Galapagos Live Aboards

[Black Manta]

I'm ready to make my first trip to Galapagos for some serious pelagic action. Would anyone who has made a recent trip (within the last year or so) care to make any suggestions about which live aboards to consider. Besides excellent diving service, my main concerns on the boat are cleanliness of accomadations and quality of food and service. I'll be traveling alone so any advise will be appreciated.

 

[RJP]

I'm ready to make my first trip to Galapagos for some serious pelagic action. Would anyone who has made a recent trip (within the last year or so) care to make any suggestions about which live aboards to consider. Besides excellent diving service, my main concerns on the boat are cleanliness of accomadations and quality of food and service. I'll be traveling alone so any advise will be appreciated.

Went two years ago on Galapagos Sky - highly recommended.

 

[Wookie]

If you are looking for serious pelagic action by liveaboard, I wouldn't bother with Galapagos anymore. The 3 dive par day limit for Wolf and Darwin would be enough to put me right off my feed. You do a liveaboard to get where day boats can't, and to dive your butt off. If I wanted all the diving I could stand, I'd do Socorro, Cocos, or Malpelo. Especially if I had to spend over a day in transit. There a number of new and newish boats there, including the Darwin and Wolf Buddy, Galapagos Sky was recently refit, and Deep Blue has an excellent reputation.

 

[RJP]

If you are looking for serious pelagic action by liveaboard, I wouldn't bother with Galapagos anymore. The 3 dive par day limit for Wolf and Darwin would be enough to put me right off my feed.

Good point. When Dave and I went, you could still do 4 dives a day at Wolf and Darwin. (And we did!)

 

[DivEncountersAlliance]

HI Guys...Ali here, Just created this new account for the Divencounters Alliance which Galapagos Sky is a part of Galapagos Sky just posted on their Facebook Page that as of Feb 3 2013 the Galapagos National Park will be allowing up to 4 dives a day again, AND that a few night dives will also be allowed during the cruises! This is great and exciting news! We have not been allowed to do night dives in several years! Stay tuned for operational permits to be issued later this month if not early January for specific Itinerary info...

 

[ChainDiver]

HI Guys...Ali here, Just created this new account for the Divencounters Alliance which Galapagos Sky is a part of Galapagos Sky just posted on their Facebook Page that as of Feb 3 2013 the Galapagos National Park will be allowing up to 4 dives a day again, AND that a few night dives will also be allowed during the cruises! This is great and exciting news! We have not been allowed to do night dives in several years! Stay tuned for operational permits to be issued later this month if not early January for specific Itinerary info...

That is excellent news. Do you know if the night dives will count as part of the 4 dives or will the night dive bring the daily total to 5? When diving from a tender 5 dives might be a bit challenging, but that's why we do live a boards!

 

[jennexplorer]

Hello everyone,
Jennifer from Humboldt Explorer here.
It appears from the wording of the new rules that it is 4 dives total per day. There are also few sites on the new liveaboard itineraries in Galapagos where night diving is possible or appropriate. We'll have to wait and see as Ali noted to get the final details.
The 4 dives per day is good news for all divers.
With the new itineraries all the liveaboards will have nearly the same itineraries starting on different days.
I represent the Humboldt Explorer, which was built in 2009-2010. There are a number of excellent boats, new and old, in Galapagos including Humboldt, Aggressor, Galapagos Sky, Deep Blue and the Buddy boats. My only advice to you would be to choose an established liveaboard from this list that has a good support system should there be cancellations or any other problems. The established boats also use excellent safety equipment and diver locator systems and have sufficient oxygen onboard. Please consider this in choosing a boat. I would be cautious in booking with some of the new "cheaper" boats that are popping up.

 

[ChainDiver]

Thanks for the info Jenn. Did the 3 dives a day impact your passenger loads? Any prospective customer say "I am not going because 3 dives a day is not enough."

 

[Wookie]

I know you didn't ask me, but a lot of my customers said they wouldn't do Galapagos because of the 3 dive per day/3 day limit at Wolf and Darwin. Most folks pay the big bucks at Galapagos to dive Wolf and Darwin. The limitation regarding shore tours combined with liveaboard diving is also frustrating to some.

But it may just be diver talk....

 

[jennexplorer]

The 3 dives per day did not appear to affect our bookings. I had a few clients grumble about the 3 dives per day but it did not change the minds of the majority. The new 4 dives per day is certain and is a welcome change and a bonus for our passengers that booked for 2013 and 2014 without knowing about the extra dive.