Thorfinn, Chuuk/ Truk: should I travel on this boat?

[Venus]

Everytime I look for a trip my dates are restricted and I need something bigger and better than the trip before

I want to go to Chuuk

Odyssey is booked for months, but Thorfinn have lots of space … maybe this is a clue?

There are some negative comments on the web about Thorfinn:
Rubbish dive guides
Kids running around the deck (possibly the crews kids)
Captain like a dictator
Food inedible
My dive time will be restricted so that I don’t make people on the skiff wait for me to surface

Can anyone please shed any light on the truth or not of these comment from resent trips

Thanks for your help

Venus

 

[deepstops]

I dove on the Truk Aggressor in 2003 but had opportunity to meet Captain Lance Higgs at the Blue Lagoon Resort on the Saturday evening before we boarded the TA. He seemed like a pretty laid-back guy.

I've heard the vessel is far better after her grounding and re-fit two years ago and has good A/C now. While I've never heard folks rave about the food, I've never heard anyone say it's inedible. And I can't say I've ever heard anything positive or negative about the DMs.

I would certainly consider diving with them if I was headed back there. Truk Lagoon is not to be missed by any serious wreck diver IMO.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Truk Odyssey is the better of the two liveaboards; Thorfinn has more dives per day (3 to 4) than either of the land based dive ops (Blue Lagoon Dive Shop and Truk Stop Dive Center); Blue Lagoon Resort has the better landscape, grounds and ambiance; Truk Stop Hotel has free WiFi in the rooms & restaurant, and the best technical diving support/logistics at their dive center (Helium for trimix and Oxygen for deco gases; BP/wings, doubles and deco tank rentals). . .

 

[Scared Silly]

On both trips on the Odyssey I was able to do 5 dives per day, the 5th being a night dive. Not that I did 5 every day typically I averaged 4 per day with 2 on the last day.

Venus when you say the boat is booked have you checked with Cliff? Often a shop will charter the whole boat but still have spots open. On our trip we had restricted dates less than three months out. When we booked there were still 6 spots open. Ask Cliff who has the charter the dates you are looking at and contact them directly.

Oh as for the Thorfinn, think of it more like a floating hotel as you use skiffs for all the diving.

 

[Venus]

Thanks Kevrumbo

But we are only looking at liveaboards

 

[Venus]

Hi Scared Silly

That's interesting ....

because when I emailed US Dive Travel they sent me availability for Odyssey in March + June
when I told my UK agent to price me up for March whoever she spoke with told her there was only Jan and then nothing until Sept in 2010!

How do I contact Cliff?

I could not find the 'official' Odyssey website
only that US Dive Travel had them listed

I have twice got on boats which US clubs have booked but not been able to fill
and is why I wrote a thread elsewhere asking if any clubs had spare space anywhere

Thanks

V

Often a shop will charter the whole boat but still have spots open. On our trip we had restricted dates less than three months out. When we booked there were still 6 spots open. Ask Cliff who has the charter the dates you are looking at and contact them directly

 

[Venus]

All the email corespondence I've had with Lance has been good

but, my friends refuses to go on Thorfinn because of the bad write ups
so, I can either go alone in Feb or try to find a date where all four of us can go on Odyssey

I dove on the Truk Aggressor in 2003 but had opportunity to meet Captain Lance Hig e has bgs at the Blue Lagoon Resort on the Saturday evening before we boarded the TA. He seemed like a pretty laid-back guy.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Welcome Aboard the Truk Odyssey - Wreck diving in Truk Lagoon Micronesia

Also if interested, my local dive shop here in Los Angeles has one space left on the Odyssey, 18 to 25 July 2010: Welcome to Pacific Wilderness Online!

 

[engr_irish]

Odyssey is booked for months, but Thorfinn have lots of space … maybe this is a clue?

There are some negative comments on the web about Thorfinn:
Rubbish dive guides------> Yes most of them
Kids running around the deck (possibly the crews kids)----> captain's kid just running around the deck
Captain like a dictator-----> This is a fact.
Food inedible
My dive time will be restricted so that I don’t make people on the skiff wait for me to surface

 

[Venus]

Thanks Kev

I have written to Odyssey direct to ask if they will tell me who has chartered the boat, as Scared Silly suggested

July is too late for me unfortunately

V

Welcome Aboard the Truk Odyssey - Wreck diving in Truk Lagoon Micronesia

Also if interested, my local dive shop here in Los Angeles has one space left on the Odyssey, 18 to 25 July 2010: Welcome to Pacific Wilderness Online!