Friday, June 12, 2020

Blackbeard's Scuba Diving Trip July 30th to August 6th, 2021

Blackbeard's Cruises offers an unforgettable high-adventure trip. Crew members will discover the beautiful out islands of the Bahamas (Exumas) while sailing, snorkeling, fishing, and scuba diving. For 30 years, Blackbeard's has been conducting week-long liveaboard trips to the best dive sites in the Bahamas.

 "One of the best diving experiences I have ever had, crew was fantastic, and the ship's cook deserves five stars. There were so many great (and favorite) memories created and this is a trip I plan to revisit in the future, and bring many new Boy Scout divers onboard with."  

James Chaplin Scoutmaster of Troop 1833 of Haymarket, VA.

SCUBA

Our dive sites in the Bahamas/Exumas offer some of the best scuba diving in the world. We typically do two dives each day which usually includes two night dives and a shark dive. This schedule provides ample time for other activities such as exploring a deserted island, using the halyard swing, fishing, and much more.   All dives will be under 60 feet in depth.  Most dives will be 10-30 feet.

A scuba instructor is on every trip and in charge of all aspects of diving.  The onboard instructor will tend to every need of your troop including presenting mandatory dive briefings, helping passengers with their scuba gear, and helping divers in and out of the water. Our vessels carry more than the recommended amount of safety equipment  Our rental shop has all the scuba gear necessary for an action packed week long adventure. We have top of the line regulators, BCD's, wetsuits, computers and lights for rent.

Scouts who are certified divers may be able to earn the Scuba merit badge on this trip.

"Crew was great! Food was great! Diving accommodations were excellent. We had a great crew all around; their interaction with our Scouts made a good trip a GREAT trip. The crew did fun activities with our Scouts and adults beyond the diving that made it a truly great experience."   

Lee Clark   BSA Troop 1919, Woodbridge VA



Shark Diving
 
We offer an electrifying shark feeding dive at the wreck of the Austin Smith. A chumsicle suspended above the wreck offers a great view of the sharks for divers. The dive instructor and another safety diver are in the water with the scouts to make sure that everyone is safe. We have been doing shark feeds for over 25 years without incident.

We typically get 8 to 10 reef sharks plus some large grouper. Sharks are seen on most other dives we do in the Exumas. We also do a non-feeding dive with sharks at a reef in the Exumas Land & Sea Park called Amberjack Reef. You will see 5 to 10 sharks as well as many large grouper and a large school of horse-eyed jacks.



Snorkeling

The Bahamas has a diverse ecosystem of coral reefs ranging in 20-100 ft. range. Snorkeling is a great way to get in the water and experience the marine life firsthand. We even snorkel the famous drug runner Leder’s plane wreck! This wreck has large schools of colorful reef fish all in under 20′ of water. We follow the buddy system while snorkeling and there is always a crewmember on the deck keeping a watchful eye on crew members in the water.

"The crew was terrific. The Boy Scouts and the parents accompanying them had a fantastic time. A very safe and friendly environment with great crew, comfortable boat, super dives and snorkels and we even caught some fish!"   

Bill Topping   BSA Troop 888, Stuart FL

Fishing  

Anytime we are underway we have trolling rods out for mackerel, mahi mahi, barracuda, or any other fish that might strike. We use our spinning reels to jig while we are on an anchor or a mooring buoy. The Scouts also have the opportunity to snorkel for conch.

Crew members can also try spearfishing as the Bahamas have some of the tastiest fish around. Bahamas law says that all spearfishing & conch collecting must be done snorkeling with Hawaiian slings or pole spears which we have onboard. They might get a hogfish, grouper, and snapper among others.

Fish that are caught are used for sushi, or grilled for dinner. Whatever fish we catch that is not edible will be released or used for our chumsicle for the shark feed.


Adventures Ashore There are many opportunities to go ashore on some of the finest unpopulated islands in the Bahamas. On the way to the beach, the crew will teach the Scouts how to operate the dinghy safely. Scouts will have time to beach comb, snorkel for conch, observe marine life, gather coconuts, explore tide pools or simply explore the beautiful islands. A beach bonfire is also an exciting option for a night's activities. Weather permitting a trip can be made south to see the swimming pigs. These wild pigs swim out for handouts from passing boaters.


Sailing 
The best time to sail in the Bahamas is October to May; however we raise the sails as often as the wind blows. Scouts will be able to set the sails and make the sheets as we get underway. They will also have the opportunity to learn sail theory and understand the logistics of how to catch the wind to propel us through the waters. Scouts will learn how to navigate using a compass and GPS. How to plot courses between destinations. There will also be the opportunity to learn how to tack, jibe, use a winch properly, dropping an anchor, using a windlass, and how to steer a straight course using a compass and GPS as we travel on our journey.

Videos: 

 Blackbeard's Promotional Video




  Troop 2000 video from 2012.  This will give you an idea of the ship.

This video from Troop 2000 in 2017 will show you what the diving will be like in the Exumas.



Itinerary

Friday July 30th:  Fly to Nassau Bahamas and stay in local hotel
Saturday July 31st:   Board Blackbeard's ship at noon and head to Exumas
Thursday August 5th:  Last dive in am and head back to Nassau (stay on board ship one last night in harbor)
Friday August 6th:  Head to airport in am and fly home. 


Blackbeard Trip Requirements

To attend without a parent: Minimum age is 14 at time of sailing.

This trip is open to members of Crew 2016.
All crew members/adults must pass the BSA swim test as a swimmer
All of those scuba diving must have completed at least open water certification..
A valid Passport is required
Current BSA health form parts A, B, and C are required
Maximum Capacity is 18 with everyone in their own bunk.

Cost:  Base price is $1287
This includes: Ship accommodations, ship meals & snacks, all diving including tanks, weights & weight belts, crew gratuities, port taxes, park fee, and fuel surcharges.  To keep the price down on this trip, crew members will be required to do duties on the ship such as:  head cleaning 3 times a day, dish washing, deck washing, wheel watches, and hull scrub

Extra Cost Items:

  1. Airfare (Estimated $400 to $700)  Booking earlier is better.
  2. Transportation from Airport to hotel, hotel to ship, ship to airport.  (estimated at $15 per person per segment)
  3. There will be mandatory covid testing before and on return with associated costs.  
  4. Passport (if you don’t have one, usual cost is $145).  Take care of this now if you don't have one. 
  5. Required Scuba Gear(Items you must bring yourself) Mask/fins/snorkel  ($100+ depending on how nice of equipment you purchase, recommend purchasing a dive light and marker light as well)  Some times you can get package deals on scuba equipment with your scuba classes.  
  6. Scuba Gear Rental on the ship if you don't have your own gear (BCD $50, Regulator $50, Computer $50, Dive Light $30 for the week, glow sticks are usually about $3 for night dive if you don’t buy a marker light, Wetsuit $35)
  7. Scuba Instruction/Certification(Open Water Certification):  Done prior to the trip on your own.  (Estimated cost is $400+, Recommend looking at Diventures in NL, Sentry Scuba in Quad Cities, and Loves Park Scuba near Rockford)  Loves park offers full weekend classes so you can get everything done in one weekend if weather allows.  If you have not been scuba diving within a year of the trip,  you should consider a refresher course prior to the trip.   If not, you may be required to do a checkout dive with the ship divemaster.
  8. Hotel overnight in Nassau on July 30th
  9. Meals on travel days
  10. Souvenirs (They sell tshirts/hats on ship)
  11. Dive insurance (optional)


                                                Payment schedule
$500 is due now to reserve your spot.
$500 is due by January 31st, 2020
Balance is due April 30th, 2021

You may cancel until October 15th, 2019 and receive a refund.  Cancellations after this date will only be refunded if someone else takes and pays for your spot.

See these websites for additional information:
Blackbeard Scouts:  www.scubadivingscouts.com
Blackbeard Main: www.blackbeard-cruises.com

Frequently Asked Questions


1)    Do I have to be a Scuba diver to go on this trip? No, non-divers will be able to snorkel on the surface while the divers are in the water. There will also be shallow sites where everyone snorkels. However, if you don’t want to dive or snorkel this is probably not the best trip for you.  The cost is the same.


2)    What gear do I need to bring? Everyone should bring their own mask, fins, and snorkel. Divers should bring their own wetsuit (if desired) and dive light as the cost to rent these items for the week is almost as much as buying them. Divers who own their own BC, regulator, and computer should bring them.  The water temperature should be warm enough where most people will not need a wetsuit.   
       

3)    Do I need to be certified in order to Scuba dive? There are 2 ways you can dive on this trip. First you can already be a certified diver. You can get certified at home or on a family vacation. Second, you can take most of the certification class locally beforehand and then complete the open-water portion of the class with the dive instructor on the boat.   There are fees associated with certification dives.  It is best if you can get fully certified before you go.


4)    What are the sleeping arrangements? Our boats have 3 air-conditioned cabin areas. Berths are single upper and lower, or double upper and lower, each with its own privacy curtain similar to a sleeperette on a train. We do not have private accommodations, all berths are dormitory style. Berths are 74" in length, with doubles 48" wide and singles 24" to 36" wide.


5)    Tell me about the crew.  Each vessel is crewed with two captains, a dive instructor, engineer and cook.


6)    How big is the boat? It is 65 feet long, 19 feet wide and has a draft of 6 feet.


7)    Will I get seasick? Maybe. Non-drowsy motion sickness medication should be brought along in the event that we encounter rough seas. The boat will spend the night in calm anchorages and most scuba diving will be done on the lee side of the islands. The best thing about a live aboard diving vacation is that we can adjust our schedule to go where the weather and conditions are best!


8)    How much storage space is there for my dive gear? There is plenty of space for your snorkel & dive gear in our top side storage compartments.
 
9)     How much space is there for my clothes and personal items? There is a shelf at the end of each bunk where you can store clothes and other personal items. Everything else must be stored in your luggage on the floor next to your bunk or in your bunk, so it is best to bring as little as possible. We have storage at our dock for any empty bags or any bags you won't need.

10)  What clothes should I bring? Space is limited and the islands we visit are very casual. Several bathing suits, shorts, t-shirts, blouse/shirt and wind breaker all packed in soft luggage. Also deck shoes, sandals, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Personal items such as aspirin, decongestants and shampoo.  Bring a couple of rash guard shirts to dive in.


11)  What about bedding and towels? We provide bedding but no towels. Bring at least 2 towels. One for the shower and one for topside (beach)
 
12)  What are the boat’s meals like? 3 complete meals are served daily, as well as snacks and fresh fish in season, when caught. There is always a hammock of fresh fruits for those between meals snacks. We have coolers of punch or lemonade always available.


13)  Do you have showers? Yes, there is one shower equipped with both fresh and saltwater taps. Everyone cringes at the mention of a 30 second fresh water shower but it does warrant some explanation! There are two showerheads in the shower: one fresh and one salt. Saltwater use is unlimited so lather, shampoo, shave, etc. with the unlimited salt water and then use the 30 seconds of fresh water at the end to rinse. You'll feel fresh as a daisy!


Will I be required to help out on board?  The Scouts will be assigned wheel watches, dish duty and head cleaning schedules for the week.  They will also raise & lower the sails and deck chores.


What is the recommended gratuity? Our special scouting price includes the crew gratuity.


REGISTRATION

  Please click on the link to register.  Registration is also limited to bunk availability. 

https://tinyurl.com/Crew2016Bahamas2020
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