Looking back, it seems like I've been taking guys out to explore the reefs, wrecks, spectacular walls and amazing blue holes we have in the waters around our islands just all my life. And over the years I've got to meet some real famous people like - Tiger Woods, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks, Darryl Hannah, and even Prince William and Harry! But I guess I was about 20 years old when I first started my dive business here in The Bahamas.
I'd got the passion for diving from my dad and my uncle who'd taught me to dive backwhen I was a little kid. And I'd got the money I needed to buy my first boat from James Bond! Well, from being hired as the film company's stunt diver and shark wrangler back in the summer of '77 when they were filming 'For your eyes only'
So, turning what I enjoyed doing most into something I could earn a living from seemed like the natural thing to do. It's the sort of thing most people can only dream about. But before I got involved in the film making, I'd already been teaching friends and tourists to dive just for fun - and I'd even given up on university to work at a marina on Eleuthera Island and run their diving for a year.
As Nassau is known as 'The Underwater Hollywood', there have been plenty of Bond movies since that one, including my personal favourite 'Never say never again' when I got to teach Sean Connery (who lives just a little way from here) and Kim Basinger how to dive. And each one has helped us invest in a new boat or piece of equipment so that today, we can do business the way we want, without mixing ability levels.
That means we can take snorkellers out to shallow reefs, help students get certified, show people who know how to dive some of our world-famous walls, and give very advanced divers some exciting shark action. And each group gets to go out with the best-qualified divers on the right kind of boat. We even have these fantastic personal mini subs that lets anyone dive - even if they have no diving experience!
In fact, if you ask me what brings so many divers - and so many people keen to learn to dive - to The Bahamas, I'd have to say it's because we've got so many different islands and such a wide range of diverse underwater environments. So if you're looking for the best places to dive in the world, they're all right here. Some days, I can't believe how lucky I am to live and dive here. Just stay long enough and we'd be happy to show you why. And you can star in your own action movie too!
Stuart Cove, diver, shark wrangle and stunt man - Nassau
