San Salvador and Riding Rock

[Puck]

Working on a San Salvador - Bahamas Adventure, and I have never been there. The plan is to dive with Riding Rock on San Salvador in Jan or Feb. Any tips, reviews, cautions, photos, etc. would be appreciated. Rooms at the Riding Rock - Deluxe or standard? Any must see/can skip dive sites? We plan to get 12-15 dives.

 

[archman]

I'm trying to get out there soon myself. I would very much like to know how the wall diving compares to other Caribbean areas. Everyone says its top-rated, but I hear that for a lot of places. I have yet to go on a wall dive that isn't fantastic.

 

[rpodos]

I was there in 1998. At that time, the walls were fantastic, and the hammerheads were out and about every other dive. The dive op was stellar as well, but the Inn itself was in pretty bad disrepair. I had intended to go back one of these days, staying at the nClub Med instead, and bicycling over to dive, but...

I've been in Abaco for the last week, and am heading to Bimini tomorrow. In addition to hurricanes, the water in the Bahamas has been *very* warm for the last few years, killing coral and worse, allowing for heavy algae. The word I've gotten is that the walls in San Sal are friggin' green for the next few years. The best advice I could give would be to go in the spring, after the winter cold has killed off mujch of the algae, but even then the corals won't have recovered, and thus corresponding reef fish life will be below par as well.

Sorry.

 

[caymaniac]

I was there in 1998. At that time, the walls were fantastic, and the hammerheads were out and about every other dive. The dive op was stellar as well, but the Inn itself was in pretty bad disrepair. I had intended to go back one of these days, staying at the nClub Med instead, and bicycling over to dive, but...

I've been in Abaco for the last week, and am heading to Bimini tomorrow. In addition to hurricanes, the water in the Bahamas has been *very* warm for the last few years, killing coral and worse, allowing for heavy algae. The word I've gotten is that the walls in San Sal are friggin' green for the next few years. The best advice I could give would be to go in the spring, after the winter cold has killed off mujch of the algae, but even then the corals won't have recovered, and thus corresponding reef fish life will be below par as well.

Sorry.

What time of year did you see the Hammerheads?
Thanks

 

[Doc]

Working on a San Salvador - Bahamas Adventure, and I have never been there. The plan is to dive with Riding Rock on San Salvador in Jan or Feb. Any tips, reviews, cautions, photos, etc. would be appreciated. Rooms at the Riding Rock - Deluxe or standard? Any must see/can skip dive sites? We plan to get 12-15 dives.

I have seen it maybe three times while stopping with the Nekton live aboard for a land visit.

Although I would still recommend that liveaboard for the greatest exposure and opportunity, I have sent three couples who asked for advice to Riding Rock... and they came back with glowing reviews. (These folks have been around the block, so they did have a basis of comparison!)

The dive sites? This is a question that has no answer. On any day, at any given moment, someone will see this critter (or not) at a particular site. Just go with the DM's best advice after he gets a chance to analyze your abilities.

The East side of the island (from my recollection) has the bulk of the diving, and also the wind/wave exposure.

I recall one dive that was especially dramatic, I believe it was called "Labrynth".

A lot of people think the Bahamas stop at Nassau. You will have a good time, no doubt.

 

[rpodos]

Um, I think we were in San Sal at an odd time... maybe June.

(IIRC... admittedly, my memory is a bit fuzzy right now, as I am sitting in the Tacklebox at Bimini Big Game, listening to 'Margaritaville' and drinking rum. )

RoatanMan is right about the sites... all pretty much east side, so you get an interesting mix of Bahamian and Atlantic waters. The "Airport" dive is a pretty good dang shore dive, btw, so make arrangements with Riding Rock for tanks (most people stick with the boat dives).

 

[rpodos]

BTW, one of the scariest / funniest things happened to me there.

The first time we saw hammerheads, I jetted off from the group to check'em out. Typically, they swim round and round San Sal, but they have this odd behavior where every once in a while a group will stop in one place and just swim in a circle.

So there were maybe six or seven hammerheads, doing the circle, and I swim right up beside'em. What I didn;t realize was that the circle drifts a little bit... all of a sudden, I realize that I am in the middle of the circle, with those friggin' eyes staring in at me!!

Freaked me out, to say the least. I immediately laid down on my tank so I could at least keep MY eyes on them, and sort of wriggled out of the circle.

Everybody thought I looked pretty funny. My wife still gives me grief about chasing sharks.

 

[archman]

Ha ha, looks like I'm making a 36 hour trip there next weekend. I'll be snorkeling the inshore patch reefs near the marine station mostly, but plan on getting a couple dives out of Riding Rock. Remind me to pop out a trip report when I get back.

 

[scuba99999]

Working on a San Salvador - Bahamas Adventure, and I have never been there. The plan is to dive with Riding Rock on San Salvador in Jan or Feb. Any tips, reviews, cautions, photos, etc. would be appreciated. Rooms at the Riding Rock - Deluxe or standard? Any must see/can skip dive sites? We plan to get 12-15 dives.

RRI is great. I've been there many times. The hotel is NOT in disrepair. All I can say is GO you will love it. Walls are great, every dive is better than the last, all about 100+ vis, food's really good, bar is fun. Spend a little extra and get the deluxe room - its bigger, nicer and has a small refrig. You will get 3 meals a day and 3 dives a day except day of arr/dep which is Sat. for a 7 night trip. Hammerheads are in greatest numbers in April-May. Nov-Feb good possibility of whale sharks. Don't fly Bahamas Air if you can avoid it, but instead use the hotel's air charter service from Ft. Lauderdale airport.

 

[rpodos]

Whale sharks in San Sal? I remember seeing a pic of one in the bar, and being told it was like a once-a-year thing.

And, btw, just to reply: I saw RRI in disrepair over seven years ago... I am more than happy to hear more recent reports that it is in good shape.