Just Back, Nekton Bahamas NW, WK of 8/12/06

[djanni]

We're just back from our 2nd Nekton trip. This time the NW Bahamas itinerary aboard the Pilot. Great trip as anticipated. Great crew, great food, great service, great weather, great guests, great water... what else to say except "fabulous diving!"

Here are a few pictures...

1

 

[djanni]

 

[djanni]

 

[DiveMaven]

Gee Don, a few more words might have been in order, don't you think?? Was the trip everything you thought it would be? Any surprises with the dives or the boat? How many folks on the boat? Any current? Did you go ashore? Any dolphins? How was navigation? Inquiring minds want to know.

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

 

[Darnold9999]

Some really nice pics there. Like the front end view of the turtle. Really nice.

 

[djanni]

Gee Don, a few more words might have been in order, don't you think?? Was the trip everything you thought it would be? Any surprises with the dives or the boat? How many folks on the boat? Any current? Did you go ashore? Any dolphins? How was navigation? Inquiring minds want to know.

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

Yes the trip was everything we thought it would be and no surprises. There were two opportunities to go ashore; first at Port Lucaya and then at Bimini. We skipped both excursions for the diving. Those that did go ashore were not particularly impressed.

There were 13 guests and 10 crew members. They were expecting 18 this week. I would have liked having a few more guests but the personalized service was pretty nice.

We did find Spotted Dolphin one morning. It started with a pod of 4 and an hour or so later there must have been 15 to 20. It's hard to tell. They were everywhere. I counted 12 or more in a single passing. We snorkeled with them at least 2 hours.

There was a pretty strong surge combined with current on the first Sugar Wreck dive. It was so strong I really didn't enjoy it. By the second dive the current seemed to be gone and the surge was half that of the earlier dive. We did a night dive on the Sugar and the surge was light. On the first dive at the Strip there was a medium current but manageable. Like the Sugar, as the day went by the current changed to light or slight. There was a pretty good surface current at 3 or 4 more sites but at depth (say 40+ feet) the current was light to slight.

Navigation wasn't a problem. I'm not looking at my log book but there was one site where 2 or 3 couples (and that's out of 13 guests) called for a tow back to the boat. I think that's because the surface current that dive was pretty strong. Probably 2/3's of the sites had a current. Start the dive at the pin and head into the current. At approx 1000 psi turn and drift back to the pin. Okay, maybe you need to pay a little more attention to where you are than that... but not too much more.

Great trip and great diving.

Was that better?

Don

 

[DiveMaven]

Yup, MUCH better, thanks!! Since we seem to be following you on the itineraries you do with Nekton (Belize last year, now NW Bahamas), I've come to rely on you for your reports.

 

[Rick Murchison]

GOOD JOB Don.
I especially like the turtle shots - just beautiful.
Thanks,
Rick

 

[djanni]

Yup, MUCH better, thanks!! Since we seem to be following you on the itineraries you do with Nekton (Belize last year, now NW Bahamas), I've come to rely on you for your reports.

We may book the Grand Cayman trip for April/May 2007. Not sure yet. A couple we met on the Bahamas had done the Cayman itinerary this past May and said it was their best of 3 other Nekton trips but that it's important to time the trip to the season to ensure a crossing over to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. They said Little Cayman was spectacular.

 

[Darnold9999]

Just came back from Cayman, think I prefer Belize, but just slightly. Yes little Cayman is the best of the three.