Stuart Coves Shark Dives

[mako781]

Hey All,

I am planning to go do the Stuart Coves shark dives this decemeber. I figured it is finally time to see what this dive was all about.

I was wondering if anyone here has done the shark feed and shark wall dive at stuart coves, and if you could shark your experience. Was it enjoyable?

My main concern as a videographer and photog is that I won't be able to get good shots of sharks and I will be restricted in my movement when in the feeding "circle." I say this because I spoke with the SC operator and they said you cannot move around much....this could be potentially annoying if we are not allowed to pan or scan while shooting.

Any tips or experiences any other boarders can share?

Thanks
mako

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Done that dive twice. They definitely want you to keep your hands to yourself. The sharks come in from all angles for the feed and that includes from out of your sight line. They have a videographer on the dive. The DVD costs about $100.00.

 

[mako781]

thanks for your insight.....does this mean you cannot take your own photo and video? While it may be good for some divers, I am not interested in a dvd from the operator....

Anybody else out there have experience on this dive and was able to take photo/video?

 

[scubamarketing]

I did the feed several years back. When I went, there was no problem taking your own photo or video gear. They put those of us with gear on the end of the line so we had better abilities to turn and not get heads in the way.

 

[Starcruiser]

Did that dive a few years ago. They were pretty specific about not 'waving your hands around' while taking pictures. You were allowed to move around a bit, but they wanted you to be conservative in your movements. I really enjoyed it a lot.

 

[Scubasw]

I've done this dive a couple of times with them and found that I got good video and stills while staying where they wanted me. They tend to go around the circle so they bring the sharks right up close and personal to everyone. The problem is somtimes the sharks are too close to get the full picture you want. Set you still camera to manual focus if possible otherwise, the camera spends too much time trying to autofocus. Here are some links to video I took on the dives.

2008 Standard Def Shark Dive

2010 High Def Shark Dive at Stuart's Cove

 

[mako781]

Thanks for the advice all! Much appreciated, this is why I love this forum!

 

[ml3456]

I dove with Stuart and Neil Watson's shark dives. I liked Neil better.

But if you are taking pictures keep your camera close. I had a 2-3 foot "baby" nibble momentarily on my strobe arm!! Keep your camera and hands tucked in.

ML

 

[oly5050user]

I found it not to be necessary to do the shark dive with them to get shark photos..Just have a dive aranged at "bahama mama" wreck or the nearby "shark alley" ..Its pretty much the same area where the feeds take place and the sharks stick around the area even without the feed taking place.Costs less that way too.
I would also advise to have camera set to manual focus, high f stop to eliminate time it takes for auto focus to work and increase depth of field.