Gibby540 - Bluewater Dive Travel

Gibby540

Gibby540

My Dive Map

Reviews (2)

Komodo

5
4
5
5

Where to begin!

A group of friends and me went on a Liveaboard throughout the Komodo National Park last summer… it was amazing! A key perk of Komodo is that it boasts a large variety of things to see (mantas, turtles, sharks, napoleons, etc), dive styles (pinnacles, wall dives, etc), and typically great visibility. The dive sites still have that “untouched” feeling, with healthy coral and an abundance of life. As a warning, not all but a few dive sites require 20-30 meters, as well as some challenging currents, so I advise anyone planning on going to be at least PADI Advanced Certified (or equivalent – dependant on Certification Company).

Our favorite dive site was of course Karong Makasar - the manta cleaning station. During our time there, the conditions were an EXTREMELY fast drift dive (which was a lot of fun by itself) but gave us the chance to see mantas in all their glory. As a heads up though, this dive is solely for Mantas so it’s a bit of a gamble. It is the one dive site that barely any fish or coral dwell in the area except near the end of the drift so if you’re unlucky… you’ll just have had a fun time pretending to fly like superman… which let’s be honest… is also lots of fun.

Not only can you find beauty under the water here, but the National Park boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. I didn’t touch my book once as I was too busy marveling at the never-ending islands we weaved through. In addition, most Liveaboards make a stop at Komodo Island where you can steady your sea legs and get up-close and personal to some dragons… be sure to bring a slow friend just in case.

The best testament I can make for this area is referring back to the conversations I had with the staff on our boat. Many had dove/worked all over the world but had said themselves that this was the best diving they had done. All in all, the combination of beauty above and below the water creates an unforgettable experience that I’ll treasure forever and hope to return to soon.

Visited on 06/2013 - Submitted on 07/30/2014
Read all Komodo Dive Travel reviews

Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard

5
3
5
5

I relatively recently went aboard the Rocio Del Mar on one of their Sea of Cortez routes. The experience was amazing, I would gladly repeat the same trip, although I have very strong plans to go back onboard to join their Socorro trips!

Most importantly for a review on the Rocio - the dive crew is absolutely amazing. I've been on a number of liveaboards and have never experienced such a great crew. They are always anticipating your needs, being professional but also relaxed and friendly, and just overall awesome.

Food - the food is absolutely phenomenal. Each meal was completely different, and all amazing. We did topside BBQs which were really really cool, and all dinners were 3 course meals.

Accommodations - rooms are fine, there is nothing fancy or spectacular about them but they get the job done. Most bedrooms offer 2 twin beds in an L shape, which is nice as you don't have anyone directly on top of you, nor is the upper bed too high that it's too difficult to get in & out.
The one strange thing about the boat is that the dining area is in the bottom front of the hull. I definitely prefer a dining area where it's center-hull, and multiple windows so you can see the views, enjoy the seabreeze, etc. Being down in the bottom hull feels like you're on a fishing boat or something and it's more bumpy. Besides this small thing though, everything about this boat and crew is fantastic!

Visited on 11/2017 - Submitted on 11/01/2017
Read all Rocio Del Mar Liveaboard Dive Liveaboard reviews

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