Need Advice on a Liveaboard

[Don Wray]

you can try www.sailjuliet.com also...

 

[osprey]

The Aqua Cat is the best liveaboard I have been on. Huge cabins with large windows looking out over the water. It was great opening the curtains every moring and looking at the beautiful water. They offer a great variety of diving. I loved the walls and the shark feeding but my favorite was the washing machine, a high speed drift through on of the cuts where the current spins in several directions causing you to go head over heal. You can avoid it by staying a little to one side.

 

[ScubaGuards]

Hi,
Have you received enough info about Liveaboards for Thailand yet?
If not, drop us a line, we can help you with realistic reviews...
Our instructors and dive guides are there a lot!!!
Bye for now...

 

[divekraz]

Considering your starting out from Phoenix, Why don't you think about the Solmar 5 going to Socorro Islands. http://solmarv.com You have temps of 75-80 for January and will see more variety in large wild life than you'd believe. Cost is 3k pp for 9 days. With air and extra days you'll probably be stretching your budget but I think you'd like it more than the Caribbean boats. I've gone on the Aqua cat, the cost is just under 2k pp for 7 days and it was a nice boat, food, etc. Another idea is to take a Windstar cruise which caters to divers on a large sailing cruise ship. We went on the windsurf which had 4 dive masters and brand new equipment. The diving was excellant, as was the cabin and food. The other ships are smaller and i don't know about their dive programs

 

[jasondcrawford]

We looked into Soccoro, but that dive is not beginner friendly.

 

[robint]

I too recommend the Nekton.....

my favorite crew quote: It's slow for a boat but fast for a condo!


robint

 

[caymaniac]

Have you thought about a liveaboard out of Port Douglas, you can get a 5night or less if you are going to visit for a week of ten days, check out www.trip-n-tour.com to see where you would come close to your budget.

 

[bperrybap]

While not a liveaboard have you considered some of the
resorts in Roatan or Bonaire? Other than actually sleeping on a boat,
the dive experience is very similar.

Great diving for Beginers.
CocoView in Roatan has a wreck to explore directly
in their "front yard".
I believe there is even a "dolphin experience" dive available
as a day trip option.


Here a link to some web trip reports of
dive trips in Roatan, Bonaire, & on the Nekton Rorqual
if you'd like to get a flavor of what those are like.

Bill and Terrie's travels

--- bill

 

[fdog]

I know there's lots of support for the Nekton boats, but......

Just pay the extra couple of hundred dollars for the Belize or Cayman Aggressor. You'll be glad you did.

Just for starters, the dive/gear deck is about 3 times the size, and all your gear is in one place instead of on several different levels; plus having a dive locker all to yourself that's 4' wide x 3' front-to-back is pretty choice. And there's less people on the boat. And the food's better.

How about an endless parade of hot towells? All you need, take two, draped over your shoulders as you climb from the dive platform. Not to mention the boat can go full speed without trying to submarine underwater.

Or, the Aggressors don't have to keep the bow high and stern low so the plumbing works.

Just say'in. It's way worth the extra mere couple hundred dollars. And the Belize and Cayman crews are superb.

All the best, James

 

[DiverBeth]

I second the Belize Aggressor. I did it last May and had a wonderful time. Food was great. Towels warm and plentiful. The crew wonderful.