30% Off All Trips on the Ferox in Colombia Until End of June 2018!

[PADI Travel]

Ferox
“Malpelo” Cruise
Buenaventura to Buenaventura (10 Nights)
January 20-30, 2018
March 28 - April 7, 2018
April 15-25, 2018
May 28 - June 7, 2018
Price: $2,891 (instead of $4,130)
Save $1,239

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Ferox
“Gorgona Island” Cruise
Buenaventura to Buenaventura (4 Nights)
February 9-13, 2018
March 9-13, 2018
April 27 - May 1, 2018
Price: $966 (instead of $1,380)
Save $414

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Ferox
“Malpelo” Cruise
Buenaventura to Buenaventura (11 Nights)
February 18 - March 1, 2018
Price: $3,024 (instead of $4,320)
Save $1,296

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Ferox
“Malpelo” Cruise
Buenaventura to Buenaventura (13 Nights)
June 10-23, 2018
Price: $3,353 (instead of $4,790)
Save $1,437

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Click for More Info on the Ferox

Terms and Conditions
*Prices subject to change due to exchange rate variability and the terms of the offer
*Valid on new bookings only
*Cannot be combined with any other offer
*This offer can be changed or cancelled at any time
*Valid on bookings made before the departure date
*Offer is applicable to all Ferox trips until the end of June 2018

 

[champ]

Diviac,

Do you know what has been done by the Colombian government to address the safety concerns that came to light with the incident with the Maria Patricia? I understand that this is different boat but because there were so many fundamentally negligent errors that led to the loss of life, I am reluctant to go unless legislation is passed to prevent this in the future.

DIVERS MISSING AT MALPELO - DIVE Magazine

 

[PADI Travel]

Hi champ,

Thanks for bringing up your concerns. Over the past couple of days we have had extensive conversations with the boat’s operator to ensure all measures that go into running safe liveaboard have been met. Now we feel confident in telling you that the Ferox has gone above and beyond.

First, regarding Colombian law, there are a couple of rule changes regarding Malpelo. Colombian authorities have stopped issuing waivers for foreign flagged boats. This means that all boats operating in Malpelo need to be checked in and out of the country, most likely in Buenaventura. Because this has added a large expense to operation, we probably won’t see boats coming to Malpelo from Panama any longer.

In addition, Dimar (the Colombian maritime authority) is now in charge of evaluating and issuing dive operator licenses. This is to standardize requirements and improve dive safety. As such, the authority is closing loopholes that allowed liveaboards to travel as “Tourist Transport Vessels.” Now they will actually need to be qualified was “Dive Vessels.”

Still, you’ll want to ensure the liveaboard you travel to Malpelo with has all the necessary safety equipment and an experienced crew.

The Ferox is working to set the new standard for liveaboard safety in Colombia and to become one of the safest liveaboards in the world.

This liveaboard has a ton of safety equipment on board. All divers will be provided with a Personal Locator Beacon. In addition, onboard you'll find an inflatable raft for 50 people, 1 EPIRB, 1 Search and Rescue Transponder, 1 fixed fire fighting system, 3 Emergency Escape Breathing Devices, 1 fire alarm panel, 42 flotation devices, 2 portable oxygen tanks, 1 AED, 2 trauma kits, portable fire extinguishers, lifebuoy, firefighting suits, 1 complete set of pyrotechnics, 19 smoke detectors, 1 fire blanket, 14 alarm bells and the list goes on. This is in addition to a full communications system and an advanced navigation system.

Furthermore, the crew on the Ferox is very experienced. The owner of the boat has stated, “I selected our guides based on experience. They are the most experienced guides in Colombia.”

There are 10 crew members to 12 guests, and most of the dive crew have over 20 years of experience. In fact, the dive guides have 50 years combined experience at Malpelo alone. Plus, the crew includes two USCG 3000T Masters with over 60 years combined experience between them.

As always, it is important to note that Malpelo is a remote diving destination. And most of the dives are quite challenging. Only experienced divers should consider this liveaboard trip.

If you’d like to chat some more about the specifics of this boat, feel free to send us an email or use the live chat function on our website. We’re always available to answer your questions. In the meantime, happy diving!

 

[champ]

Thanks Diviac! It is good to hear the Ferox wants to make safety a priority. Personal location beckons, oxygen, trauma kits, and AED should be on every liveaboard whether required by law or not. Malpelo is a magic destination. Can you provide information on the zodiacs - how many, what engines do they each have, what communication devices?

 

[Colombia Dive Adventures]

Hi Champ,

The Ferox is equipped with three (3) self righting Fast Rescue Boats. Two are Avon SR 6, 6m Rigid Inflatable Boats certified for 15 persons each. The third is a Delta Searider 6.5m boat certified for 15 persons. All three of the boats are equipped with twin 60 HP Yamaha Outboards outfitted with prop guards. Note that while our RIB's have capacity for 15 we only dive with 6 divers in each. The third RIB is dedicated as our vessel Fast Rescue Boat. These boats were all former fast rescue boats used in the harsh conditions of the North sea. These models have been proven in numerous Navy and Coast Guard Operations world wide. All are equipped with VHF, AIS receiver, and GPS.

 

[kassj0peja]

PADI Travel uploaded a video of FEROX at Maleplo: