Getting to Stuart's cove
- Thread starter Puffling
- Start date
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
Hoag
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,389
- Reaction score
- 2,226
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
Every time that I have dove with SC, I have utilized their shuttle service. There is a public transit (bus) system on New Providence, but my experience with it is that it tends to be geared to getting tourists either from the cruise ships to tourist attractions or to getting those staying on Cable Beech into downtown Nassau. I do not know if the transit system even runs out to SC's, or how many transfers it would take to make it work if they do.
The SC shuttle, on the other hand, I have found to be very convenient. It pick you up and drops you off right at your hotel and gets you to the marina/dive shop in time to be on the boat. (Since you are on a SC shuttle, the boat won't leave till the shuttle brings their customers to the shop.) After the dive, it will drop you off back at your hotel. It really is quite handy (and it is free).
If you are looking for an alternative to the SC shuttle, I think that the best (although expensive) back up plan would be a taxi.
The SC shuttle, on the other hand, I have found to be very convenient. It pick you up and drops you off right at your hotel and gets you to the marina/dive shop in time to be on the boat. (Since you are on a SC shuttle, the boat won't leave till the shuttle brings their customers to the shop.) After the dive, it will drop you off back at your hotel. It really is quite handy (and it is free).
If you are looking for an alternative to the SC shuttle, I think that the best (although expensive) back up plan would be a taxi.
Their shuttle worked great, picking me up at my hotel and dropping me off back there. Not sure what, if any, advantage there would be to public transportation
Hi there
How did you find the return journey? Did you feel rushed to get sorted and packed up
I was more thinking of using public transport if I wasn't diving pm so I could go elsewhere if I wanted rather than just back to the hotel.
Also I was thinking on arrival day for taking my kit to get prepared, assuming you can store your kit there? Or do you take it with you daily!
How did you find the return journey? Did you feel rushed to get sorted and packed up
I was more thinking of using public transport if I wasn't diving pm so I could go elsewhere if I wanted rather than just back to the hotel.
Also I was thinking on arrival day for taking my kit to get prepared, assuming you can store your kit there? Or do you take it with you daily!
Hoag
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,389
- Reaction score
- 2,226
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
@Puffling it has been a few years since I have dove with SC, so please take my answer with a grain of salt as things might have changed since my last visit.
IIRC, you will have time after you surface from your last dive until the boat pulls into the dock to pack your gear into your boat bag and get everything sorted out. By the time the boat gets back to the dock, you will most likely be able to pick up your boat bag & leave the boat. The hotel shuttles run on a relatively flexible schedule so the boats will make every reasonable effort to ensure that they are not going to back their customers into a corner. The shuttles are also operated by SC, so they will not leave until everyone is there.
In the past, I have found that I typically had time to get off the boat, and hang out in the dive shop for a little while before I had to go to the pick up spot for the shuttles. The whole system is set up to make your life as easy as they can, while still meeting their needs.
I do not remember any storage at the site, but again, it has been several years since I have dove there and they might have storage now. On that, hopefully someone who has been there recently may be able to answer, or perhaps you could contact SC directly with that question. I think that you take your gear home with you every day.
As for how I found the return journey ... I was on a bus that was full of people who were thrilled with what a great day of diving they had. Everybody was upbeat and in a good mood. The driver will eventually get to your hotel and you get off and say goodbye to all your new friends. It was very easy.
I hope that this has answered some of your questions. I would highly recommend using their shuttle. I don't think that there really are any better options.
IIRC, you will have time after you surface from your last dive until the boat pulls into the dock to pack your gear into your boat bag and get everything sorted out. By the time the boat gets back to the dock, you will most likely be able to pick up your boat bag & leave the boat. The hotel shuttles run on a relatively flexible schedule so the boats will make every reasonable effort to ensure that they are not going to back their customers into a corner. The shuttles are also operated by SC, so they will not leave until everyone is there.
In the past, I have found that I typically had time to get off the boat, and hang out in the dive shop for a little while before I had to go to the pick up spot for the shuttles. The whole system is set up to make your life as easy as they can, while still meeting their needs.
I do not remember any storage at the site, but again, it has been several years since I have dove there and they might have storage now. On that, hopefully someone who has been there recently may be able to answer, or perhaps you could contact SC directly with that question. I think that you take your gear home with you every day.
As for how I found the return journey ... I was on a bus that was full of people who were thrilled with what a great day of diving they had. Everybody was upbeat and in a good mood. The driver will eventually get to your hotel and you get off and say goodbye to all your new friends. It was very easy.
I hope that this has answered some of your questions. I would highly recommend using their shuttle. I don't think that there really are any better options.
Hoag
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,389
- Reaction score
- 2,226
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
Oh, one more thought. If you are asked if there are any dive sites that you want to do, or that you have in mind, I can highly recommend the "James Bond Wrecks" and the "Ray of Hope / Bahama Mama".
Thanks, that makes me feel better, I hate to be rushed is stresses me out.
Good point I'll need to pack our day bags.
How did yo wash your kit?
Thanks for the site recommendations, I wasn't sure about the bond ones but was worried they might be too fake, I'm glad you reccomended or I may have missed them
Good point I'll need to pack our day bags.
How did yo wash your kit?
Thanks for the site recommendations, I wasn't sure about the bond ones but was worried they might be too fake, I'm glad you reccomended or I may have missed them
Hoag
Contributor
- Messages
- 2,389
- Reaction score
- 2,226
- # of dives
- 200 - 499
First, some background on the James Bond Wrecks ...
There is a scene in the movie "Thunderball" in which an RAF Vulcan bomber is ditched into the water. Obviously, the RAF would not ditch a real Vulcan, so the special effects team went to work. They built a full scale mock up of a Vulcan and crashed it. It was made of canvas stretched over an ABS plastic skeleton. Once in the water, it didn't take long for the canvas to disappear, but the ABS skeleton remained. Today it is covered with a wide variety of coral and sponges. Just a few feet (30???) away from the ABS skeleton lies the ship that was used as the Tears of Allah in the movie "Never Say Never Again".
The Ray of Hope is a freighter/artificial reef that is fairly "sharky" but not overwhelming.
As for washing off my gear, I really didn't do anything on a day by day basis, but at the end of the week, the hotel I stayed at hooked up and left out their garden hose for our group to rinse off our gear.
There is a scene in the movie "Thunderball" in which an RAF Vulcan bomber is ditched into the water. Obviously, the RAF would not ditch a real Vulcan, so the special effects team went to work. They built a full scale mock up of a Vulcan and crashed it. It was made of canvas stretched over an ABS plastic skeleton. Once in the water, it didn't take long for the canvas to disappear, but the ABS skeleton remained. Today it is covered with a wide variety of coral and sponges. Just a few feet (30???) away from the ABS skeleton lies the ship that was used as the Tears of Allah in the movie "Never Say Never Again".
The Ray of Hope is a freighter/artificial reef that is fairly "sharky" but not overwhelming.
As for washing off my gear, I really didn't do anything on a day by day basis, but at the end of the week, the hotel I stayed at hooked up and left out their garden hose for our group to rinse off our gear.
Last edited:
Similar threads
