Scuba Diving in Nassau, Bahamas with Stuart's Cove

by Jim
(Chicago, IL USA)

Hi!

My first open water dives after "graduation" were in Nassau, Bahamas and I was super-excited!! We arrived by bus from the cruise ship to Stuart's Cove, were welcomed in a luke-warm manner, but all seemed well.

We got wetsuits that almost fitted, fins that eventually were pairs, and weights that were rather randomly dispensed but anyway we were GOING IN!

First dive, pretty good!! I was (due to my inexperience) buddied up with a German diver who was very experienced, and had his own computer - both good!! Backward roll off the boat, perfect entry, yee-hah!!

Down to about 60 feet in a group of 8, following the divemaster along a cliff (NOW I know it was a "wall!!" but then I called it a "cliff!"). Spotted several nurse sharks, got to make the hand signal - woo-hoo, my eyes were buggng out of my little head, I tell ya!!

Curved back towards the boat, all too soon, but wow, 60 feet AND sharks AND a cliff-thingy!! Seventh Heaven! OK, OK, I left my stupid camera on the stupid boat, but hey!! No-body is perfect...

Looking forward to dive 2! Backward roll off the boat, just exactly like before, came up spluttering with a lungful and noseful of salt water.

Not cool, not impressive, but a warning not to get cocky doing this diving lark... ever...

Divemaster didn't come in with us, just said head for the shore, when he banged on the ladder, come back... hmmm. Our duo became a trio because of this, as his buddy became our 3rd buddy.

Australian, nice young guy in dayglo shorts you could see 3 reefs away... but clueless and a wanderer so we spent half the dive trying to track him down. I wanted to tie his legs together so he could not swim away so fast... my German buddy didn't think we should.

Long-suffering German buddy was also trying to stop me bobbing up and down between 5 feet deep and 25, which seemed beyond my meager abilities... up, down, up down, no no swim flat like this... oops, feel sick, oops, 25 feet down, oops..... too late. Yes you can and yes you DO survive....

So I waved to my buddy, thumbs up, up to the surface and sheepishly back to the boat while he hunted down the Aussie before he swam all the way back to Sydney...

Meanwhile on the boat, 2 experienced divers (with their own full gear on little wheely trollies) did not even get wet, they were so disappointed with the location - and even though it was only my second dive, I could sympathize...

So mixed emotions from Dives One and Two!! Thumbs up Dive One, thumbs down (and lunch up..)Dive Two... and yes, Dive Two I took my camera! :-)



Hi Jim,

Nice story - I can relate. Even if your dives weren't that great, it is all good experience. I'm glad you enjoyed at least one of the dives.

When I first started, it really didn't matter that much what was down there since I was so busy trying to concentrate on my buoyancy, breathing and all those other little details that eventually start to feel natural.

Thanks for the story and keep on diving!

Dianne

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