Grenada & Carriacou - Dive Training Magazine | Scuba Diving Skills, Gear, Education

Location: The tri-island nation of Grenada (Gra-NAY-da) includes Grenada, Carriacou (Carry-a-KOO) and Petite Martinique (Pitty Mar-ti-neek). The islands are in the eastern Caribbean at the southern extremity of the Windward Islands, 100 miles (160 km) north of South America. To the north lie St. Vincent and the Grenadines; to the south lies the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Grenada has a width of 12 miles (19 km) and a length of 21 miles (34 km). Its 133 square miles (346 sq. km) is a mountainous, volcanic terrain reaching heights of more than 2,750 feet (833 m) atop Mount St. Catherine. Carriacou lies 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Grenada and is about 7 miles (11 km) long. Total population of all three islands is about 100,000.
Climate: Grenada’s weather is beautiful year-round. Temperatures range from 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) at night to 85 F (30 C) during the day. The driest season is from January to May. Rainy season is from June to December (even then it rarely rains for more than an hour at a time and not every day). For diving, sea temperatures rarely drop below 78 F (25 C) and a light wet suit is recommended.
What to Wear: Casual. No swimsuits allowed on major streets, restaurants, bars and shops. The government in Grenada prohibits civilians from wearing camouflage prints, so military and civilian attire are kept separate.
Entry Requirements: A passport and an onward ticket. No visa required for U.S. or British citizens.
Money: The East Caribbean Dollar (EC). The U.S. dollar is accepted in many places. Hotels accept most major credit cards. Exchange rate is $2.70 EC = $1 USD.
Language: English is the official language, although you’ll probably have a difficult time understanding conversations in French-African patois between two locals.
Electricity: Voltage is 220, 50 hertz and sockets are the large three-blade type found in Britain. Converters and adaptive plugs are needed to use small 110-volt electrical devices. Underwater photographers wanting to charge strobe batteries need to bring a travel conversion kit. Some of the larger hotels will supply heavy-duty transformers when needed.
Driving: On the left. A local driver’s license is available for a fee of $50 EC.
Medical: The largest hospital is in St. George’s. Hyperbaric chambers are located on Tobago and Barbados, 30 minutes away by air.
Getting there: The international airport is in St. George’s. Several major airlines provide service to Grenada. There are ferries and interisland air transport to sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
Official Time: Atlantic Standard Time, four hours behind GMT, one hour ahead of EST.
Water: Tap water is safe to drink.