Mermaid Liveaboards - Komodo

[plc]

hi !!

I'm planing a liveaboard in Komodo for October.

Can any one help me with some info on Mermaid Liveaboards? I heard and read a lot about Komodo but it's harder to find a review of these boats.

Thank you very much!

 

[djkpsu]

I have been on both Mermaid I and II. I did Komodo last July on II, and had a great time. I have always been happy with their trips. Both boats have very good Thai chefs, and their dive guides have always been very good.

They are based in Phuket, but for the past few years they have moved one of the boats to Bali/Komodo during the low season in Thailand.

If you have any specific questions, I can try and answer them, but basically I highly recommend Mermaid Liveaboards.

 

[dawhale]

Grand Komodo Tours pioneered the diving in the Komodo area. The boats are basic, food is good and the crews well trained. I did a 16 day live-aboard with them last year and was vary satisfied with the whole operation. Email me off the form if you have any specific questions. Check out their web site http://www.komodoalordive.com/ . dawhale

 

[JonnieB]

I was just on the Mermaid I's trip to Komodo a week ago. I will be posting a full report on this trip and Bali diving soon so keep your eyes open. If after reading the report, you have specific questions, just PM to me.

hi !!

I'm planing a liveaboard in Komodo for October.

Can any one help me with some info on Mermaid Liveaboards? I heard and read a lot about Komodo but it's harder to find a review of these boats.

Thank you very much!

 

[scubashooter]

Well the Mermaid boats had a few problems with diving a few komodo sites at the right time. I know the Mermaid from Phuket so when I heard they were heading down to Komodo, I thought hmm maybe not a good idea.
I was on another boat when I saw them dive in on Batu Bolong at the wrong tide as well as a few other sites. I spoke with a few of the customers after the trip and they were happy. So they didn't know any better. But many komodo sites are very current based and knowing when to dive them are crucial for a good dive. I'm sure they should've figured it out by now, but you never know.
The only other problem I have with the thai boats is that they don't hire local indo crew except for the guides, which I personally think is bad form.
Otherwise I think competition is good, so long as the diving is safe and everyone winds up happy.

 

[ssra30]

I was very impressed with Grand Komodo when I dove Komodo a couple of years ago. Their guides really know the area and can read current very well and gave excellent dive brief. I remembered one particular instant where the diveguide warned us, to dive from A to B, don't go beyond the 2nd rock outcrop because current would be bad etc. Since the dive was very easy, of course as we reached the 2nd rock outcrop, I just had to see what the fuss was about not to go beyond that point, let just said that I found out the hard way

It is a must to have a guide who is very familiar with the area and current for Komodo.

I think it is important to have local personals on board but I don't know what is consider a good number, 10%, 50% of the crews? It is definitely more essential to have local guides but local boat crews does not add much benefits to the boat except for moral reason, I suppose, you make money of the place so give something back to the area as well. Unfortunately this does not happen in many many instant, not jsut the Thai boat in Indonesia but yes, the good form would be to help the local out as well.

Most LOB prefer to have permanent crews on board year round for an obvious reason, if they hire part time crew when in one country then another set of part time crew in another location, I think that probably would disrupt a smooth operation of the boat. Having half Thai and half Indonesian crews are probably a recipe for disaster as well as the crews most likely will not be able to communicate effectively with each other.
For what's its worth, I think they probably would save money if they hire more local crews since salary in Thailand is quite a bit higher than Indonesia, especially in remote area like Komodo.
Burma insists that there has to be one custom officer on board all the foreign boats while in Burmese water. That officer automatically became a boat crew on the trip and was very helpful so I suppose there are some rooms for local crews as well

 

[scubashooter]

I was very impressed with Grand Komodo when I dove Komodo a couple of years ago. Their guides really know the area and can read current very well and gave excellent dive brief. I remembered one particular instant where the diveguide warned us, to dive from A to B, don't go beyond the 2nd rock outcrop because current would be bad etc. Since the dive was very easy, of course as we reached the 2nd rock outcrop, I just had to see what the fuss was about not to go beyond that point, let just said that I found out the hard way
It is a must to have a guide who is very familiar with the area and current for Komodo.
I think it is important to have local personals on board but I don't know what is consider a good number, 10%, 50% of the crews? It is definitely more essential to have local guides but local boat crews does not add much benefits to the boat except for moral reason, I suppose, you make money of the place so give something back to the area as well. Unfortunately this does not happen in many many instant, not jsut the Thai boat in Indonesia but yes, the good form would be to help the local out as well.

I too would recommend Grand Komodo as a ops. Boat isn't all that but they know the sites very well and are safe.
Funny you should mention thai staff having language problems. I've met more than a few skippers in Thailand who speak bahasa, all of them sea gypsies who have gone south and fished in Indo and Malaysian waters. In fact I met the skipper of one of the boats from Koh lanta who spoke bahasa like a native. I've yet to hear any Indo skipper speak thai though
I think that's the problem that many locals have with the thai invasion so to speak. They don't hire many crew. They partake minimally in the local economy. I can understand from a operational point of view but still it is not good form. Sure even the local Indo boats have foreign owners who siphon the money out too. But at least they have offices and crew. I mean some operators have their accounts in Singapore or Hong Kong for payment, which stinks. But I suppose the currency fluctuations of the rupiah is part of the problem. However you can pay in US$ by credit card with many places.

 

[ssra30]

Funny you should mention thai staff having language problems. I've met more than a few skippers in Thailand who speak bahasa, all of them sea gypsies who have gone south and fished in Indo and Malaysian waters. In fact I met the skipper of one of the boats from Koh lanta who spoke bahasa like a native. I've yet to hear any Indo skipper speak thai though

Sea gypsies are unique. They are kind of in a no man's land. As far as I know, they are not officially
Thai citizens and not really being represented by any country. I am not even sure what is officially their language. Not all Thai boat crews are from the southern part of Thailand near Malaysian borders. Many that I have talked to are from the north/northeastern part of Thailand so they probably have better luck dealing with laotians or Cambodian boat crews rather than Indonesian
Personally I am very hopeless, could barely understand a bit of northeastern Thai dialect, a tad of northern dialect and pretty much none of the southern dialect, let along bahasa malay or indodonesian!