We do so many trips that are just full on all day long and leave you exhausted at the end of the day having made 100+ dives to absurd depths and then leave you with a gigantic cooler of fish to clean at the end of the day.
Not that its a bad thing, but it is nice for a change to go and have a relaxing trip and just take it easy.
Dive 40-50 feet for a few hours, take some pictures and shoot the exact fish you want for dinner that night. Head in to 5 feet of water and grab a half dozen conchs for ceviche. Cruise back early in the afternoon to find a pod of Dolphins waiting for you to swim with them for a half hour or so. Clean a dozen fish and feed 30 people while you have some fruity drinks and some cold Kalik Golds on the beach watching the sun set.
This past week we ran the boat across to the Bahamas and had an incredible trip. We found some hogfish spots that made it a bit more challenging then usual (even using the pole spear) and had enough sharks to keep it interesting when we found the best of the Tiger Grouper we have seen in a while. With a few Tiger Grouper just shy of the World Record it kept that spark of “EPIC” just out of reach and after 5 days it was just a perfect trip to relax and enjoy friends and the Bahamas.
The sharks that are always so prevalent over there gave us only a bit of grief. I think we had only about 5 cases where they came all the way to the surface to try and take fish or a chunk of flesh from us and we didn’t let them have either so we made out ok.
On one of the better spots Chad would push the sharks away while I inserted most of my body into a bloody murky cave to recover one of the better groupers of the trip and team diving is always more fun especially when it keeps you from getting chawed by the toothy ones.
Enjoy:
Big Nurse Sharks are always fun. This guy hung out for 5 dives and I rewarded him with a hogfish fed from my hand just as he was ready to leave..
Only three more weeks til lobster Season!
The entrance to the Aquarium and the enforcer always watching for stragglers
The Aquarium. If you can ever find shallow reef in the Bahamas with a ripping current to feed all the little guys and a good incoming tide to clear it up.... this is what you'll find. With the occasional 15lb Mutton Snapper, skittish Black Grouper and even a 100lb Tarpon it is always interesting
Jenn and her favorite quarry, the elusive starfish
Breezy the Mermaid
Good bottom, clear water
Lisa Rollins working her magic
Can you see the Black Grouper? He thinks he's hidden...
You can't run forever
Black Grouper and a stud Dog Snapper
Dolphin Tour... Somehow not gay
Great way to end the day
4 Responses to “Bahamas with the Girls: part 1”
Cameron,
What kind of camera are you using? Great pics.
The Camera I have been using is actually my video camera. I just happen to have a really good lens for it.
I am using a Sony HC-3 HD video camera in an Amphibico Housing with a 120 wide angle lens. It takes pretty good pics but the key is having good angles and clear water. Everything I’ve learned has been from DJ Struntz who does a lot of our pics and is Senior Staff Photographer for Surfing Magazine and GLOBE. I wish I could have him on every trip his pics are incredible.
Check out DJ’s work at http://www.djstruntzphoto.com
Cameron Kirkconnell
Hey mate, just stumbled upon your web-site by accident. You lead some kind of life man! Just wanted say how much I appreciate that pic with your mate totally ignoring the hammerhead. That for some reason is so poigant…Just sums up something about respect and courage between man and nature and perhaps experience. When I was young I did a lot of spearing (reef) off Gladstone in the capricorn bunker group (Australia). I never had the rocks to go blue-water spearing but always wanted to. Plus I didnt know anyone into it. Your seemingly non chalant attitude towards sharks is interesting…but balanced. You always feel safer with a gun (and power heads) while diving. But I suppose experience with them is what it takes to get comfy with them. Anyways, nice site mate and congrats on some of those fish! cheers, Josh