Dilemma in choosing Liveaboard for december 2015

[Buadhai]

Steven arranged a six day north/south Andaman trip for me last year on the Pawara. Great trip. Nice boat. Good price. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Plus, Manatas and Leopard Sharks! A few photos here: Pawara March 2014

 

[tamas970]

I have two weeks in February 2016 which I would like to spend as little dry as possible - hopefully 100% on a boat. No bookings made yet - one steady candidate is
the Andaman sea (others: Egypt, Maldives), I need some info:

1. Heard that Burma/thai boats visiting burmese waters is bigger bang. Is that still so? (less divers more critters?/better coral)
2. How is coral health in the Andaman? Heard that the Similans got a serious bleaching a few years ago.
3. Should I be concerned about safety? (Pirates, military actions, badly maintained boats/compressors)
4. Are there any operators in Burma offering liveaboards?

 

[stevenl]

I have two weeks in February 2016 which I would like to spend as little dry as possible - hopefully 100% on a boat. No bookings made yet - one steady candidate is
the Andaman sea (others: Egypt, Maldives), I need some info:

1. Heard that Burma/thai boats visiting burmese waters is bigger bang. Is that still so? (less divers more critters?/better coral)
2. How is coral health in the Andaman? Heard that the Similans got a serious bleaching a few years ago.
3. Should I be concerned about safety? (Pirates, military actions, badly maintained boats/compressors)
4. Are there any operators in Burma offering liveaboards?

1. Less divers for sure, better coral at certain divesites. One of the problems is the changing condition of the divesites in Burma.
2. Coral health is good, recovery of the bleaching (almost 10 years ago now) is going fast. Of course you'll still find traces, but it really is looking good.
3. Not if you pick the right boat, otherwise maintenance can be an issue.
4. No, the trips are conducted from Thailand.

 

[tamas970]

Forgot about one more thing, probably worse than bleaching, dynamite fishing: Dynamite Fishing in Burma
Is that a real issue there?

 

[Buadhai]

I haven't dived Burma for a very long time, but the last day on the last trip I was on we came across huge quantities of fish that had been killed by dynamite fishing. Floating on the surface and below. It wasn't a pretty site. But, as I said, it was a long time ago.

 

[stevenl]

Forgot about one more thing, probably worse than bleaching, dynamite fishing: Dynamite Fishing in Burma
Is that a real issue there?

It is getting less, but still an issue. hence the unpredictability of the divesites.

 

[tamas970]

It is getting less, but still an issue. hence the unpredictability of the divesites.

I do some more research. I am considering the Maldives and Indonesia as well (Komodo, Lembeh), however it's wet season over there.
Currents scare me a bit too, but it seems I have to learn drift diving once. The alternatives (Komodo, Maldives) have AFAIK even more currents...

 

[stevenl]

I do some more research. I am considering the Maldives and Indonesia as well (Komodo, Lembeh), however it's wet season over there.
Currents scare me a bit too, but it seems I have to learn drift diving once. The alternatives (Komodo, Maldives) have AFAIK even more currents...

Dealing with currents is really easy: never fight them.