Live Aboard v. Land Based Diving in Palau

[Tim Ingersoll]

If you are looking to combine the liveaboard experience with a more personalized approach I can highly reccommend the Eclipse. Best dive/tour experience I have ever had. Sam's Tours: Palau Diving Micronesia Island Hopping

 

[farsidefan1]

Some friends pf mine just got back from a trip on the Ocean Hunter III. They had a spectacular time. Not crowded at all. There were 6 of them. Made me want to cry that I didn't join them.

 

[jdfmail]

Looking into a few of these boats I see that they are way over my budget. $3000+ for 7 days. I'm sure that they are worthy, but, are there any budget option when diving in Palau? Also see landbased for $150 for 2 dives. WOW that's expensive coming from SEA where 2 dives are less than half of that maybe even 30%.

I really would love to dive here next year, how can I do it on a budget? Thanks for any help!

 

[Bubble Junky]

The day boats all seem to head to the same sites at the same time. On a liveaboard you get to do a pre-breakfast wake up dive at Blue Corner with no other boat around, then later, when you go out for your second dive of the day to a different site, you can see the masses gathering at Blue Corner and you'll be glad you did the liveaboard.

I really would love to dive here next year, how can I do it on a budget? Thanks for any help!

The Expedition fleet liveabords are a bit cheaper than the rest, I believe.

 

[robint]

Looking into a few of these boats I see that they are way over my budget. $3000+ for 7 days. I'm sure that they are worthy, but, are there any budget option when diving in Palau? Also see landbased for $150 for 2 dives. WOW that's expensive coming from SEA where 2 dives are less than half of that maybe even 30%.

I really would love to dive here next year, how can I do it on a budget? Thanks for any help!

I agree with you......... HOWEVER, Palau diving is worth it. I would NOT do land-based because of the cost. When you can do a liveaboard with 4-5 dives per day for 6 days, the cost per dive is much less! And much more relaxing, too, as you aren't spending half your day on those long boat rides!
If you do land-based you have to add in cost of food and transportation (taxis) so it really isn't that much cheaper than a liveaboard regardless.
The Expedition Fleet boat, Big Blue Explorer, is less expensive than the Aggressor or Ocean Hunter boats. Check into it and see if you can afford it. If you want to go to Palau, this is the way to do it!

jdfmail, if you are living and diving in SE Asia already, Palau may not be as big a deal to you as it is for us back in US. I am sure you would love it, but you may not see anything you don't already see at other SEA locations. The big thing for us is that in Palau we can see tons of sharks and also see mantas and tons of tropicals and dramatic walls and small creatures and WWII wrecks - all in one week. Back in Caribbean, we either see lots of big stuff or lots of small stuff or wrecks, but rarely ALL of them in the same dive location. Palau has all the best of the Pacific....so we are able to see more in one week.

robin

 

[Riger]

All the above points are valid. I am in favour of Liveaboards for another reason too and that is the people you meet and make friends with. We (wifey & I) have made very good friends on both of our liveaboards. I don't think the resort atmosphere quite lends itself to that in the same way.

Best Regards
Richard