Diving with Small Hope Bay Lodge
The Bahamas Andros Barrier Reef is the third longest and one of the most unexplored reef systems in the world and Small Hope Bay Lodge has been exploring it for over 40 years. Small Hope Bay Lodge is the first family run dive resort in the Caribbean. No one knows Andros Scuba Diving better!
What makes the Andros reef so unique is not just its size, but its variety of formations. Small Hope Bay Lodge has over 60 different dive sites in its dive schedule.
They've been taking divers to the best sites along this incredible barrier reef since 1960, when double-hose regulators were state-of-the-art and before BCs were invented. Their dive center is now state of the art, and they are still almost always the only boat out on the reef!
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Diving Program
Small Hope, with just 21 beachfront cottage rooms, has four dive boats, six instructors and one assistant on staff. Average boat time is 15 minutes and they leave right from the dock on property - no long boat rides. After breakfast stroll out to the dock for your morning two-tank dive, come back for lunch and then go back to the dock for the 2:00pm one-tank afternoon dive. The average water temperature is 24 degrees C/78 degrees F. The dive center has plenty of space for you to store your gear, complete rental gear and repair facilities. Don't forget your C card!
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On-site Diving Facility
The lodge's largest dive boat carries up to 16 divers, and the next dive boat carries up to 12 divers. Both of these boats have covers. Small Hope has two small boats that are generally used for specialty dives and can take up to four divers or eight snorkelers. Dive boats visit three sites every day, four if there's a night dive. With over 60 different sites, very seldom would you get a repeat dive during your stay. The sites visited are based upon guest abilities and requests. If it necessary to send out two boats to better accommodate guests, then they will do so.
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Diving Training
For beginners, the lodge offers complimentary Discover Scuba lessons, as well as complete Open Water Certifications. They specialize in sharing their underwater world with new divers. Divemasters accompany every single dive, and a videographer accompanies most dives. The PADI Open Water Course, Adventure and Advanced Open Water are offered regularly. They also offer SDI/TDI and NAUI training and referrals are gladly accepted from all certifying agencies. Other advanced specialty certifications are available with prior arrangement.
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Regularly Scheduled Dives
Boats go out twice a day, every day, and visit three sites (weather permitting, of course). Depths range from 15-foot shallow reef dives, to 50-foot coral gardens, to 90+-foot wall or cavern dives. Dive site selection is geared to participants' abilities and preferences and aim to show the widest variety of sites. Depending on guests, Small Hope runs a separate boat usually in the morning for snorkelers and shallow divers. Based upon experience and last dive, divers must demonstrate mask and regulator clearing skills before diving with Small Hope Bay Lodge. Costs are $80 for a one-tank dive, $100 for a two-tank dive (morning option) and $80 for a night dive. $140 for a full day of diving (three dives). Specially priced all-inclusive dive packages are available which basically give you your afternoon dive for FREE.
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Custom Tailored Specialty Dives
This option affords the individuals or small groups the opportunity to have their own boat and divemaster to explore the reef and walls of Andros. Participants can choose sites and work with divemaster in planning the dive. Ideal for computer diving. Also available are one-on-one advanced dives to some of the best blue holes and wall spots on Andros. Due to the nature of some of these dives, participation is limited to two divers maximum.
Cost is $175 per person; $100 each for two or more divers. Custom-tailored Specialty Dives are not available as part of a regular dive package.
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Shark Observation Experience
Divers (and snorkelers) can enjoy a thrill of a lifetime and at the same time educate themselves about some of the most misunderstood creatures in the ocean. This afternoon excursion allows divers to view sharks up closely, in their own habitat.
An average of a dozen sharks at a time show up for a frozen chum ball feed. The chum ball, composed of frozen fish parts, hangs suspended at about 40 feet in 60 feet of water. Divers kneel off to the side of the sandy bottom. Other than the free meal, to which they help themselves, the shark are not interfered with, or molested in any way.
In addition, the scene attracts hundreds of crumb eaters - angel fish, grouper, snapper and more, gobbling up the left overs. Divers (and snorkelers) have a chance to watch this whole scene unfold. A seminar about sharks precedes or concludes the afternoon excursion.
Cost for the Shark Observation Experience is $85 per diver, and $45 per snorkeler.
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Wreck Diving
Small Hope has two wreck dives both in 60-70 feet of water: The Barge, an aircraft landing barge which has been down about 30 years; and The Marion, a construction barge and crane that has been down for about 15 years.
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