Frequently Asked Questions

What should I bring?
You'll spend your days in bathing suits and casual wear, shorts or jeans, t-shirts and windbreaker. Bring a pair of deck shoes, sandals, suntan lotion (non-oil), and sunglasses. In winter a sweatshirt or sweater is advisable. We provide three towels. If you would like more towels or would like a beach towel, you should bring them with you.

What travel documents are needed?
American and Canadian citizens are required to bring proof of citizenship--passport or certified copy of your birth certificate along with a picture ID. A passport is required for all other countries.

How do I get to the docks?
Taxis are readily available from the airport, or with prior arrangements our office can arrange for transfers. The cost for one way in a taxi is approximately $30.00. We can arrange private transfer service for $10.00 each way per person. Cat Ppalu is docked at the Nassau Harbour Club. If your arrival in Nassau will be delayed, you can advise the crew by leaving a message for them at the Nassau Harbour Club at (242) 393-0771,or by calling them directly at the dock at 242-394-7755.

What time can we board?
On our 7-day trips you may board any time after 12:00 PM on Saturday. The Cat Ppalu returns to Nassau Thursday evening and we ask that you disembark Friday by 10:00 AM.

What is our itinerary?
Your group will have a great time exploring the 365 mostly uninhabited islands of the Exumas with their many beautiful beaches. In addition to scuba diving, you can spend time beachcombing, hiking, kayaking or photographing the many natural sights. The underwater window in cabin 6 always gives you a spectacular view of what's below. In Nassau you can enjoy the shopping, casinos and night life of Nassau and Paradise Island.

Do we actually sail?
Yes, as often as the wind blows. The best time for sailing is from October to April. During the period from May to September there is normally very little wind. Passenger participation is welcomed by the crew or you may just lay back and relax in the sun.

What are the meals like?
We serve three meals a day, as well as snacks and fresh fruits. Fresh fish or lobster is also served, in season, when caught. Most meals served will be a combination of Bahamian and American cuisine. A selection of beverages is always on hand, from soft drinks and lemonade to beer, wine and rum drinks. Here is a sample menu!

Can I fish?
Yes, as long a you aren't in the Exumas Land & Sea Park. We furnish all of the fishing gear.

How much spending money do I need?
Spending money for an evening ashore (drinks, souvenirs) and crew gratuity (10-15% is customary in the liveaboard industry). The currency in the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar, which is par with the US dollar. They are used inter-changeably. If you have US dollars, there is no need to change currency.

What is the recommended gratuity?
The live-aboard business is a service industry, and although the general public is seldom aware of it, gratuities are a major part of a crewmember s salary. Few other recreational activities rely so heavily upon the professionals in charge for your enjoyment and safety. Besides being at the mercy of Mother Nature, the quality of your experience is based on the people who provide it. The crewmembers are generally multi-talented and do several jobs on board. They oversee the diving, cook meals, wash dishes, clean heads and cabins, perform engineering duties, and navigate the seas. We strongly believe that gratuities should be voluntary and based upon the quality of the service the crew provides. A gratuity of 10-15% is customary, but many leave more when they feel the service was outstanding. If you are disappointed with the service, you should inform the Captain of your feelings and leave no more gratuity than you feel is right. The gratuity can be given to the Captain at the end of the week.

Can I snorkel?
Yes, anytime the boat is anchored. You need to bring mask, fins, snorkel and snorkel vest (not required but highly recommended). Snorkeling is not supervised.

Can I scuba dive?
Yes, if you are a certified diver. If not, you may take a resort course for a $125.00 fee. While the Northern Exumas are only 30 miles from Nassau there are no dive operations there, so you can experience truly virgin diving. The Exumas have walls starting at 40', as well as drift, reef, and shark dives. The Nassau area has a variety of wrecks. For over 30 years much of the northern Exumas has been a National Underwater Park with no fishing, spearfishing or collecting allowed. Because of these laws there are miles of undersea gardens in which coral, sponges and fish abound.

What is a resort course?
For a fee of $125.00 our dive instructor will spend some time at the beach giving you instruction. This will allow you to make two dives under their supervision. Additional dives are available for 20.00 each. This resort course does not certify you. It only qualifies you to dive with an instructor while on the Cat Ppalu. The BC and regulator are included in the cost.

Can you do open water checkouts?
Yes, our dive instructor can with prior arrangements. The cost is $15 per dive plus the cost of the certification envelope if not provided.

What dive gear do I need to bring?
Certified scuba divers need snorkel, fins, mask, regulator, buoyancy compensator, u/w watch, depth gauge and for night dives a dive light and cyalume stick are required. We provide tanks, weights and weight belts. There is storage on deck for all gear and we have a hose to rinse cameras and regulators. Between fall and spring, a wetsuit is recommended. Check out our equipment checklist!

Can I rent dive gear?
If you don't have your own equipment we have "top of the line" ADV/BCs, wetsuits, dive lights and regulators with octopus and gauges available for rent. All must be rented by prior arrangement. We also have cyalumes available for sale ($2 each).

Rental Rates	1 week
BC	$50.00
Regulator	$50.00
Computer	$50.00
Light	$30.00
Full Wetsuit	$35.00
Wetsuit Top	$30.00
Wet Suit-Farmer John	$30.00
Mask, Fins, Snorkel	$35.00

Do I need a wetsuit?
Between fall and spring, a wetsuit is recommended. The chart below will give you a general idea of the water temperatures and what weight wetsuit you will need. When deciding what to bring, consider that you will be diving a lot each day and it takes your body a while to warm up after a dive. Air temperature, the wind and whether it is sunny all affect how fast your body warms back up after a dive. What each person needs is an individual choice. Some wear a full suit in the summer and some dive with a shorty in the winter.

Average Temperatures	Water Temperature	Air Temperature	Wetsuit Recommendation
January-February	72-75f/22-24c	72-80f/22-27c	Full Wetsuit-6mm or thicker
March	73-77f/23-25c	72-85f/22-29c	Full Wetsuit-6mm or thicker
April	75-79f/24-26c	76-90f24-32c	Shorty or Full Wetsuit
May	77-80f/25-27c	80-90f/27-32c	Skin or Shorty
June	79-81f/26-27c	80-90f/27-32c	None required
July-Sept	83-87f / 28-30c	80-90f/27-32c	None required
October	79-82f/26-28c	76-90f/24-32c	Skin or Shorty
November	77-80f/25-27c	72-85f/22-29c	Shorty or Full Wetsuit
December	75-78f/24-26c	72-85f/22-29c	Full Wetsuit-6mm or thicker

How many dives per day?
Depending on arrival time, you will normally dive twice on Saturday and 4 dives per day Sunday through Thursday, including night dives, as long as weather is not a factor.

Will I see sharks?
We do see sharks on many of our dive sites and snorkel sights. Typically, we see Caribbean Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks. Some sites are frequented by greater numbers of sharks while others are less populated by sharks. We offer a snorkel with lemon sharks at the Land and Sea Park that is extremely educational!

Do you do wreck dives?
Nassau has a variety of wreck dives and in the Exumas we have one wreck dive. Here's a map of our dive sites with descriptions!

Do you have a VCR or DVD?
Yes, we have a VCR monitor and a DVD player. We also have a stereo system and CD player.

Do you have any local hotel packages?
The Nassau Harbour Club offers special rates for our passengers. The phone number is 242-393-0771. Fax number 242-393-5393.

Is electricity available?
We have regular 110 volt household current.

What if I need to be contacted in an emergency?
If someone needs to get in contact with you due to a true emergency, they should contact our Miami office and we will relay the message. This should only be done if it is a real emergency. The boat is then radioed via a Bahamian dock and then they must return to port to make a return phone call. The calling areas of the remote out islands of the Bahamas are extremely limited.

Do we spend a night in port?
We do return to Nassau Thursday afternoon so that our guests may enjoy an evening ashore. Nassau has much to offer, with dining, entertainment, casinos and shopping all within a short distance. There aren t any ports in the Northern Exumas, just quiet uninhabited beaches and gorgeous sunsets.