Nitroxjunkie - Bluewater Dive Travel

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Nitroxjunkie

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Reviews (58)

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Waidroka Bay Resort

5
4
5
4

I traveled to Fiji in October. The second week of my trip was spent at Waidroka Bay. This is somewhat of a rustic resort, perfect for divers and surfers. We had an ocean view bure with king-size bed, air conditioning, large bathroom, and mini-refrigerator. The staff is super friendly and they greet you with a big smile and an enthusiastic “bula” each time they see you. We had a meal plan which provided 3 meals per day. Breakfast and lunch were prepared to order and dinner was a fixed menu. The food was very good and plentiful.

We had a Fijian lovo night complete with a kava ceremony presented by resort staff, who all joined in. The festivities went late into the evening. The resort celebrated Fiji Day a few days late due to their party supplies and special t-shirt’s being delayed. Lucky for us, we were able to celebrate the holiday twice in just a few days.

The dive center is modern and well-stocked with rental gear. The dive boat was very comfortable and took us to the dive sites with ease. The dive staff was very experienced and knowledgeable. The diving was at both Beqa Lagoon and the local reefs. I found the diving on the local reefs to be just as enjoyable as the Beqa reefs. The world-famous shark dive is incredible and a must for any diver visiting this area. Favorite dive spot: Frigates Wall. I thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Highly recommended.

Visited on 10/2019 - Submitted on 02/13/2020
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Palau

4
5
5
4

After a week of diving in the Philippines, I was able to take a non-stop flight directly from Manila to Palau for another week of spectacular diving. Palau is everything you may have heard about, and more. For scuba divers, Palau has just about everything you might be interested in: sheer walls, colorful reefs, drift diving, wrecks, caves and blue holes, big animals, macro life during blackwater diving, and jellyfish lake.

There are so many different dive experiences, it's hard to choose a favorite. A few of the best wall dives are Peleliu Wall, New Drop Off, and Big Drop Off. These are full of life, including giant sea fans and pelagics are often seen. German Channel is considered one of the world’s best drift dives where mantas are frequently spotted. Peleliu Express is another exciting drift dive. There are many wrecks to explore including the Helmet Wreck and the Zeke fighter plane and other World War ll wrecks. There are several blue holes at the surface that lead to a large cavern with an exit onto the wall. Chandelier Cave is an easy dive where you are able to see stalactites and stalagmites and surface in air pockets inside the cave.

Some of the big animals that can be seen while diving in Palau are: several species of sharks, mantas, dugongs, Napoleon wrasse, and giant clams. For macro diving, black water night dives are offered, where macro creatures are the main attraction. Jellyfish Lake is a unique snorkel dive where you share the water with thousands of non-stinging jellyfish. It was closed in 2017 due to a drastic population decline, but was reopened in 2019. Palau’s signature dive, and one that appears on every list of the world's best dives, is Blue Corner. There is a very strong current here, requiring a Reef hook, where you hook in and watch the parade of large numbers of Gray Reef Sharks and White Tip Reef Sharks. This is a must-dive site for experienced divers. On the boat rides to many of the dive locations, you will weave your way through the Rock Islands, a beautiful trip among mushroom-shaped limestone outcroppings. There are many dive operators to choose from that dive all the best spots.

There are plenty of things to do when not diving. World War ll history in on display during a land tour of Peleliu, where there are still many relics left on the island after one of the fiercest battles of the war. Palau has a rich culture, which can be explored at the local cultural center. A wonderful souvenir is a storyboard, which is a hand-carved wood plank that tells the story of one of many legends unique to Palau. Some of the local islanders also chew betel nut, which gives them an energy boost. It turns their teeth red after chewing. Everyone here is super friendly and warmly welcomes visitors.

There are lots of resorts and hotels to choose from and many restaurants, some of which serve a local favorite, fruit bat soup, prepared using a whole bat which is served in the soup. It can be washed down with one of the local beers, Red Rooster.

Bottom line: Palau is a destination with world class diving, a rich culture, restaurants offering many different cuisines, and a warm and friendly population. Add Palau to your bucket list, you won't regret it.

Visited on 02/2016 - Submitted on 04/06/2020
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Belmar Oceanfront Apartments Bonaire

4
4
5
1

I have been to Bonaire several times, but recently stayed at the Belmar Oceanfront Apartments for the first time. I chose it because their on-site valet boat diving service was just what I was looking for. Shore diving was not an option for me this trip. This is a small resort with a mix of 21 one, two, and three bedroom apartments. The on-site dive shop and dive boat are operated by Buddy Dive Bonaire. Everything in the resort guide is described perfectly.
We had a 1 bedroom that was extremely spacious, with a full, well equipped kitchen and bathroom. Our balcony overlooked the gorgeous saltwater pool and had a 180 degree ocean view (see photo). The living room is large and comfortable with a flat screen TV.
The dive boat picks up at the dock right in front of the resort. It is configured for a maximum of 8 divers. Some days we were diving with only 6. Dive gear is stored in a locker room just behind the dive shop. Even though “valet service" is provided, it is still each diver's responsibility to bring gear to the boat and back, and rinse and hang to dry. The crew will load gear onto the boat, set up on your tank, assist in analyzing your tank if using nitrox, switch tanks after first dive, and unload gear from the boat on arrival back at the dock. The dive guides were very knowledgeable and did a great job at finding frogfish for us. Five out of six days, we dove Klein Bonaire, only accessible by boat. This is great for people wanting to make afternoon shore dives on Bonaire. No need to worry about repeating dive sites. One day, we dove sites on Bonaire due to winds at Klein causing chop, but these sites are just as good.
The resort doesn't have a restaurant. Our package included a rental car, so it was very easy to drive to one of the many great restaurants available on the island. The car also came in handy to drive around the island for sightseeing.
We will definitely return to the Belmar Oceanfront Apartments for the laid back, easy atmosphere and the great boat diving. We visited a couple of other resorts to eat, and realized how busy they were with dive groups and other visitors. So glad we chose Belmar! Highly recommended.

Visited on 07/2022 - Submitted on 10/17/2022
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Asia Divers - Puerto Galera, Philippines

5
5
5
5

Asia Divers is the on-site dive operator at the El Galleon Beach Hotel in Puerto Galera. They offer 4 dives each day and some night dives. The dive sites are close enough to return to the resort after each dive. Most are fairly shallow and easily diveable, but we did experience some current. The crew and divemasters were awesome. Safety is a top priority. They offer training and have a good supply of rental equipment. They also have a nice gift shop. I would return again. Highly recommended.

Visited on 04/2023 - Submitted on 06/16/2023
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Fiji

4
5
5
4

I spent two weeks in Fiji and found it to be a true paradise. We flew into the international airport in Nadi, on the main island of Viti Levu. This is a large, modern airport with many amenities. We had an easy walk over to the domestic terminal to connect to the island of Taveuni. The friendly and welcoming attitude of the Fijian people is evident as soon as you arrive. Everyone we encountered was very happy and cordial. The airport staff was efficient and assisted with checking us in and tagging our bags. Our flight was on a 12 seat, twin-engine prop aircraft. It's about a 1½ hour flight, which goes by very quickly while looking out the window at the beautiful islands below. The terminal at Taveuni is very small and only accommodates small aircraft. We were met at the airport by a driver who took us to our resort on the south end of the island. During the 1 hour drive, the driver gave us a brief history of Taveuni and told us about Fijian culture. Taveuni is called the Garden Island, and it is evident why. Everything is very lush and covered with jungle.

I spent a week diving primarily on the Rainbow Reef and some local reef diving. Rainbow Reef deserves the reputation it has built over the years. Wonderfully colored corals abound. We found a lot of marine life, including blue ribbon eels, electric disco clams, many different nudibranchs, large schools of fish, etc. Favorite dive sites are the Great White Wall and Fish Factory.

We also did day excursions on non-diving days. We visited a local village, where we learned about local customs, crafts, and culture. We were given many demonstrations and sampled food cooked in a lovo and fresh prawns right out of the river. The village chief also invited us to a kava ceremony where everyone joined in. This was a really enjoyable visit. We also went to a site with three different waterfalls. Each one requires an uphill hike, but the beauty of these falls is worth it. Each has a pool to swim in after the hike. A different site has a natural water slide which also requires a bit of a hike. The slide’s a lot of fun and can be done several times before moving on. A stop at the International Timeline is mandatory. Everyone needs a picture with one foot in today, and the other foot in yesterday. Another must-stop on the island is the historic Catholic church. There are shops in town to do some shopping for food, drinks, and local handicrafts.

The second week, we returned to Viti Levu. We were met at the airport for the 2-hour drive to our resort on the south side of the island, near Pacific Harbor. Once again, our driver acted as a local tour guide, pointing out the sites of interest along the way. Fruit stands lined the roadside and food and beverages are available on the drive. Staying at a resort in the Pacific Harbor area allows you to dive Beqa Lagoon, but also the local dive sites along the Sun Coast. You also have the advantage of still being on the main island.

We found Fijian, Asian, and Western food readily available on both islands. Overall, Fiji has happy, friendly people, beautiful tropical scenery, a wonderful culture, and world-class diving. Soft coral capital of the world. Fiji is a real bucket list destination.

Visited on 10/2019 - Submitted on 02/13/2020
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Truk Lagoon

4
4
3
2

Our trip to Chuuk was a real adventure. We departed from Los Angeles on United Airlines to Honolulu and connected with the legendary “Island Hopper" to complete the trip. This route stops at the islands of Majuro, Kwajalein, and Pohnpei before arriving in Chuuk. The reason scuba divers come here is because it's known as the holy grail of wreck diving. These are not the stripped down, purpose sunk wrecks you see at many sites, but World War ll wrecks sunk during Operation Hailstone in February of 1944. These ships and planes are still much the way they were when they went down. The majority of their cargos are still onboard, including trucks, airplanes, tanks, mines, bombs, machine gun bullets and thousands of other artifacts, including Noritake china. Human remains can still be seen on some of the ships, reminding us that these are sacred places, to be treated with reverence. It's unlawful to remove anything from the wrecks, so the artifacts can been seen for years to come. But, these aren't the only things to see. Since these wrecks have been on the sea floor for over 75 years, they're covered with hard and soft corals, sponges, anemones, and other marine growth. There is also an abundance of fish life including schooling fish and sharks. It's almost like diving on ship-shaped coral reefs. There are over 20 wrecks within recreational limits, and more for technical divers. On the outer barrier reefs, you're able to dive on sheer walls covered in beautifully colored corals. My favorite dives were the Fujikawa Maru, Shinkoku Maru, and the Betty Bomber.

Topside activities are somewhat limited, but you can explore lighthouses, some large gun installations, and military cave networks. We stayed at a resort that has a small museum dealing with the history of Truk Lagoon. The people are friendly, but the culture is male dominated and women should be sure to dress modestly.

Accommodations and restaurants are limited, but keep in mind that this is a really remote island and you should limit your expectations. We found everything adequate and kept in mind that we came for the scuba diving and not vacationing. There are few souvenirs to be had, in the way of handicrafts, like woven items, handmade casual jewelry, and carved wood. One of the fun items is the hand-carved “love stick". Each one is unique and has a wonderful story of courtship behind it.

Bottom line: This is a place best suited for divers only, with modest accommodations and restaurants. Any shortcomings can be excused because of the world class wreck diving. Definitely a bucket list scuba diving destination and it's easy to see why it’s called the “Wreck Diving Capital of the World".

Visited on 12/2016 - Submitted on 04/13/2020
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Golden Dolphin III

5
3
5
3

I did a 15 day trip on the Golden Dolphin lll in Egypt's southern Red Sea. The Itinerary took us to Big Brother, Little Brother, Daedalus, Elphinstone, and farther south to Zabargad, Rocky Island, Fury Shoal, and others. We boarded the boat in Hurghada and ended the trip in Port Ghalib. There are a lot of flights into Hurghada, making it easy to get there. The closest airport to Port Ghalib is Marsa Alam, where there are only a few flights. We booked our return from Marsa Alam, not knowing that the boat provided transportation for the approximately three hour trip back to Hurghada at no additional cost. Be sure to ask if this true for your trip. Connections are much better departing from Hurghada.

The crew on this boat was amazing. Everyone from the captain on down did an incredible job at making our trip wonderful. Mooring the boat in the dark around the dive sites using Zodiacs to haul the lines was a remarkable job. The dive guides were excellent at finding all the interesting stuff as well as guiding us through several caves.

The diving ranges from shallow reefs, to sheer walls to open blue water. At Daedalus, the objective is to find schooling hammerheads. The divers hover around 90 feet or so, while the dive guide goes deeper looking for the sharks. When he spots them, in order to get a better look, we found ourselves near 130 feet. Expect deep dives and strong currents here. We found strong currents at other sites, but most sites are current free. Most divers are able to check many sightings off of their bucket lists, such as, schooling Hammerheads, Mantas, Dolphins, giant Napoleon Wrasse, Oceanic Whitetips (Longimanus), Thresher Sharks, Silky Sharks, schooling Barracuda, Spotted Scorpionfish, Green Turtles, Cuttlefish, Giant Clams, Batfish, Octopuses, Bumphead Parrotfish, Giant Moray Eels, nudibranchs, and much more. Three dives are offered everyday and night dives on days when you’re not in a marine park (not allowed by government regulations).

The food was all served buffet style and consisted of three meals and an afternoon snack. I found the food to be somewhat basic, consisting of meat, fish, and pasta. Everything was good, but I wanted more variety. More Middle Eastern food would have been nice.

I shared a room with my buddy and we found it comfortable with plenty of storage room. Each room has air conditioning, but unfortunately, one of the generators broke down and the other generator was used for providing power to the compressor, kitchen, and other necessary items. The A/C only worked from late in the evening to early in the morning. I also encountered a couple of safety issues on the boat. Some water was spilled in the passageway between the rooms, contacting electrical wires, causing them to arc and be a potential fire hazard. The crew immediately remedied the situation when notified. I also found the emergency exit blocked by trash bags or supplies on several occasions.

About half of the diving is from the main boat and half from Zodiacs. Free nitrox is offered on all dives. The Zodiacs on this boat did not have ladders to reboard after the dive. After removing your gear, you have to haul yourself back into the boat “dolphin style". Many divers were not able to do this and the Zodiac driver had to grab a hand and pull them in (including me due to a bad shoulder). Ladders would have been nice. My buddy and I were two of three Americans on the boat and we have yoke attached regulators. All tanks on the boat have din attachments. They provided yoke adapters for us, but they didn’t seem to be maintained regularly, and we had several issues with leaking at the connection point. The dive guides were always there to change the o-ring or the adapter, but sometimes delayed the dive waiting for the changes. Free nitrox is also offered

Despite the issues mentioned, this was still an epic trip. Diving the Red Sea is something everyone should do at least once. Also, diving in Egypt is very economical. We paid approximately $2200.00 for this 15 day trip. That's about half the price of 7 day trips on many other liveaboards around the world.

Visited on 09/2021 - Submitted on 10/18/2022
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Deep Blue Diving - Playas del Coco, Costa Rica

5
5
5
5

We traveled to Costa Rica on vacation with 3 divers and 2 non-divers. We brought our scuba gear in anticipation of getting in some diving. We were staying at a friend’s place in Tamarindo and made a 1 hour drive in each direction to the town of Playas del Coco to dive at the Catalina Islands.
We used Deep Blue Diving right on the main street in town. We boarded a small boat on the beach and were transported to the dive boat anchored a short distance off shore. Our dive master told us that there was a good chance that we would see mantas. When we arrived at the first dive site, we geared up and entered the water. About 10 minutes into the dive, a manta with about a 10 foot wing span swam within just a few feet of us. We were amazed at how unafraid this manta was, and we were really excited to see one so close. Within minutes, we saw several more also very close. We continued to see these mantas throughout the dive. When we got back to the boat, we couldn’t contain our excitement. The dive master told us that since the mantas were here, he would take us to a cleaning station on the next dive.
We arrived at the site and he took us to a large rock where we stationed ourselves and waited. Within a short while, a manta swam up and stopped to be cleaned. Again, this was just a few feet away from us. We spent the entire dive here observing the action. Amazing! The next day, we returned to do some local diving. Visibility was not as good as at the islands and we were disappointed after the previous day, until we spotted a group of 5 eagle rays. That was the highlight of the day.
The boat crew, dive masters, and shop staff were the best. I accidentally left a booty at the shop after rinsing our gear, and the shop mailed it to my home in California at their expense. The 2 hour drive each day was well worth it to dive with Deep Blue Diving.

Visited on 06/2023 - Submitted on 06/16/2023
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El Galleon Dive Resort, Puerto Galera

5
5
5
5

I booked an all-inclusive trip to El Galleon. I was met at the ferry dock by resort staff, who took my bags and led me on a short walk across the beach to the resort. I was given a welcome drink, checked in, and was taken to my room. After getting settled, I went to the on-site dive shop, Asia Divers, and checked in for diving starting the next day. They filled me in on all the procedures and the diving schedule. Meals are served at Arthur's beachfront restaurant where all meals are prepared to order from an extensive menu. There is a beautiful pool and two bars. All of the staff is super helpful and friendly.

Asia Divers offers 4 dives a day, with some night dives. Puerto Galera has very diverse diving and Asia Divers gives you a taste of everything. Their boats get you to the dive sites with ease. Their emphasis is on safety and the enjoyment of their customers.
Bottom line: This is a very comfortable resort right on the beach. Spacious, comfortable, clean rooms are welcoming when returning from your dives. The food was delicious and the portions large. Asia Divers is a professional, experienced dive operation. I was very satisfied and would return again.

Visited on 02/2016 - Submitted on 02/21/2020
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Truk Blue Lagoon Resort

4
3
4
3

We stayed here because it's advertised as a resort with a great location and on-site dive operation. The grounds are immaculate and well kept. It's located next to the ocean and the views are spectacular. The dive shop has its own mixing station and can give you any percentage you ask for, including tri-mix. The dive guides are very professional and knowledgeable. Individual gear lockers are not provided and storage is in a large communal area. The boats were good and the trips to the dive sites are pretty quick, since the resort is close.

Our room had a king size bed, balcony, and refrigerator. We found the room, furniture, and linens to be old and dated. The food in the restaurant was adequate, but nothing to write home about. Wifi is available in the reception area, but is spotty, at best. This resort is the original hotel on Chuuk and has not aged well. A refurbish and upgrade are due.

Be sure to visit the small museum at the resort. It will give you insight into the history of Truk Lagoon. Keep in mind that Chuuk is a very remote and impoverished island. It's not an ideal vacation destination, but a fantastic dive destination, unlike anywhere else in the world. The world class wreck diving outweighs the shortcomings of the resort. Add Truk Lagoon to your bucket list.

Visited on 12/2016 - Submitted on 04/15/2020
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