Sea Passion Hotel Palau Lately Anyone

[bubba105]

Kevrumbo, there is a new dive guide at Sam's, Matt I believe is his name, dove with us one day, who is a tech diver, dives a BP/W. He mentioned wanting to do the deep wrecks so hopefully, by now, he's all set up with gases & such. Hope he can help you out.

Talked the bride into trying a LOB, we're doing Socorro Islands in the spring, we have this manta thing. One should never say things like this outloud but I've never been sea sick & I've been in some tough stuff. I think I'll enjoy 5 dives a day, I'll definitely sleep well. We are taking the whole boat so we don't have to make anyone we don't like "walk the plank".

Travelnsj, this camera is only good for close-ups, underwater anyway, but it does that well. Macro, with the push of a button. My artistic side.





There is a fine line with distance, too far you get this.



2 feet closer I get these. It's a crap shoot at best.





The best feature to me is the video. One button & I'm filming, which comes out OK, for me anyway. In the manta video, the big lights are pro video setups, the big lights. $10,000 vs $300 for a camera that does everything for the whole trip. I need to bring bigger cards next time. My card died about halfway though the mantas that night. Video eats them up.

Sorrows, the trip of a lifetime without "the" camera??? Rethink that one. I was on a trip to Fiji once & a guy left his big housing camera home because he heard the small airline in Fiji charged $20 for the extra weight, which they didn't. $4000 trip, $20 charge for the camera. I lived under his skin for the whole trip over that one. "Quick, get a picture. Oh yeah, never mind". It's a fireman thing.

 

[Sorrows]

Bubba, I inherited my son's old point-and-shoot, which unfortunately flooded. I've resisted getting a new one--my role is "scout" as I find things for my son to photograph. Except when he isn't around and I see something and say, "what was that? Wish I had a camera." I'm a terrible photographer, but this set-up you have seems ideal for my needs.

As my son's skills improved, he became more interested in still underwater photography and really only used his dedicated video camera for night dives. If we brought the separate video camera along, my husband would have to carry it--and use it. But make no mistake--"the" camera is coming along, and it is quite a doozy--and includes video capability. I'm sorry to say that your friend from the Fiji trip sounds very foolish indeed.

 

[bubba105]

My exact reason for getting a camera, I couldn't get anyone's attention in time to get that "great shot". I am by no stretch of the imagination a photographer. I can go from underwater to macro & force the flash but I have to admit I need a refresher course in the beginning of every trip. I point & push the button, the rest the camera does.

When you get a good amount of sharks on a hook-in you'll really appreciate having video. They never seem to be close enough to get a few in the shot but panning back & forth shows how many are there together.

I bought the bride a D-70 Nikon with a housing, strobe & a few, actually quite a few, lenses for Christmas the year the D-70 was the newest, best camera Nikon was making. She loved it until it started getting card reader errors as soon as she got underwater. She now uses the Canon 780, which has probably been outdone since I purchased it last year, & she gets really good results. When I'd see her with the strobe arm folded down I knew she got the error again so I'd trade cameras since she enjoys photography more than me & we end up with better pictures. Funny, the D-70 never gets the error outside the housing & 2 trips back to Nikon didn't resolve the issue. It's now a strictly above water camera but it makes the trip.

Cheap, to a fault, more than foolish, although I agree 100%, not bringing things that will make an expensive trip better is foolish.

 

[Sorrows]

Bubba, I told my husband about your Canon and darn if he didn't call B&H and order one that very day. So it looks like I can indulge my passion for fish ID and let my son mess around with the artistic stuff.

I can't promise to take it with me on every dive--I might hand it over on those dives that require a reef hook so I can have both hands free. I've never used a hook before and I'm a little nervous about those currents after reading about divers being swept out to open sea. Now that would be a serious bummer--really don't want to be featured in one of those "Lessons Learned" or "Divers Who Die" articles. :depressed:

 

[bubba105]

Using a reef hook is a piece of cake. At the top of this forum is a sticky but, you know that already because you are one of the people who added a "thank you". The only thing I can add that differs from what is said there is that when you unhook you will go over the reef & not into the blue. At least that's where I've gone every time. Look at any photo & you will see the divers facing the edge of the reef. When you unhook you will go onto the top of the reef, a sort of plateau. On the reef top there is considerably less current, quite easy to swim under control on. There are a few hills & valleys so when you get behind something there is no current. As a matter of fact, after being on top of the reef for a couple of minutes the hook-in part of the dive is a memory. Lots of good stuff to see. As you come to the other side of the reef the dive guide will initiate the ascent. Also, try to hook-in back some from the edge. The closer to the edge of the reef the harder the current will be running. The dive guides stay behind you to keep an eye on everyone & sometimes they are not even hooked in. When you're on the wall, down, away from the edge, you don't feel the current. As you come up to & over the edge is where the current is strongest. The viz is usually very good to excellent, you won't miss the sharks, that's for sure. It really is quite easy to get unhooked. Let the air out of your BC & pull yourself down to the hook. You'll go from apprehensive to "wow, that was a piece of cake" in one dive.

As for the new camera, buy the weights. It's a little buoyant otherwise. Figure out which weight makes the camera neutral. Also, read the manual & know how to do macro, force the flash & go to video, my three abilities. You'll probably want to know a lot more. Leave it back on the first hook-in dive if you're apprehensive. So what if a school of whale sharks meanders by. Once you have it with you for a hook-in dive, unless the sharks are close, use video. Until I realized I was getting horrendous stills, I wasted some good opportunities. I guess when you're watching video you're not looking for great detail.

BTW, if you don't already know about them, google "Palau story boards". The prison is the best place to get them & they'll pack & mail it home for you for cheap. The two I bought were at home when I got back. Palau uses US mail.

I'm retiring in March, I'm getting the itch.

 

[Sorrows]

Congratulations on your upcoming retirement, Bubba. It sounds like you have plans.

I'm not much of a shopper, but am definitely planning to buy a storyboard. I already have a place on the wall to hang it.

Thanks for your encouraging words re the current at the Corner and the Express--it doesn't sound so intimidaing the way you describe it.

48 days to go! Any other "must-do" and "must-dive" items I should be adding to the list?

 

[bubba105]

I'm about out of info. A couple of friends went for the helicopter tour, said it was amazing, great for photography. I have never done it so I don't know firsthand.

One thing about the new camera someone passed along to me when I first got mine. Take the empty housing down on the first diver to make sure there are no leaks. Might as well make sure there are no leaks before the camera is in there.

 

[johnmckenzie]

We just came home. Stayed and the Sea Passion. Good Value for the money but the not luxury and care of the PPR. The rooms are fine and you can walk to Sam's Tours on a few minutes. The staff at the Sea Passion are like robots. They mostly have no personality but will do what you ask if you are specific. If I can afford PPR I would go there but SP is just fine on a budget. I also do not know why people say the food is expensive in Palau. We paid the same or less than we pay for meals in the US restaurants. It is not great food but the prices are fine. We had a great dinner at the coconut hut for $10 for two. The Thai restaurant was $27 for two with one glass of wine. Sam's Tours was great.

 

[Sorrows]

Did you find a language barrier at the Sea Passion? I think their website is just awful--and the English version reads as if it has been badly translated.

It may be that people consider the food expensive in Palua because they are expecting it to be cheaper than in the U.S. and apparently it isn't. Well, that's the impression I get.

Glad to hear you had a good time at that Sam's Tours was great!

 

[johnmckenzie]

Did you find a language barrier at the Sea Passion? I think their website is just awful--and the English version reads as if it has been badly translated.

It may be that people consider the food expensive in Palua because they are expecting it to be cheaper than in the U.S. and apparently it isn't. Well, that's the impression I get.

Glad to hear you had a good time at that Sam's Tours was great!

No significant lanquange problems at Sea Passion as long a you are clear and avoid using American colloguialisms. As I said about the food, we did pay the same or slightly less of the same meals we would eat in Seattle. Grocery prices seemed a bit higher. I am sure it is very expensive for Palauan because of the low avg income.