OP
Luko
Contributor
Out of my procrastination, posts in other threads regarding Komodo rang my alarm bell : I had to write up that dive report before anyone gets tired about it or prefers to argue about tipping or not tipping Indonesian guides.
Let’s call that cross reporting.
Part 2 Komodo LiveAboard - Dragon Dive Komodo
So after leaving Kalimaya we had the choice between taking a ferry to Labuan Bajo or flying back to Bali then Labuan Bajo. Wife selected the second option, much more expensive and finally more eventful than the Indonesian ferry ride. What woman says… so be it.
Back now to Dragon Dive Komodo where I spent 5days diving last year, back for a short liveaboard that was initially 4D/3N stretched to 5D/4N on the proposition of the management because we couldn’t leave on the first day as early as it was planned and therefore missed one dive, so in the end we had 1 day, 1 night and 1 dive more than planned .
It was then time to meet up with the french instructors : Nico we befriended last year who with Paul another French instructor veteran from the Gilis & R4, were assigned to direct the liveaboard.
We had booked the only suite in a small liveaboard that also had a double room as well as 2*4 guests dorms. Our 8 divers party was quite young 4 were less than 25 yo, international (Argentinian, Spanish, Brit, German Swiss, Israeli and yes French) and unexperienced for the most (4 post beginners with less than 15 dives formed a group, the rest 2 instructors had more than 500 dives each, me even more and an AOW with 50 dives teamed up for our group).
Meet the group and the boat. (Bill, pls steer away with your disobliging comments only triggered by the fact you’re getting older everyday. )
The “Yoshi” is a small liveaboard on two levels, we had the privilege to dwell upstairs which is the level for the captain’s cabin, the dining space and the only suite accom on the board, while the dive deck and the other accoms are located on the base floor.
First dive around 8AM depending on the tides, breakfast, second dive around 11AM, lunch then an afternoon dive starting in between 2:30 and 4PM or a night dive at 6:30PM, dinner then time to socialize around a card game or a display of photos taken from the day, discussion about the best configuration for diving the sites on the next day. Some days also included a dragon trek on Rinca or a hill trek right on the island some stupid guy half reduced to ashes a month earlier as he wanted to set fire places for a wedding photo shooting. Really : what a jerk…
The diving? Well you all know central and north Komodo, lots corals, high visibility, blue water, plenty of fish
On the first days we dived Batu Tengah which I really like for the seafans displayed around the pinnacle raising up the surface and teh spectacular corals all around even deeper.
Peak season means lotsa divers in peak season too : the boon of being on a liveaboard is that you can beat the daytrip crowds somehow… as it seems they’re getting earlier and earlier to the sites, thanks to the use of speedboats. Batu Bolong is a jacuzzi nightmare from 9AM to 3PM.
though it still provides one of the most spectacular diving in the park.
Nico on Batu Bolong :
The usual anthias soup :
Batu Bolong north side emerging from the crack, which isn't bad either when the current shift allows :
The fusilier school orphan from their regular GT predator
That said if you take some time there’s always something special creeping there while others are looking into the blue. Like… woooooot ????!!!
1/2....
Let’s call that cross reporting.
Part 2 Komodo LiveAboard - Dragon Dive Komodo
So after leaving Kalimaya we had the choice between taking a ferry to Labuan Bajo or flying back to Bali then Labuan Bajo. Wife selected the second option, much more expensive and finally more eventful than the Indonesian ferry ride. What woman says… so be it.
Back now to Dragon Dive Komodo where I spent 5days diving last year, back for a short liveaboard that was initially 4D/3N stretched to 5D/4N on the proposition of the management because we couldn’t leave on the first day as early as it was planned and therefore missed one dive, so in the end we had 1 day, 1 night and 1 dive more than planned .
It was then time to meet up with the french instructors : Nico we befriended last year who with Paul another French instructor veteran from the Gilis & R4, were assigned to direct the liveaboard.
We had booked the only suite in a small liveaboard that also had a double room as well as 2*4 guests dorms. Our 8 divers party was quite young 4 were less than 25 yo, international (Argentinian, Spanish, Brit, German Swiss, Israeli and yes French) and unexperienced for the most (4 post beginners with less than 15 dives formed a group, the rest 2 instructors had more than 500 dives each, me even more and an AOW with 50 dives teamed up for our group).
Meet the group and the boat. (Bill, pls steer away with your disobliging comments only triggered by the fact you’re getting older everyday. )
The “Yoshi” is a small liveaboard on two levels, we had the privilege to dwell upstairs which is the level for the captain’s cabin, the dining space and the only suite accom on the board, while the dive deck and the other accoms are located on the base floor.
First dive around 8AM depending on the tides, breakfast, second dive around 11AM, lunch then an afternoon dive starting in between 2:30 and 4PM or a night dive at 6:30PM, dinner then time to socialize around a card game or a display of photos taken from the day, discussion about the best configuration for diving the sites on the next day. Some days also included a dragon trek on Rinca or a hill trek right on the island some stupid guy half reduced to ashes a month earlier as he wanted to set fire places for a wedding photo shooting. Really : what a jerk…
The diving? Well you all know central and north Komodo, lots corals, high visibility, blue water, plenty of fish
On the first days we dived Batu Tengah which I really like for the seafans displayed around the pinnacle raising up the surface and teh spectacular corals all around even deeper.
Peak season means lotsa divers in peak season too : the boon of being on a liveaboard is that you can beat the daytrip crowds somehow… as it seems they’re getting earlier and earlier to the sites, thanks to the use of speedboats. Batu Bolong is a jacuzzi nightmare from 9AM to 3PM.
though it still provides one of the most spectacular diving in the park.
Nico on Batu Bolong :
The usual anthias soup :
Batu Bolong north side emerging from the crack, which isn't bad either when the current shift allows :
The fusilier school orphan from their regular GT predator
That said if you take some time there’s always something special creeping there while others are looking into the blue. Like… woooooot ????!!!
1/2....
Merde....
