Dive Review of Blackbeards Cruises in
Bahamas/Northern Islands

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Blackbeards Cruises, Oct, 2002, by Pat Wikstrom, NC, USA . Report 769.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Blackbeards Cruises serves up a time tested itinerary of decent Caribbean diving interspersed with snorkeling and spearfishing opportunities, aboard three 65ft sloop rigged sailboats. The experience can best be described as “dive camping” as your only personal space is your bunk, showers are limited, toilets are shared, conditions are cramped, and everyone gets pretty familiar with each other. This was my second trip on the Sea Explorer and since they offer one of the best values in terms of diving/dollars I very well might go again. I find it’s best if you’re taking new divers, without a lot of money, who like to drink beer. Captain Yolanda had some problems with a contingent of mid-western divers who were mainly interested in spearfishing. The guys in this group were pretty vocal about their displeasure at her inability to put them on “the good sites” and it cast a bit of “negative energy” on our trip with some of us siding with the Captain and some folks siding with the dive group. Other than that everything went perfectly. Even in good weather the crossing can be a bit harrowing for those who tend towards sea-sickness. So wear your patches and pop your pills if you have that susceptibility. Food was plentiful, nutritious, sometimes great, sometimes mediocre. Beer, wine, and rum drinks are included. Stand out dive sites included the wreck of the Hesperus, usually done as both an afternoon and a night dive so you’d know your way around. I found it even better than in 1995. The wreck’s nothing to speak of but the huge schools of Grunts and mixed Snapper, squadrons of Southern Stingrays, and legions of Ocean Triggerfish have proliferated. At night this dive turns into Loggerhead Turtle central. You’re guaranteed to see big turtles. Other good dives included Swiss Cheese, a huge coral mound with lots of swim throughs and a good variety of healthy fans, ropes, sponges, and coral; and La Lanni, another decent site with multiple coral mounds and ridges, healthy coral growth, and an amazing amorphous school of Mackerel Scad and other tiny fish swirling around. The best site of the trip was their shark dive location Bull Run. This conglomeration of big profile coral mounds offered the prettiest coral growth and lots of great cracks and swim throughs to explore. The presence of a dozen Grey and Blacktip reef sharks made for a little excitement when you’d stumble upon one in a crack. The shark dive itself went quick and was exciting for the uninitiated and routine for the experienced.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Socorro Islands, Roatan, South Africa, Costa Rica, Channel Islands, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Bonaire, Cozumel, Florida, Yucatan Caves, Bahamas, Little Cayman & Brac, Belize, Turks & Caicos, Indonesia, Thailand, Cocos
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	calm, noCurrents
Water Temp	80-84°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	30-80 Ft/ 9-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	no decompression diving, stay with your buddy, come up with 300-500psi
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Blackbeards Cruises in Bahamas/Northern Islands

Blackbeards Cruises, Oct, 2002,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Blackbeards Cruises in
Bahamas/Northern Islands