Compare Solmar V & Nautilus Explorer?

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Messages
1
Reaction score
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Location
Houston, TX
# of dives
200 - 499
Want to go to the Revillagigedos/Socorro, to hopefully see mantas and hammerheads, trying to decide which liveaboard to use. Anybody done both and can compare them? Or even just some good feedback on either one would be good, too! Thank you very much,
Debby in Houston
 
Both are great boats. I did Revillagigedos on the Solmar in 2001 and Sea of Cortez on the Nautilus Explorer a few years later. The rooms are larger on the Nautilus Explorer and it has a very safety conscious crew. I believe both boats use local divemasters (certainly Solmar does) who know the diving well. When diving from the pangas it is a big step up or down with the Solmar that can be “interesting” in rougher conditions. Not sure how that works on the NE. Also I don’t know whether one boat will ride better in rough conditions, maybe someone else will chime in.

I don’t think you will go wrong with either boat, I might give the edge to the NE if I were going again for the added comfort.


Ralph
 
I've been on the Solmar V three times - once to the Sea of Cortes and twice to the Revillagigedos.

The cabins are indeed small - probably the smallest I've seen on a liveaboard.

The big step that Rcohn refers to is when jumping in off of the side of the main ship. Such is the case at most divesites except The Boiler, where you usually jump in from the aft platform because they tie the stern to the pinnacle and you pull yourself down that line.

You can choose to jump in from the aft platform at the other divesites as well - it just means swimming a little more. Getting back onto the main ship is also at the aft platform.

Solmar V uses inflatable pangas - on those dives where they drop you off with the pangas, you do a backroll. I don't remember about getting back on.........but I guess I obviously did.

Solmar V has no night diving - I believe that Natilus Explorer has at least a night snorkel with silkies.

As Rcohn said, I don't think that you can go wrong with either boat.

I will be going back on the Solmar in November. I guess mostly because I've gotten to know the crew fairly well, the service is up there with the best, and, if I may say so, they serve about the best desserts I've ever had on a liveaboard.
 
Want to go to the Revillagigedos/Socorro, to hopefully see mantas and hammerheads, trying to decide which liveaboard to use. Anybody done both and can compare them? Or even just some good feedback on either one would be good, too! Thank you very much,
Debby in Houston

....did the Socorro's 12/2008 on the N.E....never been on the Solmar. You won't find anything to complain about on the N.E. It's a nice, big, roomy boat/dive deck...the N.E. uses 2 small boats to take divers to the dive sites...which are never more than a 5 min boat ride away. You have your choice of using the boat's rubber/inflatable zodiac...OR......using the boat's large. solid aluminum, flat-bottomed skiff, which kinda reminds me or a WWII amphibous landing craft. If you don't like re-boarding the rubber zodiac, you can just signal the skiff to pick you up instead......N.E. uses both boats simultaneously, ferrying divers to and fro......and both boats are out simultaneously monitoring/watching/spotting all the divers. The tank/gear up procedure/storage is a bit 'different' from any other boat I've ever been on.....a little 'wierd' at first, but I got used to it quickly and it actually works out fine.....you don't sit down to strap on your tank, while your tank/BC is standing in a rack/holder like on any liveaboard, the difference is while standing up, you back into your tank/BC and just strap it on, then walk down the ramp and board the skiff or zodiac...again, a little 'different' but no worries.....works fine.
 
I haven't done the Solmar, but I've been to Socorro on the Nautilus Explorer four times and I'm going again at the end of March. The boat is really nice, but even more important, the crew is seconded to none. Very professional, but very friendly and interested in their customers. They really take care of you in every way, making for an extremely relaxing trip. Great selection of microbrews available too, delivered while enjoying the hot tub after the last dive of the day. I can't wait to get back there. The diving is amazing.
 

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