Suggestions for valet-style diving in Bahamas?

[terramar]

Our last few trips have been to Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, where we dove with Cobalt Coast, Compass Point, and the Cayman Brac Beach Resort. We've grown to quite enjoy the sort of valet diving that they offer.

Wondering if there's something like that in the Bahamas? When I do general google searches for all-inclusive dive resorts, I'm mostly finding Club Med-type resorts, where the diving is secondary, but for us, it's our prime focus. My son also wants to do some shark dives there, if possible.

Any suggestions? Where should I be looking?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hoag]

Would you be open to a Live Aboard or are you looking specifically for a resort?

 

[jonhall]

Have only been to Grand Bahama and didn't find anyplace that resembles the type of diving service provided by the GC ops you mentioned. Ocean Frontiers (Compass Point) does it like no-one else of the places I've been.

Did you stay at Cobalt Coast and Compass Point? Although there were a few dive ops around Freeport on Grand Bahama, we lucked out and stayed at Ocean Reef Yacht Club which has Grand Bahama Scuba on site. They are a husband/wife run dive shop and have some young boys who take care of switching takes over and helping out.

 

[Zeke XA3]

I can comment on Nassau / Harbour Island / Exumas

There are some dive shops but due to the spread of population and lack of diving sites there are no real resorts. Valentines in Harbor Island has an attached hotel/marine/dive shop but thats the only one i know of, not quite a resort and tend to be groups and if not enough people they can cancel easily. Stuarts Cove offer the shark feeds off south New Providence but they are away from most people, Bahamas divers in the thick of it i Nassau but still not a resort.

I would advise a cheap charter boat and private dive guide, there are a few here, then you get full on private service and pick of dive sites! They can do a rendezvous dive with Stuarts Cove for the shark feed and you can spend days exploring all the wrecks nearby.

Im an OWSI, i work on yacht here as mate/dive guide around Nassau, down the exumas etc and have done rendezvous diving for guests here before.

Feel free to post / message if you have more specific questions.

 

[terramar]

I'm sorry for the delay in following up on my own posting - unexpected work took over for a little while.

We are looking for land-based, rather than a live-aboard. I've got to do a bit of work (see above) while on vacation, unfortunately, and I think a live-aboard may make that problematic.

@Zeke - I'd love any recommendations you have for inexpensive charter boats and private dive guides - I'm certainly open to that idea!

 

[Zeke XA3]

How many of you diving? Just you and your son ? And how many total on holiday?

Bahama Divers do have a small private boat, a sunseeker in think it is, for day trips . I know someone else who uses a small 28 foot cat that can do dives with a private guide. and I can probably get ahold of another person who has a 35 foot centre console again with a private guide for diving. I'll shoot some messages off.

Over night charter boats can vary depending on what is around, I'll see who is town when I get back from this trip. We are 6000 a night plus expenses and we are the bottom of the scale (my last boat was 20k a night and still was no where near the top end ). but every now and then a small boat comes in and works for a good price per night .

How decent an internet connection do you need? Most yachts use a local sim card to run a wifi network and can tailor trips to stay in range or only be outta range for a few hours at most . but this may be a little above what you budgeting for !!!

So if you were staying around Nassau you would have access to private small boats to take you out with a private guide to do some good dives north and south of the island of New Providence. They can also organize a rendezvous dive with stuart cove where they send a shark feeder with gear on your boat or you can do the tourist boat with everyone else.

Pretty sure you could do this at all the Bahamian islands but I cant comment directly!

 

[diversteve]

I can't speak to the Internet availability but there's some resorts that might work.

I don't know it but on Andros there's the Andros Beach Club and Diving. Also Small Hope Bay Lodge but they may not have internet by choice.

The Wyndham Viva Fortuna on Grand Bahama - is All-Inclusive. Reef Oasis Divers is on-site and they do weekly trips to Tiger Beach and I believe other shark dives.

Note there's two resorts with the same name, one there and one in the D.R.

UNEXSO has some sort of attached condos/weekly apts. They do shark and dolphin dives from Port Lucaya (Grand Bahama)

Also Cove's used to have the dive concession at Old Bahama Bay Resort - IDK who does now. It's pretty far west and isolated. Coves would run to Tiger Beach from there weekly since it's closer.

There's also Bell Channel Inn, sort of an economy resort. They have their own dive boat. Also in Port Lucaya but a little farther south.

Fred Riger at Grand Bahama Scuba works out of a resort on the south side - IDK which one.

Some of the Outer Islands have shops co-located at resorts - here's a list Bahamas Government Portal - BDA Members

You won't find any on Nassau - the last dive hotel (Shark something) closed years ago and they used Cove's for boat dives anyway. It was a pretty small operation that dove the couple shore dives there.

hth

 

[Wookie]

Riding rock inn has what you’re needing.

San Salvador Bahamas Scuba Diving Packages - reefs walls and sharks await

 

[rhwestfall]

I was way too long ago, but the Riding Rock Inn was a great diving trip for me. Was so disappointed to see Club Med show up on the Island, changing the mojo.

 

[Wookie]

I was way too long ago, but the Riding Rock Inn was a great diving trip for me. Was so disappointed to see Club Med show up on the Island, changing the mojo.

I actually stayed in the club med, but seeing riding rock always left an impression.