Bahama's diving with Brendals Dive Center - Thumbs down

[Rzrseg]

We spent a week diving with Brendals at Green Turtle Caye and were very disappointed. Apparently they only had one boat running and with just one boat, and a mix of divers and snorkelers, he always catered to the snorkelers. This meant that we got to go back to the same two dive sites repeatedly. We dove with them for 7 dives and except for one dive on the wreck of the San Jacinto (which is a really nice dive) we did the same two dive sites 6 more times. To make matters worse, these two dive sites are really light on fish so after the first time looking at the formations, you're pretty much done.

Every day I'd ask him either where we were going or to take us somewhere new and he'd give me a reply like "We'll see" or "I'm not sure where we're going" which, I learned was not true since the snorkelers always go to the same places. He knew exactly where he was going when he left, he just didn't want to tell me because we'd bail and head for another dive op. At the end of our diving with them, there was no discount or anything for doing nothing but the same two dive sites repeatedly and we got to shell out $1688 for 7 tanks of air.

So, to wrap up, if they have both boats running, they may be good, I don't know. If they only have one boat, be prepared to go back to the same two sites again and again and again and again and again and again.

I couldn't have been more underwhelmed with the whole operation.

 

[NYCNaiad]

That sucks. Sorry you got to only see 2 dive sites. It looks like there are a ton of really nice ones around there.

It also looks like they've done this to others as well & have no shame about doing it. Here someone on TripAdvisor complained noting: "We were taken to the same dive spot 4 out of 5 days. [Snorkelers] are on the same boat. The boats are not suited for dive gear. Communication and safety procedures are poor." And the dive shop's response is "The reviewer [chose] to come back [multiple] days for diving."

Ugh. Thanks for the trip report.

 

[Shasta_man]

Pretty confident that two boats would just mean two boats of people going to same place every day.

 

[robint]

this should be moved to the Bahamas forum.