Belize Aggressor III vs. Nekton Pilot

[WCollins]

Hello All! My husband and I are planning to go on a liveaboard in Belize and have seen a lot of conflicting information We are trying to decide if we will go with Aggressor III or the Nekton Pilot. The impression that we are getting from the scuba board is that the Nekton Pilot is a "cattle car" experience. We do not mind paying a little extra if it is truly worth it so we are hoping to hear from divers that have been on one or both of these. Please tell us about your experience and if you would go on another trip with that operator and why

We would appreciate any guidance that you may have to offer.

Thanks,
MFC

[peterbj7]

I've not been on either but I hear reports from people who go on them. My impression is that if you want ultimate luxury you won't find it on Nekton, but as a "diver's boat" it's bigger and better. I would certainly choose Nekton, but based on recent publicity I'd choose one of the upper cabins.


There must be people out there who've been on both.....

[00scuba]

I went on the Belize Aggressor a couple years ago. Captain Jay and the crew were amazing. The diving, accomodations, food, staff were all above average. I have since done the Kona Aggressor and had the same great experience.

I would go back in a heartbeat.

[robint]

Hello All! My husband and I are planning to go on a liveaboard in Belize and have seen a lot of conflicting information We are trying to decide if we will go with Aggressor III or the Nekton Pilot. The impression that we are getting from the scuba board is that the Nekton Pilot is a "cattle car" experience. We do not mind paying a little extra if it is truly worth it so we are hoping to hear from divers that have been on one or both of these. Please tell us about your experience and if you would go on another trip with that operator and why

We would appreciate any guidance that you may have to offer.

Thanks,
MFC

Nekton is not a cattle car. The boat is bigger and therefore can have more people on it, but it is rarely full. The biggest difference has to do with the design of the hull. The Nekton is a swath design (pontoons that go under the water below the surge which keep the boat from rocking). It is much more stable than all the mono-hull boats. I have been on the Nekton Pilot and have seen the Aggressor boat. The Aggressor is definitely more plush and fancier rooms, etc. The Nekton is roomier - even with the 26 people we had onboard the Pilot, most of the people you never saw except at mealtime as it was possible to spread out. The Aggressor boat seemed cramped to me and if there was someone on the boat that I didn't like, I would have to hide in my room to get away from them. Food is more upscale on Aggressor, food is more "home cooking" on the Nekton. Beer and wine provided on Aggressor - BYOB on the Nekton boats.
Does this help?

[Gale68]

MFC: I think either would do a good job for you. The differences are as already mentioned: Aggressor boats are more upscale in the decor and food, and beer and wine are included. Nekton is BYOB, and the room decor is more motel than hotel. The design of Nekton's boats makes them both more stable and more spacious. A Nekton boat at full capacity feels roomier than an Aggressor or PH boat at full capacity, and if there's less than a full boat, you'll have all kinds of elbow room, especially on the Nekton boats. In Belize, they all seem to go to the same sites, except that Nekton doesn't do the Blue Hole, if that matters to you. Having done it once myself, my opinion is that it's kind of a waste of time.

[ronscuba]

Another thing to keep in mind is the price difference can be substantial. Depending on the week you go, the Nekton costs $1795-$1495. The Aggressor is $2495-$2295.

[DiverBeth]

I also was on the Aggressor III a couple of years ago and it was wonderful. I haven't been on Nekton but generally what I've heard has been positive.

The Aggressor was top notch. Food was excellent and the crew wonderful. Diving was great too. The cabins are small (but I only slept and changed there) and I thought the rest of the boat had plenty of room.

I really don't think you would go wrong with either one.

[fdog]

We were last on the Belize Aggressor III a year ago. The boat was pristine - it was exceedingly well kept and we had no problems at all with the boat.

The crew was superb as well. Great food, and dives were a nice blend of letting us do what we wanted while still watching over the inexperienced divers on board. As an example, we showed up with DIN regs and a couple of DIN valves. They cheerfully swapped out two tanks to use the DIN valves, and changed out the fill whips to DIN as well!

Excellent overall, and that's when compared with the high standards of Aggressor.

Don't take my word for it, here is a review I wrote after coming back from that trip. Although not directly dealing with the topic at hand, the photos do show the great condition of the boat.


All the best, James

[vladimir]

I was last on board the Belize Aggressor a little over a year ago, and, as James said, it was pristine. It had had a major overhaul about a year prior. I've never been on the Nekton, but the recent complaints (and pictures) should make this decision pretty easy.

Very few of us have endless money, but personally, my vacation time is more precious to me. I'd rather pay up and avoid disappointment, and I've never had a bad vacation. I did have dysentery once in Jakarta, but that was a weekend trip, so we won't count that.

[WCollins]

All, thank you so much for your comments. Sandy, it meant a lot to us to know that you would certainly be a repeat customer (we have not seen or heard a lot of that attitude toward the Nekton). James and Janet, the trip report was impressive and since we own a media company, we appreciated seeing the photography area of the boat! My husband and I share the same views as Vladimir as our vacation time is precious as well and we do not want to worry about if we paid for a cabin with or without leaks. Thanks to all of you for your quick responses! I think we will go with the Aggressor III for this trip.

Thanks,
MFC