Port Lucaya May 8-15th Any suggestions dive buddies?

[BusterDive]

I'll be staying at the Port Lucaya Resort and Yacht Club with hopes of a bunch of fishing and diving. But I've never been to the Bahamas and I'm going with a non-diver, so I'm kind of winging it. I would hate to ruin my first ever vacation by not being prepared or being ripped off. Any help or suggestions?

 

[scubaaaronh]

When we were there a few years ago we dove with Caribbean divers. Small op that dosen't have a cattle boat. If you are the only one you dive with the dm. They may not have boats equipt like the big ops but it gets you there and back and plenty of room. I would dive with them again. Unexso was going out at the same time we were we had 4 divers they had a boat full.
www.caribbeandivers-bahamas.com

They picked us up at the yact club and took us back after dives. There is a little bar through the straw market i can't remember the name but is you ask at the desk they can tell you the name it is a small green bar great Conch and good prices.

 

[sharkbaitDAN]

I just got back from Grand Bahama. From talking to everyone at the dive shop, no one has cattle boats anymore because of the tourism hit after four hurricanes. You might be able to dive with UNEXSO and have a pretty open boat. I dove with Xanadu because I used to work there. We had between four and eight divers all week.

Most of the dive shops have one or two dives in the morning and one in the afternoon. Shark dives are always in the afternoon, through UNEXSO (I think) and Xanadu (I'm sure). UNEXSO also does a dolphin thing, but I don't really know the details. I'm pretty sure I've seen posts on it before.

Your hotel is right in the middle of Port Lucaya, I think. Most of the topside life is there now. There used to be the international bazar, but it is mostly closed because the closest hotels have been closed since 2004.

Here is a link that has all the websites and phone number of the ops on the island.
http://www.scubalinksbahamas.com/Islands-Grand-Bahama.html

 

[BusterDive]

Thanks for the help both of you, I think I'm starting to get a handle on things. The panic is subsiding....


By the way, great links...

 

[PaulChristenson]

I just got back from Grand Bahama. I dove with Xanadu because I wanted to do some DPV diving. UNEXSO can have close to a cattle boat if the cruise ships are in, but in general no one has that situation anymore because of the tourism hit after four hurricanes.

Here's XANADU's website:
http://www.xanadudive.com/

And they will pickup anyone anywhere...
http://www.xanadudive.com/Resort-Pick-Up-Times.html

We had between four and ten divers all week.

http://www.xanadudive.com/Schedule.html
Xanadu has two dives in the early morning, one in the late morning and one in the afternoon. Night dives are scheduled depending on number of divers interested.
Shark dives are always in the afternoon and Xanadu will even put you in the suit, if you take their shark feeding class.
http://www.xanadudive.com/Dive-Sites-Shark-Feeding-Program.html

Another plus of Xanadu, is Ben Cook, who is one of the two certified cave instructors on the island and can legitimately instruct and/or guide you in the caves/cavern of Lucayan National Park...

Your hotel is right in the middle of Lucaya, I stayed at the Sheraton. Most of the topside life is there now. There used to be the international bazar, but it is mostly closed because the closest hotels have been closed since 2004.

Here is a different link that has the major players and their phone numbers on the island.
http://www.bahamasdiving.com/6729/with_flash/html/grandbahama.html

 

[scottbeach]

My wife thought the Unexso dolphin dive was quite fun. The rest of the diving was mostly along the coral troughs that line the area like a million little canyons. We saw grouper and barracuda working over the single largest baitball I've seen in my entire life on our last trip down there. Pushed the whole ball down into those grooves and the shimmering bait made it look like someone dumped 1000 tons of mercury onto the reef... the grouper worked vertically while the 'cuda ran the channels.

 

[Diver Lori]

I dived with UNEXSO in 2000 and also stayed at the Port Lucaya. UNEXSO is within walking distance if you have your gear in a comfortable bag to heft. Just walk out of of your hotel grounds and through the square and UNEXSO is on the other side. There was a pretty nifty resort across the street "Our Lucaya". If they are open it's quite lovely and you may be able to spend some topside time there....we did.

Sorry to hear the bazaar is closed. That was a fun place to wander and examine the wares.

 

[TN Traveler]

My wife and I just returned Wednesday, from 5 days of diving with Xanadu. We never had over 7 divers onboard and it was never crowded. In fact when there were 6 or more - they provided two divemasters/ instructors. Several days there was just my wife and I.

the UNEXSO boats we saw each day, appeared to be full and crowded.

All I can say is Xanadu treated us great - safe, comfortable dives - and we were allowed to dive to the limits of our computers or air supply.

There are a few pictures in my photo gallery - with more to come.

It is a great place to dive.