Scuba on Holland America Veendam to Bermuda 9/5/10

[underseahunter]

Hello fellow bubblers,

I am going to Bermuda via the HAL Veendam on 9/5/10... Is anyone else (who dives) going?

Also I am looking to do some reef dives of moderate depth perhaps to see some pelagics. Any insight into dive shops to use, so I don't get stuck diving a wreck in 40fsw? Living in florida you can't swing a dead catfish around without hitting a BIG wreck, so some timbers in the sand do not appeal.

Feedback, insight, fellow divers aboard?

C

 

[DA Aquamaster]

We did some beach diving off Elbow beach last May. It is a 300 to 400 yard swim in about 15-20' of water to drop off at the reef but once there, there are some nice Pinnacles and swim throughs. Depths are only 35-40 ft, but the reef was in very good shape showing no signs of overuse by divers and had lots of vertical relief with lots of fish, even early in the season. Water temps were around 69 degrees, but should be much warmer now.

It is about a $30 cab ride from the Kings warf/Royal Naval Dockyard, but that is made up for by the very cheap shore diving that is there. ($25 for tank and weights, dive as much as you want through Blue Water Divers.)

We also dove with Blue Water Divers leaving on their boat from their main shop and did some reef dives in 50-60 ft of water. They ran a decent operation and were not wreck fixated. Their shop is located at the Somerset bridge and is about a $15 cab ride from the dockyard, but it is also on the bus route. Cost was around $125 for a two tank boat trip.

I never believed it until I dove there, but the water in Bermuda is much saltier than normal and you'll need extra weight. I needed 16 pounds there and dive the same suit and configuration in the Keys with 12 pounds.