First Liveaboard and going to Truk Lagoon

[wlecyt40]

Little anxious to go but excited too. My question here is what do I need to bring for this trip besides the usual dive gear. I have read that some people bring redundant equipment. The trip leader is saying bring two checked bags and a backpack. I just don’t want to feel like the Marines getting ready to land at Tarawa, equipment-wise. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Larryjd1]

When you're on the boat for multiple days in a row, it's not like you can easily run down to the dive shop, if there even is one.

When I was there, I was diving backmount doubles and using a pony for the dives with accelerated deco. So I brought 4 rwg sets - 1 for each tank, 1 for the deco botlle and 1 as a spare. Plus I brought spare parts for my wing like the dump valves and inflator, extra light, etc.

If you're going with a group that you know, you might consider not bringing 16 of everyone like multi-battery chargers, etc. where you can share.

Have fun. It's a great dive trip!

 

[wlecyt40]

Finally get to post about my trip to Truk Lagoon. The time between then and now have been very busy.

I arrived there and we stayed in the Truk Stop or a few days before and after. They will pick you up and drop you off at the airport. The food was pretty damn good! The rooms, while comfortable, are showing age and the fact that the island is on the lower end of the economic scale. The people were very friendly. If you want to rent a car, go ahead but don't expect a top of the line vehicle. the one we rented was pretty beat up. And the roads.....? You would think that WW2 ended the week before.

We dove on the MV Odyssey. The captain and crew made sure that we had everything we needed and that we knew everything that happened. One night, the wind got a little heavy and the boat got loose from the mooring. The crew reacted quickly and got us into smoother waters and a new mooring for the rest of the night. Did I mention that it all happened around 2:00AM?

I am the first to admit, I am not a wreck diver and prefer to see the sky over my head while under. Not a big fan of swim throughs either. However, this was an amazing set of dives. Dannie, the number two on the boat gave very detailed briefings prior to each and every dive. you knew pretty much what you were going to see before you stepped off. Our dive guide, Jono, took us to some great areas. Chris, Rex and Jeff would penetrate, knowing I'm not a big fan of going into the wreck. I did go in but being the chicksh*t I can sometimes be, I would made sure I could see out.

All I can say is that if you ever get the chance to go to Chuuk Island and dive the lagoon, DO IT!!! It is worth every penny spent!!

 

[aquabluegreg]

Finally get to post about my trip to Truk Lagoon. The time between then and now have been very busy.

I arrived there and we stayed in the Truk Stop or a few days before and after. They will pick you up and drop you off at the airport. The food was pretty damn good! The rooms, while comfortable, are showing age and the fact that the island is on the lower end of the economic scale. The people were very friendly. If you want to rent a car, go ahead but don't expect a top of the line vehicle. the one we rented was pretty beat up. And the roads.....? You would think that WW2 ended the week before.

We dove on the MV Odyssey. The captain and crew made sure that we had everything we needed and that we knew everything that happened. One night, the wind got a little heavy and the boat got loose from the mooring. The crew reacted quickly and got us into smoother waters and a new mooring for the rest of the night. Did I mention that it all happened around 2:00AM?

I am the first to admit, I am not a wreck diver and prefer to see the sky over my head while under. Not a big fan of swim throughs either. However, this was an amazing set of dives. Dannie, the number two on the boat gave very detailed briefings prior to each and every dive. you knew pretty much what you were going to see before you stepped off. Our dive guide, Jono, took us to some great areas. Chris, Rex and Jeff would penetrate, knowing I'm not a big fan of going into the wreck. I did go in but being the chicksh*t I can sometimes be, I would made sure I could see out.

All I can say is that if you ever get the chance to go to Chuuk Island and dive the lagoon, DO IT!!! It is worth every penny spent!!

Glad to hear you had a great trip. Truk can be a challenging destination for a first liveaboard.