Dilemma in choosing Liveaboard for december 2015

[neil2412]

Hi all,

am having a major dilemma in selecting a Liveaboard for my trip to phuket in December this year .

I can't seem to choose which liveaboard to choose from, there are so many choices.

My current choices are :
Boat Name : MV Scuba Adventure
Company : Scuba Cat
Trip : 7D/7N - Similan & North
Max 16 Divers
39K Bht Per pax
Departure : Chalong

Boat Name : MV Andaman
Company ; Sea Dragon
Trip 7D/7N - Similan & North
Max 20 Divers
35K Bht Per Pax
Departure Khao Lak

The main question I have is :
1. Is it better to take a shorter trip like 4N on a more luxury boat like Pawara or Halelujah ? Maybe even the Junk
2. What is better , Luxury or more dives ?
3. Should I consider Burma ?
4. My budget is around 40K per person, what other choices do I have ?

Thanks for the inputs in advance

Thanks

 

[Buadhai]

The questions you're asking are really a matter of personal preference. When I was younger (mid 1990s) I loved taking long, inexpensive trips including Burma. Now I'm old (age 66) and find that I prefer shorter trips (4 or 5 days) on nicer boats.

 

[Oldbear]

I did a livaboard with Scuba Cat four years ago and had a wonderful time. I can highly recommend them.

My first Livaboard was the Junk in February 2011. They say you will always remember your first...and the Junk will always be special to me. This livaboard was fantastic, in food, diving, staff, crew, boat, etc.

I would do either of them again if the opportunity arises.

 

[Centrals]

I enjoyed the trip with MV Scuba Adventure but that was at least 14yrs ago.

 

[stevenl]

IMO it really depends on your wishes. If you want to dive and dive, go for Scuba Adventure. If you want to dive but also some more comfort, then yes, Pawara, Deep Andaman Queen, Hallelujah or any of the other more luxurious boats are an option. For December though: don't hesitate and make your decision quickly, some of the trips on the mentioned boats are already fully booked.

 

[MikkelBC]

I have been on liveaboards several times now. The first couple of times I felt quite full and satisfied after 4 days of diving, then it wasn't enough and I went on the 7 day trip with Scuba Adventure but still went on day trips after that was finished. Last year I did 2x4 days on Pawara back to back, but was nowhere near full even after 2 more days of day trip diving. The coming February I have booked 10 days of diving on Scuba Adventure. I don't really expect that to be enough either, but one can always hope ☺.
Both Scuba Adventure and Pawara are great boats. Pawara is bigger and has the added comfort of bathrooms in the cabins. There are also more divers on the boat which makes for a less personal experience. I really liked the staff on both the Scuba Adventure and the Pawara, so you won't regret it no matter which of those you choose. The only thing you might regret is booking too few days of sf diving.
Liveaboard dive life is one of the best modes of life to be in. I still haven't found the limit to how long I can do it before I tire of it!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Buadhai]

Let me throw another factor into the works. I happen think that some of the best diving in Thailand right now is in the South Andaman. The biota is in better shape than up north and it's less crowded (if the operator schedules dives to avoid day trippers). I did two South Andaman trips last year and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. I am doing my best to do several more South Andaman liveaboards in the coming season. My wife and I will do a four day South Andaman trip in October on the new Tapana Catamaran; a very nice boat with big cabins with bathrooms, great facilities and a dive deck with a lift.

 

[bunty99]

I was on the Pawara in feb this year. Nice big boat with fantastic food. The dive deck is packed so divers gear up in waves. The cabins were a bit small IMO (I was in the master cabin but still found it small) and had ensuite bathrooms.

 

[neil2412]

Thanks all, great replies , make life more confusing , but also helps point me in the right direction ...

 

[stevenl]

I was on the Pawara in feb this year. Nice big boat with fantastic food. The dive deck is packed so divers gear up in waves. The cabins were a bit small IMO (I was in the master cabin but still found it small) and had ensuite bathrooms.

Yes, Pawara is one of the cheaper boats with bathrooms en-suite, so it will all be a bit tighter than on some of the other boats with the same amenities. But that all comes with a price, Pawara really is excellent value for money.