Blackbeard's, October, 1994. "A good value. By carefully considering In Depth's commentary, I was prepared for the trip and easily took in stride the minor inconveniences of close living that might annoy those expecting something else. We had a good time. Water 80o. No complaints." Peggy Falt, Jefferson City, MO

Blackbeard's Sea Explorer, December, 1994. "Captain Mark and his crew were great. Did everything in their power to make trip enjoyable. Vis wasn't best, but they sought best possible. Craig's dive briefings were detailed and accurate. Divers were given freedom to dive their own profile, but anyone wishing a guide need only ask, but none did. Crew sensitive to health of reefs and stressed it to divers. . . . Cook Mike truly gourmet. Don't expect to lose any weight - overall gets five stars especially considering the price." Jack Pickad, Macomb, IL

Blackbeard's Sea Explorer, April 1995. "Enjoyable vacation. The weather was not the best, with the rain pouring all over us. The wind never stopped blowing. Hit one heck of a storm, 10-15 foot swells and 25 knot winds. But we all got home safe. The skipper (Captain John aka 'Coach') did a great job handling the boat. . . . All of the crew were friendly and courteous. They would help you out with any problems you might have, and were always willing to tell you about the boat and how things ran on it. They basically looked like a bunch of college dropouts, but I was wrong, they did an excellent job and were caring about the environment. Our diving experience was pretty good, but not anywhere near the best I have had. The vis was okay, given the not so great weather conditions. Some dive spots were interesting (I even saw a few critters that I've never seen before), and others were only so-so. On every dive, the divemaster did a great job telling us what we could expect - if there were any currents, how deep the dive was, etc. . . . We had three dives every day, and had a night dive every night except the one night in port and on the night heading back to Miami, for a total of 18 dives. Considering that the trip cost $649 (plus air to Miami), it cost us about $36 per dive for everything including, beer, wine, liquor, etc., a great deal. I could see where sometimes these trips could really get kind of crazy with the free booze, so this must be taken into consideration when booking. Luckily for me, all of the 18 passengers were more interested in diving than partying. . . . Water was usually around 75° and surface temperatures from 72°to 77°. We had to take off our skins and shorty wetsuits after each dive because it just got too cold. . . . I talked with Blackbeard's staff several times via telephone, asking questions about the boats, what to expect, etc., and they were always courteous and helpful. What one must take into consideration before going on one of Blackbeard's Cruises is that quarters are tight. But right up front, Blackbeard's tells you on the phone what living conditions are. If someone has any claustrophobic tendencies, don't go, you will hate it. If you are tall, be sure to let the staff know when you book so that they can assign you a bunk in the galley area where tall people can almost fit; don't take single bunks (1 thru 4) because you will not fit in them. If you don't mind the closeness and Spartan conditions, it is a great value" Bill Knoblauch, Fair Oaks, CA

Bottom Time II, May, 1995. "Crew excellent, safety oriented and knowledgeable about dive sites. Well-organized trip, professional. 79­81 degree water, 45­150 foot vis. . . . Only complaint -­ the last night of the trip was devoted to a stop at Bimini ­­ sightseeing (Ha!). Everyone I talked to on the boat would have rather spent this time doing more dives. Outstanding trip." Lesley Garrison, Aiken, SC

Bottom Time II, August 1995. "Bit crowded with 25 divers on 100 foot cat. Crew worked hard and were helpful. Four sharks, no currents. Good price."John Ephraim, Jonesbourough, TN

Nekton Pilot, October, 1994. "Once you get over the showbox- on-stilts look, it's really quite a ship. Rooms actually a pleasure to spend time in -­ includes electronic toilets (wish I had one at home). Giant stride from 6 feet off side got old real fast. Drift dives nothing to marvel at. Saw multiple nurse sharks as well as my first hammerhead. Large sun deck with adequate shade for the sensitive. Food just OK. Crew helpful if needed ­- would return to boat if their fleet increases." Scott L. Kramer, Los Angeles, CA

Nekton Pilot, October 1994. "Saw one hammerhead, lemon and reef sharks, and multiple nurse sharks. Broke the monotony with sand dives, hole dive, and one really lousy no current-drift dive. Sign me up again." Anon.

Nekton Pilot, May, 1995. "Enforced 130­foot depth/one hour limits. For pristine, undived water in the Cay Sal Banks, the visibility and coral growth should have been much better. Poor selection of spots for night dives -two night dives were aborted. On one, skiff had to tow us back due to strong current. Boat accommodations, crew, and food were outstanding." Martin Chaplain, Ceased, NY

Nekton Pilot, September, 1995. "Good. Great service from multi­dutied crew. Good food, nice clean, large staterooms. Very friendly and courteous. Great diving for beginners (purpose of the trip was to acquaint my newly certified son to diving and to get him some experience.) E­6 processing available ­­ also video playback equipment all set up for use. Bad: Boat only travels at 5­6 knots. Takes awhile to get from Ft. Lauderdale to Bahamas' dive sites. Ship's icemaker broke down four days into the trip. Lack of ice is not much fun in 90 degree heat. Dive platform is small if everyone is trying to go at once. Trip pretty much what we had anticipated." Anon., Hartford, CT

Nekton Pilot, September, 1995. "Near flawless trip. Seven divers and eight crew members. The Bahamas Adventure Itinerary may be slightly boring for experienced well-traveled divers. Beginners were thrilled. Itinerary had good diversity." M. Fujiwara, Perryville, MD

Peter Hughes' Sea Dancer, 1995. "Little Iguana is rare find, wall starts in 30 feet - excellent. But no fish. Hog Sty fished out. Traps in shallows. Crooked Island: whole dive on sand bottom in swift current trying to find wall. Overall good trip." John Anderson, NY, NY

Peter Hughes' Sea Dancer, July, 1995. "Trip was billed as exploratory diving but boat captain had spent several years on San Salvador, and we spent most of time diving familiar sites around San Salvador. The crew did an outstanding job and the whole operation was exceptional, the norm for Peter Hughes' operations." Charlie Denham, Lexington, KY

Peter Hughes' Sea Dancer, August, 1995. "Would not return to Bahamas, diving is too ho-hum. Dive operation is excellent, except last one and one­half days when we were left to our own devices in the exciting 'town' of Georgetown. No food provided. We paid for six days of diving, and really got four and one­half. Not as bad, but had similar experience with Sea Dancer in Turks and Caicos last year. Had accommodations and meal voucher. Rest of week very good." Robin Humphrey, Houston, TX

Copyright 1996 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.