Dive Review of Nekton Pilot in
Bahamas/Northwest Bahamas

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Nekton Pilot, Jul, 2004, by James Heimer, TX, USA ( Contributor 15 reports). Report 1232.
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	Nekton Pilot left Fort Lauderdale and transitted overnight to the NW Bahamas (Grand Bahama, Bimini, Cat Cay area). Weather was rough for first two days with six to eight foot swells. We used bonine for that period, as ship moves in those seas, even though design (semi sub type hull) mitigates excessive motion. One problem with the ship design, is that the diving deck remains relatively stationary (versus a conventional hull shape), which causes high swells to "break" under the deck. Coming back aboard in these conditions is like swimming into the surf. The dive deck is raised a few feet when the ship is transitting and lowered to a few feet above sea level for diving. Gear is left on the tanks on the dive deck, but there is not cover from the sun and rinsing facilities are rudimentary. Excellent dive sites (shark alley - there were sharks), Hesperus (large hawksbill turtles, baracuda), Theos Wreck (deep dive under beautiful conditions), and others. Sites were both deep and shallow (mostly deeper) and current was strong on some sites. The seas mitigaged after the first two days and we had ideal, dead flat calm conditions thereafter. We cruised an area known for dolphins one morning, but they kind that you dive with didn't show up. Dive staff gave good briefings on what to look for at each site and a suggested route and profile, They left it up to the divers to explore on their own, but would guide a dive, on request. Accomodations were comfortable. There is a large salon for meals and each evening a seminar was given on reef ecology, fish ID, etc. The meals are served buffet style, and the food was plentiful and prepared excellently with a good variety in the menu. The crew was extremely helpful, especially C.Lee (photography expert), Wes (who repaired the underwater cable on my video light) and Chris (who guided a dive for my wife and myself, when we had some concern about the current). The Pilot is moving back to Belize this Fall. I would dive it again in a heart beat.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Hawaii, S & N California, Belize, Honduras, GCI, Tahiti, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, GOM, Mexico (E & W Coasts)
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy	Seas	calm, choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp	85-88°F / 29-31°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	130 foot sport diving limit; no deco
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	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	Camera tables available above diving deck. Camera staging tank on diving deck and rinse tanks near camera tables. Color slide processing available. Hip had computer facilities to review and download digital photos to CD's, including display on 42" LCD flat panel screen. Awesome. Members of dive staff knowledgable about photography and very accomodating to assisting divers at all levels of photographic experience.

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Dive Review of Nekton Pilot in Bahamas/Northwest Bahamas

Nekton Pilot, Jul, 2004,

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 Nekton Pilot in
Bahamas/Northwest Bahamas