Whenever I am on vacation and I take an organized trip or excursion, my preference is to find one that is operated on a smaller scale. In my experience these trips are often more fulfilling than larger operations due to their ability to cater more for the individual. When I read the TripAdvisor feedback on Eco Dive my attention was immediatey grabbed by the statement that they only ever take a maximum of five people on each trip.

I qualified as an Open Water diver on June 1st 2008 and prior to arriving in Barbados I exchanged E mails with the owner of Eco Dive, Andrew Western. Betwen the two of us we agreed a combination diving and snorkeling trip. The overall charge for this private charter for me and my wife was very reasonable and we were looking forward in keen anticipation to exploring the reefs and wrecks around Barbados.

Andrew comfortably exceeded all our expections. He is very knowledgable on all dive-related matters, plus he is a cultural, social and historical expert on all matters Barbadian. Prior to embarking on the trip he gave a very thorough safety briefing and then described the areas we would be exploring. Additionally he was very clear on behavior that will not be tolerated, such as damaging the reef and a cavalier attutude to safety. I fully agreed with him that being ecologically aware is a good thing overall and it protects his livelihood.

Once we were under the water he ensured that novice divers like myself monitor their breathing and buoyancy while maintaining awareness of what is around us. The consequence of his 1:1 coaching was that my expertise and confidence increased exponentially. The two dive sites he chose on the West Coast allowed us to observe both a wreck and a reef environment. While we we diving around the wreck we could see my wife looking down at us from the surface while snorkeling. I thought the visibility was amazing, though Andrew reckoned it was only average. I think I stopped grinning by the evening.

The next day I contacted Andrew to see if he had any free slots later in the week. Happily he was free on the Friday. This time he took me to two reefs on the South Coast. The visibility was even better than the first day. The abundance and variety of life in the reef environments is amazing. This time we had the added bonus of being able to get very close to three hawksbill turtles. Andrew had his underwater camera with him and took many brilliant pictures. When we surfaced he was grinning like I had been on the first day.

In summary, my two trips with Eco Dive were some of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Andrew Western is a splendid Dive Master. I recommend using Eco Dive if you are going to Barbados. You receive a very personalized itinerary, far more so than the companies who will be taking 12 - 15 divers per trip.

Michael Gaskell

I've just returned from a fantastic week long holiday in Barbados where I had the chance to take a dive trip with Andrew at Eco Dive. After reading so many glowing reports I knew this would be the dive operator to use & I was not disappointed.

Andrew was professional, informative & funny. My girlfriend is a non-diver who was not planning to come along on the trip. Andrew invited her to join us & she was able to have a great time snorkelling on the surface while we dived below. Equipment was in good condition & the dive briefing was very thorough before we entered the water. Andrew was very helpful in assisting my photography underwater, setting up some great shots for me. I was really pleased with the results.

If I get the chance to return to Barbados I wouldn't hesitate to use Eco Dive again. Having used several other dive operators around the world Eco Dive was certainly one of the most professional & definitely gave the most personal dive experience yet.

Thank You Andrew!

Three of us went diving with Andrew on a cruise stop-over. This was the third and last diving day of our trip. What a great finish! Andrew was professional, safe, and entertaining from the moment he picked us up to the moment he dropped us off. He did a great job telling us about the dive locations - not only what to expect under the surface but also the history of the sites. He has a great eye for sealife and took the time to ensure each of us got a good view of things. Especially the one of us with a camera - the photos were fantastic because Andrew took the time to give pointers (on the surface) and then help set up the shot (at depth). Eco Dive Barbados comes highly recommended from us!

I did my Padi open water certification with Andrew and Eco dive Barbados earlier this month while on holiday in Barbados. One of my best life experiences to date... Andrew is very thorough, definately a professional... I will recommend Eco Dive Barbados to anyone who is interested in the real dive experience.

Neil from Chicago IL