Liveabroad Maledives

[Peter_HIL]

Need Help!
Last year, my girl friend and me, had a pretty good time during a live abroad to the Similan Islands. Now we want to do the same on the Maledives, in novembre.
Does anybody have experience with dive safaries on the Maledives? And is there a way to do it a little bit more inexpensive? So we don´t need aircon. There should be more than the few companys that you can book in a "normal" agency.
Thanks a lot.
P.

 

[neilstewart]

Peter just a little word of caution,

I have just returned from an island based trip and a guy who came off a liveaboard had got DCS. He had dived within his Suunto computer limits and maybe he is a bit more suscetible than most, also I understand there were some strong currents not only horizontal but vertical.

Here's the scary bit, after realising that something was wrong with his right arm he asked the operators about a doctor whilst on the capital Island of Male. They told him that there wasn't a dive specialist doctor on Male and that he should continue with his holiday down to the island on which I was staying and there was a doctor there. This was completely untrue and was just passing him onto someone else. Of couse the DO on the island arranged a sea plane with oxygen immediately to take him to the chamber on Bandos where he underwent 4 treatments. Time being crucial in DCS the actions of the liveaboard dive guides was disgraceful.

Make sure you find out about all medical support in the atolls you are visiting and take a break or two.

November is peak holidaymaker season but not neccesarily top diving season, if you want to go cheap try from March/Arpil/May next year. Diving excellent, Whalesharks, Mantas, eagle rays, Great barracuda, 15 strong shoals of sharks, Manta Moblilas in 20's, we even had a frogfish the size of a football which are extremely rare in the Maldives.

Ari Beach rocks

Neil

 

[keralucu]

That's a bit of a frightening story, Neil... I hope the guy is all right now?

(....and you just had to mention the WS and eagle rays, dintcha?? I was in the same water as an eagle ray last weekend but didn't see the damn thing... of course...);-0

 

[The Hamburger]

K,

There are supposed to be a family of Eagle Rays live on The Bremen Wrek.

But unfortunatley the only dive boat that used to dive that site regularly "The Patricia" I believe has been withdrawn from service.

Never mind , I saw one in the Similans last trip and hope to see some again next month ;-)~

The Hamburger

 

[keralucu]

We were at Koh Chuang just around the corner from Hard Deep when the ray was spotted. I dived with Mermaids - it was a really fun trip, despite the fact that our DM (DMT) ran out of air about 15 minutes into the dive and left us to figure out the ascent for ourselves... I enjoyed it, and we made it out with no incident - just very strong current.

So you ARE going to do the discounted Similans trip? Good luck - I hope the weather holds out for you. Don't really want to hear about all your sightings.... well, actually I do - just don't gloat... I'm off to read your Samui report now.