Liveaboard late Oct-Nov Will it be suitable for me if I cant descend quickly?

[NZAnna]

Hi,

I will be in Singapore for work late October this year, and due to the proximity to the Maldives (I live in NZ) I'm super keen to do a dive trip there. However I am getting the vibe that due to the currents there, it is often required to do quick descents. I have always had equalizing issues which sometimes means I take a good 5-10mins to get to depth. Does this mean a live-aboard is a bad option for me? I have done loads of drift dives in current in the Red Sea, but getting to depth quickly was never a requirement as I could just hover above until I could equalize. Or could I sit some dives out? I would be open to going on a live-aboard that also takes snorkelers and do a bit of both - if I cant always do the dives. Any thoughts? Any suggestions of particular boats? I will be travelling solo and not aiming for anything super luxurious.

Thanks!

 

[mantajohn]

Hi Anna

Firstly, October is a great time to visit the Maldives. Its virtually main season conditions but generally not yet main season prices.

Not being able to descend reasonably quickly is a problem - but only on some dives. So you should be able to work around it and still have a great dive trip.There are lots of great dive sites that dont need a rapid descent.

Rapid descents are only really needed on 'channel dives'. Unlike in the Red Sea where you can track above a drifting group, on a Maldives channel dive, if you do not descend with the group, then they will make it to the reef and you probably will not. I've done this a couple of dives. I ended up just drifting in the blue & had to bin the dive.

But, the number of times that liveaboards try channel dives varies greatly. I once spent a week on Nautilus2 and they didn't do a single one. Whereas this spring on Virgo almost every dive was straight into the strongest current we could find.

Some suggestions:
- Channel dives are generally to find sharks. So i suggest avoiding itineraries called 'shark sensations' etc
- avoid most 'southern atolls' or 'deep south' itineraries - they tend to do a lot of channel dives
- in October some boats head for Baa Atoll region. this may include snorkelling in Hanifaru Bay (with Mantas). Brilliant. much better than most dives.
- also check out itineraries including South Ari atoll. Most lobs there replace 1/2 days diving with whale shark snorkelling
- might be worth looking at a bigger lob. You will not be the only person who cannot descend quickly. On a larger boat with more guides, they may be able to group the slower descenders together.

I hope these thoughts are helpful.

John

 

[NZAnna]

Hi Anna

Firstly, October is a great time to visit the Maldives. Its virtually main season conditions but generally not yet main season prices.

Not being able to descend reasonably quickly is a problem - but only on some dives. So you should be able to work around it and still have a great dive trip.There are lots of great dive sites that dont need a rapid descent.

Rapid descents are only really needed on 'channel dives'. Unlike in the Red Sea where you can track above a drifting group, on a Maldives channel dive, if you do not descend with the group, then they will make it to the reef and you probably will not. I've done this a couple of dives. I ended up just drifting in the blue & had to bin the dive.

But, the number of times that liveaboards try channel dives varies greatly. I once spent a week on Nautilus2 and they didn't do a single one. Whereas this spring on Virgo almost every dive was straight into the strongest current we could find.

Some suggestions:
- Channel dives are generally to find sharks. So i suggest avoiding itineraries called 'shark sensations' etc
- avoid most 'southern atolls' or 'deep south' itineraries - they tend to do a lot of channel dives
- in October some boats head for Baa Atoll region. this may include snorkelling in Hanifaru Bay (with Mantas). Brilliant. much better than most dives.
- also check out itineraries including South Ari atoll. Most lobs there replace 1/2 days diving with whale shark snorkelling
- might be worth looking at a bigger lob. You will not be the only person who cannot descend quickly. On a larger boat with more guides, they may be able to group the slower descenders together.

I hope these thoughts are helpful.

John

Hi John,

That is very helpful thank you! The itineraries/boats I have been looking at follow "the best of the Maldives" route which involves snorkeling with Whale sharks - which is my main bucket list item!! I may have to sit out some dives if they do involve negative entry/quick descents, but I would still like to do a trip to the Maldives so hopefully this itinerary will suit! IF there are any in particular you know of that I should look into that would be awesome! I am looking at either a 28th or 29th October departure.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Divebooker.com]

Hi Anna,

I agree with John regarding recommendations.
I would highly suggest you to advise your dive guide while on board that you are not able to make quick descents so he will try to find you “slower” buddy and maybe will keep you away from some dives where you can experience problems.
Following your request regarding liveaboard trips in late October I would like to offer you some options that might be suitable and which I can recommend based on feedback from our clients , so please find more details below:
1. Carpe Diem
North Male - South Ari - Meemu - Vaavu - South Male (7 Nights Trip)
28 Oct – 04 Nov 2017
Price starts from 1665 USD per person in Standard Twin Share Cabin

2. Maldives Master (Blue Voyager)
Magical Maldives (7 Nights Trip)
29 Oct – 05 Nov 2017
Special deal saves you 20% on this trip. Price starts from 1680 USD per person in Standard Twin Share Cabin

3. Emperor Leo
Best of the Maldives (7 Nights Trip)
28 Oct – 04 Nov 2017
Price starts from 1619 EUR per person in Standard Twin Share Cabin

Hope you find it helpful Please, do not hesitate to contact if you have any questions.

Alex

 

[mantajohn]

Hi Anna

I'm pretty comfortable with dive booker.com 's first 2 suggestions. Less sure about the Leo.

Which boats were you shortlisting from your own research? It might be worth mentioning the boats here. If SB ers have personal experience of the boats in question, they are pretty good at joining in the conversation.

John

 

[NZAnna]

Hi Anna,

I agree with John regarding recommendations.
I would highly suggest you to advise your dive guide while on board that you are not able to make quick descents so he will try to find you “slower” buddy and maybe will keep you away from some dives where you can experience problems.
Following your request regarding liveaboard trips in late October I would like to offer you some options that might be suitable and which I can recommend based on feedback from our clients , so please find more details below:
1. Carpe Diem
North Male - South Ari - Meemu - Vaavu - South Male (7 Nights Trip)
28 Oct – 04 Nov 2017
Price starts from 1665 USD per person in Standard Twin Share Cabin

2. Maldives Master (Blue Voyager)
Magical Maldives (7 Nights Trip)
29 Oct – 05 Nov 2017
Special deal saves you 20% on this trip. Price starts from 1680 USD per person in Standard Twin Share Cabin

3. Emperor Leo
Best of the Maldives (7 Nights Trip)
28 Oct – 04 Nov 2017
Price starts from 1619 EUR per person in Standard Twin Share Cabin

Hope you find it helpful Please, do not hesitate to contact if you have any questions.

Alex

Hi Alex,

Thanks very much for the recommendations.

I see John was a little unsure about the "best of the Maldives" route on the Leo. This is actually the itinerary I have been looking at mostly so if you think that one of the others would be better, I will start looking at those too.

John, I have been looking at Emperor Leo, and Serenity, both of which are on the "Best of" itinerary. Plus a couple of others. This seems to be the main itinerary at this time of year which is why I have been checking those out.

I am most interested in Whale shark encounters, so if anyone knows of the best itinerary option from 28th/29th October then I can start looking at those boat options too. I haven't had a good look at the "Magical Madives" or the "North t south Male" routes yet, but will do so. I have been looking at sites that have loads of reviews on the boats so that is how I have been narrowing options - but really the route might be the most important place to start!

Thanks again for your help! It is really useful to get opinions from those who have been!

Anna

 

[mantajohn]

Hi Anna

Best of Maldives is probably the ideal itinerary for anybody's first Maldives liveaboard.

It was the Leo that I am less enthusiastic about. I've dived with all 3 companies that Alex suggests. My personal view is that I'd rank Leo as the third best boat/experience vs the other 2.

John

 

[Divebooker.com]

Hi Anna,

Basically the "Best of Maldives" or "Magical Maldives" is just different naming of more or less the sames routes. These are always central atolls of the Maldives where the most famous attractions are (whale sharks and manta rays).
Commonly the best place to encounter whale sharks is South Ari Atoll. It is a Marine Protected Area and there are many "small individuals" growing up in its waters.
So without any doubt you can have a closer look at alternative options with Maldives Master (Blue Voyager) or Carpe Diem.

At your disposal,
Alex

 

[NZAnna]

Hi Anna

Best of Maldives is probably the ideal itinerary for anybody's first Maldives liveaboard.

It was the Leo that I am less enthusiastic about. I've dived with all 3 companies that Alex suggests. My personal view is that I'd rank Leo as the third best boat/experience vs the other 2.

John

HI John,

Do you mean the boat or the Emperor fleet in general? I have been looking at Emperor Virgo and Serenity as I think, now looking at flights, I will have to go for a 28th departure. I have looked at the other Carpe boats such at Carpe Vita but apparently they dont visit the whale chark sites on a North Male - Ari - Vaavu - South Male route.....so I am now back to the emperor fleet and maybe Virgo vs serenity....

Now i have decided on the 29th it does narrow things down. I did consider the Scubaspa boats but they leave on the 28th...

I will look at the Magical Maldives - Blue Voyager too. Haven't comapred that one yet!

SO many options!

 

[Diver Roonz]

Hi Anna,

Great to see other NZ divers heading to the Maldives. We recently did some diving at a resort and then on the scubaspa liveaboard. We were diving with one of the crew from the Emperor company at the resort and he seemed like a very nice and knowledgeable man (we actually bumped into him again underwater when he was with his liveaboard company and we were with ours).

Re descending due to strong currents. We did 23 dives while we were there, my partner has a similar, but perhaps not as extreme, problem with ear equalisation. None of the 23 dives we did required negative entry, although some sites this was discussed although the nature of the currents meant that these were not necessary. However, in preparing for this our strategy was for my partner to be the second person in the water after the divemaster, and without using a negative entry would then slowly start descending. I would then be the last diver from our group in the water in which case I would 'catch-up' to my partner, and then keep an eye on her as she descended slower than the rest of the group. Bear in mind we are experienced divers and do dive often.

We never ran into any issues, a couple of times we may have had to swim slightly harder against the currents than we would have if we had simply descended at a faster rate - but to be honest it doesn't make much of a difference.

Hope this helps
We also made a video of our footage (not so subtle plug) which you can view here - may have to copy into browser