I would like to find a liveaboard--most preferably in Raja Ampat, but I can be flexible--which agrees with that philosophy and will give me the freedom to go dive on my own. (Yes, with my lifelong dive buddy: my wife. And within recreational limits, etc., etc. I just want to go at my own speed and go where I want.)
...SNIP...
I have browsed dozens of web pages for Raja Ampat liveaboards, an none of them will talk about how they conduct their diving. They all go on and on about their great food, their masseuse, their luxurious cabins, the ambiance of the boat, etc., etc. But they never talk about the diving! I've even written to a few of them asking the hard questions, and after going back and forth a few times I learn they will conduct their diving the same way the Komodo Aggressor did. Nuts! I'd rather not go diving than have to tag along with a group.
Any leads would be greatly appreciated.
Bruce
Bruce,
The things you mention are exactly the reason I started running dive trips. After years of frustration on trips alone and with friends, I discovered that
with a full group booking it is possible to find operators that will allow flexible diving instead of forcing arbitrary limits on us. That must be worked out in advance with the operator (resort or LOB) and apparently is only done by a very few people who organize group trips.
I currently run 2-4 charter trips each year in Raja Ampat and have since 1999, and before that in other places since 1996, always with an agenda of flexibility - not just the normal rules of the dive operator.
I checked my website and see that I could probably do a better job of explaining how I conduct the diving. It is there briefly on several of the pages. I put up a new page recently to try and explain the difference - could be improved & perhaps I will find the time to expand the page:
Value-Added-Charter vs Regular Liveaboard Booking
On my charters I offer full and partial days of "open-deck" diving, plus on other days unlimited bottom time, and also specially arranged dives during scheduled surface intervals (if for example someone want to do over/under photography we'll find a spot and send them in a tender with an "assistant" any time they want to go as long as the tender isn't needed for some other task.)
Open-Deck Diving - is where we keep the ship at one dive site, or in a bay that offers several sites within a small area for 1/2 or a full day; divers are allowed to dive when, with whom they want (or alone), as much as they want; if we have to move the ship at a certain time to reach the next site, divers are told when to be out of the water; dive tenders will go out as guests want, and stay on the site anytime someone is in the water (drivers rotated so they can stay attentive). This is all within safe limits of course and we keep an eye on everyone 'cause we don't want one bent diver to ruin the trip for the rest of the group. We try for about (total) 1/2 of each trip as open deck.
Other days we allow unlimited bottom time, keep the tenders on the site anytime someone is in the water, etc. Some truly astounding sites don't lend themselves to open-deck because of the currents. There is a best time to dive and we try to put the group (always limit to 12 guests on a charter) into the water at the peak time - but also (always) separate the 12 into 4 different drops (3 or 4 guests per tender drop "team") so that a large group isn't in the same spot on the site at the same time. Occasionally that happens anyway because of current or some major "find" that everyone wants to see - can't be prevented given the nature of human behavior - but at least most dives have the 12 guests split up so that we rarely see the others - only the divers we want to be around.
I do attempt to vet divers for their experience before they book onto a trip, and discourage beginning divers and people who are not really comfortable in the water from joining us. I don't always succeed in identifying divers for which my trip isn't appropriate (got a few blasts on forums from a couple of them!) and occasionally get people who've done hundreds of dives but are still quite uncomfortable in the water or who expect high voltage shark diving like Cocos in Raja Ampat!
I have my own team of cruise director, dive guides and local guide that come with me every year. With the extra guides I hire I can still put divers who need more assistance with a guide and separate them from the experienced divers so everyone has a good experience. We split the "teams" so that divers with compatible skills & interests are riding the tender to the site at the same time (notice I didn't say "diving as a group together"). For example, I might send out a solo diver who doesn't want a guide with 2 divers who want/need a guide in the same tender. In this example if there is a current, the guide can be sure all 3 are dropped into the correct spot, lead all 3 down to the reef, and then they can split up with the guide going with the 2 who want one.
This is getting too long!
Disclaimers: Weather conditions, currents, mechanical problems, etc. can force alteration of plans. One tender must always stay on the site watching the divers, so there can be a short wait for someone who wants to go out. On open-deck days 3 divers must go out together in order to take a guide (so that we don't end up with someone who needs a guide and none available), but this can be altered if not all the group is diving so much. Any diver who is discovered to be a risk to themselves
and therefore to the trip will not be allowed to dive alone, or without a guide, whatever is appropriate to keep the diver & the trip safe.
If need be, I'm willing to eat C-rations and drink paddy water. In other words, I don't really care how great the food is. I don't want a massage at the end of the day, and I would be willing to sleep in a bunk room. But I do NOT want to have to tag along behind some kid who doesn't have a fraction of the time in the water I do. How do I find an operation that will let me do that?
The ship I charter isn't luxury but we do have private cabins for 2 with individual AC, ensuite bath. Food is tasty - tailored to divers on each trip, normally a mix of mostly Asian plus some Western and can accomodate allergies, vegan ,etc. Massage available, but we won't force it on you). It is quite comfortable. It is not a ship for someone who want to spend most of the time in their cabin or for non-divers. Nitrox available. One of the best ergonomically for diving that I've seen with an indoor dive deck, dive gear always inside (not in the sun), dive briefings inside, hot water showers for post-dives on the deck, inside storage for wetsuits, camera table with 2 big padded freshwater rinse tanks, more... anyway not a backpacker style ship.
Darnold9999 has been on the ship, but unfortunately I set him up to join the charter of another trip organizer that had an open space available last minute. He discovered that not all trip leaders will control abusive divers in their group and that caused big problems for Darnold9999 and for another scubaboard member who also joined that specific trip. My apologies DArnold, again!
Bruce, You wrote you prefer Raja Ampat. Seems you + wife and one of my charters might be a good fit. I invite you to check the website on my sig file below and contact me via email or phone for more info. I simply shouldn't have even written as much as I did here on scubaboard and I do have more to add!
Currently 2 spaces (1 cabin) available in 2014 due to a cancellation this month.
