Hello, all I need some assistance from some of the long-time forum members with a unique problem that we've encountered. We've booked our 9th trip to STJ, to the same villa we rented last year. Paid our deposit in February, and now our balance is due. Problem is, the rental management company appear...

Absolutely GREAT TR, Pickle! In going on 8 years traveling to STJ, Maho is one of our favorites too, and we repeat it several times each year. Also really great to see posts from some of the long-time regulars on this forum, it's not dead yet! A special hello to Papabou, who's haunted these parts fo...

We have rented from L&L the last 3 times we've been to STJ. In Cruz Bay, their office is at that convenient lot right next to what used to be the Fatty Crab. Employees are friendly, jeeps are good, and problems have been resolved in a timely manner. We're using them again this year.

As someone who loves Hawaii, but has been under the STJ spell for the last decade, are your beach/ocean shots taken from the Wailea area? Sure looks like it to me. Please illuminate...

Yes, we have used those Rio chairs - they are MUCH better than the low-slung sand chairs for those of us who are getting slightly up there in years. I believe that Kevin at Coconuts had them when we stayed there last year. I seem to remember the brand name Rio. I wonder if St. John Hardware or any o...

We've also bought the slightly higher and better (at least if you're a little older) beach chairs at St. John Hardware. They usually have several different styles in stock.

In the past, we have used Capt. Truman Barbier, based out of Coral Bay. USVI Flyaway Charters. 340 514-7403

Last time we went with him, he took us snorkeling among the mangrove roots in Hurricane Hole, and it was spectacular. Great boat, great captain. Can't say enough good things about him.

While all of us would love to have an insect repellent that works with all natural ingredients, I don't think it exists. While you will find testimonials from individuals that claim that various natural concoctions are effective, I would note that professional testing organizations such as Consumer ...

Check with L&L Rentals (bookajeep.com) and see if they have any. Have used St. John CR and Courtesy in the past, we now use L&L, though all 3 are great to deal with.

Two thumbs up on the advice from Pulley - the mask is by far the most important choice. The fit on that component trumps everything else. And one of the "stay-dry" snorkels is worth it's weight in gold. We've had a couple of (I believe) OceanQuest Totally Dry snorkels for several years now...

Though I don't use them now, this is another vote for the Aqua Lung fins - they're very reasonably priced, work well, and last for a long time. I think a lot of local/chain sporting goods stores carry them.

Personal preferences have a lot to do with it, but in general, my recommendation would be normal length (not short) fins. Longer fins give you much more power when snorkeling. I prefer closed toes, pull on, full foot fins - without the strap at the back. With those, correct fit is very important. An...

We've been out twice with Captain Truman Barbier, Flyaway Charters USVI. He works out of Coral Bay, and is wonderful to work with. Can't say enough good things about him.

We second the motion for the Sawyer products. We used it last summer on STJ, and it worked much better than the DEET products we've used in the past. Specfically, we used this: Sawyer Products Premium Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin. The performance was far better than anything we've used in the...

We're heading back for our 8th trip to STJ in August. We always go in August/September. We had a bad experience ONCE with Hurricane Earl, but, still, we prefer the warm water, the lack of crowds and general even-more-laid-back feeling that occurs in August and September. As other posters have noted,...