Dory was here!

Expect fun in Bermuda

Helmet Divers meet 20-30 minutes before departure, on dive tour boat Rainbow Runner to check in, hand in their 
Waiver/medical form, and pay for photos if they have booked through Viator/Tripadvisor. We discuss what fun is(perceived danger, willingly approached) and why we are doing this undersea adventure(making friends with Celebrity Fish).There is a 25 minute briefing, while underway to the reef. By the time we have picked up our mooring ropes, positioned the boat bow into the wind, attached the 10 foot ladder, gotten the dive and camera equipment ready and the first couple are on the ladder, just over an hour has gone by.

Latest Google image, with boat at reef. Sometimes the boat is there, as shown by the following link.

We pick up our mooring ropes and position the boat bow into the wind, with the stern at our sandy diving area (8-12 foot depth). The trip is 3-4 hours depending on how many dives we have.Each dive other than the one you are on adds about 40 minutes to the tour length. It is much more fun having fun, rather than waiting for other people to have fun. In the 80’s, when we were working for the Mafia (Cruise ship Shore excursions) we would have 5 dives. I was younger, but it was madness. With the waiting being over four times the length of the fun time, people could be inclined to feel dissatisfied. For a number of years we would often do trips of four dives, during peak sea. Since the Covid madness I  have arbitrarily made three dives of 7 to be our maximum. I also pay our government less for the 13 -24 pax license, than the 25-59 I had previously. A trip with three dives still makes the wait time double the fun time. That is why we have the charter option. One simply pays for two extra, fictitious people (in addition to the regular per person rate) and the dive and boat are yours. 

Chris Hartley with Harry the Nassau grouper and Jasmine the Persian cat

You and another, walk down the ladder till the water reaches your shoulders. My son, as I did for my father, will place the attentive crew places the custom built Hartley diving helmet on your shoulders, and down we go. To equalize your ears, if wiggling your jaw is not sufficient, simply reach up in your helmet, hold your nose, and blow gently to clear your ears. Once on the bottom, whatever feelings of anxiety you had disappear as you realize: Yes! This is as easy as they said; I am doing this! No problem. Hey! This really is fun in Bermuda.
Using a message baton I first identify some of the living creatures. Then, after the sediment drifts away, while you are kneeling on the sand I take photos and videos. All with fish in the photo, some with you actually holding fish, like Herb the hind. Then we stand and walk to the first kneeling down spot. More life is identified and passed around. Then we will stand and walk and kneel at a couple more stops to demonstrate the breathing of the sponge, and the feeding of the corals. The Hartley helmet dive is special because we feed, make friends with, and handle the fish. After one last fondle with the fish, perhaps George the blue stripped grunt the 30-40 minute dive is over. Once the dives are all completed we cast off our floating mooring ropes and make the 25 minute journey back to dangerous land. There folks either walk back to their ship, or take a bus or ferry to Hamilton, south shore, or wherever they are staying. If you need a taxi, let us know at the beginning of the last dive, so we can call ahead of time and have it waiting. We have a fresh water shower, so divers leave dry, fresh and invigorated by their accomplishment and discovery.