This is totally our situation but our timeframe is first week of june. The scenario you typed is just us. Two persons, no kids, never been to Bahamas, etc. So I can relate to your writing totally.
We are really overwhelmed on the places to go. Really confusing the different areas. Cozumel, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Freeport, Nassau, Palm Beach, etc. We really can't decide and nobody seems to know really what is the difference between these.
Please keep in mind that the following is what I have SEEN in sites or discussions and put to my conclusions. They are not something you should take as an advice, but rather consider. Also if someone reads these, please correct me if I am wrong.
The things I have dug out is:
- Freeport is much less touristy than Nassau. Exumas is mainly done from liveaboards. Bimini is much more expensive than other islands and smaller which leads to "nothing much else to do than dive". At least we are not the beach laying type but rather want to go and explore.
- Freeport reef quality might be a pit on the average or "poor" side. Especially if you compare to eg. Cozumel.
- Bahamas dive operators quality is at best in the average / good minus. (eg. compared to Cozumel, if you look tripadvisor ratings). I really don't know which one to choose if going to eg. Freeport.
- Everyone seems to recommed going to Cozumel over Bahamas (is Bahams really that bad)?
- Bahamas have really shallow dives
- Bahamas have sharks, but rarely seen on other dives than the actual dives where they feed the sharks
- May/June is low season in Bahamas, which might lead to cancellations on trips if the minimum diver amounts are not met
- Bahamas do not have currents on the sites (not sure about this!) and are usually easier dives than eg. Cozumel
- Bahamas diving varies from the $100 - $250. The higher side being the specialities and the lower being the basic two tank. The two tank price average would be somewhere around $125.
The "overwhelmed" is really the word. It feels that I could spend weeks and weeks analyzing the different sites and still not find the best place for us. For example we don't like drift dives as we like to photograph. Finding the info about just this is proven to be quite difficult.
And of course asking is always something that you can take as an advice only as you are really the only one who knows what you want.
