Diving In Bermuda......

[alsanto]

Has any one dove in Bermuda. Would love to see pictures and hear how the diving was. And who you dove with.

 

Thanks for any help.....

[cal2632]

We went with Blue Water Divers. They are at Somerset Bridge across the harbor from Hamilton and near the Naval Dock Yards. We were very pleased with them. The water was a little rough, but vis was great and Bermuda has lots of wrecks in 75 ft of water or less. You need to carry more weight as the water there has a higher salinity. Also water temps will be cooler than the Caribbean early in the season. I think it is a great place to dive.

[Mrs_Tiki]

We also used Blue Water Divers. Good outfit.

 

Getting there was an adventure. You can take a water ferry to Somerset and its just a short walk over the bridge to the over side of the bay, or take the Bus (takes at least 30 minutes).

 

Small shop. If you get there early you sit outside (can be hot). Nice boat. Water was very clear but a little disappointed in the actual dives.

 

The wrecks are all OLD wooden ships that are mostly deteriorated, if the DM did not point out what was a cannon I would have missed it.

 

The bottom is like a lunar landscape, everything looks the same. Unless you are good with a compass - stay with the DM. Several rock outcroppings to explore but very little fish or critters. It is NOT Cayman or Palantar.

 

We had a lot of fun, just a different type of diving (actually went twice).

 

Good Luck

 

Tiki Man

[scubaran]

Hi,

 

I dove with Blue Water Divers both from the shore and their boat. They're great. If you're in Hamilton I'd suggest doing a shore dive from their Elbow Beach location. It's really easy, just grab a cab and tell them you want to go to the Elbow Beach Resort (2-3 minutes from downtown Hamilton). Once on the property have the cab drive downhill to the beach. The shop is located in the beach wall. You can dive when you want, for as long as you want. On my first dive I hired a guide (cheaper than the cost of their boat dive) just to learn the lay of the land (uh, reef) and when we returned there was another diver looking for a dive buddy to go in, and I just grabbed another tank and did a dive with them. You can just walk up (they have complete scuba set ups for rent as well) but I'd suggest sending them an e-mail, or call, so they know you're coming and can guarantee you have everything you need. When you're done, they'll call you a cab and which will meet you at the resort (they'll point you to the right place).

 

As far as Bermuda goes, the seas are shallow. I've been there several times and haven't dove any deeper than 45 ft (average was around 30 ft). There's lots of fringing reef (think canyons) and the water has been clear when I've dived. There aren't a lot of fish varieties, Bermuda has only protected their reefs from fishing for a decade and a lot of the fish haven't repopulated yet. However, there are parrot fish galore (apparently they taste bad and the fishermen left them alone). The water is bouyant as explained and the water can be a bit chilly in the late fall-early spring (the gulf stream moves away from Bermuda after summer). However the clearest water is in the fall and winter. I've also put the link to my Bermuda pictures below. They are a combination of shore and boat dives. Have more questions, write. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

 

http://www.randallgamby.com/bermuda-index1.html

 

Randall

 

P.S. I haven't done Bermuda via Cruise Ship. I've been fortunate to have to work in Hamilton 3 times. :)

[alsanto]

Thanks for the info it helps alot, And scubaran, thanks for the pictures they were great.