Question about Indonesian phinisi boats

[Damselfish]

We did the Arenui earlier in 2018 and while it was an awesome trip, we didn't like the dive deck layout and procedures so much. You dressed and waited on the "dive deck" near the bow, but main gear was kept elsewhere after initial setup, inaccessible unless you asked a crew member to bring it to you or get something. (Which they were happy to do, but it was a nuisance and sometimes a problem.) Otherwise you never saw it the entire trip except on the tender. To get to the tenders, we had to cut through the dining room with it's lovely wooden floor, a constant slipping hazard with crew always laying towels on the floor and mopping up the water. Along with this, there was no reasonable way to analyze your own Nitrox tanks. We gave up on that idea and decided to trust our DM - yeah I know but he was good and there's only 4 divers per DM.

So I'm planning our next Indo trip and among other things debating wooden phinisi vs. some of the metal hulled boats like Blue Manta or Mermaid. On the Arenui, they said they laid things out this way (at least as far as the passing through the dining room part) to make the dining room bigger. Is this dive deck routine typical on all phinisi boats, or peculiar to only some? Wondering in particular about the Damai boats, Aurora, Samambaia, but info on any similar would be good to know.

 

[RB7]

I dont think this applies to all boats.... i was on the WAOW (great boat but tragically no longer in service) and the noat layout was such that the front of the boat had a huge room where all the gear would be setup with tanks (similar to the racks in a diveboat) .. we could access the room at any time to tweak our gear. When it was time to dive, the crew would transfer our gear to the ribs and we would don the gear when we entered the ribs. The entry/exit stairs were in the middle of the deck next to the outdoor meal tables. The indoor dining area was separate.
I personally loved the boat and rate it to be the best boat i have been on as compared to the Emperor Voyager and Virgo boats in maldives, the Turks and Caicos explorer or the Fiji siren.

 

[chillyinCanada]

The last phinisi that I was on was smallish but we always had access to our gear and didn't have to haul it back and forth, if didn't want to (I didn't want to but always double check everything anyway).

I can't remember how our gear was stowed on the bigger Dewi Nusantara but it doesn't seem to me that was a problem either. I do recall that we dressed on deck but just can't recall where my gear was kept when not on a series of dives.

I don't think your experience was strictly because your lob was a phinisi.

I really enjoy a phinisi except sometimes at night if the wood is creaking too much.

 

[borisphotosafari]

On Amira, the dive deck is in the back of the boat with all the dive gear and cleaning tanks right there too. They analyze your Nitrox in front of you before every dive and you autograph the tank log.
Great big boat, great crew. Lot's of room to relax between the dives. I have been on it 4 times, Komodo, Alor and Raja Ampat twice.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yes, I forgot to mention that. The norm is for boat crew/dive guide to analyze your tank in front of you so that you can watch how they do it (to your satisfaction) and then read the analysis yourself. You then write that on a sheet with your initials to prove you checked it.

The only place I've been diving where that didn't happen was in Belize on day boats.

 

[Premo83]

I was recently on the Samambaia, great boat and crew! I very much enjoyed the trip. The "dive deck" is right next to the stairs where you enter the tender. However they kept the gear in the tender. I never needed to go to my gear between dives but I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem.

 

[borisphotosafari]

Awesome video, I am going to go back to Raja Ampat this year. Love the biodiversity.

 

[Premo83]

Awesome video, I am going to go back to Raja Ampat this year. Love the biodiversity.

Thanks, I want to go back too. Maybe next year

 

[outofofficebrb]

It does not apply to all boats. I have been on both steel and wooden hull boats that are liveaboards in Indonesia in Komodo and Raja Ampat as well as Philippines and it is usually dependent on whether it was a purpose built dive boat or something that was converted.

I have been on a steel hull boat that’s similar to what you mentioned but thankfully not having to trek through other rooms. It’s not unique to wooden. We did have to go up and down some stairs and the gear was kept separately and only brought out for dives and nitrox analyzing. They did have us present as they analyzed and we watched then signed.

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

Every single liveaboard has a different set up. Even though the Adelaar is a 100 year old lady, the renovations were greatly thought through and our dive deck with your equipment is located right in front of the ladder to the tenders. Our guests usually find it very easy and convenient to do safety checks before gearing up. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have more questions about the boat and possibly joining one of our cruises for your next trip!