Questions about choosing a Raja Ampat liveaboard

[Damselfish]

We're experienced and confident and rarely follow a DM in simple/familiar places like the Caribbean unless there's a special reason. Even so, I found the 4-1 almost private guides we had in Indonesia very nice. They asked people at the beginning about their diving styles and what they wanted to see, put people in compatible little groups, and your guide did just what you wanted. And these were guides that really knew their stuff (unlike some we've run into that weren't all that good at it.) This arrangement definitely did not suck.

 

[Darnold9999]

Actually in RA you want a guide. Not so much to follow but to point out stuff you would never see on your own. Without a guide or with a poor guide you will not see everything you could. That is one of the differences that I have found between the high end boats and the more middle of the road boats. The quality of the guides is better. (I measure quality by the interesting creatures that a guide will point out. A good one will know the reef and be able to find interesting things to see. A lessor guide will give you a "tour" of the reef missing all but the most obvious creatures.) I rarely follow guides elsewhere, and will not follow a guide giving divers a reef "tour", but if you get a good one they can make a good dive even better.

 

[Dan]

I suggest you go with Mermaid I or II. They still have 3 spaces in January 2, 9 and plenty in Feb 14. Book it soon. Search Results

 

[outofofficebrb]

Hi, @Dogbowl. Here was my very miniscule review, if you could call it that! Raja Ampat Liveaboard 2019 help

I think you guys are right...the time, effort and money to get there warrants a longer liveaboard.

Red Sea is MUCH easier to get to and less than half the price!

Back to the drawing board!

I feel like a diver without a booked trip. I feel really uneasy.

In general, the DM to diver ratio is much higher in the Red Sea on their liveaboards. The liveaboards are substantially less expensive due to the proximity of it to land, the abundance (supply), and I'm sure the political climate and resulting impression from potential tourists which dictate demand. It is also 1.5-2X the price to fly to Egypt than to SE Asia from the west coast. Land based diving is also much cheaper in Egypt than it is in Indonesia.

You could always dive Raja Ampat and then follow it up with a Komodo liveaboard or land-based...or head out to Bunaken and Lembeh...or Bali before/afterwards.

 

[charlier]

One more thing. Should I need to surface mid-dive for whatever reason, I will only affect my husband and the other 2 people with me, rather than 6 or 8 other people. I’ve had to surface once mid-dive due to seasickness but luckily we were with a private DM.

In my limited liveaboard experience, unless you have a lot of experience, I would surfacemwith you and the group. If it’s an air consumption issue, I might suggest that you use a 15l cylinder.

 

[KenGordon]

Plan A:
1 learn somewhere cold “brrr”
2 Caribbean “Wow, amazing!!”
3 Cozumel “Wow, amazing!”
4 Red Sea, “Wow!”
5 Bali, “Amazing!”
6 Komodo “OMG!”
7 RA “!!!!!”

Plan B
1 learn somewhere cold
2 RA “!!!!!”
3 Komodo, “nice dragon”
4 Bali, “hmmm, ok, nice water gardens”
5 Red Sea, “not bad”
6 Cozumel, “where is the golf course?”

The world is full of excellent diving. Starting with the “best” may lead to future disappointment.

Personally I am off to St Kilda, weather permitting, latter this week. I expect it to be more fun than any of the above.

 

[Dogbowl]

Plan A:
1 learn somewhere cold “brrr”
2 Caribbean “Wow, amazing!!”
3 Cozumel “Wow, amazing!”
4 Red Sea, “Wow!”
5 Bali, “Amazing!”
6 Komodo “OMG!”
7 RA “!!!!!”

Plan B
1 learn somewhere cold
2 RA “!!!!!”
3 Komodo, “nice dragon”
4 Bali, “hmmm, ok, nice water gardens”
5 Red Sea, “not bad”
6 Cozumel, “where is the golf course?”

The world is full of excellent diving. Starting with the “best” may lead to future disappointment.

Personally I am off to St Kilda, weather permitting, latter this week. I expect it to be more fun than any of the above.

Based on your plan A I should be headed to the Red Sea next lol!

 

[Lorenzoid]

I have ticked off 1-6 of Ken's "Plan A" list. And indeed, No. 7 RA is up next for me, but not until maybe 2020. Watching all these threads with interest.

 

[Darnold9999]

Learned in the PNW
Vacation diving in Cancun, Cozumel, and West Coast of Mexico, Cuba, Thailand, Belize and Costa Rica
Then Liveaboards in:
Great Barrier Reef
Belize
Cayman
Bali from land
RA
Komodo
Saba from land
Red Sea

Should have switched RA and Komodo, but otherwise pretty close to the list. Yes if you start with RA everywhere else is somewhat disappointing. Still great diving, but just not the same bang.

 

[Wingy]

Try starting in PNG!