September Liveaboard 2025 route?

[Hydra1995]

Hello all,

We are thinking of going to the Maldives in early September and are thinking of doing a Liveaboard.

As it is rainy season, is it recommendable to to a Liveaboard in September or should we better stay at a local Island for diving at this time of the year? And which route should we choose at this time? I read that it is Hanifaru Bay season, but apart from that I read that the Baa atoll isnt that good. Is there any LOB route which you could recommend us? Or should we go to Fuvahmulah or any other local island instead? We have already been to Dhigurah and stayed there and loved it but would like to expierence something different,

Thanks a lot and best wishes

 

[Hydra1995]

No one can help? Would really appreciate some help if we should go to Maldives or maybe to Komodo which would be Dry season but not sure if we are ready for komodo with 30 logged dives AOWD. We did 15 dives this year in the south ari Atoll, thanks a lot

 

[wknight0691]

Personally I'd avoid Hanifaru as it's not diving, just snorkeling, and it's just like diving at the bottom of South Ari with Whale Sharks - crazy crowded with "day boats". If you're happy with the weather then just take a "Best of Maldives". You'll get to see some great reefs/fish life in South Male, Vavvu as well as Ari.
Good luck whatever you decide

 

[boqurant]

You can’t go too far wrong with a simple Central Route liveaboard. Means that they can be a little more flexible about dive sites too, and focus on better ones given the conditions. Sep in Maldives is still very nice

 

[Parlem]

No one can help? Would really appreciate some help if we should go to Maldives or maybe to Komodo which would be Dry season but not sure if we are ready for komodo with 30 logged dives AOWD. We did 15 dives this year in the south ari Atoll, thanks a lot

Nobody else is chipping in, so I thought I might as well: liveaboard diving is the way to go in the Maldives, in my opinion. Land-based diving is limited by distance to dive sites and daily schedule, so you are much less likely to visit many "iconic" sites. Mind you, an "average" dive site in the Maldives will still be nice, but if you are going to spend that kind of money and travel such a distance, you might as well aim for the best experience possible.

The other issue with land-based diving during the wet monsoon is that, if you get unlucky, you might not be able to dive at all for one or more days if the sea is too rough for the boat to go out. It happened to me in August a few years ago and I missed two full days of diving. The dry monsoon generally means better sea conditions (but, remember, it's the tropics and the Maldives stretches over a large expanse of ocean, so nobody can predict the weather in your island with any accuracy).

In contrast, liveaboards will adapt their route to weather conditions and your overall experience is less likely to be severely affected by adverse weather.

I hope this helps somewhat.

 

[Blazinkev]

Hi I joined the scuba board just to respond I’m going with my SO to Maldives in Sept and we swapped over to do a liveaboard from the resorts. We both love diving (she just got AOW, earlier in dive life with ~20 dives) and want to ensure we get maximize our experience mostly bc we’ve heard dive boats can’t make it out or get pushed to the same nearby sites. Because of our travel dates AND booking a liveaboard late, we were deciding between White Pearl (Hanifuru + Northern Atolls) and Ariyal (Best of Maldives)….after doing massive amounts of research, we are leanings towards the later. 1) The best of Maldives maximizes our chances of seeing the big stuff without betting fully on Hanifuru (we will do two nights in a resort up there instead); 2) this also simplifies our travel leaving from Male (vs other airport).

Btw, if you have any intel on the Ariyal, that’swould be appreciated - planning to put down a deposit this week.

Hope this helps a little bit! And wish us all luck in ‘good’ weather.

Hello all,

We are thinking of going to the Maldives in early September and are thinking of doing a Liveaboard.

As it is rainy season, is it recommendable to to a Liveaboard in September or should we better stay at a local Island for diving at this time of the year? And which route should we choose at this time? I read that it is Hanifaru Bay season, but apart from that I read that the Baa atoll isnt that good. Is there any LOB route which you could recommend us? Or should we go to Fuvahmulah or any other local island instead? We have already been to Dhigurah and stayed there and loved it but would like to expierence something different,

Thanks a lot and best wishes

 

[Hydra1995]

Thank you all for your input, that helps a lot. Just one more question since it is our first Liveaboard, should we go for the lower decks or upper decks? Im just a bit afraid of getting seasick, or am I just too afraid of it and is it not that bad?

 

[boqurant]

Depends on the specific boat, tbh. To make some sweeping statements that definitely over-generalise:

• Lower decks tend to be more stable and often cooler, since they connect via a central internal corridor to the mess and everything is within the AC. So your bathroom, towels and anything hanging inside room might dry quicker. On the other hand, lower decks tend to be closer to the engine so for long crossings can be noisier.
• Upper decks tend to move more but you (might) have the horizon to look at out the window. They tend to connect directly to the deck, and can be hotter / more humid. Also pay attention to the specific layout of the boat: sometimes your door might be close to a deck access panel / door , the mess, the kitchen etc and have lots of people walking past.

If you know you typically get seasick on long crossings, then make sure you have e.g. Dramamine in your kit, though obviously dont take it within a long window before any dives

<EDIT> FWIW I've been on several LOBs and never seen anyone properly seasick (though equally, I wasnt exactly questioning everyone lol). Anything larger than a RIB will tend to handle itself fairly well in most seas that you're likely to encounter, so I wouldn't worry.