The word "snuba" hasnt yet entered mainstream
English, but it soon might. A cross between snorkeling and scuba diving,
snuba is one step closer to the fascinating undersea world scuba divers
have always raved aboutthe view, the nearness, the complete entry
into that foreign space. And theres no need to surface continually
for air. Instead of donning tanks, divers strap on masks, fins, and
small weights, and are connected by a 20-foot breathing hose and harness
to an air tank floating on a raft above (each raft has hook-ups for two
divers). As you snuba, the lightweight raft moves with you. You can stay
down and explore the shallower depths of the ocean floor and reef until
your skin wrinkles, without lugging around all that diving equipment.
Its designed as a preliminary experience, to ease the fearful into
the underwater environment, and is safe for everyone whos ever
wanted to dive but never had the time or means to take a course. A guide
accompanies all divers, and kids eight and older are welcome.
And St. John is the place to do it. This quiet, lush island, with no
airport but some pretty fabulous accommodations, also features one of
the U.S. Virgin Islands most photographed spots, the talcum-white
Trunk Bay. Here is where snuba is gaining fame, on a reef that is also
one of the islands most photographed spotsthe shallow shelf
is rich with coral, sponges, and the brightly colored, darting tropical
fish so prized in the Caribbean.
Practically Speaking:
You'll pay just around $50 for a two-hour "dive," which
includes some training time. Call Snuba of St. John, tel. (340)
693-8063, for information.
Accommodation on St. John takes all comers; stay in luxury resorts
starting at $140 and more (in some cases much more), or in small
B&Bs in the islands town, Cruz Bay, for as little as $50. The
island also hosts two camping sites, one at the National Park
Services Cinnamon Bay, and the private Maho Bay Camps. Both are
just down the road from Trunk Bay and both have accommodations in
semi-permanent, platform tents with cooking facilities and, in cases,
electricitynot the sort of camping you did in Boy Scouts. Cost
starts at about $90 a night.
Karl Luntta is the author of Moon
Publications' Jamaica Handbook, Caribbean Vacations, Virgin Islands
Handbook, and Caribbean Handbook, as well as several other
guidebooks to Caribbean destinations, plus Short Nature Walks on Cape
Cod, Nantucket, and the Vineyard. Karl has contributed articles and
photos, even fiction, to national magazines, websites, and newspapers.
He is a columnist with the Cape Cod Times.