Need liveaboard suggestions

[drrich2]

If far distant live-aboards with some current and the hope of pelagics are on the table, I wonder of Palau compares to the Maldives? Haven't been to either; other's reports made me think of Palau, which has a reputation for sharks.

Richard.

 

[scubadada]

If far distant live-aboards with some current and the hope of pelagics are on the table, I wonder of Palau compares to the Maldives? Haven't been to either; other's reports made me think of Palau, which has a reputation for sharks.

Richard.

I believe some of the dives are on the more challenging side, use of a reef hook...

 

[Damselfish]

The amount of time you have, and the bit about now vs later, is new and important info. People may have some different suggestions based on that. There are still places you really shouldn't be going yet, but I would definitely be looking at places other than the Caribbean. Budget would be helpful to know, and also time of year you would be doing this. Do you know you don't get seasick?

I might consider something like a Tubataha liveaboard combined with some other diving in the Philippines. There are currents at Tubataha, but everything we experienced was easy enough to deal with and a group of beginners on our trip did fine (FWIW they did happen to be there with their instructor.) But the Tubataha season is short just March - June, and sticking towards the middle of that maybe better. Or consider a combo of liveaboard and land based in Indonesia, some regions probably aren't a good idea for you but there are many options. Try and order your trip to "work up to things" some. (Of course, most of the diving in these places will likely ruin the Caribbean for you but oh well.)

 

[Scuba_Smitty]

The amount of time you have, and the bit about now vs later, is new and important info. There are still places you really shouldn't be going yet, but I would definitely be looking at places other than the Caribbean. Budget would be helpful to know, and also time of year you would be doing this. Do you know you don't get seasick?

I might consider something like a Tubataha liveaboard combined with some other diving in the Philippines. There are currents at Tubataha, but everything we experienced was easy enough to deal with and a group of beginners on our trip did fine (FWIW they did happen to be there with their instructor.) But the Tubataha season is short just March - June, and sticking towards the middle of that maybe better. Or consider a combo of liveaboard and land based in Indonesia, some regions probably aren't a good idea for you but there are options. (Of course, most of the diving in these places will likely ruin the Caribbean for you but oh well.)

Budget isn't really an issue. Getting a good deal on something is always nice and is something I would definitely take into consideration, however it's not really my top priority.

Time of year is now through mid-september.

I do not have any problems with seasickness.

 

[KathyV]

Yes, I have done quite a lot and i'm not too worried about distance at all. I'm in a unique time in my life where i have over a month off of work, which will probably never happen to me again until I retire.

For that reason, if there's a far flung place that is absolutely worth diving (and within my comfort zone), then i'd really like to take advantage of it while i can. I know the Caribbean is always going to be there and will be an easy vacation to pull off once i'm back at my 9 to 5 schedule in nyc. The eastern and southern hemispheres however may not be an option again for a verrry long time logistically.

That being said, if the Caribbean truly is the very best place for what I'm looking for then i guess that's where i'll be headed! I just want to make sure i survey all the options first for the reasons above.

That does change things somewhat. At first you sounded so eager and inexperienced it was like you had just overdosed on Shark Week and were itching to grab your brand new gear and head to Australia to dive with Great Whites on your 25th dive! I'm glad that's not the case.

Since you have a month to travel and you also plan to do more dives locally, I have a suggestion for you and it will be far distant, exotic, and unusual - perhaps a once in a lifetime kind of trip - and there will be lots of sharks.

Spend that time in Egypt. There are several Red Sea liveaboard itineraries available. I know some people that have done back-to-back LOBs on the Red Sea along different routes. The diving is great, you will see sharks, and the topside cultural and historical attractions are outstanding!

Years ago we did a northern Red Sea Aggressor LOB trip out of Sharm and then spent a week in the Cairo area touring, and I really wish that we had more time because it is a fascinating country.

We were there during October and the weather was perfect. Cool at night, hot during the day - but not terrible, and the combination of desert, sea, blue sky, and mountains was incredibly beautiful - so perhaps the September weather will be similar but I don't know. The water was colder than the Caribbean but not terrible. It was drift diving but the currents were not bad - at least not during our trip.

The Aggressor is offering good prices on their 2 Red Sea LOBs, see below (based on double occupancy) and they are also launching a new Nile riverboat sightseeing cruise - see the links below, so you could probably work out a great package with them if you are interested in spending that much time on boats.

Will you be traveling solo? That is a factor on most liveaboards and you either have to express a willingness to share a cabin with a same-gender roommate (if necessary) or pay a significant surcharge for your own cabin - just an FYI.

Depending on the itinerary and season you will have the chance to see Grey Reef Sharks, Threshers, schools of Hammerheads, and possibly Oceanic White Tips. The diving is wonderful and different from most other places. There are beautiful coral reefs and abundant and unusual sea life, and you may also dive some great wrecks depending on the location. On our northern Red Sea trip we dived the Thistlegorm, a British supply ship sunk by a German air attack during WW2, and it was a spectacular site.

I mention the Aggressor because they are a US-based country and I am familiar with them, but there are many LOBs that operate in the Red Sea, so search Scuba Board to learn more about what's available.

I think that Egypt and the Red Sea would work well for your goal of a spectacular, exotic, and distant diving vacation but also consistent with your skill level.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

Scuba Diving Trips & Vacations on Liveaboard Boats | Aggressor Fleet

Red Sea Aggressor II - Hurghada to Ras Mohamed and the Straits of Tiran
Book a new reservation starting July 30, 2018 at:

starting at $1165 per person for travel from Sept 1 - Dec 29, 2018
Starting at $1415 per person for travel from Mar 2 - June 29, 2019

* travel completed by Dec 29, 2018 & June 29, 2019
* money saving specials and discounts do not apply. * does not apply to group travel.


Red Sea Aggressor I - Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone or Southern - St. Johns Itinerary
Book a new reservation starting July 30, 2018 at:

starting at $1165 per person for travel from Nov 3 - Dec 29, 2018
starting at $1450 per person for travel from Feb 23 - Jun 29, 2019

* travel completed by Dec 29, 2018 & June 29, 2019
* money saving specials and discounts do not apply. * does not apply to group travel.


Aggressor® | Official Site | Liveaboards, Safaris & River Cruises
Aggressor Nile River Cruise - Aboard the Nile Queen (sightseeing cruise)

 

[Scuba_Smitty]

@KathyV great advice! Thank you! Also, your shark week comment made me lol ;-)

 

[KathyV]

@KathyV great advice! Thank you! Also, your shark week comment made me lol ;-)

Glad to help! You will need a visa to visit Egypt (and possibly also for some of the other destinations that were mentioned) so you should start planning soon.

 

[scubadada]

@KathyV suggestion for the Red Sea is a very good one. I spent 2 weeks on the RSA in 2016 Red Sea Aggressor April-May 2016 Some of the diving was moderately challenging but considerably less so than Cocos and Galapagos. In addition, I did a day of land-based diving prior to the liveaboard Emperor Divers and Marina Lodge Hotel April 2016

If you have not seen Egypt, there are numerous fantastic possibilities as an add on to your dive trip.

 

[Scuba_Smitty]

Ok, so I'm finally starting to narrow down my search. I'd love to get some feedback on my plans so far:

• As a few here have suggested, I am going to start with a quick "warm up" trip in the Caribbean on a LOB (probably limited to Cuba, bahamas or Roatan due to availability on short notice)
• Then I will head to Cayman (likely a land based-only trip). This segment of my trip is 100% decided because I will have family there that I will also be visiting at the same time
• During these two trips I will re-asses my comfort level see how quickly I am advancing. If I still have the stamina at that point and if I think my skills are honed enough, I might try for a third trip to a more remote location and something that's a bit more intermediate in terms of skill level (think maldives, coco, Philippines, polynesia, red sea etc)

It would be great to hear the board's thoughts on bullets # 1 & 3!

 

[Damselfish]

If far distant live-aboards with some current and the hope of pelagics are on the table, I wonder of Palau compares to the Maldives? Haven't been to either; other's reports made me think of Palau, which has a reputation for sharks.

I believe some of the dives are on the more challenging side, use of a reef hook...

So our first trip to Palau, there was so little current at the reef hook sites, you couldn't use one. And also with no current, not a shark or any pelagics to be seen.