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Dive Review of Aquacatcruises.com/Aquacat in
Bahamas/Exumas and Eleuthera

Aquacatcruises.com/Aquacat, Jun, 2008,

by Harvey S. Cohen, NJ, United States (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 25 reports with 18 Helpful votes). Report 4148.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 5 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was my second trip. Aquacat is first-class! Boat is very well maintained and well run. Staff are outstanding. Dive deck is very well designed and quite spacious. (With a max load of 24 passengers, every third tank space on the diver's bench was occupied). The food is wonderful, and very good beer and wine are unlimited. The cabins are spacious and very comfortable as well. I take the only half-size cabin (bunk beds instead of two twin beds), which is fine and costs significantly less.
Dives are a good mix of shallow, deep, wall or hole, and drift. Shark feed is well run(no stupid divemaster in armor teaching sharks to take food from human hands or faces).
The itinerary is set up for mostly calm water, with only a couple of 2-hour passages that might actually rock the boat.
There are interesting shore excursions most days.
Two opportunities for improvement:
1) There should be rinse tanks for suits and gear during the week. Now the only way to rinse something is to take it into the excellent shower stalls on the dive deck (which is wasteful and less effective).
2) Some divers on this trip were very destructive. They wore gloves, grabbed everything in sight and tore off coral and sponges, kicked and laid on the reefs, etc. The staff is understandably reluctant to offend paying customers, but the dive briefings should emphasize "don't touch". I'd also like to see gloves banned.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Red Sea (Israel, Egypt), Atlantic (NJ, FL Keys, Ft. Lauderdale), Carribean (St. Croix, Nevis, Jamaica, NW Bahamas, Cay Sal area), Dutch Springs
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm
Water Temp 81-85°F / 27-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-90 Ft/ 15-27 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions 130 feet max. or Nitrox limit (fills normally 33%).
No drinking before end of dive day.
"Enforced" is too strong a word. These were announced but never checked.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 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 Two big rinse tanks on dive deck are dedicated to cameras. Roomy semi-dry assembly/disassembly area on dive deck with low-pressure air blowers. Dry areas on dive deck for charging.
Only one customer-accessible PC for viewing or basic editing (but most photographers have laptops).
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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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