Freeport, Bahamas

[Puck]

Dive Report: Freeport Bahamas, November 22 - 29, 2004.

Hurricane damage took its toll on dive operators as well as the rest of the island, but things are returning to normal, albeit slowly. It seems like every roof has a tarp, a patch, or a crew working on it. Due to mechanical difficulty with their “working” boat that required a part from the states, I was unable to dive with Sunn Odessey () as planned for the first few days of the trip. Karen at Sunn Odessey was very good about calling my hotel and leaving messages about the situation and offered diving in the channel one day to work on a navigation specialty dive, but I was eager to dive the reefs and wrecks, so I declined.

I was able to dive with Grand Bahama Scuba (). As an aside, they pick up at the hotel at 9:00 am usually, an hour later than most others, so if your dive trip is cancelled with someone else, you can often still make a dive with Grand Bahama Scuba. I dove on four separate days, and would have loved to do more had I not been on vacation with some non-divers. For those who have been there before, some of the highlights were wrecks (Duncan & Laura), and some great reefs (Tunnels & Picasso). We also made bubbles at SPID City and Shark Junction.

The dive sites are in fair condition, but returning to full glory quickly. Most of the wrecks have been moved and or twisted by the storms, providing a “new” look for even returning divers. Only two female reef sharks at the Junction on our dive due to some illegal fishing and possibly the storms. Three or four were circling SPID city, all 4-6 foot reef sharks. Along with barracuda, trumpet fish, and the usual cast of characters, we also saw a couple of nurse sharks. While the coral was obviously affected by the hurricanes, it is amazing to see how well it fared compared to some of the wrecks (especially Duncan’s). Dives ranged from 40 to 90 feet, and the conditions varied from calm to “how the heck am I going to get back in the boat?”. It was like trying to get on an already moving mechanical bull.

I can’t say enough good things about Fred Riger and Melinda at Grand Bahama Scuba. They picked me up at the hotel every morning right on time, great communication via phone and email, and they made you feel right at home immediately. It was as if they were taking friends out for a day on/in the water rather than customers. Although I had my own gear, they do provide rentals. They will store your gear for you with theirs if you wish, and provide a great rinse tank with lots of fresh water for cleaning your gear post-diving.

The dive boat, “A Good Start” is a 30-35 ft boat, with plenty of adjustable tank storage mounts. We never had more than 8 people on the boat, so there was always plenty of room. The boat and all of the gear is in great shape. We had a mix of divers during the week, and Fred & Melinda were great at providing the right amount of help, advice, and guidance based on individual ability. A 13 year-old boy was diving with his dad and uncle, and was a bit nervous about a couple of dives, seeing his uncle get sea-sick on the rough day, etc. Other divers were instructors and former dive operators. By the end of the trip, everyone could say they learned something (I couldn’t take notes fast enough) and were eager to go diving with GBS again. Fred knows what he is doing, and gets all of the little things right – making it a pleasure to recommend him and GBS.

As far as accommodations, we stayed at Pelican Bay (nice rooms, horrible service), and the Sheraton (paper thin walls but excellent service). None of the food or drink stood out as exceptional – perhaps I was overwhelmed with the diving, but if anyone has specific questions, let me know.