Affordable Liveaboard for Komodo in April or May?

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Lriemann

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Hi there.

I'm finally taking the plunge- will book some liveaboard for Komodo in April or May.
I have 58 dives under my belt, 80% of them in the Red Sea, and I feel quite comfortable in the water.

I chose Komodo over Raja Ampat because of the dragons and my (false?) impression of there being more manta and shark there.

Would be happy if anyone can help out with a few questions I have, and/or recommend trips.

The trip will be sometime between the start of April and 20th of May.
Is there a big difference between April and may in terms of water temperature, visibility, the likelihood of seeing something wonderful like a whale shark?
Otherwise I will just book based on airline fares to/from.

Narrowing it down to liveaboards for less than 2K Euros, I still have quite a few choices.
I see some liveaboards accomodate 9 or 10 people, but some cater to 24 divers!
During my only liveaboard so far I was on a boat with 5 divers, one of which was my friend.
It was too little, especially since there was no one that funny and interesting on board, except me and said friend...
On the other hand, more than 12 people can have very different dynamics.
Is there a perfect number for the initially introverted and not very experienced diver?

Should I go for the liveaboards which require 50 dives logged?
It seems this will help reduce chances of the party being slowed down by absolute beginners.


I'm deliberating whether to go for the most dives per buck, or choose something a little nicer in terms of bathrooms and lodgings- there is the Indo Aggressor option!

Are any particular routes just better?
Central and North/ North to South and Padar/ National park?

If anyone has input or experience on one of these vessels, I will be happy to hear it:
Moana, Tarata, Tanaka, Cheng Ho, Cahaya Bersama, Nusatara, Shenron, Empress II, Indo Aggressor, Queenesia.
I will search the names on the forums, but any little bit helps.

Any input is welcome.

All the best,
Ron
 
I'm going to Misool Eco Resort in southern Raja Ampat in May, and then going aboard Mermaid II (Bali-Komodo-Bali itinerary) after that.

I looked at a lot of live aboard choices before choosing this, but the Mermaid II had what I was looking for, pricing, itinerary, and dates that worked with my RA trip.

I would look into the dragons at Komodo before you book anything though. I've read several stories that visiting them is now banned, or they will at least charge $500 pp to visit to help discourage it.
 
Thanks.

I will check out the Komodo Dragon situation.
It seems to be in every itinerary.

I also came across Current Junkies liveaboard.
The price seems competitive and the reviews are pretty superb.

It does seem to be for pretty experienced divers and the number of divers is tiny, so I'm not sure it's the best fit...
 
I also came across Current Junkies liveaboard.
The price seems competitive and the reviews are pretty super
I'm going back to Komodo with Current Junkies at teh End of Nov. I'll post a review when I'm back.

My first inclination for a suggestion would be Wicked Diving. They're a safe boat and welcome all levels of diving.

The difficulty with Komodo, is that for it to perform well you need to get in at the right time and be happy with current - sometimes quite strong currents. Most divers aren't comfortable with current so the boats try to keep them happy, but at teh cost of not always jumping in at the optimum time

Don't worry about numbers on a boat, whats more important is the Guide to diver ratio. With larger numbers its easier (generally) to match up groups with divers of similar capabilities. With smaller boats there is a risk that the stronger groups get held back by weaker divers, which can cause friction.
 
Scuba Junkie Komodo is my suggestion albeit it is NOT an LoB. They have two dive boats available and the DM to clients ratio is pretty low.
 
In general, please consider how eco friendly the boats are.
 
Thanks for the help.

Will the Scuba Junkies and Wicked diving and such go to pretty much the same places as the other Liveaboards?

I'm not a big fan of currents that can rip off your mask.
That sounds scary.

Seems the Komodo Dragon situation is not clear- it might change in 2020.
 
I went with Tarata twice. It's a good budget liveaboard. You want to avoid the crowd by going to Southern Komodo.

To see the dragon, the liveaboard would take you to visit Rinca island. We also saw them parading on the South Rinca beach. Those spots are not (yet?) restricted by the new regulation.
 
Will the Scuba Junkies and Wicked diving and such go to pretty much the same places as the other Liveaboards?
SJ offer 3 boat dives a day and do travel all the way to Crystal Rock in the north.
Why don't you ask them directly?
 
I will ask for more information.

Got this answer about the dragons from one operator.

Our trips are targeted to experienced divers. 70 or so dives is sufficient especially since you will have been diving recently. You will get a thorough briefing. It's more important that you are comfortable with the conditions. There has been many rumours on what will happen in Komodo in 2020, closure, US$500 to see the dragons... It has been confirmed by the park aithorities that nothing will change. A visit to the dragons is included in our trips for no extra charge.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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