something between blackbeards and the luxury liners

[Scotttyd]

So, I am looking at doing my first liveaboard. I have looked at Blackbeards, and they may be an option. I am maybe looking for something slightly "nicer". I am not a snob and don't need the luxury agressor fleet or aqua cat at over $2000 for a week. Is there anything in between the two? I want as much diving as possible, but also wouldn't mind a deck to lay out on, or some soft cushions to relax during the SI. I will likely be traveling as a single unless I can find a budy who wants to troll along.

 

[Scotttyd]

forgot to say. most likely in the Carribbean - pacific and indian ocean in the future

 

[Darnold9999]

Spree Expeditions M/V Spree SCUBA Diving Dry Tortugas/Vandenberg, Mona Passage and Puerto Rico

 

[diversteve]

Cat Ppalu - the other Blackbeards affiliated LOB - sometimes sells single spaces if their chartering party doesn't take the whole boat. It's $1545 + fees. Cat Ppalu Snorkeling & scuba diving liveaboard charters to the Exumas. The below deck cabin (#6 -no windows) has an u/w viewing port.

There's also Lost Island Voyages - IDK what it costs. Scuba Diving Bahamas Lost Island Voyages | Lost Island Voyages

Certain weeks with Explorer Ventures are as little as $1495 + fees. Select weeks they offer $400 off their regular $1895 price. Something called the Water Dragon discount - not sure what that is. Mostly the NE Caribbean (Saba, St. Kitts, St Maarten) but there's a few discounted Turks/Caicos trips in the fall - which start higher. Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Diving: Specials

My buddy has done the Exumas and T/C on a liveaboard - he said T/C is far better. We were on the Explorer last year, nice, large boat, clean, great food, outstanding diving at French Cay and West Caicos. Lots of sharks, turtles, so many rays it was boring, there's a chance for dolphins and big grouper. Thanks to Mike Southard for this excellent trip report - http://www.awoosh.com/Saudio/Saudio_Turks&Caicos.html

The "new" Dancer boat - Carib Dancer is $1895 double/$1695 quad. Dive The Bahamas with Carib Dancer

 

[robint]

I think if you do a price breakdown you will see that the Aggressor and AquaCat are actually good deals.
Think 25 dives during the week, room, all meals and drinks, and then divide the price down per dive. I do this for every trip and liveaboards turn out to be a good deal compared to a land-based trip where you get in less dives.

Also.... your first liveaboard trip needs to be GOOD or you will never do another one. I would go with Aggressor or AquaCat or Peter Hughes or Explorer. All are in the same ballpark as far as price, so just pick by destination and date. Have a blast!! You will be hooked.

robin

 

[rongoodman]

I'll be going on my fourth trip with Explorer Ventures in a few weeks--they've all been good, but I think I like the Southern Bahamas the best so far.

 

[jaboothtx]

I usually just lurk on scubaboard, but since I recently had the same question, and being an engineer in real life, I investigated boats and web sites, put them in an excel spreadsheet, and made a nice chart upon which I could base a decision. If it helps you, here’s what I came up with.

I was looking for something in the Caribbean, I always dive nitrox, and I vastly prefer a 5-dive-per-day schedule, plus enough days of diving to make the travel cost-effective. (The Blackbeard's sailing vessels (Pirate Lady, Morning Star, Sea Explorer) do not have nitrox, so they don't make my consideration list, but I'd already added them to the spreadsheet before I figured out there was no nitrox, so they're in the chart.) In computing the total cost per dive, I included the extras for each charter (nitrox, fuel surcharge, port fees, park fees, beer/wine when not included – I like (just one) beer or wine after the night dive).



One other thing to consider is the amount of crowding. I don't need luxury, but I don't want every square inch of space covered with people, either. The right way to compute this is to determine the sq. ft. of usable space on each boat and divide by the number of passengers, but that was too retentive even for me, so you'll need to look at the web sites and make your own qualitative judgment.

Hope this helps –

 

[RJP]

As mentioned above, look for one of the deal weeks on one of the Explorer Ventures boats. Did T&C Explorer last year for $1495. Great boat, great people, great food, great diving, great deal.

 

[diversteve]

I usually just lurk on scubaboard, but since I recently had the same question, and being an engineer in real life, I investigated boats and web sites, put them in an excel spreadsheet, and made a nice chart upon which I could base a decision. If it helps you, here’s what I came up with.

You missed Sun Dancer II. http://www.dancerfleet.com/belize-home.shtml

At $1895 it's got to be near the top of the list. Also I think it's one of the biggest boats at 138'. Cuan Law is certainly the widest.

 

[jaboothtx]

@DiverSteve, you're absolutely right - I'd completely forgotten the Dancer Fleet boats. I always think of the Dancers as only Pacific boats - probably because that's the only place I've dived them.

Although I've already made my Caribbean liveaboard decision, for the sake of completeness (and because I *am* a retentive engineer), here's an updated chart adding both the Caribe Dancer and the Sun Dancer II.

(I should note that the Caribe Dancer (Bahamas) is still in dry dock, not expected to be available before May'12.)