Sweet Bottom Dive Center is located on St. Croix's north shore, at Marriott's Carambola Beach…read moreResort. This is a well run operation, and a PADI 5 Star dive center. Their website says they specialize in small groups and personalized dive experiences from shore or by boat. And that their dive groups are kept small to keep the focus on diver safety and enjoyment. My two tank dive group could not have been smaller, as it was just me and the dive master. I've been here three times, and every time my group was four or less.
All of my dives have been shore dives, which I often prefer unless doing a wreck dive. One of the great things about Sweet Bottom, is that their is a very nice reef, just off shore, perhaps 150 yards from the beach. So you can suit up, walk in and get diving fast! Since I'm an advanced diver, I can do deep dives (up to 130 feet), which many of the diver masters like, because they can look for larger fish like barracuda, sharks, etc. And on my first dive, at around 85 feet, we spotted three large reef sharks, which came pretty close, always an awesome site.
On a prior visit, I did a dive with Sweet Bottom at the Frederiksted Pier, which is located at the end of the island in Frederiksted. It is considered one of the best micro-dive locations in the world. The pilings are covered in coral, and there is an abundance colorful fish, octopus, seahorses, squid, pufferfish and more. Divers can do a giant-stride off the pier, so it's very easy to dive. The tip of the pier is reportedly 90 feet deep.
Sweet Bottom provided all my equipment, except for my mask. Their equipment was newer and in excellent shape. These days, divers would expect integrated BCD's (as opposed to a separate weight belt), and Sweet Bottom did not disappoint, their equipment was newer and in excellent shape. I look forward to future dives here!