Buddy says it's gotta be Bahamas...

[BigDaddyGlad]

I was hoping for a week in Bonaire or Belize, but my buddy can't close his clinic for more than a few days, so this year's dive trip is going to be 4 nights in Bahamas (3 days of diving, hopefully 2x two-tank dives per day).

Preliminary research suggests Stuart Cove's as the primary dive shop on the island. I've also found a shop called Bahama Divers. As we would likely be staying on/around Paradise Island, Bahama Divers' location nearby on the north shore of the island is more desirable. Stuart Cove's looks like they've (recently) moved to Coral Harbour, where there are no hotels or resorts. We were thinking of staying at the RIU on Paradise Island.

Any guidance/recommendations/reassurances for this trip from anyone who's recently been to Bahamas for a dive trip?

 

[mcohen1021]

I was on the aggressor, but I was pleasantly surprised with the diving in the bahamas. I will say I am glad I was not land based, I found nassau kinda scummy.

 

[Wookie]

I found nassau kinda scummy.

Paradise Island is upscale scummy. It's OK if you like that thing.

 

[Dan]

That’s too bad that you would only have 3-4 days there. If you have a week, then you could go on Dolphin Dream from West Palm Beach. I went there last October and going there again 10 days from now (March 11-19). This time, the itinerary includes Bimini for Great Hammerhead siting, which I missed it last time.

Trip Report - Tiger Beach October 2021

Summary This is a liveaboard diving trip (23-29 October, 2021) to Tiger Beach, Bahamas, with M/Y Dolphin Dream. The itinerary, as shown in Table 1, includes 5 days of shark diving, 1st diving day is without bait. We did a total of 13 dives. Figure 1 shows the M/Y Dolphin Dream ~80 mile (130...

scubaboard.com

 

[BigDaddyGlad]

I was on the aggressor, but I was pleasantly surprised with the diving in the bahamas. I will say I am glad I was not land based, I found nassau kinda scummy.

Yeah, if he wasn't going to be able to join me at all, I was likely going to book a solo bunk on one of the liveaboards, but a shorter trip with my pal is better than a longer trip on my own.

Paradise Island is upscale scummy. It's OK if you like that thing.

Yeah, I get the sense that it's kinda "Vegas-esque" which I can roll with! Really, for accomodations I'm not picky: clean sheets, hot showers, cold beer, potable water.

 

[Rob9876]

We were there for a Blackbeard's liveaboard trip, so I can't comment on land-based diving. However, as far as topside activities, if you'd like to tour around the area I would most highly recommend Simply Dave Nassau Tours -- Dave is just a pleasure to be around, and he has the best customer service. He will craft a tour to suit your needs. We actually had him pick us up (with our luggage) at the end of our cruise, so we had a half-day tour of the island with a lunch stop and then he dropped us at the airport right on time. Great tour and great guy!

 

[living4experiences]

I believe Bahamas Divers has closed and the only op is Stuart Cove's on Nassau. Their operation is hit or miss. I might suggest diving on Grand Bahama. You'll have a better choice of dive shops. I'll be there in March.

 

[rhwestfall]

How about San Salvador (Riding Rock Inn)?

 

[mcohen1021]

Paradise Island is upscale scummy. It's OK if you like that thing.

Its definitely $$$$$.... I think the Aggressor ended up cheaper than had I done land based.

 

[hilljo88]

Stuart runs a good operation, although it can be busy at times. They run a pickup bus service to most hotels. Dives feature wrecks, although if you ask for macro, some of the DMs are excellent at finding the small stuff. There is a featured shark feeding dive. Not sure how I feel about it ethically, but its an amazing experience. Its not the remote shore diving experience that you get in BON, but on the other hand its a quick flight and you are connected to work if you need to be. Try the "Fish Fry" restaurant strip for local, reasonably priced food. (Not all the food is fried, or fish. That's just the traditional name for the strip.) There are several mid market all inclusive hotels on the island. The Atlantis resort is a spectacle. A little more down market than the ads would make it seem. For an upscale, fine dining experience, Graycliff won't disappoint. And then there is the collection of hotels at the newish, upscale Baha Mar.