Trip Report Truk Odyssey 25 March to 1 April

[Doubler]

What can one say about the Odyssey that has not been said before. I have been on several Liveaboards and the Odyssey blows them all away. The cabins are hugh, you could put three typical liveaboard cabins in one of the Odyssey's. Did I mention king bed or real flushing toilets not marine heads. The crew is very friendly and helpful. Superb divers all. Diving with Madison is like diving with an underwater juke box as he sings along. And he is a "Fish Talker" Watched him talk in two big schools of Jacks. Captain JJ and Kim make you feel welcome and like family. JJ has exquisite test in music. 70's all week. JJ and Kim's dive briefs are the BEST I have ever had. Full of dive information and history. The air is tested quarterly and a CO monitor is installed on the Air bank, no foul air here. Nitrox is free and fills are accurate. A solid 30% all week with a solid 24% for the San Fransisco Maru. Diving was exceptional. Engine rooms, holds, Zeros, Battle Tanks, torpedoes, soft corals, pictorial proof that the Zero tail number is 89 not the 39 JJ and Kim insist on. (My picture and I am sticking to it no matter what their lying eyes tell them.) My only disapponitment was the food. Trish and I found it to be "wanting". Bland, over cooked and over salted served cool to luke warm. I'm not springing this on the boat as I told Kim this when I finalized my bill. Would I go back. You bet I would as it was a wonderful experience. The road to and from sucked big time, as did the 2.5 hours in the hot airport but the diving/boat/people were wonderful. If you are an experienced diver, even if you are not a wreck diver you should go. They treat you like adults, want to go deeper than 130, have at it, want to do decompression diving, have at it. No "How deep did you go and how much gas do you have left" questions. Trish and I never made a Decompression dive all week and we did the San Fransisco Maru. You dive your way. Day room at Blue Lagoon Resort was a bit steep I thought but the food was excellent. Big plate of Sashimi for $7. Still the best boat in the world in my opinion, even with the food.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Yep! Still the best absolutely . . .I concur!

First Truk Odyssey Liveaboard experience for me was in 2004, then a back-to-back itinerary in Dec 2007 --and I've been going back to Chuuk every year since 2007 (last visit Nov-Dec '11 at Blue Lagoon Resort; next visit will be this year October at The Truk Stop Hotel).

Although I now exclusively use the land-based technical dive-ops (Blue Lagoon or Truk Stop), Truk Odyssey still remains the best recreational platform for touring the signature wrecks of Chuuk Lagoon in the 18 to 21m depth range. They have the best upline & safety diver set-up for short recreational single tank excursions on the San Francisco Maru at 45 to 48m depth.

My only complaint is that as a policy, they still choose not to blend helium for trimix diving. They will blend deco gases like Eanx50 and supply Oxygen as needed (although very expensive! $1/cf for O2 back in 2007).

 

[Doubler]

Kev,
Riding that road every day from the Truk Stop has got to suck. Unless you leave your gear someplace I would worry about damage during transport.

 

[Kevrumbo]

No . . .the rides aren't that bad, rough or as long as from Koror to Blue Corner in Palau for example. I just rather spend the extra $$$ this time around on the mixed gas & tech support of Truk Stop Hotel dive-ops, than the posh amenities of the Truk Odyssey Liveaboard.

 

[Boiler_81]

I was on Odyssey three years ago. The diving was of course great.

I did not experience poor food while I was aboard. The food was nothing outstanding but it was not bad. I wonder if they have recently turned over the kitchen staff.

Your experience with the road the the airport was the same as mine. It is unreal how bad that road is.