@ebb&flow and I noticed that no new threads had been posted in about a year and a half, so we decided to go diving in Bermuda. This was our 8th trip to Bermuda, and our 3rd that involved diving. The first, Trip Report - Boat Dives with Dive Bermuda Grotto Bay, June 8th, '22 , and 2 years ago, which I failed to post a report on. Each of those consisted of a morning 2 tank dive. This trip we did 3 morning 2 tank dives. Yes, it seems to be becoming a bit closer to a “dive destination” than I thought it would when I posted 3 years ago. So, let’s get into it. There will be pictures, but I promise that I will do better than I did on my last Bonaire report (some of you know what I mean).
We flew BermudAir out of Boston, 2 hr 10 minute flight. It took us longer to get to Logan Airport than the flight! Small price to pay. Really like our experience with BermudAir. Small (3 jets) airline out of Bermuda. Smaller jets, as well, with 2 seats per side. So, nice space, nice crew, and they gave us a really big cookie that didn’t come out of a bag, but off of a tray!
Our rental was in Bailey’s Bay. We had never stayed in this area, but it’s our favorite part of the railway trail. It was also a 15-20 minute walk to the dive shop. This is important as the other options would be taxi (expensive) or bus (haven’t nailed down the timing). Also, just a little closer is The Swizzle Inn. This was a convenient lunch stop after the dives.
So, about the dives. Dive Bermuda currently has 2 locations, Grotto Bay (east end) and Somerset (west end), which opened just after our trip 2 years ago. We stuck with Grotto Bay because the east end, according to @tridacna , has the better diving. I’ll try the west end someday, but I’m inclined to believe my source on this one. They will do a reef and a wreck on each trip. Sometimes the dive is really a great combination of both. Dives are guided. This was good for our dives since most of them involved swim throughs of some type. Nitrox is now available, but it is expensive at a $20 per tank up charge. Given the dive stats that will follow, I’m not sure it’s needed. They have a really nice boat, so you can spread out a bit. Also, we rented wetsuits and BCs, but were able to leave any of our other gear in there gear room.
Our first day there were 3 of us diving, so a nice small group.
Dive #1 was at the Snake Pit. The name comes from the garden eels that populate the sand beds between the coral heads. Unfortunately, the Lion fish have had a major impact on the eel population here. Will, our guide, brought a spear along with him for just that reason. He was able to put it to use towards the end of the dive when I spotted a really big Lion fish. The dive was 58’, for 47 minutes, 72 degrees. I was burning through air pretty quickly, SAC of 0.64. Not sure if it was the cold, the cummerbund on the BC, or both, but I was the reason the dive was short.
The coral on this, and all of our other dives, was in fantastic condition! Not very fishy, we saw a few of the usual, and a nice sized Green Moray. Also, Bermuda has the largest Parrotfish I’ve ever seen. They are beasts!
Dive #2 was the King George Dredger. This was a nice wreck dive with limited penetration of the wheel house. The King George was scuttled in the 1930’s, so it is covered in some very nice coral growth. Some large Hogfish have made this home, as well. 58’, 49 minutes, 73 degrees.
Our second day was a bit more crowded. There were 9 divers on board, 4 of whom were less experienced, and 2 guides. We ended up in a group of 5, with the other 4 diving with the other guide.
Dive #1 was The Cathedral. It is named such due to the upper opening of a large swim through. When sunlight penetrates these openings it is quite the sight! This is a beautiful reef that includes a couple more swim throughs, as well. 49’, 49 minutes, 72 degrees.
Dive #2 was the wreck of the Pelinaion, a Greek steamer that struck a reef in 1939. The wreck is quite spread out due to the location on the reef. 56’, 41 minutes and 71 degrees.
Third day saw 5 divers total with 1 guide.
Dive #1 was a welcome repeat for me at North Rock. This is one of the dives I reported on last time, and is possibly one of my favorite dive sights of all time! This is a group of coral head with sand flats in between, and a few nice swim throughs. This is, also, the one dive that I was hoping for so that @ebb&flow could experience it. It is so very different from Bonaire or New England diving. This has some of the most amazingly healthy reef, covered in fans as well as hard and soft coral. The swim throughs are lots of fun. Will was able to find 3 extremely small Highhats. I would guess they were less than 1” in height. He was very good at finding things like this. 39’, 53 minutes and 71 degrees.
Dive #2 was the Cristobal Colon, a 499’ Spanish luxury liner that ran aground in 1936. This was a dive sight with some really nice coral and a lot of fish life. 44’, 51 minutes and 71 degrees.
Overall visibility was probably around 50’, not Caribbean standards, but better than home!
We’re actually thinking of returning in a few years and doing 3 days of the morning 2 tank dives, as well as the afternoon 1 tank dive. So, 3 days of 3 dives. Still not a dive destination, but definitely a destination with worthwhile diving.
Erik
We flew BermudAir out of Boston, 2 hr 10 minute flight. It took us longer to get to Logan Airport than the flight! Small price to pay. Really like our experience with BermudAir. Small (3 jets) airline out of Bermuda. Smaller jets, as well, with 2 seats per side. So, nice space, nice crew, and they gave us a really big cookie that didn’t come out of a bag, but off of a tray!
Our rental was in Bailey’s Bay. We had never stayed in this area, but it’s our favorite part of the railway trail. It was also a 15-20 minute walk to the dive shop. This is important as the other options would be taxi (expensive) or bus (haven’t nailed down the timing). Also, just a little closer is The Swizzle Inn. This was a convenient lunch stop after the dives.
So, about the dives. Dive Bermuda currently has 2 locations, Grotto Bay (east end) and Somerset (west end), which opened just after our trip 2 years ago. We stuck with Grotto Bay because the east end, according to @tridacna , has the better diving. I’ll try the west end someday, but I’m inclined to believe my source on this one. They will do a reef and a wreck on each trip. Sometimes the dive is really a great combination of both. Dives are guided. This was good for our dives since most of them involved swim throughs of some type. Nitrox is now available, but it is expensive at a $20 per tank up charge. Given the dive stats that will follow, I’m not sure it’s needed. They have a really nice boat, so you can spread out a bit. Also, we rented wetsuits and BCs, but were able to leave any of our other gear in there gear room.
Our first day there were 3 of us diving, so a nice small group.
Dive #1 was at the Snake Pit. The name comes from the garden eels that populate the sand beds between the coral heads. Unfortunately, the Lion fish have had a major impact on the eel population here. Will, our guide, brought a spear along with him for just that reason. He was able to put it to use towards the end of the dive when I spotted a really big Lion fish. The dive was 58’, for 47 minutes, 72 degrees. I was burning through air pretty quickly, SAC of 0.64. Not sure if it was the cold, the cummerbund on the BC, or both, but I was the reason the dive was short.
The coral on this, and all of our other dives, was in fantastic condition! Not very fishy, we saw a few of the usual, and a nice sized Green Moray. Also, Bermuda has the largest Parrotfish I’ve ever seen. They are beasts!
Dive #2 was the King George Dredger. This was a nice wreck dive with limited penetration of the wheel house. The King George was scuttled in the 1930’s, so it is covered in some very nice coral growth. Some large Hogfish have made this home, as well. 58’, 49 minutes, 73 degrees.
Our second day was a bit more crowded. There were 9 divers on board, 4 of whom were less experienced, and 2 guides. We ended up in a group of 5, with the other 4 diving with the other guide.
Dive #1 was The Cathedral. It is named such due to the upper opening of a large swim through. When sunlight penetrates these openings it is quite the sight! This is a beautiful reef that includes a couple more swim throughs, as well. 49’, 49 minutes, 72 degrees.
Dive #2 was the wreck of the Pelinaion, a Greek steamer that struck a reef in 1939. The wreck is quite spread out due to the location on the reef. 56’, 41 minutes and 71 degrees.
Third day saw 5 divers total with 1 guide.
Dive #1 was a welcome repeat for me at North Rock. This is one of the dives I reported on last time, and is possibly one of my favorite dive sights of all time! This is a group of coral head with sand flats in between, and a few nice swim throughs. This is, also, the one dive that I was hoping for so that @ebb&flow could experience it. It is so very different from Bonaire or New England diving. This has some of the most amazingly healthy reef, covered in fans as well as hard and soft coral. The swim throughs are lots of fun. Will was able to find 3 extremely small Highhats. I would guess they were less than 1” in height. He was very good at finding things like this. 39’, 53 minutes and 71 degrees.
Dive #2 was the Cristobal Colon, a 499’ Spanish luxury liner that ran aground in 1936. This was a dive sight with some really nice coral and a lot of fish life. 44’, 51 minutes and 71 degrees.
Overall visibility was probably around 50’, not Caribbean standards, but better than home!
We’re actually thinking of returning in a few years and doing 3 days of the morning 2 tank dives, as well as the afternoon 1 tank dive. So, 3 days of 3 dives. Still not a dive destination, but definitely a destination with worthwhile diving.
Erik
