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Dive Review of Aqua Cat Cruises in
Bahamas/Exuma Cays

Aqua Cat Cruises, Aug, 2012,

by Vance Esler, TX, US (Reviewer Reviewer 3 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 6685.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 2 stars
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 2 stars
Comments Notice: We were there during Tropical Storm Isaac, so conditions noted above were probably not as good as usual.

Good: Really nice boat with spacious quarters. Good, healthy meals. Two good showers on the dive deck for washing off after dives. The captain and crew tried to make the best of a bad situation (i.e., the storm), trying to find dive sites with reasonable visibility. They handled camera equipment properly. Two large camera rinse tanks. Nitrox mixes were very consistent at 32-33%.

Bad: The lionfish have ravaged the reefs. We saw large lionfish on every dive, usually actively hunting. They tend to like the swim throughs and crevices, so you had to watch out when in those. Once we came upon more than ten who were gorging on a school of silversides.

The mostly new, multinational crew did their job helping us into and out of the water, but they were clearly not all that familiar with the dive sites, sometimes neglecting to mention currents and boat orientation. Tank fills were usually 2800 psi (which they defined as "full".) The crew were polite, but only one made any serious attempts to get to know us. Perhaps they were uncomfortable being with an older group of serious divers who cared more about diving than partying.

Overall, we liked the boat itself. The crew did their jobs, but did not merit the 15% tip they expected. The sharks were cool, but most of the reefs had very few of the usual Caribbean fish to observe. Night life was equally sparse although there were plenty of rays and blood worms out.

If all you want to do is dive with sharks in the Bahamas, I recommend Stuart Cove's shark adventure.
Websites Aqua Cat Cruises   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Cozumel, Belize, Utila. Roatan, Turks & Caicos, Hawaii, Florida
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather windy, cloudy Seas choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp 81-83°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 20-50 Ft/ 6-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Recreational depth limits. Return with 500 psi in tank. Time limits on drift dives.
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 2 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 2 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Nice large camera table. Small charging area. Air hose available for drying housings.
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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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