Land based diving in Truk: Truk stop hotel vs blue moon lagoon

[Phil111]

Any recent experiences with these operators? Current prices have Blue Moon at $70 a night more with two tank diving.

Thinking of two weeks.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Not sure about Blue Moon but Blue Lagoon is very good. I have dived multiple times with both, I would not dive again with Truk Stop. I have been there six times diving with Blue Lagoon on five trips and Truk Stop twice.
The reasons:

* Blue Lagoon closer to all but one or two of the wrecks
* Blue Lagoon has more boats offering a greater variety of diving (eg in a group you can split into sub-groups)
* Blue Lagoon has nicer grounds and rooms
* Blue Lagoon has better guides (far more experienced - a few have over 20 years of diving the wrecks)
* Blue Lagoon comes back for lunch, giving far longer surface intervals (Truk Stop tends to stay out, do two dives with shorter intervals and comes back by lunch)
* Blue Lagoon owner nice
* Blue Lagoon has a beach for swimming
* Blue Lagoon has oxygen on tap

Downside:
* Blue Lagoon may be more expensive (was in 2004, but was cheaper in 2011)
* Blue Lagoon further from town and any other food options (but has small store nearby)

However, I can see where $70 a night makes a difference. Who are your prices from? I just searched both web sites and for two people in a room, doing two dives a day, the cost was $185 for Truk Stop and $180 for Blue Lagoon (plus 5% tax from what I could see) each.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Blue Lagoon has the better resort grounds & ambiance; Truk Odyssey is the best of the liveaboards (now finally providing banked 21/40 trimix) ; but the Truk Stop Hotel/Truk Lagoon Dive Center has the better tech diving support --the only dive operation in all of Micronesia with Helium readily available for mixing any desired blend of trimix and Oxygen for Eanx30, and deco mixes of 50% and 100% always available as well. Blue Lagoon Dive Shop will only guarantee He & O2 supplies if you pre-order months in advance (they now have an Oxygen generation system finally installed), while Truk Stop always has the gases for the ad-lib/drop-in traveling tech diver (larger groups though should probably call ahead).

Also, for the deeper wrecks of the Fourth Fleet Anchorage (San Francisco Maru; Aikoku Maru; Nagano Maru etc), the Blue Lagoon Guides on single tank will only escort you down to the wreck and rarely guide you through, while Truk Lagoon Dive Center Manager Rob McGann or Dive Guide Nuwa will personally lead you on penetrations of the hull, cargo holds, superstructure & engine rooms and do the decompression profile along with you (if you're Technical Wreck/Trimix qualified). . .

http://www.dive-truklagoon.com/diving-rates-2014.html

Gas bill, tank rental & boat dive-ops charges from my last two week trip in Dec'13 (see attached):

 

[Rhone Man]

Strongly suggest you contemplate the Odyssey if that is possible. They will ruin you for life.

Haven't dived Truk Stop, but certainly enjoyed my diving with Blue Lagoon. Hotel is a bit rustic - enjoy your diving because there 'aint a lot else to do.

 

[bamafan]

I don't know what kind of diving you are planning on doing but the Odyssey is the way to go for recreational diving. I have heard great things about their Tec charters but I haven't been on one. As far as a dive guide Rob at the Truk Stop blew away any we had at Blue Lagoon. I would do a week on the Odyssey with land based diving before and after the Odyssey. The grounds are nicer at Blue Lagoon but I wouldn't classify the rooms as nice. Spotty a/c and hot water. I personally would use the Truk Stop for my land based diving.

 

[Phil111]

Blue Lagoon has the better resort grounds & ambiance; Truk Odyssey is the best of the liveaboards (now finally providing banked 21/40 trimix) ; but the Truk Stop Hotel/Truk Lagoon Dive Center has the better tech diving support --the only dive operation in all of Micronesia with Helium readily available for mixing any desired blend of trimix and Oxygen for Eanx30, and deco mixes of 50% and 100% always available as well. Blue Lagoon Dive Shop will only guarantee He & O2 supplies if you pre-order months in advance (they now have an Oxygen generation system finally installed), while Truk Stop always has the gases for the ad-lib/drop-in traveling tech diver (larger groups though should probably call ahead).

Also, for the deeper wrecks of the Fourth Fleet Anchorage (San Francisco Maru; Aikoku Maru; Nagano Maru etc), the Blue Lagoon Guides on single tank will only escort you down to the wreck and rarely guide you through, while Truk Lagoon Dive Center Manager Rob McGann or Dive Guide Nuwa will personally lead you on penetrations of the hull, cargo holds, superstructure & engine rooms and do the decompression profile along with you (if you're Technical Wreck/Trimix qualified). . .

Truk Lagoon Dive Center|The Truk Stop Hotel|Chuuk hotel is a PADI Resort offering great accommodations plus a full service dive center. official truk stop hotel website, official truk lagoon website, about truk stop hotel, about truk lagoon hotel, co

Gas bill, tank rental & boat dive-ops charges from my last two week trip in Dec'13 (see attached):

How much do you think you'll save on your(upcoming) RB trip on gas costs?

Great replies everyone. Appreciated.

 

[Kevrumbo]

How much do you think you'll save on your(upcoming) RB trip on gas costs?

Great replies everyone. Appreciated.

Probably won't recoup the initial outlay & training costs for the Rebreather until maybe a total of six two-week Truk trips utilizing it.

The way my savings are looking like right now, I either spend the monies for certification on the RB, or spend it for another Open Circuit trip to Truk this coming June. . .

 

[Phil111]

...or spend it for another Open Circuit trip to Truk this coming June. . .

??????.....????? now I'm really confused! Does that mean you're saving to buy a RB?

 

[Kevrumbo]

??????.....????? now I'm really confused! Does that mean you're saving to buy a RB?

I bought the RB . . .but currently only have funds remaining to either get instruction & training on it --or make a reservation with the Truk Stop Hotel & United Airlines for the trip in June. Can't do both right now.