Questions about Nekton Bahamas itineraries

[Damselfish]

Thinking of doing 1 or 2 weeks on Nekton in Bahamas this summer. If we do one week it would be Cay Sal or Medio Reef. If we do 2 weeks back to back, I'm not sure if it would be better to do both of those - they sound like better diving than NW Bahamas, but there is a certain amount of overlap. Or do one of the southern trips and NW the other week, for more variety? If you're familiar with these areas which would you choose for 2 weeks?

Is there any great convienience factor attached to staying on one boat for both weeks, or should I consider switching boats to have a chance to check out both boats and crews - my inner travel agent likes to do stuff like that. Or is one boat simply a better choice than the other? For the same general times and itineraries, I notice the Pilot is always $100 less. Am wondering why that is - is it the condition of the boat? (e.g. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ch...eaboards/215970-nekton-pilot-trip-report.html. That's one of the more extreme reports I've seen, though there does seem to be a history of some problems on these boats. I'm not thrilled about the reported (lack of) Nitrox situation on the Rorqual either. Between various reports of issues and all the Nekton devotees it's hard to know what to think.)

 

[DiveMaven]

We did 2 weeks back-to-back on the Pilot last summer (NW Bahamas and Cay Sal) and it rocked! Although the NW Bahamas itinerary wasn't our favorite, it really had some excellent diving and we were glad to have done it. Cay Sal was definitely better for us than NW Bahamas, but I think that's mostly because it had more variety and we love the combination of wall and reef diving that it offered. NW Bahamas had a lot of shallow diving with wrecks, which was outstanding, but we also spent a morning looking for dolphins to swim with, which we weren't interested in doing and would rather have been diving. Personal preference.

Medio's itinerary is 1/2 Cay Lobos and 1/2 Cay Sal, so it's going to go to some of the same sites as Cay Sal. That may or may not matter depending on how you'd like Cay Sal and which sites were overlapped, but it would provide some repeat diving regardless.

Personally, we felt the NW Bahamas and Cay Sal itineraries complimented eachother beautifully and offered us 2 solid weeks of diverse and different diving. Oh yeah, and it was nice to leave our stuff in our room between trips and spend the day in Ft. Lauderdale snooping around (we rented a car).

 

[tvictory]

If you're planning to do a Cay Sal itinerary you should target your dates earlier in the summer rather than later as the chances for heavy weather increase. Cay Sal Bank is very exposed and there is nowhere to run when it starts to blow. Nekton boats are slow-movers, so the captain will keep a close eye on weather forecasts and will change the itinerary if the weather looks dodgy.

That said, the Cay Sal trip is definitely worth doing. NW Bahamas is nice too but less spectacular.

 

[robint]

we have a full trip report for Cay Sal here: http://www.rnrscuba.net/NektonCaySal.html

As far as the report concerning condition of the Pilot... we did notice some rust and little things, but we have done lots of liveaboards and nothing seemed unsafe. Yes, there were a few rags in the ceiling of our room to catch moisture but we checked them all week and they were dry. We were told that the boat is mostly made of metal and with A/C units running constantly, moisture does tend to accumulate and flow down to bottom level (our room was on the bottom level). No one on the boat with us mentioned water in their rooms. We were in the Bahamas in June, air temps in 80s but I don't think everyone had their individual room a/c units on high. Maybe that and the bad weather caused the water problems on other's trips.

We loved the Nekton and have booked again for this April and we are taking friends....... we wouldn't be doing that if we had any issues. If we had the money, we would do the 2 weeks back-to-back. Cay Sal was fantastic...... nice deep holes, sharks, walls, shallow reefs... a very nice mix of the best of the Bahamas. We are doing Medio Reef next.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

It's so subjective as to what bothers people about the condition of the boat or experience. We were on the Pilot two weeks ago (Had mostly dry, sunny days) and mid week they did have towels at most of the entrances to the boat. Our room was right next to one of the doors and the carpet was pretty much soaked. We had water dripping onto the little closet area one day but thankfully not on our bags or bed (however others downstairs did). Never had ANY problems with the toilet because we always used extreme caution and paid attention to their 3 flush rule.

I also noticed mold in between the wall panels and in the shower ceiling tiles. The shower faucet is very corroded (green, white and rusty) which looked gross but the water seemed fine. There is a good amount of rust outside one of the doors by the galley which they were actually fixing so the door would shut properly. Our room door kind of stuck and I could never officially shut it all the way and lock it but it stayed shut all week. The hot tub was great (no problem with getting hot water to it) but the inside of the cover was totally shredded which dripped down into the tub.

Not once, throughout our entire trip did we ever complain or mention anything to the crew about any of the above. We knew it wasn't going to be a Peter Hugh's boat so we kind of expected most of it. The most concerning thing to me is the mold. Especially after someone who had experience on commercial boats posted on another thread that if mold is present there are a lot of underlying problems. I had a cold that I was almost over when I got on the boat, not sure if mold kept it going all week or not. Regardless it's not good for you. The water would have ticked me off if it was on my bed but we didn't have that happen.

Not trying to talk anyone out of going on them, just don't expect it to be a 4 or 5 star stay. About the Nitrox, someone was on our trip that had also been on the Rorqual a few months prior when the Nitrox went down. Reports are that the part is hard to get and it may still be down months after it broke (4-5 months possibly).

 

[robint]

It's so subjective as to what bothers people about the condition of the boat or experience. We were on the Pilot two weeks ago (Had mostly dry, sunny days) and mid week they did have towels at most of the entrances to the boat. Our room was right next to one of the doors and the carpet was pretty much soaked. We had water dripping onto the little closet area one day but thankfully not on our bags or bed (however others downstairs did). Never had ANY problems with the toilet because we always used extreme caution and paid attention to their 3 flush rule.

I also noticed mold in between the wall panels and in the shower ceiling tiles. The shower faucet is very corroded (green, white and rusty) which looked gross but the water seemed fine. There is a good amount of rust outside one of the doors by the galley which they were actually fixing so the door would shut properly. Our room door kind of stuck and I could never officially shut it all the way and lock it but it stayed shut all week. The hot tub was great (no problem with getting hot water to it) but the inside of the cover was totally shredded which dripped down into the tub.

Not once, throughout our entire trip did we ever complain or mention anything to the crew about any of the above. We knew it wasn't going to be a Peter Hugh's boat so we kind of expected most of it. The most concerning thing to me is the mold. Especially after someone who had experience on commercial boats posted on another thread that if mold is present there are a lot of underlying problems. I had a cold that I was almost over when I got on the boat, not sure if mold kept it going all week or not. Regardless it's not good for you. The water would have ticked me off if it was on my bed but we didn't have that happen.

Not trying to talk anyone out of going on them, just don't expect it to be a 4 or 5 star stay. About the Nitrox, someone was on our trip that had also been on the Rorqual a few months prior when the Nitrox went down. Reports are that the part is hard to get and it may still be down months after it broke (4-5 months possibly).

I TOTALLY agree with you about what bothers a person. I personally hate 5-star resorts. Especially now, as a diver, I don't want plush, I want functional. I find the Nekton boats to be VERY diver-friendly, VERY functional, and VERY safe. Our bed was dry and although it wasn't as comfy as my bed at home, I slept like a baby all week. Food was warm, hearty, and plentiful, not 5-star, but I don't want that kind of food on a dive trip....
I never at any time regretted going on the Nekton.

As far as what people expect --- the Nekton is actually pretty plush compared with California dive boats. There you share 2 bathrooms between 30 people, you sleep in a bunk (bed are stacked 3 high) with only a little curtain dividing you from the other passengers, and the boats are old, smelly, and noisy. Standing in line to use one of the bathrooms can last for a long time. You also have the constant rocking of the boat, doesn't bother me so much but we saw quite a few people hanging over the rail. Food there is very similar to Nekton food, depending on which boat, ranging from good to excellent, but some boats charge extra. All gear sits out on deck in the wind and weather all night, never dries out as even the dew in a.m. coats everything including your 7mm wetsuit (as water in summer is high 60s, winters much colder). So why do I do the California liveaboards??...... the diving in California is amazing (check out my videos) and the best way to get your money's worth is by liveaboard. We try to do this trip at least once a year.

So what I am trying to get across.............. liveaboards range from very BASIC to PLUSH.. ....and I would put the Nekton right in the middle.

 

[Nesher]

I"ve been on both the Pilot and the Rorqual within the past six months and there are good reasons to choose one over the other.

On the Rorqual I did the NW Bahamas itinerary, that was my very first liveaboard trip. The weather was not the best, but, it was a really good experience for me.

I was on the Pilot just recently and it was not the best of situations.

Captain and Crew do make a big difference. There have been just too many reports about the Pilot to ignore.

All the issues associated with the Nekton right now demand our attention. I'm one of those guys who really love Nekton, but, I am paying close attention to ALL that's happening right now on both vessels.

As far as the accomodations, I personally do not want to invest two to three thousand dollars (tip, airfare, fees and othe costs) and get towels hanging from my ceiling; or cold water in my cabin; or towels covering molds either under the bed, or in the hallways; the constant drip from the shower (Chinese torture drip); or water dripping in my face while I sleep.

I'm a little old fashion in that department I believe things should work and work reasonably well. Fix the problems and make it look nice for the paying customer.

Anything less is substandard and unacceptable. You know people pay more for less these days and seem to enjoy it that way.

I love the spaciousness and the stability you get from each boat. You can't go wrong in that department. When everything is aligned properly, I don't think you would want to be on any other vessels taking a dive trip.

Not having Nitrox for this length of time indicates a serious problem. So, as far as the boats are concerned you have to tell them specifically what you want or don't want and hope the front office can be honest with you.

As far as the diving is concerned I personally want to do the Medio Reef early summer. So, I'd do the NW Bahamas which I really enjoyed and the Medio Reef itineraries, if you want more thrills then do the Cay Sal Banks and the Medio Reef.

You can do a shark feed on both the NW Bahamas and the Cay Sal Banks itinerary I believe. The guys on our NW Bahamas did the Shark Feed with another op. So either way you're heart will be pounding.

We swam with the wild dolphins on Tuesday on the NW Bahamas itinerary. It was real fun.

The currents were really strong on the Bahamas trip I went on but the marine life was spectacular in my estimation. Much better than the Belize trip I recently took.

Above all enjoy it and be safe at all times.

 

[Damselfish]

Thanks all for the info. After many of the recent comments on the Nekton boats and operations, we've decided to go with a different boat.

 

[diveborg]

Thanks all for the info. After many of the recent comments on the Nekton boats and operations, we've decided to go with a different boat.

And who would that be, if you don't mind saying.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

let us know how your trip goes damselfish-eventually we'll want to book another liveaboard and I want to try someone different for perspective to Nekton.