In many respects the geography is similar, although certainly not identical, from island to island. At one time when the global seas were lower, these islands were part of a large interconnected landmass.

As the Ice Age ended and the seawater held frozen at the polar caps melted, the rising sea level made islands of the higher peaks and created a vast submarine plateau known as the Great Bahama Bank. The highest point in the Bahamas is now just 206 feet at Cat Island and only 5,400 square miles of land remains above sea level.

There are deep oceanic trenches such as the Tongue of the Ocean that plunge to more than 6,000 feet, as well mangrove forests, shallow sand banks, isolated patch reefs, and extensive fringing reefs surrounding Most of the larger islands are typically low in elevation and at least partially rimmed by sugary sand beach. There will be patches of ironshore as well, and the island interior will be thick with casuarina, pine, and palm trees. Some islands like New Providence and Grand Bahama feature well-developed metropolitan centers, and are world-renowned for their banking, casinos, and shopping.

The Out Islands are far more laid-back, and feature small villages where the local populace survives by fishing, a little farming, and of course providing services to the tourists who come to sample their unique pleasures. The Islands of The Bahamas provide subtle contrast, above and below the surface, each offering its own unique rewards for the visiting watersports enthusiast.