I have been on other liveaboards ... the crew was the best ever ... boat was superior to all others.
Clara Frisch
The Vessel
Designed with You in Mind
The Aqua Cat was specifically designed with scuba divers and adventure travelers in mind.
- 900-sq. ft. dive deck with individually assigned dive stations and storage
- 11 large main deck cabins with king, queen and over-sized twin beds and private baths.
- Beds, bunks and pulldowns – flexibility for singles
- Main salon with dining/living room areas and an alfresco deck
- Upper deck with sundeck and bar
Non-divers can enjoy our land excursions and eco adventures as well as relax, read, and sunbathe. Do as much or as little as you like!
All diving is done right from the Aqua Cat
- The Sea Dog, a 28-foot jet drive boat – perfect for shore excursions and eco adventures
- 2 dinghies for diving safety
Meet Our Crew
Ron
CAPTAIN
Joined the company in 1992 when Blackbeard’s was Miami based and completed more than 700 Gulf Stream crossings on scuba charters. Ron opted for a windshield when Aqua Cat was commissioned in 2001 and ran Nassau based Exuma charters for 18 years. Recently retired after 28 years with us, Ron fills in from time to time to have some fun in the Exumas. Ron has a chemistry degree from Texas A&M, holds a 1600 ton Master’s license from the U.S. Coast Guard and is an active 38 year scuba instructor with NAUI and PADI.
Manny
CAPTAIN
Manny is originally from Chile and has been in the professional marine related industry for the past 20 years. He started as a commercial diver and then in the recreational diving industry as a dive instructor in the Caribbean, Red Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, just to name a few places. Manny first joined us on board the Aqua Cat as Dive Instructor in the early 2000’s and later on moved to the yachting sector where he developed his career to become a Captain. He holds a MCA Master 3000gt Captain License, a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Instructor and Chilean Navy Commercial Diver. He speaks Spanish, English and Italian too! Capt. Manny loves diving, free diving, horseback riding and a good history book. Last but not least- he loves a good potato salad, at which he has become quite the gourmet chef.
Sam
FIRST MATE
Sam started with the company as a dive instructor and worked his way up to captain of the Cat Ppalu. He met his wife, Emma, and they married and moved back to land to start a family. Sam returns as first mate on the Aqua Cat. He enjoys spending time with his family, hiking with his daughter, eating healthy and working out.
Ingrid
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Ingrid was born in Normandy, France and moved to the Bahamas during the early parts of her childhood. Growing up in Grand Bahama, she cultivated her passion for diving among many other water sports. Ingrid decided to follow her passion and became a Dive Instructor working at a Dive Center in the Bahamas for several years and eventually joined the Aqua Cat team. Other than SCUBA diving, Ingrid also enjoys horse-riding, free-diving, and hiking. You may not believe it but being a professional Shark Feeder Ingrid faces sharks all the time but is TERRIFIED of cockroaches!
Ben
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Ben was born and raised in Tucson, AZ, USA. Ben discovered his love for diving in the Red Sea Egypt. Escaping the desert he continued his diving career on the islands of Hawaii and got his PADI Instructor certification in Grand Cayman. Ben is a Marine Corps Veteran and has his BSc in Wildlife & Fishery Conservation and a Masters Degree. His biggest passion outside of diving, is promoting conservation through his wildlife photography, where he has had his work published by National Geographic and other publications.
yariela
CHEF
Yari, as she is known to everyone, comes from Panama and prepares our beautiful meals chef with grace and speed. She loves to read and dance in her spare time. She loves to travel and has been all over the world.
Ben
ENGINEER
Ben, AKA Spoons, hails from Sheffield England. Ben started most of his travels working with the Royal Navy as a marine engineer, where he got to see some countries that he would never return. After 5 years, he decided to follow his love of diving and started working in Sardinia for a season. Other places he has worked include Maldives and Saba, then finally ending up on the Aqua Cat. He loves diving, photography, football and cricket.
Karl
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Karl, AKA Trousers, hails from Sheffield, UK and was fortunate in growing up with parents who still travelled with backpacks and definitely gave him the travelling ‘bug’. After many trips with them, he started travelling on my his own at 17, spending a month in the Philippines. Since then, he has travelled in South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and the Americas, visiting many countries along the way – Bahamas is number 73. One of his life goals is to be able to join ‘Travelers’ Century Club’ (100+ countries visited). At 17 had to choose between going to university or pursuing football, having been offered a couple of contracts.
Alex
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Alex joins us from Derby, England and has his BSC in Marine Biology. His nickname is TinTin for his tiny eyes! He has currently travelled to almost 50 countries but has worked predominantly in Honduras, Cambodia and The Bahamas. The Bahamas has been his home for the past 4 years. TinTin could spend all day surrounded by Sharks but you will never find him walking through a field of cows.
Jen
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Jennifer hails from Buelmen, Germany is known as the Beast on board! She began working in Australia on a Pirate Ship. She moved to Indonesia for 6 months, then Thailand for 6 more for her SSI Crossover. She also lived in the Maldives for a year at a beautiful 5 Star Resort. After that she lived and worked on Grand Bahama as a Staff Instructor and Shark Feeder. She missed the Boat Life and freedom that comes with it. While Jen spends most of her time underwater, she canalso fix your house using her skills as a trade carpenter!
John
DIVE INSTRUCTOR
John recently arrivaled from Cape Town, South Africa. He was raised by two oceans and with a strong wanderlust, has worked in Indonesia, Greece, and most recently in Seychelles as a sailing captain. He has a strong passion for naps and food, and can make a mean bowl of corn flakes.
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