Rhw3
New
Approx 25 dives each and would like to give one of these a try. Any suggestions?
$8000 (not including flights) for 2 for a first Liveaboard- what’s your recommendation?
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Which liveaboards? Where? Need more info....
Boarderguy
Chief Narctopus Wrangler
Desired locations. Types of diving desired. Hand held guided dives or drop you off and tell you when to be back? Lots of choices and opinions on all of it. Help us out and give us a direction.
Turks and Caicos are close, with two boats to choose from. You'll see lots of sharks too! Or Belize. If you want to venture farther from home, there are numerous liveaboards on the Red Sea. If you haven't already done so, try to get your AOW and Nitrox before you go, otherwise the operator might limit the dives they'll let you do.
txdamselfish
Contributor
There is a great one that motors around St Croix this time of year, then she motors back to Miami for the rest of the time.
It’s the Juliet.
It’s not Agressor fancy, but it’s a nice sailboat with max 12 people, 6 cabins, great crew and captain.
I feel secure with their boating safety protocols, always gain a few pounds. thanks to the good food by Frenchie, and usually book another trip before I get on the return flight home, good people.
It’s the Juliet.
It’s not Agressor fancy, but it’s a nice sailboat with max 12 people, 6 cabins, great crew and captain.
I feel secure with their boating safety protocols, always gain a few pounds. thanks to the good food by Frenchie, and usually book another trip before I get on the return flight home, good people.
drrich2
Contributor
Sun Dancer 2 (Belize) May 2015 - http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/li...ving-belize-via-sun-dancer-2-may-2nd-9th.html
Renamed Belize Aggressor IV.
Renamed Belize Aggressor IV.
broncobowsher
Contributor
Too open ended of a question.
What are you looking to see? Fish, rocks, rust?
Not including flights. Does that mean someplace you can drive to and not fly at all? Or an unlimited flight budget?
Are you expecting any other activities beside just diving?
What are you looking to see? Fish, rocks, rust?
Not including flights. Does that mean someplace you can drive to and not fly at all? Or an unlimited flight budget?
Are you expecting any other activities beside just diving?
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A nice week in the Caribbean would be a good start to liveaboard diving for two relatively inexperienced divers and would be under your budget.
Perhaps Belize or the Cayman Islands. In Cayman, you run a risk of not being able to get to Little Cayman
Trip Report - Belize on the Aggressor IV April 9-16, 2022
Belize on the Aggressor IV April 9-16, 2022 Reservations: I reserved my spot ton the Belize Aggressor IV directly with Aggressor. I made my reservations during last fall’s sale and got 25% off. I made my airline reservations directly with American Airlines, a flight from Philadelphia to Miami...
Trip Report - Cayman Aggressor V, November 24-December 1, 2018
I have been to Grand Cayman 10 times, Little Cayman twice, and Cayman Brac once. When I found myself with a bonus week available for diving, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the time on the new Cayman Aggressor V, especially with the 35% discount they offered for their 35th anniversary. I...
Additional: I usually choose boats with side by side twins as I don't want to climb onto a top bunk. Roatan and Turks & Caicos II both have a double bed for the bottom bunk that would probably be fine for a couple. T&C is a bit deeper, they may have some AL100s if you wanted extra gas.
drrich2
Contributor
Turks & Caicos diving tends to be rather deep and I thought the reef looked better at Little Cayman and the outer atolls of Belize.
Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Report Apr. 2018 - Trip Report - Turks & Caicos Aggressor II 4/21-4/28 Trip Report
Turks & Caicos Research Notes - Turks & Caicos Research Notes
I really enjoyed my Cayman liveaboard trip, but as Scubadada pointed out, there's no guarantee you'll make it to Little Cayman, which is said to have the best diving. Liveaboards are often sought when they offer access (or better access) to really good diving than land-based options. Since Little Cayman has reputable land-based alternatives, and you don't take such a risk of missing it entirely your week, going with, oh, say, Little Cayman Beach Resort might be a safer option.
Cayman Aggressor IV May 2016 - Trip Report - Cayman Aggressor IV Trip May 2016
The Roatan Aggressor IV gets good reviews, and at times gets to places a single land-based resort probably won't, but there has been discussion about how much such benefit you're likely to get. If you want to dive some of Roatan's best heavily, you've got the option for CocoView Resort, so you may want to do some comparison reading.
CocoView Trip Report May 2021 - Trip Report - CocoView Resort May 8-15, 2021
My Research Notes from planning a Roatan Trip - My Research Notes from Planning Roatan Trip
Which brings me back to Belize. People wanting land-based often go for Ambergris Caye; people wanting mainland adventure sometimes get suggestions to consider Splash Diver Center in Placencia. The best diving is alleged to be in the outer atolls region, which gives you some options - 2 Aggressors (I linked you my trip report in an earlier post), Turneffe Island Resort, Huracan Diving Lodge (no air conditioning, IIRC?), maybe others. But I don't see threads arguing that land-based here is a better deal.
So I recommend Belize. Varied topography (but had no wrecks), benign conditions, excellent Caribbean diving, and yet...I will warn you there are no guarantees you'll get quite what I did.
@Trailboss123 has produced excellent trip reports, and his trip didn't quite match what I saw - Belize Aggressor III Trip Report – April 21-28. They spent more time (and dives) at Turneffe Reef and I don't know why.
I'd like to know how much they're hitting Turneffe Reef these days?
Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Report Apr. 2018 - Trip Report - Turks & Caicos Aggressor II 4/21-4/28 Trip Report
Turks & Caicos Research Notes - Turks & Caicos Research Notes
I really enjoyed my Cayman liveaboard trip, but as Scubadada pointed out, there's no guarantee you'll make it to Little Cayman, which is said to have the best diving. Liveaboards are often sought when they offer access (or better access) to really good diving than land-based options. Since Little Cayman has reputable land-based alternatives, and you don't take such a risk of missing it entirely your week, going with, oh, say, Little Cayman Beach Resort might be a safer option.
Cayman Aggressor IV May 2016 - Trip Report - Cayman Aggressor IV Trip May 2016
The Roatan Aggressor IV gets good reviews, and at times gets to places a single land-based resort probably won't, but there has been discussion about how much such benefit you're likely to get. If you want to dive some of Roatan's best heavily, you've got the option for CocoView Resort, so you may want to do some comparison reading.
CocoView Trip Report May 2021 - Trip Report - CocoView Resort May 8-15, 2021
My Research Notes from planning a Roatan Trip - My Research Notes from Planning Roatan Trip
Which brings me back to Belize. People wanting land-based often go for Ambergris Caye; people wanting mainland adventure sometimes get suggestions to consider Splash Diver Center in Placencia. The best diving is alleged to be in the outer atolls region, which gives you some options - 2 Aggressors (I linked you my trip report in an earlier post), Turneffe Island Resort, Huracan Diving Lodge (no air conditioning, IIRC?), maybe others. But I don't see threads arguing that land-based here is a better deal.
So I recommend Belize. Varied topography (but had no wrecks), benign conditions, excellent Caribbean diving, and yet...I will warn you there are no guarantees you'll get quite what I did.
@Trailboss123 has produced excellent trip reports, and his trip didn't quite match what I saw - Belize Aggressor III Trip Report – April 21-28. They spent more time (and dives) at Turneffe Reef and I don't know why.
I'd like to know how much they're hitting Turneffe Reef these days?
Damselfish
Contributor
Given you are in the US it makes sense to start with a Caribbean liveaboard. It would be helpful to know what you are expecting, though there’s actually not so many (unique) choices that it will matter a lot at this stage. And yes do AOW and Nitrox if you haven’t. Or even plan to do it on the boat.
As mentioned Turks & Caicos tends to average deep so possibly not the best choice for newer divers, especially if either of you still uses a lot of air.
Belize is good, except they usually do the Blue Hole. That particular dive is also not the best choice for newer divers. You can of course skip it - many people don’t feel it’s worth bothering with at any level of experience. But the number of dives is already limited that day, as they do a visit to Half Moon Cay after the Blue Hole for exploring and picnic lunch. You may see this as a plus or a minus. Another thing about Belize, its a longish crossing that may be pretty calm, or maybe not. (I’ve done that crossing with a foot wedged against the wall so I don’t fall out of bed.) You want to know that you don’t get seasick or can manage it.
I think Cayman is a pretty good choice for a first LOB. It’s true they don’t always get to Little Cayman, but you can improve your odds by choosing the better times of year. (Again, that crossing can sometimes be rough.) If you don’t make it, you will still have a nice trip and have the liveaboard experience. And many people object to a LOB that does mostly sites that can easily be done land-based, but on a LOB you can very conveniently do many more dives there, set up gear only once, while being conveniently fed 5 times a day, shower and a hot chocolate as you exit the water after a night dive, all those common LOB goodies.
I think the Roatan Aggressor is all around a pretty good first choice. The BVI Aggressor might be, though there are still no reviews to be found on the trip.
Aquacat in Bahamas is a very comfortable and well run boat that would be good. Reefs in the Bahamas are not always in the best shape but they make the most of the diving there with some unique dives and excursions. There are a few choices in the Bahamas but I haven’t done the others. Generally easy diving though.
Carribean Explorer maybe, though I wasn’t a fan of the boat or most of the diving on that trip. Others like it.
It’s often recommended getting to your destination the day before the boat departs in case of flight or luggage delays. Not so critical when just headed to the Caribbean rather than the other side of the planet, but doesn’t hurt either. If you have the time and budget, staying on land for a least a few days after a liveaboard is a nice thing to do. Relax, see the place, do a bit of land based diving, whatever. Beats getting kicked off the LOB early the last morning and heading straight to the airport.
As mentioned Turks & Caicos tends to average deep so possibly not the best choice for newer divers, especially if either of you still uses a lot of air.
Belize is good, except they usually do the Blue Hole. That particular dive is also not the best choice for newer divers. You can of course skip it - many people don’t feel it’s worth bothering with at any level of experience. But the number of dives is already limited that day, as they do a visit to Half Moon Cay after the Blue Hole for exploring and picnic lunch. You may see this as a plus or a minus. Another thing about Belize, its a longish crossing that may be pretty calm, or maybe not. (I’ve done that crossing with a foot wedged against the wall so I don’t fall out of bed.) You want to know that you don’t get seasick or can manage it.
I think Cayman is a pretty good choice for a first LOB. It’s true they don’t always get to Little Cayman, but you can improve your odds by choosing the better times of year. (Again, that crossing can sometimes be rough.) If you don’t make it, you will still have a nice trip and have the liveaboard experience. And many people object to a LOB that does mostly sites that can easily be done land-based, but on a LOB you can very conveniently do many more dives there, set up gear only once, while being conveniently fed 5 times a day, shower and a hot chocolate as you exit the water after a night dive, all those common LOB goodies.
I think the Roatan Aggressor is all around a pretty good first choice. The BVI Aggressor might be, though there are still no reviews to be found on the trip.
Aquacat in Bahamas is a very comfortable and well run boat that would be good. Reefs in the Bahamas are not always in the best shape but they make the most of the diving there with some unique dives and excursions. There are a few choices in the Bahamas but I haven’t done the others. Generally easy diving though.
Carribean Explorer maybe, though I wasn’t a fan of the boat or most of the diving on that trip. Others like it.
It’s often recommended getting to your destination the day before the boat departs in case of flight or luggage delays. Not so critical when just headed to the Caribbean rather than the other side of the planet, but doesn’t hurt either. If you have the time and budget, staying on land for a least a few days after a liveaboard is a nice thing to do. Relax, see the place, do a bit of land based diving, whatever. Beats getting kicked off the LOB early the last morning and heading straight to the airport.
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