Shore Diving in the Bahamas

The Bahamas are well known for their Caribbean-like vibe; fun in the Bahamas sun, from the closest island in the archipelago, is only 50 miles west of Florida. One of the main attractions of the Bahamas is its world-renowned scuba diving. The Bahamas are not strong in all types of dive sites, however, and one of the weaknesses of the Bahamas is in its shore dives. Some of the islands have shore diving sites, while inland there are the famous caves of the Bahamas.

Why Shore Dive?
Shore diving is also sometimes called "beach diving," since so many shore dive sites are entered from a beach. The main difference between a shore dive and a boat dive is simply that the diver enters the water from land. Shore dives have certain advantages. For divers determined to break out of the dive master-led underwater tour group model of diving, shore diving represents the only option that does not include the burden of chartering and running a boat.

The Abacos
The only are in the Bahamas with any reputation for shore diving is the Abacos. This mini-chain of cays and sandbars within the Bahamas, such as the Manjack, Great Guana and Green Turtle Cays, are marked by reefs that are often in as little as a few feet of water and only 15 or 20 feet from the beach.

The Alternative: Cave Dives
If you are a cave-certified diver in the Bahamas, cave diving offers all of the same advantages of shore diving, but with none of the disadvantages. You can pack up your gear, drive to inland caves such as Ben's Cave in Grand Bahama, and run your own dive. However, without the requisite cave diving training, you will be required to join a group led by a cave-trained dive master to visit even the most basic of underwater caves in the Bahamas.

Conclusion
The Bahamas stand at the top of international scuba diving, with Scuba Diving magazine describing Grand Bahama and New Providence in particular as "A-list." However, the islands got to that exalted status on the basis of blue holes, shark encounter dives and offshore sites like the Tongue of the Ocean. The Bahamas are not especially well-known for shore diving, but other destinations in the Caribbean. For example, Curacao in the Dutch Antilles enjoys a strong reputation for shore diving. If you are going to the Caribbean specifically to shore dive, go elsewhere. If you are specifically going to the Bahamas, go with boat diving or a live-aboard trip.

Sources: scubadiving.com/travel/caribbean-atlantic/2006/10/bahamas-travel-guide-2003; go-abacos.com/dive/index.html