At the western end, four operators are located in and around Milford Bay and Pigeon Point. These stores dive the offshore reefs to the southwest and the northern coast. Usually they dive only up as far as Mount Irvine Wall on the northern side, though they do make trips up to the Sisters. Be prepared for a trip of an hour or more in the boat to the Sisters. Stores in this area transport guests by car to dive in Speyside, a journey of about one and a half hours through some lovely countryside.

Three stores are positioned at resorts in the bays along the northern coast. They are within reach of the dive sites around the numerous headlands along this coast; many of these reefs have had little or no diving to date. These stores are a little closer to the Sisters but a little further from the offshore drifts to the southwest.

Speyside Operators

At the northern end of Speyside, at the end of a long private road, you will find Aquamarine Dive, an independent dive store based at Blue Waters Inn. It is owned and managed by Keith Darwent, a Trinidadian, who has been running dive stores in Tobago for the past 8 years, the last 3 at Blue Waters Inn.

"Divers have to do nothing but breathe", claims Keith, and that was certainly our experience. The only dive store on the island with a jetty, Aquamarine Dive even manages to get you in to the boat without getting wet. Their store is in a new purpose-built building with a pleasant classroom and ample space to sort out equipment, chew the fat and exaggerate about the size of the moray you saw.

The Blue Waters Inn guest book is a catalogue of satisfied customers, both with the hotel and the dive store. The hotel is managed by Reg MacLean, an experienced dive instructor himself who takes an active interest in the dive operation.

Safety is a high priority, manifest in the way the dive is briefed and the boat managed. The dive boats are pirogues with two engines. All dive boat drivers are qualified boat captains. The boat briefing incorporates information about safety equipment, i.e. oxygen, VHF radio, etc., so that all divers are aware of the resources if there is an emergency. All equipment is well maintained and none is more than 4 years old. Keith is a member and supporter of the dive association.

Although Blue Waters Inn attracts many dedicated divers, Aquamarine Dive carries out quite a lot of teaching. Confined water training is carried out in the bay requiring no transition from fresh to salt water.

We found this to be a professional, friendly dive store with the advantage of a beautiful setting in the heart of Tobago's popular diving.

Situated overlooking Tyrrel's Bay, Speyside, the Manta Lodge is the home of Tobago Dive Experience. Separate companies but with a common owner, the hotel and dive store work together to provide dive holidays. The Manta Lodge has only 22 rooms so the dive