Anyone been to Sugar Wreck off GBI West End?

[Hapless Bystander]

Hello Everyone,

I posted this by mistake in the greetings forum. Please forgive me for the reposting here

I am glad I found this forum. I am hoping maybe one of you can help!

I am going to Grand Bahama Island with my wife for ten days on June 14th. We are staying on the West End at the Old Bahama Bay which is isolated. My wife and I are both certified; she is a newbie and I am slightly more experienced. I am a diabetic and therefore really must do shallow dives which we both prefer anyway.

Here's our dilemma:

Has anybody dove Sugar Wreck? It is in shallow water (about 20'). From the West End I can hire a private 20' Mako with a dive master and make a 3 hour round trip by sea and do two dives. This costs 600 dollars!

Or we can rent a car and drive into town 3 hours round trip and do afternoon shallow dives at places like fish farm and silver point on a boat with eight other divers. The cost of this including the car rental is about 300 dollars.

Is investing the extra 300 dollars to dive at Sugar Wreck worth it? Is it a better dive site? What is the possibility of encountering dolphins during the 3 hour round trip to get there?

Any advice on this one would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Robert

 

[Walter]

I don't know that it's worth an extra $300.00, but it's certainly a very cool wreck. I'd love to dive it again. I've dived it 4 times - June 18 & 19, 1984 and May 21 & 22, 1990. The deepest I saw was 23 ft. OTOH, I've never dived Fish Farm or Silver Point.

 

[SSharkk]

The Sugar Wreck can be quite good. I have seen loggerhead turtles and caribbean reef sharks on it. It is a superior night dive.

 

[Hapless Bystander]

Thanks for the replies Walter and Ssharkk! Looks like we are going to Sugar Wreck and the poor house!

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

It is a great wreck and the ride out is always beautiful. Go see Nathan at Old Bahama Bay if you need anything.
Cheers
Jillian

 

[SSharkk]

Hapless Bystander you now owe us a trip report; in detail.

 

[Hapless Bystander]

Thanks for the replies Ssharkk and Jillian

I will be happy to post about our adventures when we return. There is a problem though. The guy who owns the open 20 ft mako and said he would take us diving is now saying he thinks the wreck is better as a snorkel trip. I think he is trying to get out of coming up with tanks and weights and the extra work that would go into a scuba trip as compared to the snorkel trip. I have spent HOURS searching the Internet for alternatives but there doesn't seem to be any. Does anyone have any ideas or know of anyone that can do a dive trip out of the West End?

Jillian, do you know of a way to reach Nathan before we get there?

We really want to do this site!

Thanks again!

Robert

 

[SSharkk]

DRAT!!! Your thinking is right on track; if he is giving you a problem at this stage he is unreliable and, I would be looking for another captain myself.

The Sugar Wreck is a nice site but, if you don't dive it life will still go on.

The best of luck in your quest,

Jeff

 

[Hapless Bystander]

Hi Jeff,

Well, we are going to try the snorkeling at least if we can't find someone to take us on a dive out there. It is starting to look like we will have to just wait until we get there since many of the dive operators aren't responding to email. So many businesses have apparently closed down. I will post my experience while I am there. I am an optimist and am sure we will find something and have a great time!

Robert

 

[fisheyeview]

Did you find the guy though Old Bahama Bay? Did you book through the Ft. Lauderdale booking office, or directly with the hotel? The hotel took over the bookings a few weeks ago.

I have been going to OBB 4 - 6 times a year for quite a while now. The staff there has never failed me when I have asked them for help.

As a friendly tip, if you are drinking at the beach bar make sure they actually put mixers in the drink. They pour them a bit strong.

Also, you will be down there for the full moon. They have a full moon party at the beach bar. The West End Love Train.