NEEDED: Liveaboard in Exotic Destination that can accomodate a novice dive buddy

I am trying to plan a great trip for my 50th birthday (in 2011) I had my heart set on a liveaboard in Indonesia. I am certified as a PADI DM with over 360 dives. I feel comfortable diving most anywhere HOWEVER my brand new husband is not yet certified. He will be soon but we live in Denver, Colorado, US so between now and 2011 he won't be picking up much experience.

I'm looking for suggestions for a liveaboard destination that is exotic to make me happy yet can acomodate a novice dive buddy. I am not interested in the Caribbean as that is where I have done most of my diving. I have been to the Red Sea but did not do a liveaboard there. I have also already dove the GBR several times as well as French Polynesia.

Thanks,
Deb

Deb,

You might want to consider the MV Celebes Explorer that dives Sipadan Island and several other islands in the vicinity of Sipadan. The link below is to my trip report from when we were on board her in '07.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/malaysia-singapore/213465-sipadan-dive-trip.html

Also, if you want to see some pictures from that trip and other previous trips just click on the Picasa link in my signature below and then select any of the Sipadan folders.

Good luck with your search.

The Red Sea liveabaords see a steady supply of noob divers.

Maldives as well.

As the Caribbean is to North America, those destinations are to Europe. As our Caribbean liveabaords are well acquainted with noobs, so are they.

This is about the only place that you can reasonably look for this. Other options exist, but these specific liveaboards cater to Japanese clientelle in the South Pacific.

The "local" aspect of diver proximity to destination has a lot to do with the dive ops that you will find. The same thing applies to land based in the Caribbean. The near-by ones that hosted divers since the 1950's (Cayman, Nassau, Bimini) can easily provide a very toned down experience. When you travel further away from "any civilization base", they begin to see less noob divers. Thus, the dive ops bias towards more capable divers. The obvious exceptions to this rule are specifically designed as such: Club Dread and the like~ an artificial catered experience plopped into "the wilds".

Just because a dive destination seems distant and foreign to North America- if you find one that has a steady stream of vacationing divers, they know just what to do.

I know you said no Caribbean, but you couldn't beat the BelizeAggressor III for a good boat for a new diver.
I am also thinking the Nai'a in Fiji would probably meet your exotic needs, and it is your 50th, I am doing this trip next year for my 60th. Soft coral capital of the world. Rated the best liveaboard in the world by many. Most dives are drifts with the pickup boat following you and right there to pick you up. Round trip out of LA is $887,a week is around $3300, they offer rebreather fam dives for $100. Add a couple days before and after...paradise.

Mike Ball, GBR

My best suggestions for liveaboards that will be nice for both beginner and more advanced divers would be:

Australia - Outer Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

And

Northern Red Sea

Thank you all for the great ideas. It gave us a lot to think about.

Deb

When my husband got certified in Palau, I had already been diving for a number of years. We had a fabulous time diving and felt confident that he was having a good time. We dove with Fish and Fins -tell Tova that Vickie and Richard recommended them! I don't know how to refer you to a post I made last year, so I have copied and pasted it here:
We were on the Panunee in August 2008 for Derawan, Sangalaki, and Kakaban. It was a fabulous trip we had one of the two cabins with en-suite facilities. The boat is comfortable and very well designed - and the crew is friendly and helpful beyond what one has a right to expect. And the food was fabulous (mostly Thai food). There were only 11 persons booked on the trip so my husband and I had a dive master that went on every dive with the two of us. There was one newly certified diver who had a dive master paying close attention to her the whole time and a snorkeler who had a good time as well. We loved the trip, the diving was great, from swimming in a barracuda swirl, to Mantas that we could practically reach out and touch and Nudibranchs that were both plentiful and colorful as well as Mandarin fish and Jawfish, frog fish and a million others. Swimming in Jellyfish Lake in Kakaban is not the same as Jellyfish lake in Palau and I loved it! The dive masters were very knowledgeable and attentive. The atmosphere was one of sharing even though we didn't all speak the same language. A lot had to do with so many of us taking photos. The owner is a professional photographer and the focus was heavily on getting the pictures at just the right time. It was great. We will definitely go on another Panunee trip.