Truk Lagoon recommendation?

[Kevrumbo]

South Pass Channel/Wall dive on the outer atoll reef --Tiger Shark 3.5 to 4 meters BIG was seen. Also huge old anchors & chain for the anti-submarine nets in WWII discovered. Average depth 27m for 30min, Nitrox 32 on UTD Z-system double tank sidemount (Teno the gas blender & dive guide here at the Truk Stop Hotel/Truk Lagoon Dive Center now knows how to configure AL80's for Z-system sidemount --no need to use my travel strap kits. Recommend still bringing a spare Right Hand/Left Post tank valve to install on dive-ops AL80 tanks though. . .).

 

[parzdiver]

I did a week in Truk and was on the Odyssey. I personally think it is the way to go. The convenience of being able to set your own dive schedule was key for me. The Odyssey moors right over the wrecks, so you can enter the water whenever you want and set your diving. There are no tenders and no tight schedules. Your tanks are filled in place, so you only assemble your gear once. No lugging or hauling anything. The crew was awesome, the food was plentiful and tasty.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I did a week in Truk and was on the Odyssey. I personally think it is the way to go. The convenience of being able to set your own dive schedule was key for me. The Odyssey moors right over the wrecks, so you can enter the water whenever you want and set your diving. There are no tenders and no tight schedules. Your tanks are filled in place, so you only assemble your gear once. No lugging or hauling anything. The crew was awesome, the food was plentiful and tasty.

Yes, I agree --if you want to maximize your potential dives per day for a one week trip (you can possibly do 4 recreational dives plus 1 night dive if you wanted to, dive guides willing, weather & sea state permitting).

But if you're doing deep and long mandatory decompression dives (San Francisco Maru, Aikoku Maru, Nagano Maru etc -all the deep technical wrecks of Fourth Fleet Anchorage @ 45m average), I tend to prefer only two per day with at least a three hour surface interval between them. The best & most economical operation for technical dive trips of this kind is Truk Stop Hotel/Truk Lagoon Dive Center.

 

[robint]

Yes, I agree --if you want to maximize your potential dives per day for a one week trip (you can possibly do 4 recreational dives plus 1 night dive if you wanted to, dive guides willing, weather & sea state permitting).

But if you're doing deep and long mandatory decompression dives (San Francisco Maru, Aikoku Maru, Nagano Maru etc -all the deep technical wrecks of Fourth Fleet Anchorage @ 45m average), I tend to prefer only two per day with at least a three hour surface interval between them. The best & most economical operation for technical dive trips of this kind is Truk Stop Hotel/Truk Lagoon Dive Center.

Great info! My husband may be looking for a group to join for some Tech diving, he just finished Tech 2 this past summer. I am out of diving for now, so thinking maybe he should hook up with a group to do a trip in 2013. Kev - do you have some recommendations for him? (we have done Palau on a liveaboard, loved it, but that's it for Pacific other than Kona). I would love to see him be able to do Truk.

robin

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

+1 for the Odyssey! Tried others, this is our favorite (3rd group trip with them 2014, send a lot of our customers as well). Boat, food & crew are great! Total freedom and can handle recreational divers to tec (side-mount, doubles or rebreathers)! Must admit, you do get spoiled diving from a live-a-board , especially this one with anchoring/mooring right on the wrecks. Based on your skill level the crew does an amazing job on the tours in fact they even go one on one (N/C) at times if you are the only person ready to go in.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Great info! My husband may be looking for a group to join for some Tech diving, he just finished Tech 2 this past summer. I am out of diving for now, so thinking maybe he should hook up with a group to do a trip in 2013. Kev - do you have some recommendations for him? (we have done Palau on a liveaboard, loved it, but that's it for Pacific other than Kona). I would love to see him be able to do Truk.

robin

There's a GUE group of divers planning to go around June 2013 and staying with the Truk Stop Hotel/Truk Lagoon Dive Center. Rob McGann is the dive-ops mgr of Truk Lagoon Dive Center, and has all the necessary, proper & expected DIR logistical support (AL80 doubles; deco bottle AL40's & AL63's with proper sling kits etc), and will even mix GUE Standard Trimix Gases if you have no limits on your credit card !

Oxygen: $0.03/L or $0.93/cuft
Helium: $0.10/L or $2.95/cuft
Estimated Standard Mix Gas fills for one set of Double AL80's:
21/35 $205
18/45 $260
15/55 $310

Contact GUE Instructor Karim Hamza at Hollywood Divers, and see if this is the same group that he intends to go with, or if he is in charge of his own group heading out that way around that time. There may be very few openings, so inquire ASAP. . .

 

[robint]

thanks Kev. I will let my husband know.

 

[Shasta_man]

Wow, that was a big tiger.

<choke> RobinT is out of diving?!

 

[robint]

Wow, that was a big tiger.

<choke> RobinT is out of diving?!

hopefully just a temporary medical thing.

 

[Cavediver.rob]

thanks Kev. I will let my husband know.

Robin and Kev, The June 2013 trip is full. Not sure if there is an alternate list, please mail the shop at divecenter@dive-truklagoon.com and we can put you in contact with the trip organizer.

On a brighter note Robin, Tell him to come anyway-I am more than happy to buddy him on tech 2 level dives Kev is a good contact for unbiased reference as he has dived with 3 of the 4 operators here and has more dives in Truk than most.