Oleanda Liveaboard Marshall Islands

[Augustus]

This is a general warning regarding this operation. The boat dropped our charter one month from departure, May 17 (just got the email for this). http://www.rongelapexpeditions.com/index.htm I would recommed anybody thinking of booking with them to seriously reconsider. Needless to say we are going to get hammered on plane tickets etc. I find it mind boogling they would do this at the last minute though they did ask where we wanted our deposit sent.

 

[donnyb]

Thanks for the warning. I knew someone who tried to help them get the dive op going, my guess is she left in frustration about 5 months ago.

Assuming you have flights in/out of Majuro? If so, perhaps you could salvage a trip by contacting Bako Divers in Majuro. Owner Jerry Ross is a friend. Have not communicated with him in a while but might want to email him to see what is possible. The diving is typical Micronesia. http://bakodivers.com

 

[Augustus]

I already emailed bako divers. My main concern is I just don't see spending 8 days on Marjuro. The cost of hotel and diving would quickly add up. I was on Bikini back in 2001 so I know what the areas like. I have not problem doing 3 or 4 days diving with Bako and we are now looking into changing air fare to reflect this. Just the expenses add up quickly and we were really getting excited about Rongelap. Still have not heard anything more from Deborah regarding this mess. I also noticed a thread in liveaboards in this forum relating other dates they canceled.

 

[donnyb]

Understood, 8 days on Majuro IS a long time. Were you on the Continental Mike island hopper, or Aloha Airlines? If youre on the CO flights what about doing a stop at Phonapei? Excellent diving there...

If you do go to Maj, tell Jerry "aloha" for me?
Don Brown

 

[Augustus]

we are on cont. Jut not sure what the cost would be to change the air fare plus having the other divers on the trip agree. The pain is they dropped this on us at the last minute so our options are much less.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Thank you for your message warning

 

[ontime]

sorry for the dup - I'm new to this board.

 

[ontime]

You are right! 8 days in Majuro is tooooo long - 3 or 4 would be plenty - make sure to get over to Arno Atoll for the pristine diving. The Majuro lagoon is murky and the reefs are just so so. The lagoon wrecks are minimally interesting. You might go there for a few days at most to check it off your list - then head west - as in Yap or Palau. Better yet skip Majuro and head west to start with.

I wouldn't necessarily go with Bako Divers, either, even if he is somebody's friend. He talks a big talk - but I'm not so very convinced he's all that safe.

Pohnpei is decent. Kosrae has beautiful hard corals and anemones - but if you have only one trip out this way and one sum of money - go to Palau!!!!

 

[donnyb]

Bako is no different than any other op in Micronesia. If you are inexperienced its not for you. No babysitters. And like most dive operators these days I have to take the advertising with a grain of salt. But Jerry got me in the water 4 times a day, not much more I could ask for when you are already there. Palau, Yap & Truk are indeed better but this guy Augustus already has airfare to Majuro. Interesting comment about Kosrae & Phonapei ontime, I found Kosrae a bit boring, the hard corals are indeed pristene but it was just that, not much else. I dove a lot at Gun Beach in Guam, & Kosrae looked just like it underwater. Phonapei has a "Manta alley" and of course Ant Atoll which is similar to Palau but you are all alone there. Its a long hard boat ride to get there, totally worth it. I preferred Phonapei.

 

[Augustus]

Well a follow up. We ended up doing five days of diving with Jerry at Bako divers. We were all quite pleased and I would give him high marks. We managed to get two days diving on Arno which was very nice. The lagoon diving on Majuro was ok and we did a few days diving in the lagoon since some of his clients wanted to see some of the wrecks. Jerry set our group up with doubles so they could get refreshed on using them. All in all worked out well and I personally think if you are on your way to bikini, plan on staying on Majuro for a few days so if you have a "luggage issue" then you have a few days to solve it vs. arriving on tuesday and then going onto bikini the next day (only one flight a week to bikini.)