First time in liveaboard

[seba76]

Hello,

My wife and I are considering our first liveaboard trip at Raja Ampat in January/February 2023.
We are both AOW, with around 60 dives for me and 40 for her, always in warm water, never experienced strong current.

I read in different operators website that "you should be comfortable diving in current as they can be unpredictable and strong".
Do you know what they mean by that? We are in our mid 40, not very athletic but in good shape, should we worried?

I'm also tempted to reserve a brand new vessel (Emperor Harmoni) as they do offer interesting discount if booked before the end of the month.
Do you think it's risky to book a new boat with probably a new crew (I think the first trip of the Emperor Harmoni will be next week, so no review so far)?
Should I do the reservation directly at the operator website (emperordivers.com) or it's better to go through an agency (e.g. liveaboard.com)? Any pro and cons?

My wife is also worried about being off grid for 10 days. I read that wifi is available when the boat is within service reach. What was your experience, did you get connection from time to time?

 

[Darnold9999]

The risk with a new boat is that they don’t know the area that well and are trying to figure things out on the fly. If they have experienced crew and guides this is not a problem. Took one of the first trips on a new boat and it was not as good an experience as later trips in the same area. Good trip just things didn’t always go perfectly.

Cell service depends on where you are but mostly you will be off the grid. There will be times when you will be able to connect when you are close to a town site but most of the time you will not have cell service.

Hard to explain current. It can be significant and you will need to be comfortable dealing with it. It will not be an issue on most dives but some of the best sites will require you to manage at least some current. Mostly dealing with it is not fighting it and using it to take you where you want to go and using natural features (rocks, ledges etc) to get out of it.

I have done both, book with an agent and direct. The difference is when things go wrong - and then it depends on the agent. If you book the boat yourself you are responsible for figuring out how to get there and back. An agent will arrange everything and knows the best way to do that and can provide support along the way if things go sideways. A site like liveaboard.com doesn’t really add any value IMHO except to collect all the options together in one place. For RA I use Underwater Tribe because they live there and know the area extremely well and provide excellent support along the way if things go wrong.

 

[mcohen1021]

My wife and I are considering our first liveaboard trip at Raja Ampat in January/February 2023.
We are both AOW, with around 60 dives for me and 40 for her, always in warm water, never experienced strong current.

Question: Have you experienced any current?

Do you know what they mean by that? We are in our mid 40, not very athletic but in good shape, should we worried?

It probably means that currents can change mid dive, or you could get surface currents.

Lots of people dive Raja, so if you're in good shape, you mean strength/cardio wise? I would think you're fine unless you think you need a doctor to check you out prior.

Do you think it's risky to book a new boat with probably a new crew (I think the first trip of the Emperor Harmoni will be next week, so no review so far)?

I booked a "new boat" AKA a boat relocated from another part of the world, and I could not find any reviews. In fact, I was the 1st one online to review that boat (that I know of). That being said, I would not book a "new boat" again without someone I trust giving me a 1st hand report. That trip ended ok, but could have easily been a deathly disaster as well.

Should I do the reservation directly at the operator website (emperordivers.com) or it's better to go through an agency (e.g. liveaboard.com)? Any pro and cons?

If you can get the same price, go direct. There would be no benefit to using an agent, unless you just enjoy red tape and having to use a middleman.

My wife is also worried about being off grid for 10 days. I read that wifi is available when the boat is within service reach. What was your experience, did you get connection from time to time?

One of the BEST parts of being on a liveaboard? Being off the grid. Enjoy the sea/wildlife, the scuba, the food, crew and your hub/wife... Enjoy the disconnect, its blissful. And I can not speak for Raja, but @ TnC 2 weeks ago, depending on where we were, some people had connectivity, but we were close to an island. I never tried, as I actually want to be left alone on the sea.

 

[All Star Liveaboards]

Congrats! Liveaboard diving is phenomenal in Indonesia...prepare to be obsessed!

40-60 logged dives with AOW certifications is ample experience to dive Raja Ampat comfortably. Currents in Raja Ampat are generally more moderate than other destinations like Komodo/Galapagos/etc., but they may be a little more challenging than familiar Caribbean destinations.

There are some pinnacles and seamounts in Raja Ampat that may have higher current than other sites, so you may want to bring a pointer stick or reef hook to hold your place on the reef (not on live coral) without having to kick against the current. Also, speaking to the dive guide about your concerns will make the trip much more enjoyable - he or she will have advice to make your diving more comfortable, or they may even choose to dive certain sites in a way that reduces exposure to the currents when possible.

We have space aboard All Star Aurora for an 11-night trip in Raja Ampat starting on January 10, 2023! To learn more or book directly, visit our website or contact us by email at info@allstarliveaboards.com.

Being on a liveaboard trip usually means being off the grid for the duration of the trip, so it's best to assume that will be the case. The biggest benefit of diving via liveaboard is getting to visit those particularly remote dive sites...which are often out of reach for cell signal. However, Aurora does have Wi-Fi onboard when in range of service towers. There are many islands in Raja Ampat, and a few of them do have towers, so you would likely have some sporadic service throughout the trip.

 

[Cali_diver]

My first response to new divers to current would be make sure you use an operator that has knowledgeable guides that know the way the dive sites work with prevailing tides. I have experienced many down currents and erratic behaving currents in Raja so it is really important you have a guide that knows when to turn around, change depth or call a dive. That being said, a new boat may not fit these requirements. Also many boats are in need of guides right now and are having trouble finding them after having to let people go for 2 1/2 years. They have found other jobs or other professions all together so lots of new blood out there. Please be wary of new operations and make sure you go with one that has experience in Raja. Best advice if you do go is follow your guide and make sure you pay attention to hand signals! Cell coverage is really poor in Raja so just go with the flow and enjoy being away from it all!

 

[Centrals]

1. New boat = new crew. Diving is a team work for all the staffs on board from serving breakfast to nightwatchman.
2. R4 is a huge area and really need experience personal to deal with it.
3. Mobile signal? If that is so important than stay on land.
4. Book directly and absolutely no need to go through any agent.

White Manta Diving - Home

www.whitemanta.com

Make sure you have good cancellation insurance policy.

 

[rongoodman]

The issue with currents is whether or not you'll have to swim against them. If you have to return to the boat at a mooring, you might. If you're diving off tenders/inflatables, then you can just drift and be picked up wherever you surface. I don't remember ever really having to fight a current at Cocos or Palau, but a few times in the Caribbean were really tough.

 

[drrich2]

Should I do the reservation directly at the operator website (emperordivers.com) or it's better to go through an agency (e.g. liveaboard.com)? Any pro and cons?

I haven't been anywhere in the Coral Triangle (which includes Raja Ampat) yet; I have been planning a trip. I'm based out of the U.S.; not sure how your being based in Switzerland may change things (or not). I've used Blue Water Dive Travel before (for a Galapagos liveaboard trip), I'm using them again, and they're reputable on this forum.

A few issues came up for me in deciding to use a dive travel agent:

1.) A seasoned advisor as to which liveaboards met my desires (e.g.: midrange and good value), and who could advise regarding time of year, duration of trip, etc...

2.) When dealing with far flung airports, I don't know how much time to allot between flights for layovers, or even which connection (e.g.: Tokyo) to use en route to Indonesia.

3.) I learned international flights to/from Indonesia (from/to the U.S., which has no direct flights to it per Centrals in a recent post) are booked separately from domestic (inside Indonesia) flights, and lately it's been difficult to book those with U.S. credit cards. My agent was able to do that with a company card, and then I paid the travel company.

4.) I don't know what I don't know, and when things come up, I like someone to ask.

5.) When I was booking, LiveAboard.com has a 20% (IIRC) off deal on the liveaboard I had my eye on, and Blue Water Dive Travel matched it after I asked them about it (it was put down as a DEMA special).

6.) Having my travel agent book my flights took a load off of me.

If you want to go the independent route, and book a brand new liveaboard that might have some kinks to work out, you may have a taste for adventure in excess of mine. Whatever you decide, I hope you'll post us a trip report when you get back.

 

[seba76]

Very glad I asked those questions in this forum, you gave me a lot of useful advice.

So I definitely abandoned the idea of a new liveaboard, as you all had very valid arguments.

My first choice now is the Blue Manta, but I need to check as several dates are already full at that time, so I need to investigate if I can arrange something for the schedule with space available. Any other recommendation for operators with very good Dive director in RA? I'm looking for midrange to high-end comfort.

Since I never slept on a boat, any recommendation between upper deck vs lower deck? I understand that in general you get windows on the upper deck, but does it also change the stability?

I'm must admit I never encounter strong to mid current. I had a few drift dives but with very light current in Bonaire and the Red Sea, but never had to fight against it. When I said that we are in good shape it's just that we have no medical issue. However we are not athletes, so I'm not sure how long I can fight current before being exhausted, also never use a hook. But I assume that good dive guide will normally ensure that we do not have to fight too much with the current, right?

Regarding internet connection, I know that being off the grid is part of the journey, however, ensuring that the kids (and the cats) are alright from time to time will make my wife feel better.

Thank you drrich2 for sharing your experience. I may have fewer issues with the flight as the cheapest option is a single ticket (with three connections) using Qatar Airways, and I plan to arrive one day before to avoid any issue.

 

[Centrals]

Experienced DM would never let his/her groups unnecessary workload especially on LoB. They will look after them meticulously because they all want to earn good gratuity !!!!!!!
I have seen them jumped in first to check the current down below to decide if the site was suitable! They know the risk involved in remote places.
Time to work on your calf muscles!