Philippines Aggressor - any other feedback?

[Glaucia]

My wife and I were on the Aggressor transition trip in June of 2022. I could not say enough about how great of an experience it was at the time. Diving was great, boat and crew were great, and the food was good. I know there has been staff turnover since then, so maybe things have changed, but at the time it was a great experience.

Hello,

As I see you have been to the Agressor recently, maybe you could help clarifying this:

I have made a booking for the Philippines Aggressor - Mar 09, 2024 - Mar 16, 2024.

After I made full payment I received some pre trip information, including the below:

DIVING SUPERVISION
You have chosen a liveaboard vacation for the diving freedom that it offers. While in the water, you and your buddy are in charge. Every dive starts with a dive briefing from the yacht staff. However, as a certified diver, you and your buddy are responsible for planning and conducting your own dives within the limitations set forth by the briefing. The staff will be on the dive deck providing surface support for divers. They will also have staff in the water offering support, photography and videography, and critter spotting services. On some dive sites a staff member will offer to lead a group and assist them in locating specific points of interest. However, the yacht does not offer direct supervision of dives. If you start out with a group, as long as you and your buddy remain in contact with each other and are ok – you may follow your own dive plan. Dive buddies who are not comfortable following their own dive plan can take one of the many advanced courses available during the charter. - DOES THIS MEAN WE DIVE WITHOUT A MASTER/GUIDE?

Unfortunately I have emailed PADI 6 times but they did not reply at all (Liveaboard.com provides a much better service is this aspect, by the way).

Please let me know if you have any feedback on this.

Thanks,
Glaucia

 

[rongoodman]

Every Aggressor boat I've been on allows you the choice of either diving as a buddy pair or group and doing your own thing, or following the DM.

 

[divergirlLinda]

Hello,

As I see you have been to the Agressor recently, maybe you could help clarifying this:

I have made a booking for the Philippines Aggressor - Mar 09, 2024 - Mar 16, 2024.

After I made full payment I received some pre trip information, including the below:

DIVING SUPERVISION
You have chosen a liveaboard vacation for the diving freedom that it offers. While in the water, you and your buddy are in charge. Every dive starts with a dive briefing from the yacht staff. However, as a certified diver, you and your buddy are responsible for planning and conducting your own dives within the limitations set forth by the briefing. The staff will be on the dive deck providing surface support for divers. They will also have staff in the water offering support, photography and videography, and critter spotting services. On some dive sites a staff member will offer to lead a group and assist them in locating specific points of interest. However, the yacht does not offer direct supervision of dives. If you start out with a group, as long as you and your buddy remain in contact with each other and are ok – you may follow your own dive plan. Dive buddies who are not comfortable following their own dive plan can take one of the many advanced courses available during the charter. - DOES THIS MEAN WE DIVE WITHOUT A MASTER/GUIDE?

Unfortunately I have emailed PADI 6 times but they did not reply at all (Liveaboard.com provides a much better service is this aspect, by the way).

Please let me know if you have any feedback on this.

Thanks,
Glaucia

We are going on the same boat the week after you. We board on March 16. I would not worry about this paragraph above. This is standard for all trips on Aggressor. They put this in because it is probably required legally to cover themselves. There will be a divemaster on every dive. We travel on Aggressor all the time and have never had a bad experience with the diving. The divemasters are all professional and in my opinion they actually watch me a bit too much sometimes (I like to wonder off a bit ) Please do not worry about this any further.

 

[seba76]

Hello. I'm considering the Philippine Agressor for a trip in november. Any recent experience with them?

 

[divergirlLinda]

Hello,

As I see you have been to the Agressor recently, maybe you could help clarifying this:

I have made a booking for the Philippines Aggressor - Mar 09, 2024 - Mar 16, 2024.

After I made full payment I received some pre trip information, including the below:

DIVING SUPERVISION
You have chosen a liveaboard vacation for the diving freedom that it offers. While in the water, you and your buddy are in charge. Every dive starts with a dive briefing from the yacht staff. However, as a certified diver, you and your buddy are responsible for planning and conducting your own dives within the limitations set forth by the briefing. The staff will be on the dive deck providing surface support for divers. They will also have staff in the water offering support, photography and videography, and critter spotting services. On some dive sites a staff member will offer to lead a group and assist them in locating specific points of interest. However, the yacht does not offer direct supervision of dives. If you start out with a group, as long as you and your buddy remain in contact with each other and are ok – you may follow your own dive plan. Dive buddies who are not comfortable following their own dive plan can take one of the many advanced courses available during the charter. - DOES THIS MEAN WE DIVE WITHOUT A MASTER/GUIDE?

Unfortunately I have emailed PADI 6 times but they did not reply at all (Liveaboard.com provides a much better service is this aspect, by the way).

Please let me know if you have any feedback on this.

Thanks,
Glaucia

How was your trip? We just got home. We had a great time. Did you? Maybe I ran into you at the Sunlight Guest hotel?

 

[divergirlLinda]

Hello. I'm considering the Philippine Agressor for a trip in november. Any recent experience with them?

We were on the boat from March 16-23. We had a great experience. They do everything for you. All you have to do is put on your wetsuit and step into the ponga with your mask. The crew is amazing. They take really good care of your gear as well. They even rinsed everything for us. I have never had this easy of diving as far as dealing with equipment and such. The diving was nice and was easy as well.