now and still dreaming of St. Croix. Our trip to St. Croix and staying at 2DIVE4 were better than we expected. St. Croix is the best kept secret in the Caribbean. The weather, the people, the beaches, the relaxation...it's the whole package.

Click here to read this testimonial in its entirety and to see more beautiful photos of St.Croix

Thank you for sharing your home with us, it was simply beautiful. Philip was a great help to us. We enjoyed spending time with him and seeing him around town. The first few days we never made it more than a half of mile in either direction of 2DIVE4..it is a perfect location.

I can't say enough about St. Croix and 2DIVE4 it was wonderful. Thanks again for sharing your home in St. Croix with us, it was simply beautiful."

~Linda and Rory Ruggiero, Cindy and Bob Cadoret
From Shelton Connecticut
Guests visiting from 2/18/2004 to 2/27/2004.

Vincent's faith in giving what would otherwise be wasted wood a second life has given his business the leap of faith it needs to succeed.

October 21st, 2003

A "leap" of faith in St. Croix

I have driven past a sign while driving through the rain forest many times. The inauspicious lettering says simply "St. Croix L.E.A.P." The lane that the sign marks looks even less propitious. I have heard stories in the past of craftsmen in the forest who work wonders with exotic woods, but finally I would venture up the path and see for myself. Prompted by an email from one of our upcoming guests who asked me what I new about L.E.A.P., I ventured up the meandering trail. It was lined with towering Mahogany trees and seemed to be taking me nowhere. Soon I was wondering if I was in the right place or if I was about to stumble onto something I didn't expect.

As it turned out the path opened into a large clearing with a huge open-aired warehouse next to a humble dwelling. Both structures seemed to be embedded into the hillside and to be one with the natural surroundings.

I was greeted by Vincent Nicholls. His resident dog is one of the biggest I have ever seen. However, I don't think it even moved the entire time I was there. Before I could talk to Vincent, he finished taking an order from other visitors who wanted a set of custom-made end tables for their home back in the states. Vincent carefully noted what they desired and said he would call them when their pieces where completed and they could arrange for payment at that time. Their pieces would be shipped to them.

In looking at the visitors book, I noted that this spot was not as obscure as I thought. People where visiting daily and yet I had never seen any advertising of this business. Just the sign at the end of the lane and word of mouth keeps Vincent busy.

In speaking with Vincent I found out that the name comes from Life & Environmental Arts Project. He and his associates give a second life to injured mahogany, tibet & saman trees that would otherwise die. These trees are turned into custom order items such as clocks, tables, signs, sculptures, plaques, breadboards and other things limited only by one's imagination.

When you visit St. Croix be sure to stop at L.E.A.P. and pick up a magnet or 2 to take home as a memory of your visit. You may be inspired by your surroundings to furnish your home with some art nouveau trappings. At the very least you will see a business that is clearly run on faith.

October 6th, 2003

Nice day for a wet wedding!!!

On September 13, 2003 two St. Croix residents John Santino (manager of SCUBA) and Toni Wilson (a local bank employee) set the record for the largest underwater wedding. The 103 divers easily broke the old Guinness record of 39 underwater guests.

John and Toni invited any certified divers on St. Croix to submerge with the couple, sign the dive slate and make history. Captain John Macy ( Big beards Adventure tours ) officiated at the hurdle-setting sub-aquatic ritual. When asked why the couple decided on an underwater wedding Toni answered "I didn't want to plan a real wedding." Real or not in Toni's mind, it will be official in 103 dive logs, at the USVI Territorial Court House, and in Guinness Superlative's archives.

If you are looking for the perfect setting for your next underwater get together, come to St. Croix. If you are searching for the ideal vacation spot in paradise, that is what 2DIVE4 was designed for.

Contact Dave now to make your reservation. Dates are still available for this upcoming winter. Plan now and reserve your spot in the sun.

I will be the first to admit that art appreciation is definitely one of the spheres of my life that has not been given adequate attention. However, during a recent hike to Annally Bay and the adjacent tide pools (see # 2 of Dave's top 10 St. Croix activities),I gained insight into how some artists ply their trade. 

After an afternoon of snorkeling, jumping and exploring at the tide pools with my friends the Wagners, we saw another visitor hiking into the area carrying a big box. This is highly unusual as it is not a short hike and if people bring things it is usually via backpack. We questioned the gentleman and found that he was a local artist there to camp and paint for the weekend. He had hiked in several times over the last few days to bring in supplies and had hid them for his use. I was very impressed with the effort he was putting forth to capture on canvas images of St. Croix's raw natural beauty. His name is Hyko and he displays his art in the Gia Gallery in Christiansted. When you come to 2Dive4, I suggest a visit both to the tide pools and to the Gia Gallery to gain a perspective on how dedicated artists make a living.