Hofmann6
New
Diving Bermuda in the beginning of August while on a cruise. Any good dive companies to rent gear/guide trips? New diver - 20 logged dives in CA kelp forests, will have about 30 dives and PADI AOP by August.
Bermuda dive company recs??
- Thread starter Hofmann6
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
miked
Contributor
My favorite: Dive Bermuda, located at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel beach. DIVE Bermuda - Scuba Diving Shop at The Fairmont Southampton Princess
A couple of things to consider:
Where will your ship be docked, and how will you travel to the Dive op's location.There are no rental cars allowed in Bermuda, taxis are great, but pricy, and buses are cheaper, but they run on their schedule, not yours.
Have you asked the cruise line where they would suggest booking??
Other ops of note:
Blue Water Divers ( I have read mixed reviews, had one "okay' experience with them. They are at several locations)
Triangle Divers, (Located near the airport.Good reviews.)
If you do a SB search, in the "Bermuda" sub forum, there are several threads that have more detailed info, from a number of members (including me.)
Enjoy your trip!
A couple of things to consider:
Where will your ship be docked, and how will you travel to the Dive op's location.There are no rental cars allowed in Bermuda, taxis are great, but pricy, and buses are cheaper, but they run on their schedule, not yours.
Have you asked the cruise line where they would suggest booking??
Other ops of note:
Blue Water Divers ( I have read mixed reviews, had one "okay' experience with them. They are at several locations)
Triangle Divers, (Located near the airport.Good reviews.)
If you do a SB search, in the "Bermuda" sub forum, there are several threads that have more detailed info, from a number of members (including me.)
Enjoy your trip!
Another +1 for Triangle Divers. Very competent shop, tech savvy, boat right at the dock, nice protected lagoon near a beautiful, quiet resort.
If you are closer to the Fairmont Southhampton, Dive Bermuda was OK, but it's right in the middle of a very busy hotel with lots of families with little kids, and you need to swim out to the boat docked at a mooring off the beach, while they ferry your gear out with Kayaks.
I also liked the dive sites better that we went to out of Triangle, but that might just have been the luck of the draw...
If you are closer to the Fairmont Southhampton, Dive Bermuda was OK, but it's right in the middle of a very busy hotel with lots of families with little kids, and you need to swim out to the boat docked at a mooring off the beach, while they ferry your gear out with Kayaks.
I also liked the dive sites better that we went to out of Triangle, but that might just have been the luck of the draw...
First, find out where your ship will be docked, second find out how much time you have for the day of diving. These two factors may make the decision for you. There are only three ops and if your ship comes in at the Dockyard, Blue Water Divers is the closet. Go to the Bermuda forum for reviews. Heard good things consistently of Triangle. Mixed on Blue Waters and mosly good Dive Bermuda. We dove two days Blue Water a couple of years ago. One day the Capt was not so good. Different crew the next day and completely different experience. See my post. Next trip down we will dive with Triangle. Have fun.
Or you can get scooters, and then it doesn't matter as much. They are one of the best things about Bermuda, they really give you flexibility and freedom. Unless you are hauling a lot of gear with you, although I was able to put all my stuff (including backplate and wing) into a big Stahlsac mesh bag with shoulder straps and let it rest in the basket behind me!
miked
Contributor
Not wanting to dispute the Doctor's suggestion, but as a caution: I'd advise against renting a scooter, unless you are a trained/experienced motorcycle/motorscooter driver, because, in addition to operating a new style vehicle:
In Bermuda, they drive on the left side of the road, which IMHO, adds to the task loading.
Depending on where you are traveling, the roads in Bermuda can be narrow, winding, and crowded.
In 30+ years of going to Bermuda, I have, on each trip, seen somebody(more than one)at the hotel: in a cast; bandaged up; on crutches; showing patches of road rash; as a result of "a scooter accident".
Acquaintances who live in Bermuda advise against it, for those reasons.
As always YMMV, and I am possibly overcautious (can you say"wimp").
Whatever you decide, good luck and enjoy your trip.
Not wanting to dispute the Doctor's suggestion, but as a caution: I'd advise against renting a scooter, unless you are a trained/experienced motorcycle/motorscooter driver, because, in addition to operating a new style vehicle:
In Bermuda, they drive on the left side of the road, which IMHO, adds to the task loading.
Depending on where you are traveling, the roads in Bermuda can be narrow, winding, and crowded.
In 30+ years of going to Bermuda, I have, on each trip, seen somebody(more than one)at the hotel: in a cast; bandaged up; on crutches; showing patches of road rash; as a result of "a scooter accident".
Acquaintances who live in Bermuda advise against it, for those reasons.
As always YMMV, and I am possibly overcautious (can you say"wimp").
Whatever you decide, good luck and enjoy your trip.
Yup, I agree, not for everyone. But still a great way to see the island...!
Yes, there are accidents, that is true. But it's not quite the same as driving a scooter in NYC traffic (which I would never do). Scooters (and tourists riding them) are such a big part of Bermuda, that the locals are much more aware of them than car drivers would ever be in the US. Also, you can't rent a car in Bermuda, so everyone driving a car on the road is a local.
First rode one there when I was 16... now I'm 51 and have been back many times. But miked has a good point - if you decide to scooter you are taking a calculated risk. Then again, that's what we all do every time we dive, right?
My mother used to go there for the summers with her family in the 1930s (she's 92 and going back with us again this August)... she remembers when motorized vehicles weren't allowed on the island and they had the train. She claims that the governor resigned because the garbage collector got a truck and he wasn't allowed to get a car!
We rented scooters for a couple of days on our last trip It was fun with some caveats. We did not ride during "rush hour" with traffic, did not ride at night and definitely did ride and drink. We found that getting a bus pass was much easier and a lot less expensive and for us that is the way to go.
Just returned from Bermuda last week.
The Cruise ships dock at the Royal Naval Yard Dockyard, in the west.
If you book through the ship, they will set you up with "Fantasea" Scuba,
which is right near the dock. They load-up on cruise ship divers. Too many for me.
I dove with Dive Bermuda in Southampton - great people and they dive mostly
the south of the island - nice dives. You can not take a bus with your dive gear!!!!
If you have dive gear, you must take a cab - $25.00 each way from the Dockyard,
but worth it!
Enjoy the trip.
The Cruise ships dock at the Royal Naval Yard Dockyard, in the west.
If you book through the ship, they will set you up with "Fantasea" Scuba,
which is right near the dock. They load-up on cruise ship divers. Too many for me.
I dove with Dive Bermuda in Southampton - great people and they dive mostly
the south of the island - nice dives. You can not take a bus with your dive gear!!!!
If you have dive gear, you must take a cab - $25.00 each way from the Dockyard,
but worth it!
Enjoy the trip.
Similar threads
