Where do you recommend for a liveaboard the first time?

[diverjen]

Always looking ahead and trying to plan trips.

Criteria:

-Good for new divers (~70 dives)
- fairly shallow with warm clear water
-fairly easy conditions
-emphasis on great reef
-Not incredibly difficult to get to



Where would you recommend for 1)Caribbean 2) Everywhere else

 

[robint]

Belize on Aggressor.
or
Bahamas on AquaCat.

 

[diversteve]

Turks and Caicos on Explorer - this one: Saudio's Trip Reports <<<-- thanks to Mike Southard for this.

 

[diverjen]

thanks guys

I have heard the reef was pretty lackluster in bahamas? do you agree?

 

[Akimbo]

Turks and Caicos on Explorer - this one: Saudio's Trip Reports <<<-- thanks to Mike Southard for this.

+1, but get your Nitrox card regardless of which boat you choose.

 

[diversteve]

I'd agree. My buddy did the Bahamas Out Islands (Exumas/San Salvador etc.) a few years ago and said it was less than stellar compared to our T/C trip. I keep reading about these algal infestations throughout that area yet no one seems to mention it. Part of the attraction for something like Blackbeards is of course the cost so I guess if the diving is just so/so that's acceptable to some.

MV Spree is doing Cay Sal trips later this year and that was excellent diving a decade ago. Mostly because that far south there is no other diving done nearby. However Spree is a lower end liveaboard in terms of amenities, no private cabins, shared heads etc.

Been to the Bay Islands? MV Pearl does a run around Utila and part of Roatan so you get the best of both without the bugs. (believe me that's significant..) It's part of DivEncounters, the new Peter Hughes franchise. Nice boat, we saw it the first year it hit the water (2007?) - at that time it was the Utila Aggressor.

 

[BDSC]

thanks guys

I have heard the reef was pretty lackluster in bahamas? do you agree?

Totally agree. I did the Aquacat back in July of 2012. Loved the boat, the crew, and the food but the diving was marginal at best. Some of the diving was actually poor. Some areas have been devastated by the green algae. So much so there is little fish life in those areas. I would do the Aquacat again if they went to other areas but can't see myself ever booking the boat again and I booked the entire boat.

Another vote for the Turks & Caicos Explorer. Best liveaboard I have done to date.

 

[ronscuba]

Belize on Aggressor.
or
Bahamas on AquaCat.

Agreed on Belize. My favorite Caribbean diving destination.

Have not done Bahamas live aboard.

Turks & Caicos was also good, but the profiles are a little deep.

The Caribbean is perfect for US residents 1st live aboard. Easy to get to, easy diving.

 

[TravisD]

We did the Aquacat as our first real dive trip. It was our first actual ocean diving in fact. We had about 25 dives under our weight belts prior to that in freshwater (quarries). The trip was, for us, amazing and we thought that it was a great way to get into the big pool.

This was in 2007 so I don't know how the reefs have changed, or how it compares to T&C. I did the GBR in 2011 and thought that it was comparable to what I saw in the Bahamas in 2007, but I'm sure things have changed since then.

They certainly made the diving smooth. Being able to set gear up once for the week was really nice. Staff was very helpful, but it wasn't a bunch of "follow me, do as I say" diving. Good briefings.

The boat was really nice, food was outstanding. Being Bahamas based, it was easy to get to (for us, from the east coast of the US).

 

[Lorenzoid]

Anyone have an opinion on how Cayman Aggressor would compare with Turks & Caicos Aggressor in terms of the quality of diving?