Bahamas live-aboard (aqua cat) vs Belize (aggressor)

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

LiveTheDream

Registered
Messages
39
Reaction score
18
Location
Bonaire
# of dives
100 - 199
are they the basic trips just on a different ship and in different waters?

We;d be going i Jaunuarary

So either AquaCat in January' ''or" Be 8z
Input appreciated.

Would single female diver be able of find dive buddy?
 
Yes, they are both basic live aboard trips.
yes, they are different boats owned by different companies in different countries but you will eat sleep and dive aboard each of them.
Finding buddies on either of them will not be a problem.
Both offer great diving.
Nassau is a little easier to get to but you will have to take a cab to the boat. Not a problem just something AquaCat can't do for you. Belize is a little further but Aggressor will meet you at the airport and transport you to the boat.
I suggest you flip a coin then do both.
 
I had a similar decision to make, although scheduling issues made it for me.

Picking a Caribbean Live-aboard.

Diving Belize via Sun Dancer 2 May 2nd - 9th.

Some Blue Hole Impressions.

The 1st thread gets into compare & contrast of the options. The 2nd 2 are my trip report threads from the Sun Dancer 2 trip. I think these threads will have most of the info. you need, although the decision may still not be easy.

Richard.

P.S.: The water temp.s in the Bahamas get low in winter. On a cruise ship stop last December my wife & I did a sea lion encounter excursion at Blue Lagoon, out of Nassau. That waist deep water was cold! Nothing you can't counter with a wet suit, I suppose, but if you're after warm waters, unless the AquaCat's diving area is a good deal warmer, I doubt January is your time of year for that. I did 2 dives in Cozumel on a cruise stop one January and water temp.s were around 76 degrees, IIRC, and Belize is a little south of there.
 
I have been on the Aquacat and the Sun Dancer in Belize, and toured the Belize Aggressor (which pretty much does the same itinerary as the Dancer.) Both are worth doing sometime, but I would say the Aquacat and the Belize boats and trips are not very similar at all, beyond the usual eat-dive-sleep-repeat schedule.

The Belize Dancer is physically fairly typical of many of the Caribbean Aggressor and Dancer boats (not to mention the Explorers and the Caribbean Pearl in the Bay Islands, some of which are former Aggressors.) The Sun Dancer is larger and I found the cabins a bit larger/nicer on the SD than the BA, but the dive deck larger and nicer on the BA. I found the inside eating area on the BA to be very cramped - that and the cabins make me prefer the Dancer there but nothing wrong with the Aggressor if that's not important to you. The Aquacat on the other hand is a large roomy catamaran, with way more space in general.

Belize is a good place to do a liveaboard because the best diving there is a long haul from land at the atolls - the liveaboards go out there and stay there, while if you're land based in Belize this will be a special all-day trip you maybe do one day, usually at extra expense. (If you were to stay on say Turneffe atoll you obviously dive there, and they include a trip to Lighthouse atoll, but it's still only once a week - and if you don't want to do it for some reason I think you don't dive that day.)

Most people would probably consider Belize diving out at the atolls where the liveaboards go to be better than the Bahamas, with good reefs and walls. IMO Bahamas diving done on the usual Aquacat itinerary simply doesn't have such great coral and reefs/life for the most part. It does however have lots of sharks and more varied topography and sites, with some unique dives. It also has a few more opportunities for doing above water/surface stuff, good if you're going with someone who isn't diving, or doesn't want to dive all the time. Either Belize liveaboard is usually going to do the Blue Hole, which for some is a reason to do it, for others a reason to avoid it (obviously you can sit it out if you aren't interested, but you basically lose a half day of diving.)

In January the water temperature difference between the Bahamas and Belize may be a consideration for you. Another thing for some people is that the AquaCat, being a large cat, is generally going to be a smoother more stable ride. Also the Belize boats have a long crossing to the atolls, which can be fine or can be _very_ rough, and probably more likely to be rough in the winter.
 
I have been the Aqua Cat, Bahamas Dancer, Belize Aggressor and Sun Dancer, some more than once! I much prefer the diving in Belize over the Bahamas. Now the Aqua Cat is a larger boat, although my experience on that boat with the captain and crew was not very good. I'd choose the better diving and that's in Belize. Damselfish is spot on!
 
Plug for Carib Dancer if you're looking at Bahamas liveaboard options. Was on it two years ago and had a great time.

Not as spacious as the Aqua Cat, but far less expensive. (Often downright "cheap" if they are running a special... which they seem to do a fair bit.)
 
No comparison as far as the diving quality when it comes to the Bahamas vs. Belize. I've been to both and the diving where the Aqua Cat goes is average at best and quite poor at some locations. Great boat but really disappointing diving. Many of the reefs are dead. If you want quality diving, do Belize.
 
Hey!

There are 2 deluxe cabins female sharing for Belize for 09 Jan - 16 Jan on Belize Aggressor III: https://divebooker.com/belize-aggressor-iii-haz50
Kindly note that this week has special price - 25% off.
We believe that you will find a dive buddy during the trip without any problems. Especially if you are a diving enthusiast.

If you have any questions or need help, you can contact us at support@divebooker.com - or just drop us a line in the online chat at our website.

Best,
Divebooker.com Team
 
Last edited:

Back
Top Bottom