hastings@Navajo.ARPA (08/04/85)
Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros Island, Bahamas. Been there twice, and still haven't dived all their great locations. Where else can you dive The Wall to 185'? Situated on the Tongue of the Ocean (a 6000' trench), Dick and Rosie Birch own a family-run resort with first-rate accomodations, food, people, dive sites, and weather. I first saw a write-up about this place in Gourmet Magazine. Only forty or so guests at a time, cabins along white sandy beaches, miles from nowhere. None of the hustle and bustle of the other islands; you make your own fun. Dive the hot tub on the beach (always great wildlife to be seen!) I have been told the reef along the tongue of the ocean is the second longest barrier reef on the planet (you know where the longest is). The visibility is great, even at 185 feet where the vertical wall stretches out of sight in a disorienting sort of way. They run two dives a day, usually a deep dive in the morning (50-90 feet) and a 12-20 foot dive in the afternoon. First class divemasters and instruction--you need no certification to dive (they'll instruct and/or check you out). They don't have the latest equipment, but their tanks are well kept and they can outfit a few people completely. If you go before May you might bring a shortie for the deep dives. I've been twice, and it's wonderful. It takes a conscious act of will to talk about it and not pick up the phone to make reservations. It is expensive, though. I don't have the address with me, but I'll post it if enough people are interested. So, let's hear about good spots elsewhere. I was glad to see someone recommending an outfit in Monterey CA, are there any others in the SF area? How about the Virgin Islands (BVIs too)? Alan Hastings