randyg
Registered
Greetings all! well for those of you interested in a dive holiday and thinking of Eleuthera Island as a possible destination, allow me to give you some insight.
My family and I just returned yesterday, after spending 7 days at the Cape Eleuthera Resort where we were specifically there to dive and to have my two son's certified in Advanced Open Water Training.
Now before I begin, I am a Master Diver Trianer but in a non-teach status at the moment. I have been diving for 30 years with just under 4000 dives logged. I have traveled to many many locations around the world and have seen the worst of the worst and some of the best in diving and resort operations. So, my opinion comes with a little back ground knowledge.
Firstly the pro's:
The Island people are tremendous, friendly, carring and extremely helpful.
The General Manager of the resort tends to go out of his way at times to ensure your enjoying the resort.
The food at the resort, althow very limited, was good and plentiful.
The dive sites were good, the odd larger fish, and lots of macro photography.
Good visability, and deep blue water
The accomadations were good, large and luxurious
the not so pro's
The dive operator is very young and tended not to be client orientated. There was a real lack of proffessionalism over all.
The training I requested and (via email confirmations) never did take place, much to the disapointment of my son's.
The equipment is in desperate need of attention, BC's do not hold air, Regulators are very difficult to breath from, and the operator has no knowledge of the computers he gives out. Depth gauges are not functional (in essence bring all your own gear, but be prepared to pay the $60.00 one way baggage cost)
Low cylninder pressures are also normal (typically any where from 2500 to 2700 psi)
Water tends to be a bit choppy, and if you are the slightess bit suseptable to sea sickness the dive operator will forfit the entire day, even if it's one on board. (now let me explain this better. We had five in total on board, one of the divers felt sick, while the others were fine, the sea was a little choppy but not bad. Travel time back to the doc was 15 minutes. But once back, instead of dropping the one fellow off, we all were told that he would not go back out).
At the resort, if you are ok with doing nothing, and I mean nothing, then it's ok. But with no pool, and being as remote as it was, and the current that swept around the point making kayaking nearly impossible, well, bring lots of books.
One night, my wife ran into two fellows on the dock, and tried to engage some conversation with them. The response she got was in her word's very very snobbish. It turned out that they were two of the owners of the resort.
This resort has some potential of being a great dive location, attracting many divers year round. However they have much to learn about the buisness of diving. My diving bill for the week was just over $1500.00 (not including room and meals). They could have easly made an additional $1500.00 from me gladly had they:
1: Provided the course they said they could
2: Provided the diving to the larger group, rather than calling it quits based on one client.
Would we return, no. Would I recommend this place, only if you did not want to dive and were looking for a place to do absolutly nothing.
My family and I just returned yesterday, after spending 7 days at the Cape Eleuthera Resort where we were specifically there to dive and to have my two son's certified in Advanced Open Water Training.
Now before I begin, I am a Master Diver Trianer but in a non-teach status at the moment. I have been diving for 30 years with just under 4000 dives logged. I have traveled to many many locations around the world and have seen the worst of the worst and some of the best in diving and resort operations. So, my opinion comes with a little back ground knowledge.
Firstly the pro's:
The Island people are tremendous, friendly, carring and extremely helpful.
The General Manager of the resort tends to go out of his way at times to ensure your enjoying the resort.
The food at the resort, althow very limited, was good and plentiful.
The dive sites were good, the odd larger fish, and lots of macro photography.
Good visability, and deep blue water
The accomadations were good, large and luxurious
the not so pro's
The dive operator is very young and tended not to be client orientated. There was a real lack of proffessionalism over all.
The training I requested and (via email confirmations) never did take place, much to the disapointment of my son's.
The equipment is in desperate need of attention, BC's do not hold air, Regulators are very difficult to breath from, and the operator has no knowledge of the computers he gives out. Depth gauges are not functional (in essence bring all your own gear, but be prepared to pay the $60.00 one way baggage cost)
Low cylninder pressures are also normal (typically any where from 2500 to 2700 psi)
Water tends to be a bit choppy, and if you are the slightess bit suseptable to sea sickness the dive operator will forfit the entire day, even if it's one on board. (now let me explain this better. We had five in total on board, one of the divers felt sick, while the others were fine, the sea was a little choppy but not bad. Travel time back to the doc was 15 minutes. But once back, instead of dropping the one fellow off, we all were told that he would not go back out).
At the resort, if you are ok with doing nothing, and I mean nothing, then it's ok. But with no pool, and being as remote as it was, and the current that swept around the point making kayaking nearly impossible, well, bring lots of books.
One night, my wife ran into two fellows on the dock, and tried to engage some conversation with them. The response she got was in her word's very very snobbish. It turned out that they were two of the owners of the resort.
This resort has some potential of being a great dive location, attracting many divers year round. However they have much to learn about the buisness of diving. My diving bill for the week was just over $1500.00 (not including room and meals). They could have easly made an additional $1500.00 from me gladly had they:
1: Provided the course they said they could
2: Provided the diving to the larger group, rather than calling it quits based on one client.
Would we return, no. Would I recommend this place, only if you did not want to dive and were looking for a place to do absolutly nothing.
