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Dive Review of jim abernethys scuba adventures in
Bahamas

jim abernethys scuba adventures, Aug, 2004,

by woody stene, mn, usa . Report 1355.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 3 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Liveaboard is the Shearwater, based out of Riveria Beach, slightly north of West Palm Beach, Fla. Boat is a converted V-hull, with space for 12 passengers. We only had 5 passengers this trip, so we had space aplenty. Accommodations would be tight with a full load, but doable. All bunks are over/under singles, with 2 each in 3 small cabins and the rest in sort of a dormitory in the front of the boat. Sleeping space was good, but storage tight. They recommend that you bring minimal soft luggage, and if you have large dive bags, that you unload them there and store the bags at the office. They have a lot to park your car in while out for the week, or else its about a 20 buck cab ride from PBI airport. They usually frequent the norhwestern Bahamas above Grand Bahama island, and have some great sites. We were lucky enough to get in on one of their signature tiger shark dives, which was unforgettable. They also did more conventional reef shark dives, with plenty of shark action. They didn't actually feed the sharks, but instead attracted them with chum baskets which pulled lots of them in but kept things manageable. We also got to swim with dolphins a few times, and the crew had a couple of scubascooters which they used to play with the critters and keep them around the boat. Fantastic pictures, all around! Lots of nice coral formations, and wreck diving on the Sugar Schooner was great fun, especially when we came back at night. Food was great, with buffet service as usual. Snacks were always available, and entrees were interesting, with freshly caught hogfish one night. One of our gang brought up several conch and then laboriously cleaned them and turned them into conch salad-yum! There was a soda wand on the back deck, and passengers brought their own booze. As usual, the first drink of the day was also the end of diving for that day. The staff bent over backwards to accomodate our needs, and while they were there to watch over the less experienced, they let the veterans do their own thing. When my wife's regulator experienced a weird O ring failure, they borrowed her a regulator from one of the crew, which was typical of how they did things. They are very involved with ocean preservation movements, and we got in on their baby sea turtle release, which they do on every trip during the hatching season,and which immensely improves their survival rate. All in all, this was one of the best liveaboard trips we have taken, and we will certainly be back for more.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 51-100 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 85-88°F / 29-31°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Boat was definitely geared to photographers, and we had several advanced camera rigs in operation. Two large dedicated rinse tanks available, and ample charging facilities. Staff was helpfull with camera handling, and computer reviews of the day's digital images were a nightly affair.
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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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