Bahamas Swim Camp - Overview
The Sea Hiker Bahamas Swim Camp kicked off with strong winds and huge waves battering the Atlantic side of the island for an exciting spectacle for those who ventured down for a closer look.
The Island was still showing the signs of Hurricane Irene's passage over it in late August. Irene had pummelled Long Island, destroying several buildings, uprooting coconut trees and washing the sand from many beaches, especially the main beach at Stella Maris Beach Resort, our home for the week.
On the day of our arrival, huge waves pounded the rocky coast and erupted in giant white foam and spray. The waves were considerable but we were informed this was only a light gale, nothing like a hurricane. Unfortunately, it made any plans to swim and snorkel on the Atlantic side out of the question until mid-week.
On Sunday night, after everyone had arrived, we met in the Stella Maris Beach Resort restaurant for our first rum punch party (and conch fritters) followed by a full buffet dinner hosted by Sea Hiker. It was a great chance to meet the rest of the group and enjoy everyone's excitment for the upcoming week of adventure.
We had a disparate group of people. Cynara and Aislynn, sisters from Burnaby who are committed to triathlon and snorkelling adventures; Joe, from Vancouver and participant in both our summer open water course and pool swim pods; Bev and Renee, longtime Sea Hiker clients and avid athletes; John from Pittsburgh, who is preparing for a swim adventure in Egypt; and S Fuller, a lifelong swimmer, who won a spot in our swim camp for her fundraising efforts at the 2011 Vancouver Swimathon for Kidsport.
The Stella Maris Beach Resort provides a variety of accommodation choices: small 2-3 bedroom cottages, 2-room suites with a veranda overlooking the ocean, and single hotel-style rooms with great views of the hillside overlooking the Atlantic.
Down by the water, there is a nice pool, a beachside bar, and a few hammocks for lounging by the ocean.
We chose Long Island because Peter had been there twice before for freediving competitions and training and thoroughly enjoyed the potential for swimming and diving on both sides of the island. It is also off the beaten track and perfect for a low key getaway. There are only about 3,000 residents on the island, not counting the tourists that waft in along with sailors, pilots and residents from the Mainland who have built small houses all over the island.
We were also really excited to coach participants in such a lovely place. We hope you enjoy the story of our adventure there!
Here are the upcoming blog posts:
Swim Camp:
Day 1 - Deal's Beach: Swimming on Island Time
Day 2 - Deal's Beach: Visitors from Another World
Day 3 - The Blue Hole Experience
Day 4 - Deal's Beach and Cape Santa Maria: Walking on the Moon
Day 5 - Deal's Beach and Swim Camp Finale: How Do You Swim 15% Faster?
Sea Hiking Weekend:
Day 1 - Dean's Blue Hole, the Green Hole and the PotHole
Day 2 - "Isolated Pretty Beach" and Dean's Blue Hole
Next post: Day 1 at Deal's Beach: Swimming on Island Time