Nekton, Northwest Bahamans Itinerary

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djanni

Contributor
Messages
1,846
Reaction score
45
Location
Cozumel, MX
# of dives
500 - 999
We would really like to hear from anyone who has done Nekton's Northwest Bahamas itinerary within the last couple of years. Last Spetember we did the Nekton Southern Belize itinerary so we're familar with the Pilot.

We are interested in hearing about marine variety, the dive sites and general diving conditions. Sharks are great but we're not going just see as many sharks as we can. I take a camera but wouldn't say I'm a photographer. We prefer long bottom times to deep dives.

We're also considering the AquaCat and if you can compare their itinerary to that of the Pilot it would be appreciated.

We'll be going in August.

We're are less interested in any of the other Bahama liveaboards.
 
Don Janni:
We would really like to hear from anyone who has done Nekton's Northwest Bahamas itinerary within the last couple of years. Last Spetember we did the Nekton Southern Belize itinerary so we're familar with the Pilot.

We are interested in hearing about marine variety, the dive sites and general diving conditions. Sharks are great but we're not going just see as many sharks as we can. I take a camera but wouldn't say I'm a photographer. We prefer long bottom times to deep dives.

We're also considering the AquaCat and if you can compare their itinerary to that of the Pilot it would be appreciated.

We'll be going in August.

We're are less interested in any of the other Bahama liveaboards.

If you liked shallow with cool critters, return to Belize.

If you liked the Nekton Pilot, stay off of the AquaCat, itins notwithstanding.
 
RoatanMan:
If you liked shallow with cool critters, return to Belize.

If you liked the Nekton Pilot, stay off of the AquaCat, itins notwithstanding.

Doc, that doesn't tell me much. Are you saying the Bahamas are deep dives? How deep? One can hit several hundred feet in Belize.

Do you know something about the AquaCat? Yeah, we liked the Pilot. We like new/different things too.

Please elaborate!!!
 
Don Janni:
We would really like to hear from anyone who has done Nekton's Northwest Bahamas itinerary within the last couple of years. Last Spetember we did the Nekton Southern Belize itinerary so we're familar with the Pilot.

We are interested in hearing about marine variety, the dive sites and general diving conditions. Sharks are great but we're not going just see as many sharks as we can. I take a camera but wouldn't say I'm a photographer. We prefer long bottom times to deep dives.

We're also considering the AquaCat and if you can compare their itinerary to that of the Pilot it would be appreciated.

We'll be going in August.

We're are less interested in any of the other Bahama liveaboards.
I did the Northwest Bahamas itinerary for the second time last July. That route has a lot of variety. There's one deep wreck, some spur and groove coral reefs, patch reefs, etc.

There are also a couple of shallow wreck dives that I really like, the Sugar Wreck and The Wreck of the Hesperus. Both of these are in less than 25 feet of water and are just covered with life.

They also try to snorkel with dolphins but the two times I've been on that route the dolphins didn't feel like cooperating.

The Belize itinerary is my favorite of the Nekton's routes that I've tried (I haven't done their Cayman trip yet) but the NW Bahamas is fun. All I can tell you about the Aquacat is that I had some friends that went on it and they liked it.
Luke
 
ScubaLuke pretty much hit the nail on the head. I did that Bahamas itinerary on the Pilot in 1995 and again on the Rorqual in 2002. Great variety and depth options. The wrecks are coated with life. Hopefully you'll get to do the Wreck of the Hespros as a night dive. The really largy sea turtles use it as an overnight hotel. They wedge themselves under the exposed pieces of the wreck so that they can just chill and get some ZZZ's. Had a funny experience there in 2002. I was lying at the edge of the wreck on a night dive setting up to shoot a pic of a huge turtle when all of a sudden my head got smashed into the sand. It was another large turtle trying to get in and under the wreck. The fact that I was in the way made NO difference to the turtle. Anyway ...after I shook off the head bashing and located my regulator and cleared my mask I actually was able to get a good picture. There are 3 - 4 ft remoras that swim around the wreck and attempt to attach themselves to the turtles.

Bottom line is that the itinerary is loaded with variety and we were fortunate enough to be in the water when the dolphins approached the boat. They swam with us for over an hour - magic experience.

Like ScubaLuke though ...for the money I agree that the Belize itinerary is superior, at least in my opinion. Our next Nekton trip (either this year or next) will be on the Pilot doing the Cay Sal itinerary out of Ft Lauderdale. Not sure the Cayman trip is worth the $2000+ price but we may weaken some year and go that route.

'Slogger
 
Thanks. That helps.

For the NW Itinerary what would say is the typical depth, water temp and vis?

Don

PS: Slogger, Sounds like that turtle slammed into you pretty good. I'll try to avoid that.
 
Don Janni:
Thanks. That helps.

For the NW Itinerary what would say is the typical depth, water temp and vis?

Don

PS: Slogger, Sounds like that turtle slammed into you pretty good. I'll try to avoid that.
I hate to admit it but I've developed a bad habit of not logging my dives. IIRC, the temps were running about 82 to 84. The deepest dive I did was on Theo's Wreck which was about 80-85 feet - I stayed mostly on top of the wreck. You can go maybe 20 feet (?) deeper before you hit the sand. A lot of sites were in the 30-40 foot range with one or two in the 60s. And the two shallow wrecks I was talking about earlier. No real deep diving - except on Theo's wreck.
Luke
 
Okay! Great. Sounds pretty good to us.

ScubaLuke:
I hate to admit it but I've developed a bad habit of not logging my dives. IIRC, the temps were running about 82 to 84. The deepest dive I did was on Theo's Wreck which was about 80-85 feet - I stayed mostly on top of the wreck. You can go maybe 20 feet (?) deeper before you hit the sand. A lot of sites were in the 30-40 foot range with one or two in the 60s. And the two shallow wrecks I was talking about earlier. No real deep diving - except on Theo's wreck.
Luke
 
Don Janni:
Are you saying the Bahamas are deep dives? How deep? One can hit several hundred feet in Belize.Do you know something about the AquaCat? Yeah, we liked the Pilot. We like new/different things too.Please elaborate!!!

Sounds like you got some great info while I was off diving. The Bahams moorings in general seemed deeper (I have the same habits as Luke, failing to record data). No, the profiles in the Bahamas were deeper. The critters were bigger.

Yes, you can go several hundred feet in Belize, but they frowm on that. The reason you go to Belize is to see the really cool small stuff, and that is always found shallow. As many divers flopped in off of the Nekton and headed "down" the wall, we always went atop the wall and quite often were "accused" of making a shore landing. We had some very long, shallow and rewarding dives, especially at night.

What I know about the Aqua Cat? ...other than having merely looked her over on a walk through... she's a catamaran. This looks like a SWATH vessel, but when you are below decks and in 4 foot seas, I am told by long-time associates that it does not behave like a SWATH vessel, but more like a (surprise!) catamaran.

I love change, especially when I find any room for improvement on a product that I am already using. When I can see no need to search for an imoprovement, I do not. At the same time, I am not blind. I will try a different vendor if they are offering a different flavor- alas the diving is the same. I have never been disappointed (nor seasick) aboard a Nekton. Why mess with what works?
 
RoatanMan:
Yes, you can go several hundred feet in Belize, but they frowm on that. The reason you go to Belize is to see the really cool small stuff, and that is always found shallow. As many divers flopped in off of the Nekton and headed "down" the wall, we always went atop the wall and quite often were "accused" of making a shore landing. We had some very long, shallow and rewarding dives, especially at night.
=================================
Amen to that ...

I dropped to around 90 feet on a few night dives to check out the creatures that come out on the wall but otherwise you could always find me in 35 - 40 feet or less.

'Slogger
 

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