Aussie needs Bahamas advice

[harperr]

Hi,

I am going to a friends wedding on Great Exuma in early May this year.

I will be travelling alone as my wife is preganant and doesn't want to make the long flight from Sydney.

Once the wedding is over I would like to stay on in the Bahamas for some diving but I'm not sure where to go despite a lot of searching.

I would love to have done a live aboard but the timing is not quite right it seems as they are all 1 week trips. Are there any 3-4 day liveaboards? Assuming there aren't, which would be the best island to stay on for the best diving? I probably won't be back for a while so cost is not a major concern.

Would love to dive with some dolphins or manta rays but it's not a must.

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[deepstops]

There's good diving right in the Exumas but few choices on dive operations. This one has been there a while: Welcome To Dive Exuma

There aren't manta rays (that I'm aware of).

This liveaboard runs both 4 and 7 days charters out of both Freeport and Nassau. See if their schedule lines up with yours: Come Join the adventure of Scuba Diving at lostislandvoyages.com

 

[harperr]

thanks deepstops that's great. Unfortunately the liveaboard doesn't quite match up for me.

I guess I'll just hang around the exumas in that case...

I though maybe it would be better for me to go to san salvador or something but probably easier to stay in one spot.

Cheers.

 

[osprey]

There isn't anywhere where you will see mantas on a regular basis. You can snorkel with wild dolphins in Bimini or dive in the ocean with trained dolphins in Freeport.

 

[la_diver]

Wife and I stayed at viva wyndahm in june in freeport . Dove 2 tanks in morning and could have and should have dove 1 tank in the afternoon. Dive shop is at the resort. We left from the resort every morning at 8:30, boat pick us up at resort. What surprized us later in the year watching Shark Week on tv was that some of the same locations we dove was on Shark Week. One lady with us did the swimming with the dolphins ($200). Was our first diving so we really thought it was great.

 

[tvictory]

thanks deepstops that's great. Unfortunately the liveaboard doesn't quite match up for me.

I guess I'll just hang around the exumas in that case...

I though maybe it would be better for me to go to san salvador or something but probably easier to stay in one spot.

Cheers.

San Sal would be your best non-liveabaord option, but I don't think you can fly there directly from Great Exuma, you'd have to fly via Nassau. If you have the time and $, though, check out Riding Rock Inn on San Salvador.

 

[OceanObsessed]

You will be very close to Long Island too, which has great diving. Check out Stella Maris Resort. I'm not sure if you can fly straight there from Great Exuma though.

 

[harperr]

Thanks to all. I am booking with Stella Maris resort. Seems like a nice place and good value considering the poor perfromance of the poor old aussie dollar. I am also a keen amateur free diver so it will be nice to see Deans Blue hole.

Thanks guys for your input. Can't wait to get there now!

 

[CanadianTravelAgent]

how was your stay and the diving at Stella Maris? I'm looking into it for a family vacation and the hopes of getting some diving in! Thanks!