My husband and I dove with Stuart Cove over three days. Their service, equipment and hospitality were above average compared with other dive shops we've been to (Hawaii, Grand Cayman and Toronto). The first day was a 2-tank AM dive at DC-3 (where "Into the Blue" was filmed) and Elkhorn Garden. We hired a private DM, "Spike" and he was awesome. He made us feel comfortable and confident (since it's been a year since we last dove). It was a beautiful day with small waves. Spike directed our attention to different wildlife at each of the sites and answered all our questions to the best of his knowledge.
On the second day, we completed our Shark Awareness course in the afternoon. There were other divers on the Phoecena who were there for the shark dive. Our first dive was at Shark Wall, which was near Shark Arena (for the feeding). It was a free swim to see the grey Caribbean reef sharks in their natural habitat. Johran our lead and captain briefed us on our first dive. We were to descend to the feed area, then proceed to the wall. I was amazed at the number of sharks just checking us out when I jumped in! They were everywhere! It was so serene to see them cruising along. I guess I was supposed to get an adrenaline rush, but that was not the case. A giant black grouper emerged from the nearby coral as the divers entered the water and met at the feed site. Pictures were taken as some divers stroked him like a puppy! Once we were all together, Johran led us to the wall where we saw lionfish (which are somewhat a parasite since they are not indigenous to the area and have no natural predators) and the regulars. After our surface interval, we were briefed on our second dive - the feed. Basically, keep your arms to yourself, don't wave at the camera, and don’t try to stay upright if you find yourself tipping over. Johran told us that once everyone was settled in the semi-circle, he'd descend with the bait box. It seemed like the sharks knew they were going to get a snack because once he jumped in, they all circled until he settled on the sandy bottom. Then the feeding began, not a frenzy like what you see on the Discovery Channel, but it was exciting nonetheless. Johran brought the bait box close to us so that the photographer could get great shots of the sharks circling and charging for the fish heads. I was saddened to see some of the sharks with hooks still lodged in their mouths from long line fishing! After about a 20min feeding session, we got the chance (once the sharks left the area) to search for shark teeth! We were the only ones to find teeth (it was like sifting for gold)... In the sand there were bits of rock or shells and everything looked the same.
Originally we had booked only 2 dive days, but we decided to do one last dive. On our third day, we did the 2-tank PM dive. This time, our departure was later and we had less time since we had to wait for the cruise ship people (this was a Tuesday) and also get them back to port on-time. This kinda sucked since we couldn't go very far then and had a limited choice in sites. I heard there was a site with skeletons but it was too far away. We ended up going to David Tucker and Nari Nari (from Jaws 4). These were easy-going dives but we had Spike with us again since we didn't know the area. Once again he led us on a great dive. On the last dive, he brought dog food and yellow-tailed snapper rushed to get their share of the food. They tore the Ziploc bag apart! We got great pictures with them swirling around.
Some of the fish we saw over the three days were:
snapper, grouper (black, tiger), angelfish (queen, grey, French), French grunt, nudibranch, Christmas tree worms, other sea slug (with horns?), lionfish, sharks, jellyfish, gobies, squirrelfish, parrotfish, wrasses, fairy basslets, bicolour damselfish, sergeant majors, blue chromis, blue tangs, horse-eye jacks, trunkfish, trumpetfish, chubs and the list goes on!

My family and I (mother, father, and sister) did the snorkel tour through Stuart Cove's on the morning of July 3rd. We booked online for only $48 per person which I consider very reasonable. They picked us up at our hotel around 8 am and we were at their dock by about 9 am. Once you arrive at Stuart Cove's, you have an opporunity to purchase snacks, drinks, and fish food in their dive shop. We purchased two bags of food for $4 each, which I recommend since it helps to attract tons of fish while snorkeling. We brought our own bottled water and snacks and stored the water in our boat's ice chest.

Stuart Cove's makes two stops at reefs for snorkeling. We saw many, many fish during both stops. (Each stop lasted about 35 to 40 minutes). My family and I tend to stay pretty close to the surface when snorkeling, but those that dove down to the reefs with their snorkels entirely under water said they saw much more interesting sea life. One fellow passagener said he saw an eel and manta ray. My dad saw an eel, as well.

The third and final stop was the opportunity to snorkel with reef sharks. The dive staff puts a bait box down toward the ocean floor that attracts the sharks. Those that wish to snorkel with them are instructed to hold on to a rope that's attached to a buoy in the ocean and the boat. They are instructed not to make sudden movements, noise, or touch any of the sharks. The snorkelers can put their faces into the water to see them. My dad and sister did this while my mother and I took pictures (we were too chicken). They got pictures of 100s of sharks down below. After this, everyone gets back on the boat and the staff throws bait to attract the sharks near the boat for more photo opportunities. It was really a cool experience even if you chose not to snorkel with them.

We were very pleased with our snorkel trip and the Stuart Cove staff. They were very professional, friendly, and helpful. I think Stuart Cove's is a must-do for anyone visiting the Bahamas!

My savvy traveller wife booked this trip for our cruise stop in Nassau. It wasn't offered from the cruise ship, but we booked on line for pick up at the Hilton. They have agreements with the cruise lines, but if you "forget" to tell them you are on a ship, you can book it. You may want to get a taxi for the trip back if you are cutting it close. (We made it because the Disney cruise folks and us filled one bus that went straight back to the pier.)

The snorkelling was great. At the first stop the water was clear and calm. Captain Tavaz and crew fed the fish and there were plenty to see. The instruction they gave to the first timers was great. It was easy to get in (our kids jumped from the upper level of the boat) and out and the crew was always there to help.

Second stop, more of the same fish, but smaller. Nice coral in both places.

The third stop is what makes this a standout. They give a brief safety talk, no jumping in, no free diving, no thrashing about. Then some information about the Caribbean Reef Shark. Yes, SHARK. They lowered a bait box down about 12 feet and the sharks went for it. We slid into the water and held on to the buoy line to watch them feed. Hundreds of sharks going for the bait. After about 10 minutes, we got back on the boat. They finished the show by feeding at the surface, so we could see the sharks come up to the boat and take pictures.

I would do this trip again. Great crew, good equipment, and fun.

If you're coming to The Bahamas and you have never done any diving before then Stuart Cove's Dive is a great place to have your first experience!

Having never dived before, we booked the 'Sub Bahamas' experience, which is a kind of half-way house between snorkeling and scuba-diving.

We decided to book online, and we're glad we did as the subs were fully booked for the week when we arrived! The booking process was straight-forward, but we were a little concerned when we phoned to confirm we arrived on the island and they had no record! They said to get on the coutesy bus anyway so we did. Stuart Cove runs a number of purple coloured buses (all with the Stuart Cove logo so you can't miss them) that pick customers up from all the main hotels on the island.

On the bus you'll be given some forms to fill in - one of which absolves Stuart Cove of all liability!! There is a tick box for a wetsuit (another $10), but as we dived in June you really don't need one - the water was fine.

Arriving at the centre it was clear that this was a fairly large operation with many large boats being prepared to go out for the day. Everything had a relaxed, but professional feel to it - we were all given a training course before we boarded the boat and headed off to the diving location, about 20 minutes away. The ride was good; the boats were pretty fast given their size.

Our group was 24 people so we split into 3 groups, one taking the subs and the rest snorkelling (this is complimentary with the sub package).

Essentially the 'sub' is a personal submarine unit that allows you to dive about 15-20 feet below the surface, with air provided automatically into a large 'goldfish bowl' that you place your head into. There are controls for left/right movement and a kill switch for the motor. Underwater the units move slowly and gracefully - they are noisy because of the air bubbles and you will find it tricky to take photographs (you can buy disposable underwater cameras at the centre for about $20).

If you don't have a camera, don't worry; the whole experience is filmed - there is a diver with a top of the range underwater camera who takes footage of every member of the party then edits everything into a 20 minute film ready for purchase ($40) about 1/2 hour after you get back to he centre.

In the subs you are not really allowed to go where you want, instead the divers guide the group around a pre-prepared course, which includes the wreckage of a light aircraft that was apparently used in a Jaws film.

The whole experience takes a complete morning or afternoon - so remember to bring some water and suncream!