Instant Reader Report on Diving
Aquacat in
Bahamas/Exumas in
2003/09

by
Ron Johnson, TX, USA
Report Number 030913192537146

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 Belize, Cayman, Roatan, Florida, Los Roques, Bonaire, Aruba, Truk Lagoon,
Hawaii, Cozumel,  

Be back in time for dinner.    

There were 14 cameras on this trip from a group of 22 divers.  EVERYONE (it
seemed) was snapping pix.  Only two were shooing digital. The Aquacat has a
projecter TV that will allow digital photo and video to be viewed while on
board.  

Overall Rating

Well, my complacency has been disturbed.  Those of you who dive with Club
Ed know that I’ve been grumbling about “all those Caribbean dive sits look
alike.”  “I’m tired of diving the Caribbean.  Give me the Pacific…”
Well, I’m pleased to say that my opinion has evolved.  
The diving first…..I was worried about Hurricane Fabian (turns out that I
was the only one…) and he passed us right by.  The Captain told us that he
had sucked most of the winds out of the Lower Bahamas chain and that was
why we had ultra-calm waters.  These reefs, like most in the world, were
suffering from coral decline.   BUT all of this considered, seemed to be
some of the healthiest that I had seen.  Fish life was everywhere and we
ever saw some BIG fish.  Lots of groupers, angel-fish, and sharks.  We did
some 130 foot dives on incredible pristine walls.  We also did many dives
in 20-35 feet and they were spectacular.  The coral landscapes were most
impressive as were the caves, cuts, channels, and holes.  Water temp was
always 82 plus!  Great for photo opportunities!  
All in all, IMHO, this is the best Caribbean diving I’ve ever been on. 
Because of the plentiful sea life, it replaced Cayman’s Bloody Bay Wall as
my reference dive area and I’ve been to many of them.
Now…The Aquacat:  The Aquacat has raised the bar for liveaboard diving
with Club Ed.   As Membership Coordinator, I gotta’ tell you that our old
standby, The Aggressor Fleet, can take a lesson from these folks.  (Check
out their site at www.aquacatcruises.com)   The 102 foot Aquacat is HUGE! 
The main salon is roomy and comfortable.  There are 7 large sofas that are
perfect for watching movies or reading.  There are large coffee tables that
double as permanent slide tables.  The cooking is the best that we’ve ever
had!  There is always enough for many seconds!  The cook has a huge galley
to work in and he maximizes it every meal.  This man was a genius!
Ed and I shared a room that was 14 x 12.  It was equipped with twin beds
but the vanity dresser could easily have been moved to make a king.  They
echoed that design that in many their rooms.   The head was big enough to
fit 4-5 of your closest friends.  The storage was cavernous and each room
had a refrigerator.   Unfortunately there was not a DVD/TV in each room,
but then Ed and I disagree on that point anyway.  Each room had 2 large
water level windows.  Wow! Now that’s was a suite.  (Listen up Aggressor!)

The dive deck was large enough for the 22 passengers.  There were 2
enclosed showers on the deck.  (Hear that Aggressor!)  The camera table was
usually adequate but there were 14 cameras this week. Most of them were
film…but a couple of us had evolved to digital!  The Aquacat even had an
LCD projector with which I connected my notebook computer and presented a
slide show of my digital photos.   I had never seen so many photo/video
people.  Interesting that there was no compressed air to blow off the
cameras at the table... The Aquacat also has 100 cubic foot tanks available
at no charge.   Nitrox was the standard 32% mix but they usually filled to
2800-3000 psi.  Seldom over.
We missed the nightly hot water wet-suit dunks and hot chocolate that
Aggressor had spoiled us with.  No hot tub either.
The photo pros shot bunches of slides for the Thursday eve slide shows. 
Curiously they wanted to charge us for the slides they shot.  (Aggressor’s
are freebies.)  Finally and unfortunately it tarnished the entire trip, the
AC went out at 2-4 AM on 3 nights.  I found myself sleeping on the top deck
a few times and that truly sucked.   The Aquacat was built in Australia
using French air conditioners.  We all know that the French are
world-renowned for their AC technology.  (sic.) 
All it all, it was a magnificent dive boat with a fantastic crew of 9. 
The Captain made a helluva Pina Colada while the video pro did one of the
best video’s we’ve even seen!   He was a little out there, but most
creative people are…  The DiveMaster and his beautiful Dive-Mistress were
always there and able to assist.  See the sharks on the tail of
Dive-Mistress Michelle was an interesting site.  (I have a great slide of
her swimming like a banshee pulling the chumsicle…) 
I would rate the Aquacat a good solid A-. (It would have been an A+ if the
AC had worked.)   I would rate the diving at an A.  Food was an A+. 
Service was an A.  Club Ed and I will definitely return to Nassau and The
Aquacat.
Dive cheerfully!
 

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