NAIBdiver1
Contributor
This was the Caribbean Explorer's first trip in a new location. The price
of the trip was discounted $200.00, and the destinations were experimental.
We arrived in Exuma, Bahamas and a taxi met us at the airport and took us to
the boat where the crew greeted us and helped get our bags aboard. The boat
was very clean and well laid out. The Caribbean Explorer has been in the
Explorer fleet for quit sometime, but is well maintained and according to the chief engineer - his favorite boat.
We where first directed to set up our gear before bags were stowed and that was a bit of a hassle as there where bags all over the deck. After setting up our dive area, our bags where eventually taken below and stowed. That evening we had the first of our briefings.
Again, remember this was the first trip for the Caribbean Explorer, and we sometimes dropped anchor in the sand well off the dive area and this made for some fairly long swims to the reefs. I think as the crew gets to know the areas better, choosing and parking closer to the dive sites will happen.
The next morning (Sunday) early we set off for our first crossing. We visited Long Island, Conception and San Salvador. Although the waters in the southern Bahamas looked truly over fished, we did see almost every type of fish that you would expect in the Caribbean, except moray eels (green or spotted).
A strange occurrence happened upon arriving at San Salvador, we lost two crew members. Both of the official divemasters left the boat. No, explanation and it left the boat a bit short staffed. The crew members that we left did a good job, but with eighteen passengers on board, the two that left were missed.
Our main hope was to see sharks though and sharks were spotted almost
every day. We saw Black Tip Sharks, Caribbean Reef Sharks and the highlight
of the trip a fourteen foot hammerhead. Several people saw a hammerheads, so
you should say that the highlight was we saw several Great Hammerheads.
The diving was primarily wall dives and almost all the dives tended to be deep. The top of the walls usually were in the 55 - 70 foot range. Since in was late April the water was a bit chilly Between 73 and 75 degrees. Visibility was a little less than I hoped for, 50 - 70 feet being the norm. Because of the depths on a couple of days, we chose not to do a fifth dive.
The fills were always around 3000 + PSI and the Nitrox 32 - 34 %. The crew was always friendly and helpful. Entry was down a set of a set of steps and off the back of the boat.
The rooms where clean and nice. A single upper bunk, double lower bunk, sink and a closet two bathrooms with showers where shared by the people on the lower level and this never posed a problem. The rooms on the upper deck have private shower/toilet, but no closet. The common areas were very comfortable.
Now, about the food. If you in to MEAT AND POTATOES, this is the boat for
you !
On the application, W specified that we don't eat beef or pork and the cook tried to accommodate that, but was poorly lacking. Veggie burgers and micro waved chicken - ugh. One night there was a chicken stir fry and another lunch of spaghetti was pretty good. But, overall this was the most disappointing part of the trip. Never a fish/seafood meal - HELLO! We're in the Caribbean.
Another aspect that we felt that we were real lucky, was that all the other divers on the trip were very nice people and fun to spend the week aboard with. Especially meeting other videographers and sharing and learning from one another.
There is a dedicated camera table and a place to recharge batteries.
Nitrox was $150.00 extra for the week and there was a $65.00 fuel sur charge and another port tax charge - So with tip and extras, that added almost another $500 to the cost
of the trip was discounted $200.00, and the destinations were experimental.
We arrived in Exuma, Bahamas and a taxi met us at the airport and took us to
the boat where the crew greeted us and helped get our bags aboard. The boat
was very clean and well laid out. The Caribbean Explorer has been in the
Explorer fleet for quit sometime, but is well maintained and according to the chief engineer - his favorite boat.
We where first directed to set up our gear before bags were stowed and that was a bit of a hassle as there where bags all over the deck. After setting up our dive area, our bags where eventually taken below and stowed. That evening we had the first of our briefings.
Again, remember this was the first trip for the Caribbean Explorer, and we sometimes dropped anchor in the sand well off the dive area and this made for some fairly long swims to the reefs. I think as the crew gets to know the areas better, choosing and parking closer to the dive sites will happen.
The next morning (Sunday) early we set off for our first crossing. We visited Long Island, Conception and San Salvador. Although the waters in the southern Bahamas looked truly over fished, we did see almost every type of fish that you would expect in the Caribbean, except moray eels (green or spotted).
A strange occurrence happened upon arriving at San Salvador, we lost two crew members. Both of the official divemasters left the boat. No, explanation and it left the boat a bit short staffed. The crew members that we left did a good job, but with eighteen passengers on board, the two that left were missed.
Our main hope was to see sharks though and sharks were spotted almost
every day. We saw Black Tip Sharks, Caribbean Reef Sharks and the highlight
of the trip a fourteen foot hammerhead. Several people saw a hammerheads, so
you should say that the highlight was we saw several Great Hammerheads.
The diving was primarily wall dives and almost all the dives tended to be deep. The top of the walls usually were in the 55 - 70 foot range. Since in was late April the water was a bit chilly Between 73 and 75 degrees. Visibility was a little less than I hoped for, 50 - 70 feet being the norm. Because of the depths on a couple of days, we chose not to do a fifth dive.
The fills were always around 3000 + PSI and the Nitrox 32 - 34 %. The crew was always friendly and helpful. Entry was down a set of a set of steps and off the back of the boat.
The rooms where clean and nice. A single upper bunk, double lower bunk, sink and a closet two bathrooms with showers where shared by the people on the lower level and this never posed a problem. The rooms on the upper deck have private shower/toilet, but no closet. The common areas were very comfortable.
Now, about the food. If you in to MEAT AND POTATOES, this is the boat for
you !
On the application, W specified that we don't eat beef or pork and the cook tried to accommodate that, but was poorly lacking. Veggie burgers and micro waved chicken - ugh. One night there was a chicken stir fry and another lunch of spaghetti was pretty good. But, overall this was the most disappointing part of the trip. Never a fish/seafood meal - HELLO! We're in the Caribbean.
Another aspect that we felt that we were real lucky, was that all the other divers on the trip were very nice people and fun to spend the week aboard with. Especially meeting other videographers and sharing and learning from one another.
There is a dedicated camera table and a place to recharge batteries.
Nitrox was $150.00 extra for the week and there was a $65.00 fuel sur charge and another port tax charge - So with tip and extras, that added almost another $500 to the cost
