Recommendations for liveaboards

[Jo B. Killie]

Aha. So the question is what liveaboards offer a diver-to-guide ratio of no more than 4 to 1. Now that's an interesting question. Looking forward to the replies. I prefer smaller groups, too, whether liveaboards or land-based operations. When I book a land-based operator, I usually go for the one with a "six pack" boat. What's the equivalent in the liveaboard world?

Yes! Thank you! I will remember to ask this in the future to avoid the confusion.

 

[Aviyes]

I’ll be going on the Belize Aggressor IV and understand they’ll have one DM in the water. I, too, do not prefer more than 4:1 ratio. At 20 passengers on the boat, even if half of the divers take off on their own, there will still be 10 divers following the DM. Something I’m not looking forward to. Perhaps we will learn to take off on our own as well.

We stuck with the DMs at the beginning of the week, but by the last half we were heading off on our own. Wall diving makes navigation so much easier.

 

[Dogbowl]

We stuck with the DMs at the beginning of the week, but by the last half we were heading off on our own. Wall diving makes navigation so much easier.

Thank you for letting me know! That’s very helpful!

@Aviyes , how many of your fellow passengers stuck with the DM vs went off on their own?

 

[outofofficebrb]

Mastro Aldo in Komodo has 4 divers to 1 DM.

 

[Dan]

For this kind of cattle-drive diving, especially when you have camera & get locked in on one of those Kodak moment, I think you need to have DSMB & be comfortable to launch it underwater in case you lose the herd & fear of boats zooming above you.

 

[Aviyes]

Thank you for letting me know! That’s very helpful!

@Aviyes , how many of your fellow passengers stuck with the DM vs went off on their own?

Hmm...larger group say ~12-13 at the beginning, minus the 6-8 photographers that did their own thing. As people got more comfortable and formed their groups of similar dive styles. Then down to a group of ~5 like-minded divers, that sometimes followed the DM. Only once or twice did it feel crowded and that was mostly on the dive when 4 reef sharks showed up.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'm just returned from the Seahorse in Raja Ampat. At least one guide to 4 divers. Food was great! Loved the way the boat and diving was conducted. It's a bit homelyish but the setup and way it was run completely won me over.

 

[BDSC]

I'm just returned from the Seahorse in Raja Ampat.

What was your flight route to get to Raja?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Singapore to Jakarta
Jakarta to Makassar
Makassar to Sorong
That is an all night itinerary. I arrived a day early and checked into hotel to rest up for the lob.
Another person flew in to Jakarta and then took a Batik flight that arrived at 4 in the afternoon. Much more civilized times but made the boat late leaving port. I'll look into that next time but still arrive a day early.

The return flights to Singapore were much better! Left 12:30 pm-ish to Makassar, so arrived back in Singapore after Jakarta, around 10-ish pm.

 

[StayWet]

I've been on 6 Aggressor boats, and 10 live-aboards total, and they always had a DM in the water on every dive. It's your choice if you want to follow them or not. And they ALWAYS end the dives back at the boat. It's a basic service provided on these types of trips.