Calling DIR divers to Palau!

[divealaska]

We are a small dive club looking for a couple more divers to join us on an Aggressor liveaboard in Palau. We are not "tech" diving, but would like other like-minded divers to join us for some of the best diving anywhere! Most of us are rec triox level with GUE, but a couple of us are just now practicing for the fundementals class. This trip will depart from LA on November 26th, 2005 and return Dec. 5th. Airfare, liveaboard accomodations, meals, airport transfers, and accomodations in Honolulu enroute are included for $3999.pp Also, for an additional $900 you can add 4 days of diving truk lagoon prior to the Palau portion. We need 4 more divers to complete our team. All divers welcom! Contact:
scottanderson@gci.net or
info@divealaska.net

 

[Mike Veitch]

You do know all the people who work on that boat use jackets don't you?

Just stirring the pot...sorry bout that... back to your thread

 

[Kevrumbo]

Wow, have a great time! For Truk (Chuuk), I would've recommended at least a week there, preferably a Liveaboard --try Truk Odyssey next time. If you get a chance in Honolulu, dive the Sea Tiger Wreck (120fsw) with Island Divers on 30/30 Rec Triox or 21/35 mix. http://www.hawaiitechnicaldivers.com/

 

[Tavi]

If I was going that far, I'd have to spend a week at Bikini Atoll also!!

wish I could afford to join you

I'll be looking forward to your trip report!!

 

[divealaska]

I LOVE it when our gear sits amid jackets! We take the brunt of a few comments and raised brows on the first day usually, but after the first day when everyone else zooms past us from 80 feet enroute to their 15 foot "safety" stop at 60 feet per minute, and sees us doing min deco with good trim and communication...then the interest piques. The Chuuk portion of the trip was an add-on because we were "already there". If I had my way, (and unlimited funds) I'd stay for a month I will post a trip report and plan to shoot several hours of video as well so I'll have some of it posted on my website. Thanx for the replies and well-wishes!

 

[Mike Veitch]

I LOVE it when our gear sits amid jackets! We take the brunt of a few comments and raised brows on the first day usually, but after the first day when everyone else zooms past us from 80 feet enroute to their 15 foot "safety" stop at 60 feet per minute, and sees us doing min deco with good trim and communication...then the interest piques. The Chuuk portion of the trip was an add-on because we were "already there". If I had my way, (and unlimited funds) I'd stay for a month I will post a trip report and plan to shoot several hours of video as well so I'll have some of it posted on my website. Thanx for the replies and well-wishes!

Have fun! I worked on the PA for 3 years and its a great crew, some of the crew have been there going on more than 10 years now. Great boat and extremely well run...and no one can find nudis better than Hector if you like the small stuff...The diving is amazing and a heck of a lot warmer than Alaska to be sure.

Unfortunately they won't give you any comments...they are polite Philippinos...but with 10 000 to 20 000 dives each....i think they have their trim figured out...

 

[Kevrumbo]

. . .Unfortunately they won't give you any comments...they are polite Philippinos...but with 10 000 to 20 000 dives each....i think they have their trim figured out...

Actually, being GUE Trained, you'll likely make the Dive Master's Job easier and more fun. Whether the DM's are Filipino, Palauan or Japanese; Land-based or Liveaboard, you will be recognized as DIR divers and be much more appreciated & respected. . .

 

[divealaska]

Well the trip was a success and we're back to the reality of 20 degree surface temps and 40 degree wateer temps :-( I'll make the trip report brief;
What we thought was going to be the "add-on" (chuuk) was in fact the highlight of the trip! Something about dropping in to 50 feet before a 350 foot long Japanese warship comes in to view was breath-taking every time! We successfully stuck to our guns with regard to depth limits, but did do a couple of 120 foot dives which resulted in 40 minutes of deco. Helium costs $4.80 cf making a set of doubles about $200. We had to build our own doubles because Truk stop didn't want us to use them. They were advocates of such nonsense as air in one tank and nitrox in the other "to do deco on". No deco bottles as we had requested to carry so we ended up hanging 100% at 20 ft under the boat. We resisted the "trust me" penetration dives for the first couple of dives, but once we had our own boat, laid some line and saw a couple fantastic engine rooms. I can appreciate the advice of going with the Oddessy next time! Palau was very cool as well!

 

[Kevrumbo]

<snip> Helium costs $4.80 cf making a set of doubles about $200. (!). . .

That's the major economic reason why I would consider Rebreather Training, if I were to do any serious multi-week Expedition/Penetration Dives in Chuuk or anywhere else out there in the Caroline or Marshall Islands. (Heck, I was mad as hell when my LDS here in Los Angeles raised their Helium prices from $0.60 to $0.75/cf!)

 

[Spoon]

Actually, being GUE Trained, you'll likely make the Dive Master's Job easier and more fun. Whether the DM's are Filipino, Palauan or Japanese; Land-based or Liveaboard, you will be recognized as DIR divers and be much more appreciated & respected. . .

bro, im one of the gue minorities in the pi and am proud to be one but do you really beleive in that? im gue trained and all and am a dir diver but i have friends who are not that are just as capable. i dont think that me being dir should make me more respectable and respected over my peers.