Diving in Abaco Bahamas on our own - asking for help on dive locations

[captnkuk]

Dear all,
with our family we are planning a 3-week sailing and diving trip to Abaco (Bahamas); we will have our own diving gear, just renting and refilling the tanks at various dive shops.

I purchased "The Cruising Guide to Abaco 2023" by Steve Dodge, which was supposed to have many dive locations indicated, but sadly it is very poor with detail. I am reading online about suggested spots such as "The Towers", Grouper Alley, Wayne's World, Cathedral, Tarpon Reef, Coral Caverns, Catacombs, Ledge, etc. but none of those are in the Guide. Even the dive sites that are mentioned are only "high level" location on the map with no clear idea on how to plan the dive etc.

I don't mind hiring a local divemaster, but what I've been able to get response till now is that you are either diving with a resort or a charter - they don't do "daily guided tours" or a divemaster-for-hire.

So I would be immensely grateful if anyone here has any decent map/location info for good dives there, so I could plan our dives accordingly?

much appreciated!

 

[tursiops]

Brian Kakuk

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[SpeedyJ]

I haven't been diving there since Hurricane Dorian ripped through as all of my trips have been dedicated to cleaning up and repairing the family property. I've heard that the reefs took a severe beating, and at one point saw videos of entire reefs cleaved in two. My favorite reef is one that is open to the ocean facing south, and had a tremendous amount of soft coral with the top of the reef just feet below the surface. I'm not optimistic about its condition when I finally do get back to dive.

There are a couple of preserves with mooring buoys, though I am not sure who is leading the charge on maintaining them anymore - Likely Troy Albury with Dive Guana. The moorings are only for small vessels - I believe the Dodge guide says something like 20' though I've put a larger center console boat on them. Just be sure to dive the mooring before you decide to swim off, and when I've been diving without surface support, I've swam an anchor down to the sand as a backup. Fowl Cays you'll definitely need your rib to get to the sites as they'll require picking your way through the coral heads.

Dorian hit central Abaco the hardest, with Fowl Cays being about dead center, so you may find the reefs further north or south to be in better shape. Fowl Cays is probably 80-90' at its deepest.

Happy to answer any questions you may have, and send you some ideas on non-diving places as well.

 

[Kendall Raine]

I was last in Abaco a little over a year ago cave diving. Not sure any of the dive shops on Abaco pre-Dorian have reopened. The exception is Brian Kakuk, who runs Bahamas Underground and has a facility to support his cave research/guiding/teaching-so not a retail dive shop. He has been in Abaco for twenty years and a great guy. He will know what's going on, if anything.

The only o/w operator going at the time I was there was in Green Turtle Cay (Brendal) whom I would avoid.

 

[SpeedyJ]

I was last in Abaco a little over a year ago cave diving. Not sure any of the dive shops on Abaco pre-Dorian have reopened. The exception is Brian Kakuk, who runs Bahamas Underground and has a facility to support his cave research/guiding/teaching-so not a retail dive shop. He has been in Abaco for twenty years and a great guy. He will know what's going on, if anything.

The only o/w operator going at the time I was there was in Green Turtle Cay (Brendal) whom I would avoid.

Dive Guana is definitely open on Guana Cay, and I believe Froggies is operating as well on Elbow Cay.

Dive Abaco, Treasure Divers, and Divetime all closed up shop, with Treasure Divers closing years before Dorian. Curious why you dislike Brendal? He's generally well regarded. None of the operators cater to serious divers who want hour long dives - they're more family day out shops.

 

[Kendall Raine]

Dive Guana is definitely open on Guana Cay, and I believe Froggies is operating as well on Elbow Cay.

Dive Abaco, Treasure Divers, and Divetime all closed up shop, with Treasure Divers closing years before Dorian. Curious why you dislike Brendal? He's generally well regarded. None of the operators cater to serious divers who want hour long dives - they're more family day out shops.

Glad to see the dive shops coming back.

As for Brendal, not so much dislike as just felt it wasn't good value, even by family oriented low intensity o/w standards. I was in Abaco to cave dive with Brian, but my brother came down so we dove three days with Brendal and he would only take us to the same place. Not just the same area, the same mooring buoy. That plus charging us an outrageous price. I understand that Abaco was recovering and he was the only game in town (at the time) so pricing reflected that, but it was "rip your face off" pricing which, given the same dive sites, turned me off.

 

[captnkuk]

Brian Kakuk

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Thanks! I've heard of Brian and seen his work, but his focus is way beyond what we can do as a family... not cave divers yet. This is on the "bucket list" for later - when the kids reach that level to get cave diving and sidemount diving certified and then I think another Bahamas trip will be on the menu again

...for now we just need some guidance on good spots / locations and ideally some recommendations for dive plans in the area.

 

[SpeedyJ]

Thanks! I've heard of Brian and seen his work, but his focus is way beyond what we can do as a family... not cave divers yet. This is on the "bucket list" for later - when the kids reach that level to get cave diving and sidemount diving certified and then I think another Bahamas trip will be on the menu again

...for now we just need some guidance on good spots / locations and ideally some recommendations for dive plans in the area.

In Central Abaco, the two main dive areas are the Fowl Cays Preserve and Pelican Cays land and sea park - You'll also hear this called "Sandy Cay" as the reef is off of Sandy Cay, and not the Pelican Cays. I don't know the area north of Green Turtle as I always end up in Pineapples at happy hour.

As previously mentioned, Fowl Cays is going to be max depth of 90-ish feet with most shallower. I've never paid attention to the site names, frankly they're not all that descriptive nor are the sites all that different. Grouper Alley had just one overly friendly Nassau Grouper last time I was there.

Pelican Cays is in the 20 foot range. Pelican cays is the where there used to be great soft coral, and its right at one end of what I call the "highway." Sharks, dolphins, pelagics, etc. come in/out North Bar and Little Harbor channels and head up/down to/from South Man-O-War via Tilloo, and Lubbers. The "Tongue of the Ocean" or Northeast Providence Channel is running right down along the outside, with 1000'+ depths not too far offshore.

Going out the cut north of Guana Cay and running south a touch parallel to the island there are some good reefs that you can anchor near and dive. The flow through the cut can sometimes bring sharks and rays into the area. Unfortunately, Bakers Bay's Golf Course is leaching nitrates into the area, and its been impacting the reef (as was predicted) and I've seen the impact clear as day.

If you have paddleboards and kayaks, the are around Cormorant Cay, Snake Cay and Deep Sea Cay can be great to explore. I take the center console in through the channel at Snake Cay, anchor and spend the day with turtles, tarpon, and a cooler of Kalik. The area between Guana and Scotland aka "the pool" is also a nice place to relax with paddle boards or pool noodles.

 

[DiveProKoko]

There are a couple of preserves with mooring buoys, though I am not sure who is leading the charge on maintaining them anymore - Likely Troy Albury with Dive Guana. The moorings are only for small vessels - I believe the Dodge guide says something like 20' though I've put a larger center console boat on them. Just be sure to dive the mooring before you decide to swim off, and when I've been diving without surface support, I've swam an anchor down to the sand as a backup. Fowl Cays you'll definitely need your rib to get to the sites as they'll require picking your way through the coral heads.

I second this. Troy at Dive Guana would be a good resource for this area. We have done our own diving at Fowl Cay in one of his center consoles. Diving on Fowl Cay is very easy. Dinghy in (coral heads) and pick a ball. I bet if you get your tanks/fills from him, he may give you GPS for some of the other sites? He's a good dude. Just ask him.

 

[diverswifey]

did you already go? how was it? Troy at Dive Guana is a really nice guy- dealt with him several years ago. Three months before Dorian my husband went out with Dive Abaco and it was okay/so so and I know they are closed now. As much as the Abacos are one of my favorite places on earth to boat, island hop, chill- I have never thought there was any really good diving there so I hope you had a nice trip- it is all about topside there or floating in the gorgeous water!