Jim Albernethy's Scuba Adventure Bahamas
For my first trip to the great Bahamas (08/12), went with Jim Albernethy's Scuba Adventure on a Tiger & Dolphins week-long liveaboard.
1. The trip
The boat is located in Fort-Lauderdale - FL, a short drive from either Miami of Orlando airport, or in my case a quick drive from Orlando. The crossing to Tiger Beach is usually calm and done at night - I slept like a rock
2. The boat
The Shearwater is a fairly large boat, the sleeping portion are pretty small (I slept in the missile bay :) ) but in my opinion this is compensated by the fact that the living area (2 large tables) is great. You will have plenty of space for your equipment/chargers,... and table to work on your gear in between dives
3. The crew
Matt, Jim and the rest of the crew were very good, always here to help and make your stay comfortable. I seriously think they have a long term strategy of chumming the water with returning customers when you experience first hand the food on the boat. The chef fed us so well during the week I was afraid they maybe wanted to fatten us and use us as baits for the next trip :)
4. The place
On that particular trip we focused on dolphins (finding them isn't that easy) and of course tigers. We also have had tons of lemons, reef sharks, and all the reef fish of the Bahamas. We haven't had much time for in-land excursion but the underwater world did wonders to keep us busy and entertained. The dives with reefs & lemons will warm you up for the big guys the tigers !
5. The Beast
Tiger sharks are beautiful, the pattern on their skins so wonderful to capture and their eye are mesmerizing. You will see them altering their approach routine to find different angles and that will get your attention and command your respect.
6. The conditions
Water is warm, all year long. I dove a 1.5 and a 3mm - you want the black wetsuit on you to not look like a dead fish !
The vis is great but at Tiger Beach you are diving on sandy bottom, so be careful to not steer too much sand in order to keep those pictures clear. You also want to dive heavy since you are not going to swim around anyway and you want to be lock at the bottom for steady shots and video.
In summary:
The crew is great, the destination is fantastic, the sharks are amazing - what could you possibly ask for ? Oh yeah, longer trip :)
See below 2 videos dolphins and tigers/reefs
