Liveaboard Gaia Love in Raja Ampat - Trip Report

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SSC-uba

Registered
Messages
26
Reaction score
16
Location
Toronto
# of dives
100 - 199
I was on the Gaia Love for a 10 night sailing almost exactly 8 months ago and have finally brought myself to write a short trip report.

I'm not going to spend any time describing the diving in Raja Ampat, as it is already well documented that the diving there is amazing. I have added a summary of some video that I shot while there at the bottom of this post. It was my first time shooting underwater, so if anyone has any feedback or tips, please fire away!

The Gaia Love is a relatively new boat and is very well laid out. There are 11 cabins, so room for 22 guests, but they typically leave one cabin empty just in case. Cabins are on the lower deck an upper deck, with a lounge area, camera room, dining room, and coffee-bar (with real espresso machine) on the main deck. There is also a large sundeck with plenty of shade and sun. There were 19 guests on board, if I remember correctly, and about as many staff members. Despite this many people on board, it never felt cramped or too busy, and there was always plenty of spots to hang out by yourself if you needed a break.

The rooms are very nice and a decent size. All upper deck cabins have a nice balcony as well. One couple did mention, that their upper deck room at the stern (I think it was room 11) was right below the crane that lifts the tenders into the water in the morning, which was quite noisy. I was in an upper deck room closer to the front and did not notice any disturbance, but I may have just been awake eating breakfast at that time every morning.

Staff were very friendly and eager to make sure everyone was happy. Food was very good and well varied. Chef was able to accommodate any reasonable request.

The dive deck is where this boat truly shines! There is plenty of space, and each diver has an assigned spot with storage under the bench (pretty standard), but then you also get your own rinse tank a couple feet in front of your spot along with another storage compartment at chest level and a "shelf" just above.

For diving, we were split into groups of 4, and they typically used three tenders to shuttle divers to the dive sites and back. The tenders were very stable, with tank holes and a sturdy ladder. The staff would carry your equipment out the the tender and you could slip on your BCD once at the dive site.
There were 4 dives every day (3-day and 1-night dive), except for the first and last day.

I'm sure I haven't touched on every topic of interest, so please ask away if you have any questions.

 
Awesome report... glad you had a wonderful time. It is a beautiful boat. My only advice to you about your video is get it down to under 5 minutes.. if you want people to watch it. I skimmed through the timeline and it looks like you have some great stuff in there. It is very hard for a first timer to cull but you got to do it.
 
Great video. Way too long. Tip: Include some topside video. People like to see the boat, cabins, food and dive facilities.
 
great feedback, thanks! absolutely tough to cull, I think setting a firm 5 minute limit would help force me to shed some footage.
 
awesome video, thanks for sharing... Although others say is long, I can sit and watch it over and over and over.. again. I guess I have 35+ minutes to spare :popcorn:
 
Awesome report... glad you had a wonderful time. It is a beautiful boat. My only advice to you about your video is get it down to under 5 minutes.. if you want people to watch it. I skimmed through the timeline and it looks like you have some great stuff in there. It is very hard for a first timer to cull but you got to do it.

disagree, perhaps have 2 with one at 5mins and one just like this. I personally prefer longer vids.:)
 
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have seen that boat on the water in Indonesia a couple of times. It looks great and I have also read consistently good reviews. Maybe it will be in the stars for me to hop onto it some day. :)

You got some incredible manta shots! Raja Ampat is my favorite place to dive....it is truly spectacular. Paging @chillyinCanada. Hehe. :)
 
@Ministryofgiraffes.. Oh by all means keep the long one for yourself and your loved ones but it is a proven fact that you lose viewership once a video gets longer than 4-5 minutes. People just can't stay focused. Most videographers really struggle with getting rid of shots because they have an emotional attachment to them.

@SSC-uba It helps to have a friend/ SO help because they will tell you which shot is better when you have multiple shots of a subject. Keep clips to 3-5 seconds (more on the 3 end) unless it is a really amazing behavior or shot. Another really popular thing to do is make mini - vids with single subjects/sites/behaviors (like Mantas etc.),... people really like those as well. Here is a link that you might find helpful or interesting: How to Shoot Amazing Underwater Short Video Keep up the great work!
 
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have seen that boat on the water in Indonesia a couple of times. It looks great and I have also read consistently good reviews. Maybe it will be in the stars for me to hop onto it some day. :)
@chillyinCanada. Hehe. :)

We toured the boat last year, it was beautiful and very clean.
 
I was on the Gaia Love for a 10 night sailing almost exactly 8 months ago and have finally brought myself to write a short trip report.

I'm not going to spend any time describing the diving in Raja Ampat, as it is already well documented that the diving there is amazing. I have added a summary of some video that I shot while there at the bottom of this post. It was my first time shooting underwater, so if anyone has any feedback or tips, please fire away!

The Gaia Love is a relatively new boat and is very well laid out. There are 11 cabins, so room for 22 guests, but they typically leave one cabin empty just in case. Cabins are on the lower deck an upper deck, with a lounge area, camera room, dining room, and coffee-bar (with real espresso machine) on the main deck. There is also a large sundeck with plenty of shade and sun. There were 19 guests on board, if I remember correctly, and about as many staff members. Despite this many people on board, it never felt cramped or too busy, and there was always plenty of spots to hang out by yourself if you needed a break.

The rooms are very nice and a decent size. All upper deck cabins have a nice balcony as well. One couple did mention, that their upper deck room at the stern (I think it was room 11) was right below the crane that lifts the tenders into the water in the morning, which was quite noisy. I was in an upper deck room closer to the front and did not notice any disturbance, but I may have just been awake eating breakfast at that time every morning.

Staff were very friendly and eager to make sure everyone was happy. Food was very good and well varied. Chef was able to accommodate any reasonable request.

The dive deck is where this boat truly shines! There is plenty of space, and each diver has an assigned spot with storage under the bench (pretty standard), but then you also get your own rinse tank a couple feet in front of your spot along with another storage compartment at chest level and a "shelf" just above.

For diving, we were split into groups of 4, and they typically used three tenders to shuttle divers to the dive sites and back. The tenders were very stable, with tank holes and a sturdy ladder. The staff would carry your equipment out the the tender and you could slip on your BCD once at the dive site.
There were 4 dives every day (3-day and 1-night dive), except for the first and last day.

I'm sure I haven't touched on every topic of interest, so please ask away if you have any questions.


Wow, thanks for that. You took me right home to RA. Great captures for a first time videographer. You must have been a photographer prior?
 
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