Caribbean/Bahamas for UK divers

[Tanyas]

Hi

A group of UK divers are thinking about venturing out to the Caribbean next year. None of us have ever been there before as we tend to stick to diving in the Red Sea. We were thinking about the Bahamas and the Aquacat liveaboard looks interesting. I've read the Aquacat reviews on this forum and it looks pretty good... liberal dive guides and lots of shark action. Any idea when the best time of year is? We were thinking about October but have no idea if this is best re weather and visibility.

Any other advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Tanya

 

[robint]

Hi

A group of UK divers are thinking about venturing out to the Caribbean next year. None of us have ever been there before as we tend to stick to diving in the Red Sea. We were thinking about the Bahamas and the Aquacat liveaboard looks interesting. I've read the Aquacat reviews on this forum and it looks pretty good... liberal dive guides and lots of shark action. Any idea when the best time of year is? We were thinking about October but have no idea if this is best re weather and visibility.

Any other advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Tanya

If you want to do a liveaboard in Caribbean and want to see sharks, I would highly recommend the Nekton Diving Cruises - Comfort, Stability, Worldclass Diving in Bahamas, Cay Sal Bank itinerary. Great diving in deep blue holes, walls, sharks, etc. October is still hurricane season - I would recommend May-June for better weather.

If you don't want to do a liveaboard, I would go to Bonaire. Fantastic diving and 24/7 shore diving to the prettiest reefs we have seen in Caribbean. Lots of great resorts there but we stayed at ~ ~ ~ Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire ~ ~ ~ and loved it. Grab a tank and walk right into the water for fabulous dives... no sharks though, just tons and tons of fish.

robint

 

[Doc]

I second the Nekton suggestion, and it's great to see that it's your time to broaden your horizons... more than you imagine! Please excuse my over-generalization of you, all of the Queen's subjects, but I have gone out of my way to follow your fellow Limeys as they dive around the world. Your backyard is the Red Sea and like all of us, we know what we know.


The ocean, and you may not yet believe this (I hope you know I'm ), has way more interesting stuff in it than Sharks. I was with a bunch of you Colonialists last year in the Red Sea. Everyone was buggy for Sharks. One night, while they were all drinking beer on the boat, I went for a nigt dive and found Sea Moths. Enchanting little creatures that none of my new British friends had even imagined. I was with a boatload of British divers of substantial dive backgrounds... and they would spend hours out in the blue looking for Sharks. Whatever.

The natural wrecks of the Red Sea (the Thistlegorm was obviously the highlght) more than made up for the relative lack of obvious smaller stuff, that~ and the super aggressive Triggerfish, but I have seen this "knowing what one knows" blind many a BSAC buddy.

Bonaire would be a real eye opener, it is a superb land based island dive center, arguably the best single dive island in the Mar Caribe. Excellent surface diversions including restaurants. KLM flies in and out like the shuttle train between London and Heathrow.

I would the suggest also Nekton's grand tour of Belize (that would also give you a view of the diving of Roatan- it is very similar). Many Brits wind up in Tobago, and although I rate it (as well as Bonaire and Nekton) in "my top Caribbean 5", it would offer only a very narrow view of our little backyard pool.

The Nekton itinnerary of the South Bahamas would take you to some great places that you all used to collect taxes from: all the way out to San Salvador. Sharks, yes, but other Caribbean endemics. On San Sal there is the Riding Rock Inn, if you want land based, but from your aspect, it might be expensive to fly into.

This is absolutely off topic, but so that you may see how I see, here is my Red Sea report: Myspace.com Blogs - Red Sea, Sharm, a liveaboard trip 07/2006 - SCUBA MySpace Blog It might lend a perspective and credence to my view of the Caribbean for British divers.

 

[Dantheengineer]

Divernet | A Lot of Bull

http://www.walkerscay.com/index.html?section=Diving/programs

For a good time? copy and paste the links into your browser address box.

OK seriously, I’m an UK expat out here on New Providence working too much and diving too little.
The links above had me positively drooling.
I had a good dig around the net, as i'm sure you will too, and have other links to equally terrific looking sites. Say the word if you want them sent on.

Another UK expat is putting together a dive club over here at the mo.
He's been around a while and is an excellent source of information.

Bahamas Dive Club

If you come out this way, look me up. Good luck!

Best of diving to you!
Dan.

 

[MarkUK]

Tanya,

You will enjoy diving the Caribbean, just don't expect as much colour on the reefs as you get in the Indo-Pacific. I am actually going on the Aquacat in January (third time on it) and it is a great boat, but the only sharks you get with any regularity are the Caribbean reef sharks on the organised feed. We got a solitary hammerhead on the wall last time, and a couple of reefers, but that was it. Plenty of other life, though, including turtles, eagle rays and one small manta, plus all the usual Caribbean reef life.

I was the Colonial who got Doc out to the Red Sea, and yes, I was one of the guys hanging out in the blue looking for Mr Shark. I like the little stuff as much as the big guys, but I do love my sharks (and as I've done nearly 30 trips out to Egypt in the past nine years, I've seen most of the creatures - and that includes your little sea moths, Doc! – but I still like seeing the Men in Grey Suits).

I've done Bonaire and I like the diving freedom - no dive guides hassling you, you dive when you want, where you want. Perfect.

Tobago has rocking drift dives.

Little Cayman has awesome walls with lots of colour (for the Caribbean).

With the pound being strong against the dollar, now is the perfect time to sample the Caribbean. But once you've given it a pop and want to get some more shark action, head for Sudan... Hammerheads, tigers, grey reef, silkies, silvertips... Awesome... And I didn't need to spend hours hanging in the blue, either...

Mark

 

[MarkUK]

Divernet | A Lot of Bull

http://www.walkerscay.com/index.html?section=Diving/programs

For a good time? copy and paste the links into your browser address box.

OK seriously, I’m an UK expat out here on New Providence working too much and diving too little.
The links above had me positively drooling.
I had a good dig around the net, as i'm sure you will too, and have other links to equally terrific looking sites. Say the word if you want them sent on.

Another UK expat is putting together a dive club over here at the mo.
He's been around a while and is an excellent source of information.

Bahamas Dive Club

If you come out this way, look me up. Good luck!

Best of diving to you!
Dan.

Sorry Dan, but I think you will find that Walker's Cay is now closed, and has been for a few years. A shame, as the bull shark snorkel and the mass chumsickle feed were awesome. All the sharks that came to the feed have probably been fished out by now...

Mark

 

[Doc]

but the only sharks you get with any regularity are the Caribbean reef sharks on the organised feed.

So there we was, on a Nekton Shark "dive day", I was tagged off with this lady instructor from the Bahamas, the Sharks began their approach. She and I spent the entire dive staring at this tiny juvenile Pipefish that was at our knees in the sand for 45 minutes.

...and that includes your little sea moths, Doc!

Mark may have seen them, but he was truly the exception amongst the fellow guests as well as the DM's. I did find them pictured in the critter book, and the response was all but universal puzzlement. MarkUK is familiar with them only because they were getting in the way of his shark pictures! Here's a snapshot of these little guys: Image of They're good with lemon and butter - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Sharks, shmarks. True terror? That damned Titan Trigger Fish.

MarkUk and I have a plan to do the Nekton, soon. He may jump ships after that. (We only know what we know)

 

[MarkUK]

I admit I didn't see the sea moths on that particular trip (the siren call of Sakara Gold was too strong...), but they are - dammit - cute little critters, it has to be said. Still, each to their own...

And we both know that if titan triggers were the size of barracuda, no one would go in the water... They'd tear you apart... :11::11::11:

Trying Zanzibar in March, mate, and that is not really known for sharks - however, they do have some monster grouper! (And lots of little stuff...).

Let's work on the Nekton dates for 2008! I will see the guys at DEMA next week and have a chat.

Mark

 

[victor]

October is still in the Hurricane season so beware.
Bonaire is a fabulous choice, not so good for sharks but the reefs are great, unlimited shore diving 50ft from your from door. I have been there 3 times and would go again at the drop of a hat. We did 5 dive's a day (1 or 2 boat dives and the rest from the shore). Have a look on the web, Sand Dollar was my choice. Rent a pickup, all the divesites are marked and there are good books describing the entry, exit and dive site.

 

[Dantheengineer]

Gutted!
Although it would explain their lack of interest in my emails.