Maldives trip report ... south atolls on the Carpe Vita Explorer
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lv2dive
Formerly known as KatePNAtl
I missed this thread the first time around... thanks for the trip report... definitely appreciate the details including the likes and dislikes...
Also specifically glad to hear you enjoyed using Explorer Ventures in the Maldives. I've been on their T&C boat (Explorer II I believe) and have decided after trying a few different options that Explorer Ventures is going to be my first choice whenever possible.
Thanks again, great writeup!
Also specifically glad to hear you enjoyed using Explorer Ventures in the Maldives. I've been on their T&C boat (Explorer II I believe) and have decided after trying a few different options that Explorer Ventures is going to be my first choice whenever possible.
Thanks again, great writeup!
OP
- Messages
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hi Bob, approx how much did it cost for 10 day trip. i in India and want to try my hands on diving
_______________________________
The boat for 10 days was $3650. Add in another $220 for nitrox and reef hook rental and an appropriate tip. My flight, round-trip was roughly $2000. And my incidental expenses coming and going were another $200. So the whole trip cost me just shy of $7000 ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Bob, could you briefly list the sites you really enjoyed and the ones to be stayed away from? I've got two trips to the Maldives coming up, one this month at a resort and one in August on the Carpe Vita, and would like to know what to ask for and what to try to steer the dive guides away from. Thanks!
OP
- Messages
- 97,390
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It depends on what you like, really. Some of the sites that I least enjoyed were the channel dives. Because there were people in my group who couldn't "hot drop", due to difficulty clearing their ears, the crew were dropping us pretty far away from the areas where we could hook in and watch for pelagic life. As a result, we were spending those dives either drifting with, or kicking into current ... following an essentially lifeless wall for 30 minutes or so at between 70 and 90 feet until it was time to ascend. Those dives, to me, were a waste. On the other hand, the other two groups ... who were being dropped closer to the corners where the sharks and rays hung out ... enjoyed those sites a lot, and wanted to do more of them. As a result, some of our group decided they weren't worth the effort and just sat out the last few of them.
Looking through my dive logs, I could've skipped Thaa atoll altogether ... mostly what I logged was a lot of channel dives with heavy current, poor visibility and relatively dead reefs. Couple of interesting reef dives toward the end of the day, but not really worthwhile for a $7000 trip. And the one dive we did multiple times ... Rangali Madivaru on South Ari ... I could've skipped altogether. This is where they take people to see mantas ... but of the three dives we did here, we only saw mantas on the last one. But I didn't enjoy it because a LOT of boats go there ... the one time we saw mantas it was literally raining divers who were landing on each other, crawling around on the bottom, kicking and destroying what little coral hadn't already been destroyed ... it was not pleasant at all. The reef is trashed because of overuse, and it was impossible to get a decent picture because of all the flailing divers getting in the way. Frankly I just wanted out of there.
Laamu atoll had generally the best visibility and most interesting channel dives for my taste. But I most enjoyed the two wrecks we did ... Kuda Giri on South Male atoll and Machafushi on South Ari atoll. I thought those two dives were the best ones of the entire trip and would happily do them multiple times since you couldn't cover all of either site on a single dive anyway. Both wrecks sit next to very nice reefs ... Kuda Giri in particular was a place I could happily spend hours.
All of that said, you mentioned that you are going in August, which means you will likely be going north, rather than south as we did.
My recommendation would be to discuss with your group what kind of diving you want to do, and then discuss it with the crew. I can promise you that this crew works very hard to make sure that you have the best possible time ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Looking through my dive logs, I could've skipped Thaa atoll altogether ... mostly what I logged was a lot of channel dives with heavy current, poor visibility and relatively dead reefs. Couple of interesting reef dives toward the end of the day, but not really worthwhile for a $7000 trip. And the one dive we did multiple times ... Rangali Madivaru on South Ari ... I could've skipped altogether. This is where they take people to see mantas ... but of the three dives we did here, we only saw mantas on the last one. But I didn't enjoy it because a LOT of boats go there ... the one time we saw mantas it was literally raining divers who were landing on each other, crawling around on the bottom, kicking and destroying what little coral hadn't already been destroyed ... it was not pleasant at all. The reef is trashed because of overuse, and it was impossible to get a decent picture because of all the flailing divers getting in the way. Frankly I just wanted out of there.
Laamu atoll had generally the best visibility and most interesting channel dives for my taste. But I most enjoyed the two wrecks we did ... Kuda Giri on South Male atoll and Machafushi on South Ari atoll. I thought those two dives were the best ones of the entire trip and would happily do them multiple times since you couldn't cover all of either site on a single dive anyway. Both wrecks sit next to very nice reefs ... Kuda Giri in particular was a place I could happily spend hours.
All of that said, you mentioned that you are going in August, which means you will likely be going north, rather than south as we did.
My recommendation would be to discuss with your group what kind of diving you want to do, and then discuss it with the crew. I can promise you that this crew works very hard to make sure that you have the best possible time ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
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Dr Dog
Contributor
awesome report, thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Bob. Lots of good information to digest. Hopefully we'll be able to get the crew to take us places that aren't as beat up as the ones you were at. Hopefully everyone going will have the skills needed to hot drop, too.
I've just started working in Laamu Atoll and what I've seen so far has been promising.
Laamu Atoll has very few open channels- the few there are get roaring currents and some exceptional pelagics with the clearest viz I've seen in the Maldives. There is much less plankton than in the Ari Atoll which is good for photographers but will mean less biodiversity IMO.
I'm living on Gan Island with Maabaidhoo kandu to the north where we saw grey reef sharks hanging at the drop off while snorkeling
The inside of the atoll is relatively quiet with a few giri reefs. Again excellent viz and superb coral formations in the shallows with an abundance of turtles (green and hawksbill).
Thilas or pinnacles are to the south in the Gaadhoo kandu. Apparently whalesharks and a few mantas can be seen around this area as well- especially in the evening. Personally I haven't dived there yet- just done a bit of snorkeling to recce some sites.
Laamu Atoll has very few open channels- the few there are get roaring currents and some exceptional pelagics with the clearest viz I've seen in the Maldives. There is much less plankton than in the Ari Atoll which is good for photographers but will mean less biodiversity IMO.
I'm living on Gan Island with Maabaidhoo kandu to the north where we saw grey reef sharks hanging at the drop off while snorkeling
The inside of the atoll is relatively quiet with a few giri reefs. Again excellent viz and superb coral formations in the shallows with an abundance of turtles (green and hawksbill).
Thilas or pinnacles are to the south in the Gaadhoo kandu. Apparently whalesharks and a few mantas can be seen around this area as well- especially in the evening. Personally I haven't dived there yet- just done a bit of snorkeling to recce some sites.
OP
- Messages
- 97,390
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- On the Fun Side of Trump's Wall
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One of my favorite reef shots from Laamu ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Potapko
Contributor
After my return I intended to start a new thread but after looking once again at Bob's pictures I see we have almost the same shots, with the exception that his are better. We did two dives looking for the manta's and were the only ones there. So I did get a few good shots and video. I don't think you mind if I post them here. Dived the wrecks. Fantastic!!Spent my week on the MV Orion. A nice boat also. Search the name and you can look at their page. No hijack intended, if you like feel free to separate this into its own thread. I can only echo what Bob wrote about both the dives and conditions. I wouldn't go back for coral but we missed seeing a whale shark even though we spent a few hours cruising and looking for them. Had the same issues with dives on the channels. A few divers had a problem so the guides changed the profiles which made them less worthwhile. Better if you can go with a group you know. 
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