Thailand Aggressor

[DivingDoc]

Has anyone gone on Thailand Aggressor recently? We have the opportunity to go with a group in January, but I read a really bad couple of reviews on it in Undercurrents -- smell of sewage in the cabins most of the week, toilets backing up, mixing air and nitrox and not having dedicated Nitrox tanks, etc.

Anyone with similar or opposite experiences since the Dancer was rehabed to Aggressor?

 

[Doubler]

I would avoid this boat and the new Red Sea Aggressor until the kinks are ironed out. My 2 cents.

 

[DivingDoc]

I would avoid this boat and the new Red Sea Aggressor until the kinks are ironed out. My 2 cents.

Are you saying this because you have tried the boat or because of what I said or what you have heard from others?

 

[DivingShane]

It looks to me like renovations were completed in Aug - so we should seek opinions from Sept/Oct 2013. I'm also looking at diving this boat in Dec and read the poor reviews on Undercurrent. But it appears they re-did the bathrooms and shelving in Aug. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ag...49430-thailand-aggressor-captains-logs-2.html

I'll probably take the shot in Dec and will report back.

 

[DivingDoc]

I wish someone had would report that had tried the Aggressor since the most recent renovations in Aug. I really need to decide now re: 2 slots that have opened up with a group I usually dive with for an early January trip.

 

[Wookie]

You might look at it that your "vacation will be ruined" if you give it a go and it doesn't live up to your expectations. I look at things perhaps a bit differently. The boat will likely be safe. The boat will likely have air to breath and food to eat and a bunk to sleep in. I go on a liveaboard to dive my butt off, but to be handed hot chocolate and have proper bathrooms and shelves. You have an opportunity to dive with your group, maybe even at a discounted rate, since you're filling cancellations that the person who holds really wants filled. You're going to see things that you can't see while diving offshore Richmond, VA.

And if you don't have a great time, you can come back, start a thread ragging out the boat which will then get pulled, maybe. My bet is that you will have a great time.

 

[DivingDoc]

It's still a lot of money and 2 weeks off of work. Also, the problems sited in Undercurrent were that the toilets backed up for 2 days and even after they were fixed, the cabins smelled like sewage for the rest of the week. Also that air got mixed with Nitrox and separate bottles were not kept for air and Nitrox. Also that the diving wasn't even that good - mostly boulder fields, that fishing boats are allowed to come in and fish at night and a lot of the fish are gone. No big schools. This is way more than not getting hot chocolate, so I would really like to hear from someone who took a trip on the Aggressor since the re-fit in August.

You might look at it that your "vacation will be ruined" if you give it a go and it doesn't live up to your expectations. I look at things perhaps a bit differently. The boat will likely be safe. The boat will likely have air to breath and food to eat and a bunk to sleep in. I go on a liveaboard to dive my butt off, but to be handed hot chocolate and have proper bathrooms and shelves. You have an opportunity to dive with your group, maybe even at a discounted rate, since you're filling cancellations that the person who holds really wants filled. You're going to see things that you can't see while diving offshore Richmond, VA.

And if you don't have a great time, you can come back, start a thread ragging out the boat which will then get pulled, maybe. My bet is that you will have a great time.

 

[Silver knife]

Hello from a new member but not a new diver. First dive was in 1963. Mike Nelson was my hero. Anyway, I am sitting in I the Korean Air lounge in Seoul waiting for my flight to Phuket to start my back to back charters on the Phuket Aggressor on 11 /3 . I will give a full report after the trip. Being new here I don't understand the comment about a post being pulled if you are critical of a dive operation. Is that true and I would be wasting my time writing a highly critical evaluation of the trip? Of course I am hoping that I will be writing a report of a superlative experience with great diving, outstanding accommodations, a highly professional and attentive crew, and so on inasmuch as I have traveled from the northeastern US to get here for more world class diving. I posted the same thing elsewhere on this board. Please forgive the newbie.

 

[DiverGirl1972]

Silver Knife, if you write an honest, unoffensive, and unbiased review of your experience, there is nothing to worry about.

Hope you have a wonderful trip. We'll be waiting for that review

 

[Silver knife]

Thanks for the info and well wishes Diver Girl. I board the vessel in about 10 hours. They charge for Internet access but if it's not stupid expensive I will post first impressions and periodic updates when I can.