Reef Oasis Viva Bahamas - Abaco
Reef Oasis Viva Bahamas, a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort, offers a solid base for exploring the Abaco cays. We found their setup particularly suited to divers looking to progress their training, with a good range of PADI courses available. You’ll be diving sites like the famous Catacombs, a series of tunnels and swim-throughs, or enjoying the calmer reefs around Mermaid Reef, which is great for a relaxed afternoon dive. While the Abacos have plenty to offer, this centre works well if you're staying at the attached resort and want convenient access to well-run dive trips without the fuss of planning everything yourself.
- Location
- Abaco, Bahamas, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 26.536438, -78.592240
- Website
- https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/bahamas/reef-oasis-viva-bahamas/
- Certification Agencies
- ["PADI"]
- Courses
- PADI 5 Star Dive Resort [padi:19995]
- Address
- Freeport, Bahamas
Dive Sites Near Reef Oasis Viva Bahamas
Reef Oasis Viva Bahamas provides access to 15 dive sites in Abaco.
- 777 - 20m
- Angel Grand
- Atlantis Road
- Ben s Blue Hole (cenote)
- Ben s Cavern (cave)
- Bimini - 10-30m (reef)
- Bimini Barge (Wreck) - 17m (wreck)
- Bimini Diving: Great Hammerheads, Bull Sharks and Wrecks (wreck)
- BIMITI - 12m (wreck)
- Blue Chromis - Bahamas - 22m
- Blue Heron Bridge at Phil Foster Park - 6m (muck)
- Boynton Beach Reef - 21m (reef)
- Breakers Reef - 20m (reef)
- Bull Run - 17m (drift)
- CAPTAIN ROBERTS - 6m (wreck)
Other Dive Centres in Abaco
- Brendals Dive Center
- Dive Guana
- Divers Direct
- Dixie Divers - ["PADI"]
- Force-E Scuba Centers - NAUI, SDI, TDI, SSI
- Hydrotherapy Dive Charters LLC
- Pura Vida Divers - ["PADI"]
- Scuba Works
- Sea Experience - ["PADI"]
- South Florida Diving Headquarters - ["PADI"]
Best Time to Dive in Abaco
The warmest water temperatures in Abaco occur in August, averaging 29.8°C (up to 31.9°C). The coolest conditions are in February at 24.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 24.4°C (air: 20.6°C)
- February: 24.0°C (air: 22.7°C)
- March: 24.3°C (air: 23.0°C)
- April: 25.0°C (air: 24.5°C)
- May: 25.9°C (air: 25.7°C)
- June: 27.7°C (air: 27.3°C)
- July: 29.0°C (air: 28.5°C)
- August: 29.8°C (air: 28.8°C)
- September: 29.4°C (air: 28.0°C)
- October: 28.4°C (air: 26.9°C)
- November: 26.9°C (air: 24.2°C)
- December: 25.4°C (air: 21.9°C)
Marine Life in Abaco
Home to 372 recorded species including 293 reef fish, 30 hard corals, 16 whales & dolphins, 7 sea snails & nudibranchs, 7 sharks & rays, 5 other.
Notable Marine Life
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- American eel (Anguilla rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Blainville's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
Recommended Packing List for Abaco
Based on average water temperature of 26.7°C, visibility 20 nmi, currents 4 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories