DontLieToMe
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Summary. Good diving for the most part in terms of corals, creatures, and conditions. The water temperatures were cool ranging from 73F to 79F but mostly in the 75F to 77F range. The boat is still spacious but there are still issues with its operation.
This was my first time back on the Pelagian since the four trips that I did in 2004. Since then the boat has changed ownership and is now operated by Wakatobi Dive Resort. There has been some renovations to the boat in passenger areas but none to the cabins. This is the first trip of the season since the first two trips were cancelled.
There are only two passengers other than myself on this trip. The boat was supposed to depart and return to Bima but operated from Labuan Bajo due to the lack of flights to Bima.
On "try out" as Dive Masters are an Italian couple - Marco and Sissi. They have been working land-based for six months in Labuan Bajo - near Komodo - and are being evaluated for a job on the Pelagian. Underwater Sissi appears to be much better at finding small creatures. She also has a better command of English. Both Marco and Sissi are very competent and conscientious. They both provide very detailed dive briefings and look after the guests both above and below the water.
Dede, who was the head dive guide for a long time, is still on board. He did a couple of dives to familiarize Marco and Sissi with sites. It is not clear what is the long term plan for dive guides on this boat.
The Captain, Peter Manz, does not introduce any members of the crew except the two Italian dive guides - not the two hostesses, not the two dinghy drivers, not the engineers, cook, or the First Mate. This is somewhat unusual for a liveaboard.
I was sent a pre-trip survey. None of the information was transmitted to the boat.
Back to the boat. The only major renovation from a customer point of view is a "freshening" of the lounge. There is new furniture. The best addition is the coffee machine. A plasma display and new sound and stereo system has been added. No provision has been made to connect laptops to the plasma display.
The daily boat schedule is basically unchanged except that breakfast is now served before the first dive.
0600 - Grazing breakfast
0630 - Hot breakfast
0800 - Dive 1
1030 - Dive 2
1230 - Lunch
1430 - Dive 3
1800 - Dinner
1930 - Dive 4 (Night)
If there is a dusk dive vice night dive then the dusk dive is at 1730 and dinner follows.
Dive times are limited to 70 minutes. As before the dinghy for a group of divers stays on-station until all divers are back in their assigned dinghy. This in my opinion is not ideal since divers with short dives are left to the elements - wind, rain, or sun. All of this reflects that the boat was never truly designed for diving as there is not convenient way to do anything other than to leave the tanks in the dinghy. This also means that divers that prefer to do longer dives cannot do so.
The limit on dive times is carried out even when the dive site is 100 meters from the boat and the other divers can and do return when they finish their dive. Given I am the only diver in the water - other than the guide. At $350 US a day this policy is unnecessarily restrictive.
Breakfast is the same process as before. Guests order the night before - eggs, pancakes, and the desired side elements - bacon, sausage. The grazing elements include three cereals and bread. There is no sliced fruit served at breakfast but I suspect it could be requested. There is orange and apple juice. No yoghurt is available.
Lunch and dinner which previously were buffets is now served ala carte. There is a choice of two entrees pre-ordered at lunch and dinner. There is some type of salad served with lunch. At dinner the first course is soup. I was told that there is salad available with lunch and dinner. This is not true. I will see if it can be requested. Update - I have not bothered to ask after the Captain - Peter Manz - has once again told me how he just can't store enough fresh vegetables on a 120 foot boat for ten days!
The food in general is OK but certainly not exceptional.
At lunch the sweet is sliced fruit and at dinner it is a true sweet. At dinner I have requested and received sliced fruit.
Snacks. There is a jar of cookies, whole fruit in a basket, and some candies. On a few days some Pringle chips were made available in the afternoon. After the third dive a sweet - usually some type of cake - was available.
Soft drinks are complimentary. Beer and wine is available. Wine by the glass is $5 US. Bottles of wine range from $25 US to $35 US.
Diving in the Komodo area was wonderful - as usual. Several of the dives done were "exploratory" due to weather conditions. They were OK but if you want value for money try to stay with known dive sites.
There were strong currents at several locations. At one site the other two divers swam off the reef in a down current to video some fish - they had 16 minute dive.
This was my first time back on the Pelagian since the four trips that I did in 2004. Since then the boat has changed ownership and is now operated by Wakatobi Dive Resort. There has been some renovations to the boat in passenger areas but none to the cabins. This is the first trip of the season since the first two trips were cancelled.
There are only two passengers other than myself on this trip. The boat was supposed to depart and return to Bima but operated from Labuan Bajo due to the lack of flights to Bima.
On "try out" as Dive Masters are an Italian couple - Marco and Sissi. They have been working land-based for six months in Labuan Bajo - near Komodo - and are being evaluated for a job on the Pelagian. Underwater Sissi appears to be much better at finding small creatures. She also has a better command of English. Both Marco and Sissi are very competent and conscientious. They both provide very detailed dive briefings and look after the guests both above and below the water.
Dede, who was the head dive guide for a long time, is still on board. He did a couple of dives to familiarize Marco and Sissi with sites. It is not clear what is the long term plan for dive guides on this boat.
The Captain, Peter Manz, does not introduce any members of the crew except the two Italian dive guides - not the two hostesses, not the two dinghy drivers, not the engineers, cook, or the First Mate. This is somewhat unusual for a liveaboard.
I was sent a pre-trip survey. None of the information was transmitted to the boat.
Back to the boat. The only major renovation from a customer point of view is a "freshening" of the lounge. There is new furniture. The best addition is the coffee machine. A plasma display and new sound and stereo system has been added. No provision has been made to connect laptops to the plasma display.
The daily boat schedule is basically unchanged except that breakfast is now served before the first dive.
0600 - Grazing breakfast
0630 - Hot breakfast
0800 - Dive 1
1030 - Dive 2
1230 - Lunch
1430 - Dive 3
1800 - Dinner
1930 - Dive 4 (Night)
If there is a dusk dive vice night dive then the dusk dive is at 1730 and dinner follows.
Dive times are limited to 70 minutes. As before the dinghy for a group of divers stays on-station until all divers are back in their assigned dinghy. This in my opinion is not ideal since divers with short dives are left to the elements - wind, rain, or sun. All of this reflects that the boat was never truly designed for diving as there is not convenient way to do anything other than to leave the tanks in the dinghy. This also means that divers that prefer to do longer dives cannot do so.
The limit on dive times is carried out even when the dive site is 100 meters from the boat and the other divers can and do return when they finish their dive. Given I am the only diver in the water - other than the guide. At $350 US a day this policy is unnecessarily restrictive.
Breakfast is the same process as before. Guests order the night before - eggs, pancakes, and the desired side elements - bacon, sausage. The grazing elements include three cereals and bread. There is no sliced fruit served at breakfast but I suspect it could be requested. There is orange and apple juice. No yoghurt is available.
Lunch and dinner which previously were buffets is now served ala carte. There is a choice of two entrees pre-ordered at lunch and dinner. There is some type of salad served with lunch. At dinner the first course is soup. I was told that there is salad available with lunch and dinner. This is not true. I will see if it can be requested. Update - I have not bothered to ask after the Captain - Peter Manz - has once again told me how he just can't store enough fresh vegetables on a 120 foot boat for ten days!
The food in general is OK but certainly not exceptional.
At lunch the sweet is sliced fruit and at dinner it is a true sweet. At dinner I have requested and received sliced fruit.
Snacks. There is a jar of cookies, whole fruit in a basket, and some candies. On a few days some Pringle chips were made available in the afternoon. After the third dive a sweet - usually some type of cake - was available.
Soft drinks are complimentary. Beer and wine is available. Wine by the glass is $5 US. Bottles of wine range from $25 US to $35 US.
Diving in the Komodo area was wonderful - as usual. Several of the dives done were "exploratory" due to weather conditions. They were OK but if you want value for money try to stay with known dive sites.
There were strong currents at several locations. At one site the other two divers swam off the reef in a down current to video some fish - they had 16 minute dive.
