Nassau, April 2008
A trip to the Bahamas! For a relatively new diver like myself, a trip to look forward to indeed.
Accommodations were arranged at Orange Hill Beach Inn in Nassau. The sign over the door to the registration / dining area says it all "Faulty Towers Nassau". The staff at the hotel was very willing to go out of their way to accommodate our group, the rooms were comfortable, if not luxurious, and the food was plentiful, relatively inexpensive, and good. Also, it seemed that the meals were made up and delivered to the tables very quickly after ordering. Menus were made up daily, and usually didn't have the same items each day. The rooms were cleaned every morning after we left for the day. In room safes were available for valuables while we were out diving. Maybe because it was early in the season, but it was very quiet at the hotel, making it easy to get a good nights sleep after diving. The hotel in general could use a facelift, but was more than adequate as far as I was concerned.
Diving. That's what I came for. I've heard tales of "Cattle Boats" where tourists are dragged from site to site, jammed elbow to elbow. Nothing could be further from the truth, at least as far as our group was concerned. We dove with Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas, of course. Our group was large enough that we rated our own boat, and we had the same Boat, Captain, Dive Master, and Photographer every day, making for a very personable experience. Even though it was the same Captain and Dive Master each day, we got a thorough pre-trip safety briefing before each trip, a very good site briefing before each dive, and there was never a feeling of being rushed.
The bus would pick us up at the hotel between 8 and 8:15 each day, at the docks by 8:40, and under way by 9-ish. This included getting our gear set up (there are facilities at SC to leave your gear, but I schlepped mine back and forth each day), getting weights, and whatever else we needed. We would do two dives, and be back on the docks by 12:30. Yes, we moved fast, but it never felt rushed. What it did feel like was this was a business that had found a way of getting divers of various skill levels together in one place and making sure everyone had a good time safely. Dive sites were varied, and there was plenty to see. The crew would decide daily what sites we'd visit based on other boat traffic, site conditions, and our requests. Boat rides were anywhere from 10 minutes to twenty five minutes for the sites we visited.
Mid April water temps were between 72 and 75 degrees every day, and the visibility was usually between 60 - 80 feet. Air temps averaged around 75 to 80 every day, with very little humidity. First dives of the day were usually deep wall dives, averaging between 70 and 100 feet. Second dives were shallower, ranging from 35 Feet (Playground) to 60 feet at Mikes reef.
Bottom line - I'd go again in a heartbeat. The hotel facilities were adequate, diving was great, and the staff at both Orange Hill and Stuart Coves was professional, friendly, and willing to go the extra mile for the guests.
A trip to the Bahamas! For a relatively new diver like myself, a trip to look forward to indeed.
Accommodations were arranged at Orange Hill Beach Inn in Nassau. The sign over the door to the registration / dining area says it all "Faulty Towers Nassau". The staff at the hotel was very willing to go out of their way to accommodate our group, the rooms were comfortable, if not luxurious, and the food was plentiful, relatively inexpensive, and good. Also, it seemed that the meals were made up and delivered to the tables very quickly after ordering. Menus were made up daily, and usually didn't have the same items each day. The rooms were cleaned every morning after we left for the day. In room safes were available for valuables while we were out diving. Maybe because it was early in the season, but it was very quiet at the hotel, making it easy to get a good nights sleep after diving. The hotel in general could use a facelift, but was more than adequate as far as I was concerned.
Diving. That's what I came for. I've heard tales of "Cattle Boats" where tourists are dragged from site to site, jammed elbow to elbow. Nothing could be further from the truth, at least as far as our group was concerned. We dove with Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas, of course. Our group was large enough that we rated our own boat, and we had the same Boat, Captain, Dive Master, and Photographer every day, making for a very personable experience. Even though it was the same Captain and Dive Master each day, we got a thorough pre-trip safety briefing before each trip, a very good site briefing before each dive, and there was never a feeling of being rushed.
The bus would pick us up at the hotel between 8 and 8:15 each day, at the docks by 8:40, and under way by 9-ish. This included getting our gear set up (there are facilities at SC to leave your gear, but I schlepped mine back and forth each day), getting weights, and whatever else we needed. We would do two dives, and be back on the docks by 12:30. Yes, we moved fast, but it never felt rushed. What it did feel like was this was a business that had found a way of getting divers of various skill levels together in one place and making sure everyone had a good time safely. Dive sites were varied, and there was plenty to see. The crew would decide daily what sites we'd visit based on other boat traffic, site conditions, and our requests. Boat rides were anywhere from 10 minutes to twenty five minutes for the sites we visited.
Mid April water temps were between 72 and 75 degrees every day, and the visibility was usually between 60 - 80 feet. Air temps averaged around 75 to 80 every day, with very little humidity. First dives of the day were usually deep wall dives, averaging between 70 and 100 feet. Second dives were shallower, ranging from 35 Feet (Playground) to 60 feet at Mikes reef.
Bottom line - I'd go again in a heartbeat. The hotel facilities were adequate, diving was great, and the staff at both Orange Hill and Stuart Coves was professional, friendly, and willing to go the extra mile for the guests.
