Is the rainy season in Maldives really rainy?

[InTheDrink]

Hi,
I'm doing a week on the Manthiri at the end of May. We leave Male on 25th and steam around for 5 days. However, I'm a bit (ok, very) concerned about the weather and am having trouble persuading a sun worshipping friend to come along because its the rainy season. Anyone got any previous experience of what the end of May/rainy season really means? Are we looking at 1 hour's torrential rain once a day followed by glorious sunshine, or is it likely to be more of a constant downpour? Or just mainly dull.

Secondly, I read somewhere that there's a plankton bloom in mid April which can attract whale sharks and mantas - is this likely to spill into the end of May, or will the plankton and big beasts be long gone by then.

Would really appreciate any thoughts on this as really want friend to come but not to be disappointed if not weather she expected.

Thanks,
John

 

[Divehappy]

This is very subjective, but the week I was in Maldives on Bandos (near Male) in March this year, it rained every day and fairly persistently with lots of grey skies. As soon as everything dried, it rained again. For a sun worshipper, it would be a bit of a pain I would imagine, if that was their main reason for being there.

Don't know anything about the plankton bloom unfortunately

 

[InTheDrink]

Hi Divehappy,

Thanks for your input. Sounds like it'd be best to let her stick to her original Daha plan - fairly guaranteed of constant sunshine there.

If anyone else has been there end of May I'd REALLY appreciate any insight into the conditions then. March is probably a good indicator but if anyone's been there end of May/start of June that's would be really helpful.

Thanks,
John

 

[Adriaan557]

We were there 2 years ago end of April beginning of May...
Sunny and hot for 95% of the time, in fact so hot it felt like the sun would melt you right into the sand... only had a thunderstorm once around lunchtime and it cleared after 3 hours.

 

[frogfish]

Cant' tell you yet but flying to Male on 24th May... So we'll be there at the same time, but on a different boat

 

[InTheDrink]

I'm no longer going to be on the Manthiri - I'm on the Stringray now, don't suppose that you're on that one?

 

[InTheDrink]

Couple of notes from the trip:
First 5 days sunny
Last couple of days rainy/stormy and it looked like it was setting in for keeps.

Note re: liveabord
We went on The Stringray, food good, crew very nice, diving awesome

However, we specifically picked The Stingray because the told us they would have Nitrox on board for us - this was a specific request and were assured they would.

Once on board we were told that they didn't have any Nitrox and hadn't for quite some time in the season. Anyway, very annoying given that we picked this boat specifically for Nitrox. Other guests had recieved similar assurances.

So be warned. Not sure what further assurances could be sought but just so you know, don't get your hopes up.

John

 

[Damselfish]

Curious why you changed from the Manthiri to the Stingray? Manthiri has Nitrox or at least did when we were on it.

 

[InTheDrink]

The Manthiri let us down after we'd booked our flights. It decided (or rather the owners, the boat didn't decide anything) to go into dry dock despite our having booked 4 places (for only 2 people) so they'd take the boat out (it was empty otherwise). Stringray was good but did look a little rough round the edges and it was a bit of a worry when we asked where the oxygen was and there wasn't. It had all gone to her sister boat, the Baani Adventure, after the bad accident a couple of days previous. They then sent the Dhoni to Male to get O2 but it would appear that the last guests were diving without O2 for 2 or 3 days. The show must go on etc.

 

[galguppy]

Hi JClynes,

Just to confirm - did you know there was no oxygen on board because you asked - they didn't volunteer that info? I think I know the answer to that one.

Also..FYI when we were on the Explorer in Jan/Feb there was no nitrox on board even though the web site and various assurances were given to others that they did (see other threads about the Baani). And.....interestingly, it is still shown as available on their web site. Your advice is good. We and many others now know just because they tell you something is so does not necessarily mean it is. Be sure to read all the threads about the Baani boats.

With all the compressor problems we experienced while on the Baani Explorer - illness, missed dives (and lack of acknowledgement of that), and some lost equipment, the nitrox issue was minor. As you read the threads you will see that our problems on our trip were not isolated - others on other trips aboard Baani boats experienced similar things.

It is interesting to read the Baani guestbook. You will find complimentary reports. I have frequently seen the not so complimentary reports disappear shortly after they are posted. And, interestingly, one report from a fellow diver on our trip gave a glowing report without even mentioning that her own husband was very ill (suspected food poisoning) and in such pain that he was on the verge of asking them to get him to a hospital. But she forgot to mention that little part. Go figure!!

If you are familiar with Undercurrent diving publication, they will be putting out a special report on the Maldives Liveaboards and their Baani boats in their July issue and they currently recommend that people hold off booking with that operation until they read it.

If divers do not continue to call unscrupulous and unsafe diver operators to task nothing will ever change. Scubaboard gives us all an opportunity to recognize the good and the bad operators. Don't support the bad ones. If the $$$$ stop they will either go out of business or be forced to clean up their acts.

Accidents do happen but we cannot call fatalities due to negligence accidents.