Long Island, Bahamas 4/5-4/10 Long report

JupiterBroadbil · Apr-11-2008, 07:04 PM

Day One

Arrive at Lauderdale airport to find out that Spirit Airlines is overbooked and we are kicked off the flight. Rush over to Bahamas Air and get on a flight with like 15 minutes to spare. People in security line let us cut them and make it to the plane just in time to board.

Arrive in Nassau at 12 with our connecting flight at 12:30 p.m. Rush through customs with people thankfully letting us cut them and get to the baggage claim to find out our bags weren't on the plane and that our connection is delayed till 2p.m. That's good and bad news.

Hang out at the bar till our next flight and get on the plane feeling good. Get to Long Island after a short 45 minute flight. They told me that the airport in Deadman's Cay is really small, but I was still surprised.

We get off, some people get on the plane, plane closes door, and then it takes off.

Meet up with Charlie who is in charge of the cottage Christian's family has there and he takes us to this cool 100+ year old house to see.

Get back on the road and go to the cottage. There is one main road, Queen's Highway, that is on the island.

Pretty much the first day we hang out and chill. Check out Christian's boat, 25 Contender.

Head over to the Dive Master's, Chris, house to help set up with the beach party the next day. This week there was a bunch of the World Championship of Free Diving at Dean's Blue Hole on the island. Way cool to see. Many new records were made.

There is a huge cave system right next to the house that the native Bahaimians used to live in. So amazing to walk through there.

Cave lead to an area that was probably 30ft tall and 50ft wide underground.

There were tons of bats in there too.

JupiterBroadbil · Apr-11-2008, 07:05 PM

Day Two

Wake up and head down to Dean's Blue Hole to check out the divers.

Dean's Blue Hole pretty much is a blue hole. They believe that it was a cave underground that collapsed and opened up to what it is now. It's around 700ft deep I believe and it's a straight drop down.

Looking over the ledge underwater.

This is William and I. He is from New Zealand and he made many records in different disciplines. One day he dove down to 328ft.

Hung out there for a little bit and went to make some lunch at the cottage.

Later that night we went to the beach party and had an awesome time. We played volleyball for hours with the divers and damn that was some rocky sand. We all had some nice cuts at the end.

JupiterBroadbil · Apr-11-2008, 07:05 PM

Day Three

Wake up and put the jetskis in the water. All the boat ramps there are pretty much a beach where the water was dredged out a little.

We made a good pasta with some cooked Hogfish that Joyce, Charlie's wife, gave us. She is an amazing cook.

JupiterBroadbil · Apr-11-2008, 07:06 PM

Day 4

Finally we get to fish. We put boat in after an hour drive South to Clarencetown. Got fuel($5 something a gallon), cigars, and ice. Talked to some of the boats there to get an idea of the water and area. Head out after that into a nice swell.

Flying Fish Marina

Start trolling with the Ballyhoo we brought over. I don't know how they stayed decent, baggage people at the airport put them in a cardboard box after saying our cooler couldn't go.

First fish is a damn Cuda.

Starting to get a little hot out so I put on some sunscreen (Keep this in mind as it comes into play pretty soon).

Like 20 minutes later the deep bait gets hit (Ballyhoo with purple/black skirt with 48oz trolling weight) and we figure another Cuda. Comes to the boat and it has a different style fins I can see. Kingfish? What, no! I grab the shock leader and it keeps slipping through my hands. I take a wrap on the leader(something I never ever do) and the fish sounds. I didn't have a chance to open my hand to let the leader out and it tightens around my fingers. Somehow it pops off my hand and I still have all my fingers, but a pretty good line burn across my hand.

Christian on the fish.

Troll around for a few more hours and head in.

My hat flies out the window and this guy along the street hands it back to me. Give him a beer and he shows us how he opens his bottles with his teeth :eek3: Really cool guy and gave us some fishing spots.

Stop by Max's Conch Bar and relax after a day of fishing. We try their 5 Rum Drink Special. Tasted soooo good.

Go back home, but we have to stay at a new apartment as Christian has family friends staying at their cottage. It was a sick apartment.

JupiterBroadbil · Apr-11-2008, 07:06 PM

Day 5

We decide to go dive with Charlie. We put in his little Whaler and head out on the bank. His spots are off the Exumas and Hog Key. We ran like 20 miles off in this boat :biglaugh:

It was the calmest water I have ever seen. You couldn't tell where the horizon was. It was complete glass.

We come up on Hog Key finally and start searching for coral heads. Find some heads and dive in. I'm swimming along and I see three huge Muttons. I try following them and they lead me to about a dozen huge Muttons. I try to shoot one, but I miss and three swim up to check out my spear that is laying on the bottom

Go to a different location and Charlie dives in and three minutes later comes up with a nice Hogfish.

Start heading back to Long Island and stop at a spot where a plane crashed.

Keep heading in a Charlie shows us this underwater cave that was supposed to have been created by a huge waterspout. It's about 60ft deep once you get inside it.

Just before the dive Charlie gets a business call :roflmao:

Go out to eat and apparently I have been there before. What are the chances of that?

Go home and relax after a long day.

JupiterBroadbil · Apr-11-2008, 07:07 PM

Going home

Run down to Clarencetown to pick up the boat and get packed up. Hang out at Max's Conch Bar to wait for our flight.

Head out to the airport and our flight isn't in yet so we stop buy the bar there that is pretty much right next to the run way. The bottles shake when a plane lands or takes off. Tried a new beer that is made in Freeport. It was delicious. It was really smooth and tasted good.

Plane arrives and we are gone :cryin: :cryin:

We have our last stand at the Nassau terminal bar and get on the plane back to Florida.

This was probably one of my favorite trip I have ever taken. It was really cool to talk to and hang out with many locals on the island that taught me a ton. It was a completely different way of life that I haven't seen in the Bahamas before. Many of them were from Nassau and didn't like it at all.

I can't thank Christian enough for inviting me on this trip :worthy: