Liveaboard Recommendations

[Damselfish]

PH and Aggressor are generally towards the higher end of liveaboards. They are sometimes described as luxury but that's luxury on the LOB scale, not the Ritz. They're luxurious compared to Blackbeards at the low end, or Nekton someplace in the middle. The PH and Aggressor boats can be a little different in atmosphere, but that varies from boat to boat. They're basically at the same level of quality, which also varies a bit from boat to boat. I would not call all Aggressors stable. They have some cats and some monohulls. The cats are obviously more stable than the monohulls. The ride depends a lot on the location and weather too.

The Kona Aggressor is easy diving and a good first liveaboard experience. It's a little different than land based, as they usually travel far south down the coast where the dayboats don't go. And you don't have to get up so early to meet the boat. Much lower hassle factor for more dives than land based. But if you've already done your fill of Kona diving I'd choose someplace else, as the diving won't be tremendously different. I will say, when I was on it the food was by far the best of any liveaboard I've done, and better than most restaurants on land for that matter.

As far as boats that dive the same areas as land based ops. The Utila Aggressor comes to mind (and formerly the Bay Islands Aggressor) as often criticized on this. There's so much more they could do in that area. Another is the Cayman Aggressor. It does usually dive all 3 Cayman islands on one trip, and you'll probably get in more dives than land based - but again it's all sites you could do land based. There's still plenty of people that will prefer these trips over land based for various reasons, it depends what's important to you.

 

[AZdiver1279]

PH and Aggressor are generally towards the higher end of liveaboards. They are sometimes described as luxury but that's luxury on the LOB scale, not the Ritz. They're luxurious compared to Blackbeards at the low end, or Nekton someplace in the middle. The PH and Aggressor boats can be a little different in atmosphere, but that varies from boat to boat. They're basically at the same level of quality, which also varies a bit from boat to boat. I would not call all Aggressors stable. They have some cats and some monohulls. The cats are obviously more stable than the monohulls. The ride depends a lot on the location and weather too.

The Kona Aggressor is easy diving and a good first liveaboard experience. It's a little different than land based, as they usually travel far south down the coast where the dayboats don't go. And you don't have to get up so early to meet the boat. Much lower hassle factor for more dives than land based. But if you've already done your fill of Kona diving I'd choose someplace else, as the diving won't be tremendously different. I will say, when I was on it the food was by far the best of any liveaboard I've done, and better than most restaurants on land for that matter.

As far as boats that dive the same areas as land based ops. The Utila Aggressor comes to mind (and formerly the Bay Islands Aggressor) as often criticized on this. There's so much more they could do in that area. Another is the Cayman Aggressor. It does usually dive all 3 Cayman islands on one trip, and you'll probably get in more dives than land based - but again it's all sites you could do land based. There's still plenty of people that will prefer these trips over land based for various reasons, it depends what's important to you.

Thanks Damselfish!

Good info!

So, in the LOB world Blackbeards would be like the Motel 6 and PH agressor would be like the 4 stars and Necton would be a 3 star?

What time of year were you on the KA? Did you get to find dolphins?

Also, good food certainly scores points

 

[robint]

Thanks Damselfish!

Good info!

So, in the LOB world Blackbeards would be like the Motel 6 and PH agressor would be like the 4 stars and Necton would be a 3 star?

What time of year were you on the KA? Did you get to find dolphins?

Also, good food certainly scores points

I have not been on a Blackbeards trip but 3 sets of friends have - 2 groups loved it though it is rustic (sleeping area is bunkbeds wtih no privacy) and the boats are small and rock, showers are limited. The other couple hated the trip, said it was awful and smelly (lack of showers) and many people got seasick which was not fun (they were both fine but others puking constantly was a drag). Personally, I might do the Blackbeards boat with a group of friends that I like -but it is very close quarters to get stuck in for a week with people you don't like.

The Nekton is definitely a step up from that. You have private rooms with bathrooms (no sharing) and also unlimited fresh water showers. The only time it is a problem is if everyone is taking showers at same time. We never had a problem.

If you want to do Pacific diving, consider one of the liveaboards in Palau! We did the Eco Explorer (sister ship of the Big Blue Explorer) and LOVED it. The boat is a funky, old Japanese whaler turned into a dive boat but very functional and roomy. And you really can't tell you are on a boat, it is that big and stable. There are a few others there though that area nicer, like the Ocean Hunter III and the Palau Aggressor. You live on the boat then go to dive sites on a smaller skiff, so dive gear never moves which is nice! See my videos here: Palau, Micronesia on Vimeo
It is really first rate diving - not for beginners though. Palau has current so almost every dive is done as drift. We had sharks on almost every dive, including one where we drifted right through a school of 40+ sharks. What a blast!! Here is my trip report: http://www.rnrscuba.net/Palau2007/Palau2007_TripReport.html

There is also the Truk Odyssey, luxury liveaboard that is very stable and fantastic diving. Friends did this trip a few years ago and raved about it. Dives are deep and all wrecks but the wrecks are covered with life and fish. Same area as Palau and expensive, just like Palau. http://www.caradonna.com/destination/Micronesia.aspx

robin

 

[AZdiver1279]

Robin -

Thanks for taking the time to post the nice reply and all that good info!

Thanks also for the links, I looked at them and Palau looks like a fantastic option. I loved your detailed dive reports and photos. I would love to dive Palau.

Thanks for commenting on the Nekton and the clarification concerning water pressure.

Take Care!

 

[raviepoo]

I can tell you about Blackbeards from personal experience. I don't really think of Blackbeards as the Motel 6 of liveaboards. I think of it as backpacking the Applacian trail. The accomodations are not luxurious, but they are adequate. The food is camp style but satisfying. Salt water showers take a bit of adjustment but you do get to rinse off with fresh water so you end up feeling clean. If you need the Ritz, cross Blackbeards off your list. Likewise if you really NEED to do 5 dives a day with all the Nitrox you can huff, then Blackbeards is not for you.

If you enjoy being on the ocean at night with nothing but running lights and stars and absent motor sounds, consider Blackbeards. If you're idea of a port night runs more towards a tiny town with real people and one itty bitty bar (No Casinos and no 12$ beers), consider Blackbeards. If you enjoy a quiet stroll down an empty beach on an uninhabited island, consider Blackbeards.

I have seen some of the most amazing sights of my dive life on Blackbeards Cruises. They regulargly visit a standing wreck in 13 feet of water. It's surrounded by grass beds with razorfish and stingrays. If you do it as a sunset dive the biomass surrounding the wreck is really mind-blowing. So many fish traveling their personal fish highways, on the way home from another jam-packed day of whatever fish do. It is awe-inspiring to see it.

The Bahamas are not what the Bahamas once were. The pristine walls I remember are not so pristine. But there are still wonderful thigs to see there and reall wildlife encounters out in the real wild.

I've done a number of liveaboards. Peter Hughes trips. Aggressor Fleet here and there. Ultimate Getaway. An old clipper ship in Cairns Australia that seems to have closed down operations. Blackbeards luxuroius sister ship the Aqua Cat. I keep coming back to Blackbeards for the wind in my hair and the silent nights on the water.

 

[Shasta_man]

The boat for the PH Komodo trip we did was probably 3 stars, rather than 4. No big concerns with the boat, just not "luxurious". Indonesia phinisi style. Decent cabins, not very big. Good food. Great crew. 11 days of diving for 3 grand! And we even got a discount of that. PH has a bunch of discounts, including a 50% off another cruise in the same year. Amazing diving, of course. And Bali is a cool place to see as well; all the way from the heaviest poverty you've seen to big buildings. We did the Big Blue Explorer in Palau and it was great. Not a luxurious boat, just a good sized cabin, plenty of room on deck, good dive boats. What's great about Palau is most of the time you just anchor in German Channel, like an island, surrounded by the most beautiful blue sea and islands, with all the dive sites just a few minutes away in all directions; and all the famous sites too with the sharks. Fiji is great because they have good diving and the people are fantastic, and it's short travel compared to most Pacific locations, except Hawaii. Friendliest people on earth for me.

So we've narrowed down the choices to a 100, eh?!

Probably only the Caribbean spots and Lembeh Straight would be places where the land based locations would provide equal access.

 

[AZdiver1279]

The boat for the PH Komodo trip we did was probably 3 stars, rather than 4. No big concerns with the boat, just not "luxurious". Indonesia phinisi style. Decent cabins, not very big. Good food. Great crew. 11 days of diving for 3 grand! And we even got a discount of that. PH has a bunch of discounts, including a 50% off another cruise in the same year. Amazing diving, of course. And Bali is a cool place to see as well; all the way from the heaviest poverty you've seen to big buildings. We did the Big Blue Explorer in Palau and it was great. Not a luxurious boat, just a good sized cabin, plenty of room on deck, good dive boats. What's great about Palau is most of the time you just anchor in German Channel, like an island, surrounded by the most beautiful blue sea and islands, with all the dive sites just a few minutes away in all directions; and all the famous sites too with the sharks. Fiji is great because they have good diving and the people are fantastic, and it's short travel compared to most Pacific locations, except Hawaii. Friendliest people on earth for me.

So we've narrowed down the choices to a 100, eh?!

Probably only the Caribbean spots and Lembeh Straight would be places where the land based locations would provide equal access.

Thanks Shasta!

All the info is good!

Actually I was hoping for a whole lot of Nekton positive posts but they haven't come. It would have made it easy just because of the stability issue and concern about my wife’s ability to adjust to LOB life for a week. We've done several cruises but of course cruise ships are like being on land so not really an indication of how she'll do on a LOB.

Seems like some good press for Aggressor and PH. I had not really considered Palau but I will start looking into it........sounds like great diving although vis seems to be suspect sometimes. After CZM and FP though it tough to compare vis.

Fiji - we have a friend who lived in Fiji for 8 years and raves about the diving there. What LOB did you use there? What islands does the LOB dive from........isn't there a couple of different areas? Sorry for all the questions but Fiji is intriguing and I have heard several comments about the people being so friendly. Anymore info on Fiji and Fiji LOBs would be much appreciated.......I'll do some homework but it's nice to hear from those who have firsthand experience.

Thanks!

 

[robint]

Thanks Shasta!

All the info is good!

Actually I was hoping for a whole lot of Nekton positive posts but they haven't come. It would have made it easy just because of the stability issue and concern about my wife’s ability to adjust to LOB life for a week. We've done several cruises but of course cruise ships are like being on land so not really an indication of how she'll do on a LOB.

Seems like some good press for Aggressor and PH. I had not really considered Palau but I will start looking into it........sounds like great diving although vis seems to be suspect sometimes. After CZM and FP though it tough to compare vis.

Fiji - we have a friend who lived in Fiji for 8 years and raves about the diving there. What LOB did you use there? What islands does the LOB dive from........isn't there a couple of different areas? Sorry for all the questions but Fiji is intriguing and I have heard several comments about the people being so friendly. Anymore info on Fiji and Fiji LOBs would be much appreciated.......I'll do some homework but it's nice to hear from those who have firsthand experience.

Thanks!

you probably aren't going to get lots of Nekton positive replies in particular as your post didn't really ask for them, plus the thread then gets into a big argument about the boats, which you really don't want.

We did the Nekton twice and loved both trips. I have trip reports, videos, and photos on my website.

If you do want to go to Fiji on a liveaboard, there are a couple to look at. The Na'a, the Aggressor, and the PH boat which is new there. I would recommend the Aggressor boat that is pontoon rather than monohull though if you are concerned about the wife getting seasick. A friend did the other Agressor boat a few years ago, the monohull one, and he said several people had problems with the rocking.

when are you looking at doing this "first" liveaboard trip? Knowing your preferred travel dates might make the decision where to go much easier!

examples:
Palau prime season is Dec-April because of sharks and mantas mating seasons (sharks Dec-Feb, mantas Mar-Apr). Rainy season is Sept-Nov. It rains daily in Palau, but off and on in dry season. Rainy season means constant downpours so bad they can't even send dive boats out and some liveaboards shut down for whole month of Oct since it is so bad.
Bahamas - the Aquacat is there year round, Nekton is only there in late spring-summer. Water temps are chilly and sometimes pretty bumpy from Jan-May, calmer and warmer in summer months but there is chance of hurricanes.


robin

 

[robint]

one more thing........ don't overlook YouTube, it is your friend.
There are great videos, some professionally done, regarding different liveaboards.

Here is the series about Aquacat, I think it looks like a fun trip:
YouTube - Join Oceanblue Divers on the Aqua Cat in the Bahamas!
YouTube - Aqua Cat Cruises, Chapter 2
YouTube - Aqua Cat Cruises, Chapter 3
YouTube - Aqua Cat Cruises, Chapter 4

here's one for T&C Explorer:
YouTube - ScubaRadio in the Turks and Caicos!


here's the one for Nai'a:
YouTube - NAI'A Premiere Liveaboard Diving


robin

 

[chinacat46]

FYI. The monohull Fiji Aggressor boat is now the PH boat.