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    Considering Rota

    I live on Saipan, and Rota and Rubin dive are my among my favorite spots in Micronesia. You can still get there on Star Marianas from Saipan, as noted, but there is a 25 lb weight limit on baggage if you want to take your own gear. I ship my gear a couple of days ahead on Star Marianas, not...
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    Pohnpei Surf Club

    Never got to stay at the Village. But, Mangrove Bay is a fine, unpretentious, friendly hotel right by the dock. It is at least a 4 star by Micronesian standards. My fondest hope is that the people can prosper in continued obscurity.
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    Pohnpei Surf Club

    I am ambivalent about this post. For a large part, I want to keep quiet, let everyone wanting to dive Micronesia keep going to Palau and Chuuk, and leave Pohnpei and the outer islands to me and my buddies so we can keep diving conditions that are equal or better than Palau, much cheaper, and...
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    Peleliu Advice

    I'm a physician, working in the Marianas. Medical care on Pelileu is pretty basic, like most smaller islands. Major issues go to Koror, REALLY major issues go off island. But, I assuming your not planning to need it, right? As to the original question did Palau twice, first at PPR, the second...
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    Where and what in Saipan?

    I am just getting back from Rota. It is absolutely worth your consideration message me if you want details.
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    Where and what in Saipan?

    I have been diving with a skin thin all winter very happily. I only added a shorty once on a two tank boat dive in the rain. I think you will be fine. It is warming up. The places I have gone have all been 40-50 feet or so, but that is my preference; longer bottom time and less worry. Nitrox...
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    Where and what in Saipan?

    Also, be aware that Cape Air/United Express is currently being very unreliable and is the only way between Guam and Saipan. People going to the Philippines are currently tending to go through Seoul or Narita.
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    Where and what in Saipan?

    I have been living in Saipan for about 9 months. Saipan has the Grotto... really a one of a kind dive. It is a fair climb down the stairs to it and back. I have diving friends here who have dived The Grotto literally hundreds of times and never gotten bored as there are so many facets to it...
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    Saipan

    Thanks. We moved about 4 months ago. Living here and moving, with new job, I have only had time to do a few dives, but it is certainly a pleasure to not have to fly 3 days to go in the water. You are correct; there is so much here it boggles the mind. But, our new neighbors are hard core...
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    Saipan

    Well, looks like we will be moving there for a 2 year assignment, so I will be able to give fuller reports. I worked in one shore dive at Lau Lau with Speedy Turtle. Visibility excellent, coral so-so, plenty of fish life, and treated well.
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    Palau Dive Adventures

    Sea Passion was a nice place, very nice rooms. Probably 1 star down from the PPR in terms of "attractions", but if you are diving all day, who cares? Also closer to downtown restaurants. We dove with Sam's and were well satisfied.
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    Saipan

    Heading to Saipan in a couple of weeks for work, but planning to return in a few months on extended work assignment. I gather Axemurderer tours is pretty well regarded, but Saipan posts here are getting dated. I'd appreciate a general view of diving in the CNMI in general. Great? Good? Fair...
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    Trip Report: Raja Ampat on the WAOW Liveaboard

    Susan, I felt your post was in excellent taste and totally appropriate, and I thank you for it. As has been mentioned, a trip like this is likely a huge part of a travel budget for several years. If the trip had deficiencies for whatever reason, I really want to know. As to interaction with...
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    Sorido Bay trip report

    We flew Alaska airlines to SFO, Cathay Pacific to Jakarta, Swirijaya to Sorong. No complaints on any of these carriers, everything went right on time. There was just so darned much of it. For more variety plus ease of travel, I was happier on the Palau trip. Admittedly less time underwater and...
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    Sorido Bay trip report

    We just got back from 10 days at Sorido. Here are my impressions. The resort itself is lovely, and costly. It is "Sleep, eat, Dive"; not many other attractions. Unless you live in Asia or Australia, the travel is brutal. The dive operation is beautifully set up. I would sign off the Nitrox...
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    Regs on airplane?

    We just carried them for a visit to Raja Ampat, primarily because they are a concentrated heavy part of our equipment and we were pushing baggage allowance. They caused a hand bag search on departure in Alaska (not a lot of SCUBA gear seen here), but sailed through in SFO, Hong Kong, Jakarta...
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    Low Budget trip to Raja Ampat in February 2014

    I found that site also very helpful if you are NOT on a budget, as there are lots of links to things I could not find elsewhere, like maps of the dive sites. Very informative.
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    Komodo diving with 13-year-old

    We dove Palau last year with our 14 year old daughter. There was some site limitation based on our abilities and experience, but it was still wonderful, and included drift dives and use of a reef hook in moderate current. We never felt we were messing it up for other divers or missing out on...
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    Highly informative web site for Raja Ampat

    True for both. That travel style is not my cup of tea, but there are a lot of links within that site to information I could not find elsewhere, and I have been doing a lot of looking. It enhanced my planning for Sorido quite a lot.
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    Palau second thoughts?

    If maximum number of dives a day is your goal, then you really need to think live aboard in Palau. On the other hand, exploring time on land and touring Peleliu was equally wonderful, and balanced things out nicely. Crowding was never an issue.
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