Diving Stuart Cove's Nassau Bahamas

[frostfire]

We went out with both Stuart Cove and Bahama Divers when we stayed at the Atlantis. Stuart Cove had a dawn pick up in a large bus that then stopped at every hotel on the Island for an hour until the bus was full and then had each and every one of those divers on the one boat. We much preferred Bahama Divers. Right across the street and off we went!

 

[rockinrobin]

Dived with Stuart Cove for 4 days a couple of years ago.

While the whole set up was a little too commercial for our liking, it was impossible to critisice them for anything else. The boats were spotless, the crews friendly and the guides excellent.

The shark feeding trip was over-rated but good fun. Other dives, though, got you onto the same site and so you saw the sharks a lot anyway, just not from as close!

 

[daniel1948]

I was at Stuart Cove's before I learned to dive. I did one outing on their one-person "submarines" and one snorkel trip. I have no serious complaints, but the operation seemed rather crowded and hectic.

For a non-diver, the submarine (a cross between an underwater motorcycle and a hard-hat diving apparatus) was a fun way to spend some time under water (ten or twelve feet down, I'd guess). The helmet built into the submarine means you are breathing normally.

The snorkel outing made three stops. The first two were very nice.

The third was a shark swim, and I felt that we were not well prepared for what to expect. They lowered a bait cage to 50 feet and we got in the water, holding onto a rope, and they told us to keep hold of it, so we were not swimming free. I had not yet seen the documentary "Sharkwater" so I was more scared than I might have been, and we were not prepared for what would happen: At first we saw nothing but vague shapes far below. Then the shapes got closer, and we all scrambled in a panic to get back on the boat. After we were all aboard, they raised the bait and the sharks came to the surface, so we never got a good look at them while we were in the water.

In particular, we were not told that the sharks would ascend, or whether it was safe to remain in the water when they did. We were not told at what point we should get out of the water, so we all basically just panicked when (to our surprise, as we had not been prepared) the sharks began to approach us from below.

I feel that we should have been given a better briefing for this part of the trip, and I did not leave with especially positive feelings towards the operators.

Knowing what I know now, I'd have asked those questions.

Daniel

 

[David_57]

Now I am getting worried nothing worse than two 30 min dives in 40ft or 50ft of water for 105.00 hope this is not the case, cozumel we were down for a least 50 mins a couple dives over 60 mins. Any other people on here dove with Stuarts Cove? My wife and I are in at Orange Hill Feb 14th to 28th.

 

[deepstops]

Now I am getting worried nothing worse than two 30 min dives in 40ft or 50ft of water for 105.00 hope this is not the case, cozumel we were down for a least 50 mins a couple dives over 60 mins. Any other people on here dove with Stuarts Cove? My wife and I are in at Orange Hill Feb 14th to 28th.

I've had the DM limit the second dive to 45 minutes on occasion but it's usually an hour.

 

[David_57]

I've had the DM limit the second dive to 45 minutes on occasion but it's usually an hour.

Thanks thats a relief how, about depth I have heard the take you to the likes of Nari Nari on more than one occasion which I believe is about 30ft?

 

[deepstops]

Thanks thats a relief how, about depth I have heard the take you to the likes of Nari Nari on more than one occasion which I believe is about 30ft?

Usually the dive is one of the wrecks near the wall, you start on the wreck at 40-60' then swim to the wall and descend to ~100' (bring a light, it will look much better) for ~ 10 minutes and then begin an ascent back to the wreck and then to the reef. Total dive time 40-45. Then a 40 minute SI and a reef dive 30-45' for 45-60 minutes.

 

[H2O Gal]

Why the fascination with depth? I'm not afraid to dive any depth within safe limits, but I find that things look much prettier at shallower depths because the light is so much better! My favorite dive Stuart Cove's does is Southwest Reef--most of it is around 20'. The coral is pretty and you don't have to worry about bottom time.
David 57--tell your divemaster and captain what you are interested in and he/she will do their best to accommodate you. If no one shows a preference they'll pick the site, but if you tell them what you want--or don't want--they'll try to provide it. They WILL limit your bottom time, but we never had them limit our depth to shallower than you're trained for. Some of those walls are "bottomless" so you won't have any problems getting as deep as you want!
ps We've dived with them for three years now and never had done the Nari-Nari!

 

[TonyW388]

Now I am getting worried nothing worse than two 30 min dives in 40ft or 50ft of water for 105.00 hope this is not the case, cozumel we were down for a least 50 mins a couple dives over 60 mins. Any other people on here dove with Stuarts Cove? My wife and I are in at Orange Hill Feb 14th to 28th.

Hi David,

I did the shark dive on 12-09-09.

We went off of Shark Wall for the first dive. The dive briefing consisted of a 35 min dive time with a 3 minute SS and do not drop below a 100'. The lead Dm will be about 65'. Signal when the first person reaches 1500 PSI to turn the dive. The DM perferred you to have a dive computer if you were dropping down to a 100'.


We entered the water and 7-8 reef sharks greeted us. We did a weight check and dropped to the bottom. I stared at the big shinny thing(Shark) for a while. DM arrived we followed over the wall. Several hugh lionfish,Green morray eel, parrot fish, and the list goes on and on. It was not the best reef I have been on, but not the worse one either.

My dive profile was

75' for 37 mins
Avg depth was 40'
water temp was 80
air temp was 85
surface was a little choppy because of the breeze
Viz was about 60' (bad viz per Captain but it looked great to me)
Started with 2800 psi
Exited with 1200 psi
Surface int 37 min


3 mil wetsuit and rental gear. Brought my own dive computer and mask!



Second Dive

Shark Arena

The shark dive you got a better brief on what to expect and what not to do. Same dive time but this time limited to depth of the feed or sand.(40')

The two DM's doing the video and pictures set you up around the arena. The shark feeding DM brings in the boxes of chum(hogfish). The sharks swarm in as soon as the chum hits the deck of the boat.(Per my injured buddy, bubble watching) Then out of thin air 40 -50 carribean reef sharks are circling. It was a blast.:cool2:


41' for 44 mins
Avg depth was 34'
water temp was 80
air temp was 85
surface was a little choppy because of the breeze
Viz was about 60'
Started with 3000 psi
Exited with 1500 psi

I think the limiting factors on the dive times are because of the number of people being shuttled in and out of Staurts Cove. If there are cruise ships in ports then they will be hauling people from them,Atlantis, and everywhere else on the island which takes time. Its not a huge island but travel was not that fast on my shuttle bus with cruise pick ups and two other hotels.

Next you have to get there check in and get your gear(if you are renting). Once everyone was on the boat we got a brief count of all own board personal,divers,and bubble watchers. Then we were own are way.

I think to extend your bottom time once your on board you should, set up your gear, dawn your wetsuit ,and as soon as the dive brief is given and they open the pool, hop in(if you are ready). (Some people seem slow at this especially when you are the last ones on the boat.) Do your buddy/self checks and hit the bottom. Wait for the DM there. Gives you time to adjust and look around a little. I would also follow behind the heard, just to go slow and look around at your own speed(back of the pack). Then let all the people low on air and in a hurry to get out do thier SS before you. That way you are not just hanging at 15' watching all the people dangling off the tag lines and down lines.

For me:

Stuarts Cove's DM's and boat Captain did an excellent job. The shop was set up and ran very smooth along with the transportation services. So, I was pleased. The videos and pics were expensive but I enjoyed my dives. It was a lot less work on these dives than when I typically dive off my own boat. It all depends on the type of diving you like doing.

If all there other boats run like the shark dive boat I was on did, I would have no problem doing it again.

 

[David_57]

Why the fascination with depth? I'm not afraid to dive any depth within safe limits, but I find that things look much prettier at shallower depths because the light is so much better! My favorite dive Stuart Cove's does is Southwest Reef--most of it is around 20'. The coral is pretty and you don't have to worry about bottom time.
David 57--tell your divemaster and captain what you are interested in and he/she will do their best to accommodate you. If no one shows a preference they'll pick the site, but if you tell them what you want--or don't want--they'll try to provide it. They WILL limit your bottom time, but we never had them limit our depth to shallower than you're trained for. Some of those walls are "bottomless" so you won't have any problems getting as deep as you want!
ps We've dived with them for three years now and never had done the Nari-Nari!

No facination with depth just feel more comfortable at 50 60 ft as long as I can get a min 45 minute dive prefer 60 minutes, maybe not for you but 20ft can be hard on the ears for me. Actually I do like deep wreck diving but thats another story ;-)