Diving operations are plentiful in Nassau. Most hotels have diving instructors who teach short courses, followed the next day by a reef trip. In recent years, many small operations have sprung up in which experienced divers with their own boats run custom dives for one to five people. In many cases, the custom dive will include a picnic lunch cooked over an open fire on a private island beach.

Dive Sites

Lost Ocean Hole. This elusive (and thus exclusive) hole (East of Nassau, 40-195 ft) is aptly named because it is difficult to locate. The rim of the 80 ft opening in 40 ft of water is dotted with coral heads and is teeming with small fish as well as larger pompano, amberjack, and sometimes nurse sharks.

Rose Island Reefs. The series of shallow reefs along the 14 miles of Rose Island is known as Rose Island Reefs (Nassau, 5-35 ft). The coral is varied, although the reefs are showing the effects of the heavy traffic. Plenty of tropical fish make these reefs home. The wreck of the steel-hulled ship Mahoney is just outside the harbor.

Gambier Deep Reef. Off Gambier Village (where A Stone's Throw Away is located), about 10 minutes west of Cable Beach, this reef goes to a depth of 80 ft.

Sea Gardens. Sea Gardens is off Love Beach on the northwestern shore beyond Gambier.

Lyford Cay Drop-Off. This cliff (West of Nassau, 40-200+ ft) plummets from a 40 ft plateau almost straight into the inky blue mile-deep Tongue of the Ocean. The wall has endless varieties of sponges, black coral, and wire coral.