Exumas & Berrys Dive Guide

[rleslie]

My wife and I will be cruising in the Exumas and Berry Islands Jan until May. I would like to find a guide that lists and describes dive sites. I will also need know where to find air. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks
Roger

 

[diversteve]

www.bahamasdiving.com might help...

 

[OceanObsessed]

You are going to have a great time. I have cruised both of these island chains before and they are both great destinations. My favorite is the Exumas.

Pick up a copy of the Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas there is a wealth of information in that book including some tips on where to find reefs. It is the bible of Cruising the Bahamas. I would not cruise without it. It probably has info on islands with air as it has lots of info on where to eat, where to dock and intesting details on the islands.

You will probably come back a good freediver because there are not alot of places to get your tanks filled. We would strictly freedive so I never scouted out which islands have air.

For the Berry's you might want to check Great Stirrup Cay and Chub Cay. Those are the most likely islands that would have air. Between the Berrys and the Exumas is New Providence Island (everyone calls it Nassau) and you can find air there.

There are over 350 islands in the Exuma chain and most are uninhabited. The Exumas are awesome. For air you might check Staniel Cay, possibly Highbourne Cay and Georetown. Georgetown should have air but it would not surprise me if Staniel and Highbourne do not. If you send ONESPEED a PM he should be able to tell you if Staniel has air... he travels there every now and then. It's been over 10 years since I was there.

In the Berry's be sure you stop at Hoffmans Cay and check out the Blue Hole. It is amazing!

You can't cruise the Exumas without visiting Staniel Cay and Thunderball Cave. It's best to visit Thunderball Cave at high tide if you get the choice.

Here is a picture of the Blue Hole at Hoffmans Cay:

Here is the entrance to Thunderball Cave:

Hope this helps.
-Chris

 

[rleslie]

Steve - thanks for the link....good info on it.

Chris - Awesome pics. We will definitely check it out. I have the Yachtsman Guide, but was hoping to find something that contained nothing but real specific dive info. That may not exist. Once there, I'm certain the dive shops can give me the info I need.

Roger

 

[diversteve]

Just stumbled across this link also: http://www.dive-exuma.com/

After the page loads hover over the middle right picture, its' a contact form. Seems odd that they don't list their contact info though.

 

[OceanObsessed]

I am not sure if a book like that exists but the first place that I would look is
Blue Water Books and Charts. They have nothing but boating & cruising (anything nautical) related books.

Are you heading over in the sailboat in your profile picture? Looks like a nice boat. What make is it?

 

[rleslie]

Are you heading over in the sailboat in your profile picture? Looks like a nice boat. What make is it?

Yea, we're aboard a '83 Brewer 42. Great boat with tons of room for the two of us. This will be our first trip to the Bahamas. Nov 1 can't get here quick enough!!!!!!

I was looking for a guide because we will have very little internet access once in the Bahamas.

Roger

 

[OceanObsessed]

We used to cruise on mostly a 41 Morgan Out Island Sloop and a 41 Morgan Out Island Ketch and a 45 Coranado/Columbia sloop.

As far as cruising on a sailboat you can't beat the Bahamas. If you go with the appropriate NOAA charts and the Bahamas guide I think you will eventually gravitate to using mostly the Bahamas Guide (besides the crossing). It contains the local knowledge, tips and things to look our for that the NOAA charts don't have.

For some reason american beer is worth its weight in gold over there. Once we learned this we would travel with about 20 cases of Budeweiser & Busch that we would use exclusively for trading. We traded engine parts, rum.. you name it for american beer. It is worth much much more than its dollar equivalent price and in many cases it can seal the deal when you really need an engine part, anchor or other boating equipment.

You are going to have a blast

 

[rleslie]

www.bahamasdiving.com might help...

After looking through this site a few times, I found in the small print a request form for a Dive Guide and DVD. This is the link: http://www.bahamasdiving.com/6729/with_flash/html/index-4.html

Roger

 

[CAPT HOOK]

Hope you get the guide. Tried to get one last year but never got anything.