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Bahamas scuba - which is better, Nassau or Freeport?


ABQrobin
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Probably booking a cruise for Feb that goes to both these ports. We are not sure if we want to dive at Nassau or Freeport, or both. We are experienced divers, 500+ dives all over world, so not looking for a 20 minute dive at coral rubble. Really just want some nice bottom time with decent coral, fishlife, etc.

I have looked at YouTube hoping to see some videos of dives to get a feel for both destinations, and really not impressed as all videos seem to be focused on shark feeds or promos for the dive ops.

Anyone dive both?

Opinions?

We don't expect world class diving, just trying to figure out if we bring our gear, which place we would want to try.

thanks!

robin

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Robin,

 

I'm watching in case I book a cruise to Freeport. I hope you get a few good answers. I've dove in Nassau and many of the cruise line dives are through Stuart Cove's and I enjoyed that dive very much. I usually go with a private company, but many of Royal's cruises don't stay long in Nassau. Judging from your signature I assume your cruising on Carnival. What ever you do, come back and tell us what you thought of your choice.

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with that many dives, at a variety of locations I think you'd find the limited offering of a quiky dive in either of these places very un-interesting. Due to the limited times in port the site selection is limited. There is great diving in the Bahamas but for the most part it ISN'T around Nassau or Freeport .....

 

I've dove both many times. My ships stopped at these places somewhat frequently for R&R and I had my gear on board. Going diving was a way to spend half a day but I'd rank the dive as getting wet is better than sitting around the ship but not a place I'd go out of my to return to. I've dove both from cruises as well, but for us a quick cruise to the Bahamas is just getting out of the house for the weekend since PC is a 20 minute drive from garage to parked at the port ... and RCCL often dumps tickets for weekend or 4 day to Bahamas for about $50 a day ... in other words cost no more than going to Key Largo for an overnight and have had better dives in Key Largo at times ....

 

my 2 cents, opinions vary

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with that many dives, at a variety of locations I think you'd find the limited offering of a quiky dive in either of these places very un-interesting. Due to the limited times in port the site selection is limited. There is great diving in the Bahamas but for the most part it ISN'T around Nassau or Freeport .....

 

I've dove both many times. My ships stopped at these places somewhat frequently for R&R and I had my gear on board. Going diving was a way to spend half a day but I'd rank the dive as getting wet is better than sitting around the ship but not a place I'd go out of my to return to. I've dove both from cruises as well, but for us a quick cruise to the Bahamas is just getting out of the house for the weekend since PC is a 20 minute drive from garage to parked at the port ... and RCCL often dumps tickets for weekend or 4 day to Bahamas for about $50 a day ... in other words cost no more than going to Key Largo for an overnight and have had better dives in Key Largo at times ....

 

my 2 cents, opinions vary

 

thanks, just what I was wondering about. We will have 8am-5pm in port so plenty of time to dive and still get a little taste of islands, so the time is not the issue, it is just wondering if it is worth the bother of dragging gear.

Yes, we did the Bahamas outer islands on liveaboards twice and they were great, but 10+ years ago and before the lionfish took over. I am thinking we may just skip the diving on this cruise. DH is now saying that he would only like to dive Grand Turk, not the Bahamas diving.

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Robin,

 

 

Haven't dove Nassau, so no reference there, but we dove last Spring in Freeport.

 

The company the cruise lines use, is one that also does captive dolphin excursions. I don't patronize those businesses as a matter of principle. That being said, they looked like they ran the very definition of cattle boats.

 

 

Unfortunately, the rest of the options were distant from the pier (our cab was something like $27.00 each way). We dove with Grand Bahama Scuba. As Capt. BJ stated above the diving was better tan nothing, but really not worth the hassle. Not much to see, and fish life with behavior altered by feeding. For example we got bit repeatedly by fish on our safety stops, as they were so used to being fed by divers.

 

 

As much as I dive in pretty much every port we visit, I believe in Freeport, I'd find something else to do. The only thing there, is nothing else there looked too enticing either.

 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

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I believe in Freeport, I'd find something else to do. The only thing there, is nothing else there looked too enticing either.

 

Yep ... that's the other problem ..... in Freeport, even more than Nassau ... what else ya gonna do? So is dragging gear from New Mexico - presumably by air - worth a 'just to get wet' dive?

 

IF I was gonna dive one and not the other ... I find that Stuart runs a pretty good operation and their rental gear was in decent shape the last time I was thru there ... so maybe you could carry just mask and maybe reg's and rent the rest INCL' wet suit.

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