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Dive Review of Aqua Cat Cruises in
Bahamas/Eulthrea, Exuma, Little San S

Aqua Cat Cruises, Oct, 2013,

by Terence Taylor, MD, US (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 7 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 7210.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 3 stars
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling 3 stars
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This is my third trip with the Aqua Cat. Last year our group had the honor of having the trip cut short by Hurricane Sandy, where the boat operations were heavily commended for handling the situation in a fabulous manner. On this trip, as always, the food and accommodations were fabulous. The rooms have recently been redone, and the room service is just right. Food always included a minimum of 3 different entries at Lunch and Dinner, often up to 5 entries, with special requests readily accommodated. I have only accolades for Chef Kirk (our 2nd year with him), even though my pants are a little tighter this week.

The diving was very good, and our iternary was heavily dictated by our group. Our group wanted to visit Little San Salvador, try a blue water drift dive and explore the more southern regions of the Exuma islands, and the weather cooperated and we were able to go everywhere on our wish list. This having been our third trip, we followed our own dive plan, often staying under for 70-90 minutes.

On the down side: While the dive staff was entertaining and incredibly accommodating, the dive briefings and guidance were lacking. On many a dive, several of us who had dove the sites filled in the new divers on the dive deck after the Guide's briefings before heading underwater. Those that wanted a guide were greatly disappointed. Very little life was pointed out, and several times those that had been to the sites provided the guides with corrected directions underwater- a recurring problem [Note that in previous years, extensive briefings, including critters to encounter, habitats and behavior, along with color pictures were the norm, and the guides worked hard to point them out]. Often the only guide in the water (unlike previous years) was also on photo or video duty. It just did not add up for the best experience for the new divers, but affected those of us that had previous trips on the boat very little.

Overall, for the diver that had been on the Aqua Cat, it was an excellent experience with 25 dives available [25 vs. the usual 26 due to our itinerary requests], and all of us leaving with several more pounds around the belt. We are already making plans for next year, and I expect instead of receiving a superior rating it be back to a absolutely fabulous rating I have come to expect form previous years.
Websites Aqua Cat Cruises   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Bahamas, Bonaire, Curacao, Riveria Maya, Cozmel, Cayman, FL, MD, MA, ME
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 83-85°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions 500 psi on the boat, no time limits or profile requirements. Have never had it checked in three years.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments A huge photo table, complete with compressed air and separate towels. The size is about 16 feet by 3 feet, with a shelf underneath. Be sure and get one of the stations facing the table if you have a camera.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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