WAOW vs Seahorse liveaboard for Raja? Suggestions please

[cephalopod2]

Very few spaces left on liveaboards for March. It's pretty much down to WAOW vs Seahorse -- looking for your recommendations.

1. WAOW started taking customers in late 2012. I found zero diver reviews outside of promo materials for the boat. Anyone dived with them?

Luxurious vessel but what about the diving -- will the crew have Raja figured out?? R4 is is a huge area and from a previous trip I think great diving there is current dependent. I've been on fancy vessels in Raja and Komodo that did not dive these areas well and would have been happier on a liveaboard that got the diving right. I see Waow's cruise director Jerome (Jay) Monney worked on the Ocean Rover 04-07 -- anyone dived with him then? Only info on this boat seems to be a confrontation with a Wetpixel photo charter on a Raja manta site. No idea which Indonesian DMs are on board.

2. MSY Seahorse has been diving the area much longer and the boat looks good. But again, I haven't found any recent (2012-2013) reviews.

Thanks very much for your suggestions.

 

[diversusan]

Hi - I just posted a WAOW trip report, so you can check that out for my opinion. Our cruise director was Jay and the two dive guides were named Acho and Hawe. (We only had 10 divers; on a full boat, there would have been another guide). Good luck!

 

[jake11]

I have had friends that have been on the Seahorse and had a great trip. Have you checked out the Dewi Nusantara? They are top notch in the area and you will have an awesome trip on her!

 

[cephalopod2]

diversusan thanks very much pointing me to your detailed report - exactly what I was looking for!

jake11 I would have loved to have dived the Dewi N, or my favourite Indo liveaboard that I know would do Raja right, but they have no space when I can travel.

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

What are your travel dates. I might be able to get you on the Arenui if interested. The Amira may also have space. I can somewtimes offer discounted rates. A month ago I offered a $2000 discount on an Arenui trip in may.

 

[cephalopod2]

I've PMed you LiquidDiving.

 

[jake11]

Oh...too bad! :0(

diversusan thanks very much pointing me to your detailed report - exactly what I was looking for!

jake11 I would have loved to have dived the Dewi N, or my favourite Indo liveaboard that I know would do Raja right, but they have no space when I can travel.

 

[hawksbillturtle]

I dove with Jay on a Komodo trip with Siren. The trip was well organised. He and his wife Kay are good guides, very helpful and quite relaxed, and by the way they know most of the nudis by their latin names! :cool2: I would go with them again.

 

[The Arenui Team]

Is it only March that works?

We have an agent running a charter in Raja - departs 15 April - that also goes to Maluku (diving in Banda is also amazing plus you get to end on the critter diving of Ambon Bay)! If keen let us know and we can put you in touch with the agent; info@thearenui.com ... if it doesn't work this time then we do hope you'll join us in the future and happy diving in Raja!!!

 

[diversusan]

hawksbillturtle - did Jay and Kay actually lead dives on your Komodo trip? On my Raja Ampat trip two weeks ago they participated in several of the dives, but on their own and for their own pleasure. They didn't do any guiding. In fact...

On one dive we were a group of 5 plus our guide. There was a lot of current and 4 of us (two buddy team) needed to surface before the fifth diver (who was without her buddy on that dive). The guide motioned to her that he was just going to get the four of us started up to a safety stop and then would come back to join her. We got caught up in a ripping current as soon as we went above the shelter of the reef, and he was not able to get back to her. She saw what happened and spotted Jay, Kay, and the videographer nearby. She motioned that she would like to join their group and they said OK. She motioned again a few minutes later that she needed to go up for her safety stop. No one offered to buddy up with her. She got caught in the same ripping current. We'd been trying to follow her bubbles in the chase boat and, based on what he was seeing below (once she went above the reef and started moving quickly in the current), the guide jumped back in to find her. She said he was just in the nick of time, because without his help there would have been no safety stop...the current was bringing her right to the surface. I could not believe that, in those conditions, Jay or Kay did not go up with her, a passenger they were responsible for, and instead cared only about finishing out their own independent dive.