Good shore diving spots in the Bahamas Out Islands

[CoopAir]

I'll be taking a 2 week Bahamas trip this coming up July (by far my favorite place in the world) and while 80% of my fun will be had topside (renting small Whalers to deserted islands and sandbars), I still want to make sure to get in some quality diving.

Ideally, I'd like some recommendations for shore diving. I'm a hardcore DIY type of vacationer and getting to places under my own power without local help is fun!

Specifically in Mayaguana, Great Inagua, as well as Crooked Island (seems the wall/reefs are 1/4 mi or less from the beach in those places).

I've looked at satellite imagery where the water goes from blue to indigo and it looks like that is where the walls are.

Here are a few specific sites I have in mind--all are on the leeward shores. You might have to copy and paste links if you can't click through...

1) Mayaguana NW shore: MapFling?

2) Crooked Island (1-2 miles South of the lodge): MapFling?

3) Inauga: MapFling?


Based on the color, how far do you think I would have to swim to get to the wall where it is in the 50-100 ft range?

Will I be able to find decent coral all along these walls or will I need to seek out specific spots along it to find it?

If it helps, here is an aerial photo I took flying over the Mayaguana site (#1 map). Are the dark patches in the photo coral reefs worth diving?

http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/...0-1430-4b04-84ce-a1c2994e22f2_zpsa97ae8fa.jpg


Also, is 1/4 too far out to swim for someone like me in fairly good physical shape, (but no triathlete)??

What are your thoughts about these shore sites overall?

 

[Kharon]

I snorkeled out to the reef on Nassau. It was a heck of a long swim and nothing much but sand to look at on the way out. Also, after I got back, my wife told me there were boats whizzing back and forth (didn't have a flag). That wouldn't be the case (probably) where you are talking about but it is a long, boring swim.

 

[SubMariner]

I'll be taking a 2 week Bahamas trip this coming up July (by far my favorite place in the world) and while 80% of my fun will be had topside (renting small Whalers to deserted islands and sandbars), I still want to make sure to get in some quality diving.

Ideally, I'd like some recommendations for shore diving. I'm a hardcore DIY type of vacationer and getting to places under my own power without local help is fun!

Specifically in Mayaguana, Great Inagua, as well as Crooked Island (seems the wall/reefs are 1/4 mi or less from the beach in those places).

I've looked at satellite imagery where the water goes from blue to indigo and it looks like that is where the walls are.

Here are a few specific sites I have in mind--all are on the leeward shores. You might have to copy and paste links if you can't click through...

1) Mayaguana NW shore: MapFling?

2) Crooked Island (1-2 miles South of the lodge): MapFling?

Based on the color, how far do you think I would have to swim to get to the wall where it is in the 50-100 ft range?

Will I be able to find decent coral all along these walls or will I need to seek out specific spots along it to find it?

If it helps, here is an aerial photo I took flying over the Mayaguana site (#1 map). Are the dark patches in the photo coral reefs worth diving?



Also, is 1/4 too far out to swim for someone like me in fairly good physical shape, (but no triathlete)??

What are your thoughts about these shore sites overall?

While I can sympathize with you wanting to get as much information as possible before your trip, you are asking questions that only you can answer once you are there. No one but you can gauge whether the sites you are looking at are easily accessible for you. Or that the depths are right for you.

What I can tell you that the East side of the Out Islands (Exumas & southward) are basically the Exuma Sound/Atlantic Ocean which are wall dives. There are also some very powerful currents that run back & forth through any bights in the islands, so you will need to be careful about when & where you dive -- slack tide or tide running westward.

I suggest you contact local dive operators when you get to your destination(s) to help you plan some dives. Maybe even hire a local DM as a guide. Because no amount of guesswork from people or looking at pictures on the Internet is going to give you the information you need/want prior to getting there.

Sorry if this isn't quite the information you are looking for, but that's it in a nutshell.

Pax,

 

[playrugby]

I have been to Mayaguana several times over the last few years, both on the island as well as an Exploror Venture Liveabord out of T&C. Your asumptions about the water is not far from the mark, but what you must realize about the island is that there is abosolutly no support on the island. There is no marina. Not chamber. No oxygen. There is no dive shop. There are only 3 flights a week (m,w,f) to the island. There is only one person on the island that even Scuba dives. He does have a compressor, but does not have extra tanks. This island is a Gem. Great diving, Bone/Deep Sea fishing. Back when it was a controlled by the British (till 1979) there used to be an American Airforce station there. The population used to be around 3000 back then, now as all the youth are attracted to Naussa for the jobs, there are less than 300 people living on the island now. Prior to the recent recession, the island was poised to be developed by an American company, but as most of the developments go in the Bahamas, things came to a screeching halt and nothing has happened since. Keep an eye on this place though, it may well happen some day.

While I can sympathize with you wanting to get as much information as possible before your trip, you are asking questions that only you can answer once you are there. No one but you can gauge whether the sites you are looking at are easily accessible for you. Or that the depths are right for you.

What I can tell you that the East side of the Out Islands (Exumas & southward) are basically the Exuma Sound/Atlantic Ocean which are wall dives. There are also some very powerful currents that run back & forth through any bights in the islands, so you will need to be careful about when & where you dive -- slack tide or tide running westward.

I suggest you contact local dive operators when you get to your destination(s) to help you plan some dives. Maybe even hire a local DM as a guide. Because no amount of guesswork from people or looking at pictures on the Internet is going to give you the information you need/want prior to getting there.

Sorry if this isn't quite the information you are looking for, but that's it in a nutshell.

Pax,