ETnScuba
Contributor
I returned this past week from a 5 day, 4 night trip aboard the Avalon out of Nassau. This was a parent/youth trip that I booked through Choo Choo Dive Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Avalon is a 65 foot sailing vessel that has accommodations for twelve passengers and four crew.
Although I was comfortable in my bunk, one must remember this is a small vessel with small sleeping areas. There are 6 rooms with two bunk beds in each room. There are two showers with fresh water and one hand held fresh water sprayer on deck to rinse off after each dive.
Three hot meal were provided each day. Breakfast ranged from bacon and eggs one day, pancakes another and fresh cinnamon rolls on our last morning one board. Lunches consisted of fix your own sandwiches and salads. Dinners were spaghetti, roast beef, tacos and ham. No one went hungry.
Upon arriving on board, we stowed our personal gear in our berths and set up our equipment. Each diver is assigned a station with a tank (air only, no nitrox) and a storage bin for fins, masks, etc. After setting up our equipment, the only thing we had to do for the rest of the trip was remove our regulator after each dive so the Dive Master would know to refill our tank.
The DM was knowledgeable of each dive site and gave us a pre-dive briefing including currents, types of sea life to expect and any special water entry/exit procedures for the site. Entry was made by a giant stride off either the port or starboard side. The drop to the water was about five feet. Exiting the water consisted of a ladder on the stern of the vessel. A line and floating marker was deployed from the stern on each dive to aide the divers while removing fins and waiting their turn to exit the water. The crew was waiting on a platform on the stern to collect fins, cameras, etc and assist each diver on the ladder.
Since this trip was a parent/youth trip, the dives for this trip were designed with this mind. The first dive on the evening of our arrival was a easy 30 footer at a sited named Good Head, near Nassau. This gave each of us a chance to get wet and adjust our weighting.
After this dive the Captain made a six hour run to the Exumas while we had supper and prepared for bed.
The next dive was a drift dive at Wax Cut and the following dive was at Fire Coral Reef. The afternoon was spent snorkeling along Shroud Cay Tidal Creek and lounging on an adjacent beach. We then traveled about an hour to our next dive site at Amberjack Reef. After this dive we anchored at Exuma Park where the Captain arraigned for a bonfire on shore.
Other dive sites included: Washing Machine, Basket star Reef, and Hammerhead Gulch (a day and night dive).
On our last day we made the deepest dive of the trip to Tri-Wrecks near Nassau. The top of the barges were near 70 feet, so the youth were able to see it all and stay within their 60 limit. The adults shared time with the youth to allow all who wanted to descend to the sand at 95 feet. The last two dives were at Mahoney Wreak and the Junkyard. The DM knew when everyones flights were the following day and arraigned this days diving to give everyone 24 hours before their flights.
My favorite dive was Amberjack Reef, where Caribbean Reef sharks passed through and large grouper were present around each piece of coral. Visibility was probably near 100 feet on this dive which presented great photography for those with cameras.
The marine seemed plentiful and those that have been on the trip before said the numbers were pretty typical.
I was very concerned with the number of lionfish we saw on each dive. Ive read about their spread through the Bahamas, but didnt expect to see several on each dive.
I look forward to my next trip aboard the Avalon and would recommend this vessel to anyone wanting a relaxing dive trip. The best way to book a trip is with a group that charters the entire vessel. This way the trip can be tailored to your needs. The Captain told me that this is how most of their trips are booked, but when a group doesnt have enough people to fill all the berths they will gladly book anyone for the trip.
Although I was comfortable in my bunk, one must remember this is a small vessel with small sleeping areas. There are 6 rooms with two bunk beds in each room. There are two showers with fresh water and one hand held fresh water sprayer on deck to rinse off after each dive.
Three hot meal were provided each day. Breakfast ranged from bacon and eggs one day, pancakes another and fresh cinnamon rolls on our last morning one board. Lunches consisted of fix your own sandwiches and salads. Dinners were spaghetti, roast beef, tacos and ham. No one went hungry.
Upon arriving on board, we stowed our personal gear in our berths and set up our equipment. Each diver is assigned a station with a tank (air only, no nitrox) and a storage bin for fins, masks, etc. After setting up our equipment, the only thing we had to do for the rest of the trip was remove our regulator after each dive so the Dive Master would know to refill our tank.
The DM was knowledgeable of each dive site and gave us a pre-dive briefing including currents, types of sea life to expect and any special water entry/exit procedures for the site. Entry was made by a giant stride off either the port or starboard side. The drop to the water was about five feet. Exiting the water consisted of a ladder on the stern of the vessel. A line and floating marker was deployed from the stern on each dive to aide the divers while removing fins and waiting their turn to exit the water. The crew was waiting on a platform on the stern to collect fins, cameras, etc and assist each diver on the ladder.
Since this trip was a parent/youth trip, the dives for this trip were designed with this mind. The first dive on the evening of our arrival was a easy 30 footer at a sited named Good Head, near Nassau. This gave each of us a chance to get wet and adjust our weighting.
After this dive the Captain made a six hour run to the Exumas while we had supper and prepared for bed.
The next dive was a drift dive at Wax Cut and the following dive was at Fire Coral Reef. The afternoon was spent snorkeling along Shroud Cay Tidal Creek and lounging on an adjacent beach. We then traveled about an hour to our next dive site at Amberjack Reef. After this dive we anchored at Exuma Park where the Captain arraigned for a bonfire on shore.
Other dive sites included: Washing Machine, Basket star Reef, and Hammerhead Gulch (a day and night dive).
On our last day we made the deepest dive of the trip to Tri-Wrecks near Nassau. The top of the barges were near 70 feet, so the youth were able to see it all and stay within their 60 limit. The adults shared time with the youth to allow all who wanted to descend to the sand at 95 feet. The last two dives were at Mahoney Wreak and the Junkyard. The DM knew when everyones flights were the following day and arraigned this days diving to give everyone 24 hours before their flights.
My favorite dive was Amberjack Reef, where Caribbean Reef sharks passed through and large grouper were present around each piece of coral. Visibility was probably near 100 feet on this dive which presented great photography for those with cameras.
The marine seemed plentiful and those that have been on the trip before said the numbers were pretty typical.
I was very concerned with the number of lionfish we saw on each dive. Ive read about their spread through the Bahamas, but didnt expect to see several on each dive.
I look forward to my next trip aboard the Avalon and would recommend this vessel to anyone wanting a relaxing dive trip. The best way to book a trip is with a group that charters the entire vessel. This way the trip can be tailored to your needs. The Captain told me that this is how most of their trips are booked, but when a group doesnt have enough people to fill all the berths they will gladly book anyone for the trip.
