Phil
Guest
Greetings,
Just back from a week on the Nekton Pilot. Several had asked me to compare the Aqua
Cat (in April) and the Nekton Pilot (last week) since they were about the same amount
of money.
So here goes:
Both operations were very nice, and if someone were to say lets go tomorrow, I could be
ready in about 2 hours for either one.
The Aqua Cat is a newer ship and thus in much better condition. We had problems with
the air conditioner condinsation leaking over our beds in the Pilot. The Aqua Cat has
larger rooms with the sink, shower and toilet all in the bathroom. The Pilot has the sink
out in the cabin portion. More storage area in the Aqua Cat, although if your bags are soft
sided you might be able to get them under the beds in the Pilot. At 6' 7" and a dive
buddie who is 6' 6" neither rooms are big enough, although all you do in the room is
sleep. The Aqua Cat didn't make up the rooms and give us fresh towels to shower with
each day like the Pilot did. You would have to ask for them on the AQ.
The food on the AC was a whole step up from the Pilot. However in all fairness the
regular cook was on vacation and they had a sub who was just ok.
The dive decks on the Pilot are boarder line dangerous. You pack 30+ divers into an area
that should have half that number of people getting ready to make a dive. Add to that the
fill hoses running along the deck floor and it would seem a sure formula for an accident.
We would wait an extra 10 or 15 minutes for some of the divers to get in the water before
we would venture down on to the deck. The pilot did give you warm towels after each
dive which was a nice touch. Both companies had hot fresh water waiting as you to rinse
off as you finished the dive.
The staff was great on both. Trying hard to please everyone, which we all know is hard
to do! The dive briefing were about the same on each. The staff on the Pilot were older
and more mature. Both Capitans were sociable and friendly.
I enjoyed the dives on the Pilot slightly more. The AC was up in the Exumas and the
Pilot was in Cay Sal area. It seemed to me that there were more schooling fish in the Cay
Sal area, and the corals seemed to me to be in slightly better shape. We ran into much
more current on the Pilot trip. I counted 8 of my 23 dives were in what I would call
moderate current. The Captian cancelled our second drift dive because the current was
just too strong. The one we did do at Elbow Cay was like an E ticket at Disneyland at
100 feet.
Like I said, both were very enjoyable, and I would consider going again on either, but in
all fairness, my expirence was that I think the Aqua Cat was one step up from the Nekton Pilot.
Phil
Just back from a week on the Nekton Pilot. Several had asked me to compare the Aqua
Cat (in April) and the Nekton Pilot (last week) since they were about the same amount
of money.
So here goes:
Both operations were very nice, and if someone were to say lets go tomorrow, I could be
ready in about 2 hours for either one.
The Aqua Cat is a newer ship and thus in much better condition. We had problems with
the air conditioner condinsation leaking over our beds in the Pilot. The Aqua Cat has
larger rooms with the sink, shower and toilet all in the bathroom. The Pilot has the sink
out in the cabin portion. More storage area in the Aqua Cat, although if your bags are soft
sided you might be able to get them under the beds in the Pilot. At 6' 7" and a dive
buddie who is 6' 6" neither rooms are big enough, although all you do in the room is
sleep. The Aqua Cat didn't make up the rooms and give us fresh towels to shower with
each day like the Pilot did. You would have to ask for them on the AQ.
The food on the AC was a whole step up from the Pilot. However in all fairness the
regular cook was on vacation and they had a sub who was just ok.
The dive decks on the Pilot are boarder line dangerous. You pack 30+ divers into an area
that should have half that number of people getting ready to make a dive. Add to that the
fill hoses running along the deck floor and it would seem a sure formula for an accident.
We would wait an extra 10 or 15 minutes for some of the divers to get in the water before
we would venture down on to the deck. The pilot did give you warm towels after each
dive which was a nice touch. Both companies had hot fresh water waiting as you to rinse
off as you finished the dive.
The staff was great on both. Trying hard to please everyone, which we all know is hard
to do! The dive briefing were about the same on each. The staff on the Pilot were older
and more mature. Both Capitans were sociable and friendly.
I enjoyed the dives on the Pilot slightly more. The AC was up in the Exumas and the
Pilot was in Cay Sal area. It seemed to me that there were more schooling fish in the Cay
Sal area, and the corals seemed to me to be in slightly better shape. We ran into much
more current on the Pilot trip. I counted 8 of my 23 dives were in what I would call
moderate current. The Captian cancelled our second drift dive because the current was
just too strong. The one we did do at Elbow Cay was like an E ticket at Disneyland at
100 feet.
Like I said, both were very enjoyable, and I would consider going again on either, but in
all fairness, my expirence was that I think the Aqua Cat was one step up from the Nekton Pilot.
Phil
ut: 
