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Dive Review of Scuba Bimini/South Bimini Yacht Club in
Bahamas/Bimini

Scuba Bimini/South Bimini Yacht Club, Aug, 2004,

by Patricia Sinclair, Tx, USA (Top Contributor Top Contributor 31 reports with 10 Helpful votes). Report 2067.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 2 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 1 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments BAD STUFF
The lack of concern and general attitude and actions exhibited by the dive shop manager/divemaster for Scuba Bimini, especially as related to his overall attitude toward boat maintenance, availability of diving etc. It quickly became apparent that he had neither interest nor any intent of making an effort to provide the diving and other services for which we had paid prior to arrival. The boats were down when we arrived (he had not even prepared a list of parts despite his statement that he had only a couple of hours work to do that day). The boats were still down when we left and he seemed genuinely uninterested in correcting that or making arrangements for my husband or myself to dive with another operator when it was just the two of us, rather than a large group.
The diving was good to great, when we did dive. However, I paid for 18 dives for each of us (6 days of 3 dives a day, and of those, two were supposed to be night dives.) We were never even given the option to do a night dive. And we only got to dive 4 days, not the 6 days for which we had paid for prior to arrival at South Bimini. Frankly, I feel we owe a debt of thanks to the group from Virginia Beach who showed up a day or so after we arrived. It was only because of them and only while they were there that the dive shop made any effort to provide a boat for diving. Prior to their arrival and after their departure, all we received were half-hearted tales regarding setting us up for diving. On the day we arrived, we were told the boats had only several more hours work to be done and we would be diving in the morning, never happened. The DS Manager did promise, later that evening, to make sure we got on a dive boat in the morning. At around 10:30, when the DS manager finally showed up, we discovered that he had made no arrangements but maybe something would be available that afternoon. That afternoon, the Virginia Beach group arrived, to much fanfare, back slapping and flirting with the girls. We DID have a boat for diving the next morning (arranged by using another dive operator on the island, K & B EZ Dive) and for the next several days that the group was in residence. After the last dive on Thursday, the DS Manager was quite clear in saying ‘Well, I just don’t know what we’re going to do with you two tomorrow’. He later promised to make arrangements for us to dive Friday morning. Well, the Virginia Beach group left Friday morning, DS Manager showed up at about 11:00 and we once more discovered that no arrangements had been made (oh what a big surprise !!) He then offered to arrange for us to go diving using an open 20 foot flat bottom outboard used to shuttle supplies. No ladder, no cover, no tank holders or proper seats/platform to gear up and get in or out, not to mention he wanted to put us in that 20 foot flat bottom outboard in open ocean. We declined.
GOOD STUFF:
I would, without hesitation, dive again with K&B EZ Dive. The diving, from what we did manage to do, was and is fantastic. We were both frankly impressed and, according to my husband, this was more the flavor of the diving and attention to individual service that the previous owners of Scuba Bimini had provided. It seems we were not the only ones impressed with K&B though. On Friday morning, before the group from Virginia Beach left, the leader of that group went off for several hours (previously arranged appointment) to view available hotel facilities and discuss dive packages they might use for their future trips. In fact, they did strike a deal, sitting at the very large private table provided for that group in the bar, to do their future dive trips through K&B and stay elsewhere on the island.

Just as a final note, and in all fairness, Percy, Tamara and many of the other hotel staff since he started staying at the South Bimini Yacht Club and diving with Scuba Bimini. The hotel staff were, according to my husband, their usual helpful, outgoing selves. I can only say that each of them, both individually and together, did everything possible to make our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Any request we had was given the utmost effort (such as making a birthday cake for my hu8sband which had not been previously mentioned or arranged, making something for us not on the menu ‘just because’). When we got locked out of our room (husband lost the key) Percy made sure we were not unduly inconvenienced despite their being no spare key to the room and then got us a new one the next day. Anything we needed or wanted was attended to and our comfort and enjoyment was always first priority.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 51-100 dives
Where else diving Cozumel, Jamaica, Fl Keys, Caymans
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 80-84°F / 27-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions None really, other than time to return. Lead dives were usually the rule.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 2 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments When diving with K & B EZ Dive, they were great at helping you find the odd and small critters on the reef. Helped to locate interesting fauna for the camera bugs, too.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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