I just returned from 5 nights on the boat. The first day/night were travelling to the Guatalupe Island. We anchored a short distance from the island. The entire crew was excellent. The cook for all meals did a very nice job and was a pleasant man. The captain, Jason, was good at keeping us informed. Jimi, from "Shark Dive Xperts" was our dive master and guide. He is a very nice young man with a wealth of experience and knowledge. The rooms/cabins are VERY modest. They were clean but small.....no bathroom, closet, just a sink. There are only bunk beds so if you're thinking about reading in bed, you'll have to pretty much be laying down or you'll hit your head on the bunk above. There's one plug in. Mine was in the ceiling so was a bit of a challenge when wanting to charge something. However, there were several options in the dining room. Now about the shark diving....that's why all of us were there. There are two shark diving cages with up to 4 people in each. The cages stay at the surface of the water but are deep, so you go down several feet. Each diver has its own regulator. The tanks are on the boat, so have up to 4 long "hoses" in the tank. Not a problem. You also have a wetsuit with weights to put on. They help you with all of this. Getting in and out of the cages needs alittle help from the crew but not a problem. I think I was the oldest person in the group (68 years old) and always wanted them to help me. They were always excellent helpers. You went in for about an hour, then out for an hour and back in for an hour....went like this for a few hours. If you didn't want you rotation, you didn't have to. If you wanted to get out of the cage, you could. One time I was cold, so just got out of the cage....to the top and just sat there til time for everyone to get out. Worked out fine. Everyone has cameras....the whole point of the trip. Everyone got great pictures!! We saw about 20 great whites the three days there.....keep in mind you have one day to get there and one day to return to San Diego. If you love wildlife and photography, as I do, then go for it. The trip is a bit spending but was worth every penny!!! I forgot to mention, there are 2 shower/bathrooms on the main deck....only ones.

I recently took a three night/two day fishing trip with Islander Charters. My brothers and I were celebrating my fathers 80th birthday. My two brothers and father shared a cabin (there were four bunks in their cabin). I was lucky enough to have a cabin of my own (there were two bunks and a sink in my cabin, which I highly recommend!).

The boat is a working fishing/dive vessel. Don't expect cruise ship amenities and luxury. Be prepared to stow your own gear. If you don't like bunk beds, then this is not your adventure! They have two heads with showers - lots of hot water!

The fishing was remarkable, but what made the experience meaningful was the staff. Captain John, Captain Jason, the deck hands Matt, Andrew, Jarred and Chef Rick really went out of their way to help their customers on the charter.

Matt, Andrew and Jarred are amazing young men who really love their job! They coached anyone who hooked a fish to help you successfully land that fish in the boat. I was impressed with how hard they worked from dawn until well beyond dusk. One of the Captains were ever present. Just a group of super positive guys.

Chef Rick was amazing! And I have to admit to having a bit of a crush on him and his mad skills in a galley kitchen smaller than my kitchen counter at home! We were served three meals a day as well as two snacks. It was gourmet! Food cooked to perfection. WOW!

The weather was epic, awesome sunrises and sunsets. But really, it was the fishing. I would say off the hook, but in this case - it was on the hook! We caught blue and yellow fin tuna. We had the opportunity to see some hammerheads - one even munched a tuna as it was being reeled in.

We had a diverse group of people on our charter. A couple who were in their mid 70's, a group from the same business that were team building, and a father and son who were similar in age group as my brothers and father. A wide range of ages and three women. It was a great experience getting to know everyone on the charter.

I will definitely see Islander Charters again! I would love to go on their cage diving adventure next.

Thanks for an exceptional experience.

I have actually used Island Charters twice, and I plan on going again. Everything about the trip was fantastic, the crew, the sharks, and even the food (which is impressive since I am a vegetarian). I highly recommend using Islander Charters, and I look forward to my next trip with them.
I made a bunch of friends on the trips, and saw some amazing sharks.