Has anyone done a liveaboard from Singapore?

[Waterbaby09]

Hi All,

I heard from a friend that a Singapore company called White Manta (and Black Manta) do liveaboard trips to the 7 Skies wreck and Anambas Islands area. These trips are meant to leave from Singapore, but they didn't reply when I emailed them and now the trips are off their website.

Has anyone done this and knows of any other operator that might do it?

Thanks!

 

[Zippsy]

I work on the White Manta (or Black Manta) when it sails from Singapore. Unfortunately for us, the South China Sea gets monsoons from November through March. During those months, the seas are too rough for diving most of the time so the ships are based in Phuket and sail to the Similan Islands and other places up there. The diving is actually much better there but it sure is tough (impossible!) for us to do weekend trips there like we can from Singapore.

No one sails to Anambas until at least mid-March or so. The only other boats that go there during the season that I know are our two ships, one operated from Friendly Waters and possibly one from Seaborne Scuba.

If you are travelling to Singapore before April and you want to get some diving in but you only have two days, you are stuck diving in our own murky waters (which few people enjoy) or to go over to Bintan by ferry in Indonesia. The diving is usually a bit better there but not near Anambas standards. It is also hard to find which operator is open on any given day.

If you have a few more days, I can give you lots of ideas a short flight away.

 

[Waterbaby09]

Hiya Zippsy,

Thanks for this info. Actually we are flexible with dates so maybe something like June would be good for us. I can build in the right days and dates to do this Anambas trip if it runs this year. Otherwise maybe something up around Redang? What do you think?

Appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Zippsy]

At least one of the ships will be going to the Seven Skies just about every weekend starting in Mid-April so if you really want to dive that wreck, the schedule will likely be out by the end of the month or so. If you want a land based trip, Flora Bay Divers is supposed to be quite good up there. Others may be able to give you the easiest way to get there. Another option easier to get to from Singapore is Tioman. To get there is about a 4 hour driver then 1 - 3 hour ferry ride.

There is one trip that sails out of Singapore already up on the White Manta website. Because of the Labour Day holiday, there is a 4 day trip going to the Acasta Reef area (30 April - 4 May). I'll be on board then. Vincent has only been there a few times because it can't be reached on a two-day weekend. Last time he was there he found some pristine dive sites with outstanding coral, whale sharks and mantas. If you are up for that, you can sign up already.

 

[Waterbaby09]

Wow - OK I need to monitor the site, can't do that weekend (friend's wedding) but maybe something in June. Thanks for your other tips I will check them out.

I have heard of Vincent - is he contactable? - as I will be booking flights this week and may be able to plan something.

Thanks again.

 

[Zippsy]

PM sent.

 

[Traminer]

Happy New Year Zipster... is the new schedule for WM/BM up yet? The website has not been updated for ex SIN trips in 2008.

 

[Live_in_Sin]

dupe...

 

[Live_in_Sin]

No one sails to Anambas until at least mid-March or so. The only other boats that go there during the season that I know are our two ships, one operated from Friendly Waters and possibly one from Seaborne Scuba.

If you have a bit of problem of motion sickness, I would recommend neither Friendly water nor Seaborne's boat. they are very rocky...

Is that true, Vincent will send WM to Lembeh after HKT season?

 

[Zippsy]

To answer both of your questions, I can tell you with 100% certainty that I don't know. Actually, I was told that Vincent is considering sending one of the boats (probably the White Manta) to elsewhere (possibly Lembeh) instead of having it in Singapore this coming year but I don't believe anything is finalized at all. That is one reason why the schedlue is not up yet. Another reason is that it is still 3 months before either boat can travel from Thailand and few people book so far in advance for the weekend trips to Anambas or Tioman / Aur.