Adventure sports abound close to your Barbados vacation rental. Take to the warm waters scuba diving to discover magnificent marine life in the barrier reef, visit Folkestone Marine Park for amazing snorkeling amid schools of tropical fish or feel the ocean breeze in your face as you glide over waves on a windsurfer. You'll find whatever suits your fancy only minutes away while enjoying a stay at Barbados vacation homes.
Scuba Diving
Water temperatures rarely drop below 70 degrees and with visibility of up to 80 feet, scuba diving the Barbadian shores provides hours of spectacular underwater scenery. Renowned as the shipwreck capital of the Caribbean, divers can explore several sunken ships close by. Off the southwest coast at Bayville, St. Michael, find easy access to Eillon, a 110-foot freighter sunk in 1996 to form part of Carlisle Bay Marine Park, or the 70-foot Berwind, a French tugboat scuttled by its crew after being damaged be a German U-boat in 1919. Both wrecks are easy dives for beginners and home to hordes of tropical fish and seahorses. For an excellent first dive, Pamir Wreck on the northwest shore at Speightstown, St. Peter offers a shallow profile for exploring this 70-foot wreck which has become a haven for smaller marine life. Folkestone Marine Park established an artificial reef by sinking the 365-foot Stavronikita less than a mile off-shore. Resting in 120 feet of water, it's recommended for experienced divers accompanied by a local guide. Among the large coral heads view barracudas, eels and an occasional stingray.
Snorkeling
Folkestone is also home to an inshore reef in the Recreational Zone of the park. Located less than half a mile offshore, explore small coral reefs home to a vast array of marine life including sponges, sea anemones and parrot fish.
Dottins Reef near Holetown offers depth ranges less than 40 feet from the surface of the reef to more than 100 feet on the outside and inside drop-offs. The enormous coral reefs attract yellowtails, turtles, bar jacks and barracuda.
Learn to Windsurf
If you want to learn how to windsurf, or become more adept, there's only one person to track down in Barbados, Brian "Irie Man" Talma. He can be found at De Action Beach Shop about 50 feet downwind of Silver Rock Beach, a popular windsurfing location for novices and experts alike. Trade winds usually blow from December through July, offering two to four foot high waves on the reef 300 yards off-shore for advanced surfers. Beginners can stay inside the reef where waves are smaller and easier to handle. Irie Man provides rentals and lessons; check out his website for contact information.
Dive Operators
Reefers & Wreckers offer scuba dive trips and equipment rentals for all skill levels from one-on-one to small groups. Located in Speightstown, St. Peter, call (246) 422-5450 for information.
Eco Dive Barbados caters to all levels of divers, offering trips throughout the diverse ecosystems of the coast. For details call (246) 243-5816 or visit their website.
Plan your adventure by visiting Vamoose.com to search for Barbados rentals by location, amenities and prices to find your ideal home-away-from-home.