Peter Hughes Star Dancer Papua New Guinea

Just wondering if anyone has been on this boat lately. I am scheduled for a trip in June.

I have never dove with Peter Hughes. I have heard some great things and some very bad things. Including deaths.

I have done a dozen aggressors and all but one was great. The only bad one was Palau as it had a brand new captian. Aggressor gave me a free trip for it.

I have done other live aboards and I was not sure whether to go with Mike Ball or Peter Hughes. It's too late to change anything now but I was just looking to see what the boat and diving has been like lately.

Hi Jack,

My wife and I were on the Star Dancer in Palau in late March. In fact, we were on the trip you may be referring to when you say "deaths". We lost a diver, but I belive it was from a series of factors that all acame together at the wrong time. The boat and crew did all they could and were very quick, organized and responsive. It was a horrible tragedy and really affected us all on that trip. We all just need to remember that our hobby takes place in a hostile environment.

I would go with them again right now if I had the bucks. They are good, friendly people and we they were great hosts. Their divemasters were first rate, as was the food.

Call Dianna in the main office for Peter Hughes. Tell her I said to call her. She was on our trip also, and was the instructor for our Nitrox certification. She can give you the run down on the trip.

If we could go again right now, we would book with the Star Dancer in PNG. I wouldn't even consider another group, myself, as I know I would have a great time and great diving with them.

Good luck!

Mark

Mark,
Thanks for the reply. I cant wait I heard the diving was great.

What boat were you on that had the death?

I was on an aggressor in the turks and caicos the same week a guy died on the hughes boat. He was a beginner and he was there with his son i believe.

Hi,

We were on the Star Dancer this past March when the boat was still in Palau. A young lady who was still pretty new to scuba (bout like me!) had problems during one of the "hook in" dives Palau is famous for. The current was really rockin' and my wife and I went up instead of trying to fight it. I think the young lady got hooked in, but lost a fin and her mask in the current. She had also been separated from her buddy. We did not see it, but we were told one of the divemasters swam against the current (I can't imagine how!) and cut her loose. By coincidence, there were several medical professionals in our group and they got her breathing after an hour of CPR. She died a couple of days later.

It was really sad and a hard thing to deal with on a "dream" vacation, but the experience brought all of us, the group and the crew, closer together. It was like diving with family for the rest of the trip.

I think that crew was awesome. If you call Dianna, see if Boyett, Carlos, Jonah and Patrick are still with the boat. The were all great divers, great photographers, and wonderful, fun people. I think the captain is new to the boat, but not to PNG, and I was told he had a great deal of experience.

Have a great time! I wish I could go! Take pictures!



Mark

Jack R:

Just wondering if anyone has been on this boat lately. I am scheduled for a trip in June.

I have never dove with Peter Hughes. I have heard some great things and some very bad things. Including deaths.

I have done a dozen aggressors and all but one was great. The only bad one was Palau as it had a brand new captian. Aggressor gave me a free trip for it.

I have done other live aboards and I was not sure whether to go with Mike Ball or Peter Hughes. It's too late to change anything now but I was just looking to see what the boat and diving has been like lately.

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The deaths all of you are talking about are the 20 innocent victims of the Wave Dancer, capsized during Hurricane Iris in 2001, due to the incompetency of the captain. You should read the book "No Safe Harbor" by Joe Burnworth, before you even think of going on any Hughes boat. Unless you don't care about staying alive, that is.
Teresa Mars