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Scuba Diving In the Maldives
Liveaboard Maldives?
Now what on earth is that? That was our question when we looked into Scuba diving in the Maldives. Surely just find an island resort in the Maldives, book the holiday and sign up for some of the worlds best scuba diving? Well… yes and no.
Before Charley and I rumble on we ask that you glance over the following pointers when looking for a diving holiday in Maldives and in particular a liveaboard Maldives holiday.
Pointer number oneFollow the same exacting process to find, research and book a Maldives Liveaboard diving holiday as you would your Honeymoon Maldives package or your Luxury Spa vacation. It is in essence no different and the rewards will be in your enjoyment. Pointer number two Know your subject. Whether the decision to have a dive based holiday is a whim or planned know your topic and its demands. Liveaboard Maldives holidays are said by many to be the finest and warmest dive holidays in the world, so make yours the best Maldives liveaboard vacation.
Pointer number three Take professional advice Pick up the phone and don’t be shy in asking the opinions of qualified and proficient individuals in the Maldives Liveaboard business. Take the time out to visit your local dive centre and dive shops at home for a valuable knowledge base. Pointer number Four Look beyond the brochures, the flashy website and advertising pitch. Learn as much as you can about how a prospective Maldives liveaboard company operates. What does it have in place if there are cancellations due to weather or equipment malfunction? How does it treat its clients? Importantly, does it offer a refund or simply ask you to take out insurance for the trip? If in doubt – investigate.
So what is a Liveaboard Maldives? A Liveaboard Maldives holiday is also referred to as a liveaboard cruise and liveaboard safari. It’s a vacation usually spent entirely on a boat. Your days (and even some nights maybe) will be filled with diving and snorkeling. How long is it for?
A Maldives liveaboard holiday generally lasts for 7 or 10 days. Where do they go from?
When you choose a diving holiday in Maldives you’ll usually leave from the marina on Hulhule island, better known as Malé international airport.
Where do they go to?The main Maldives liveaboard cruises spend their time in the surrounding atolls of North and South Male and North and South Ari. This ensures as many dive sites as possible are visited on different atolls. For example the Ari atoll has over two hundred islands; that’s a lot of diving on just one atoll!
What do I look for? In no particular order ask about the following when considering a Maldives liveaboard scuba diving holiday, 1 Is there unlimited diving each day? 2 Anything over 20 divers to a vessel can mean it’s more cramped than you would like. You can also find yourself sharing a cabin. 3 A steel hulled vessel is better than a wooden one if you are doing anything but cruising in sheltered waters. If sea sickness is a problem for you then a long hulled vessel will be more stable in open water. Note that long hulled vessels can also mean more people on Maldives liveaboard cruises. 4 Will you be accessing the water from the liveaboard or from a tender? From a tender means you’ll have greater versatility in diving hard-to-reach dive sites. It also means fewer surface swims back to the boat after dive completion. 5 Does the type of diving offered suit your level of experience? Are there a lot of wreck dives and blue water dives in fast moving currents? You don’t want to be twiddling your thumbs on deck whilst everyone else is discovering the amazing Maldives reef, corals and marine life.
And don’t forget about…Will you have private accommodation with en suite facilities? What about air conditioning and showers? Ask about and expect excellent accommodation and food. Are the supplies of fresh water adequate? Is there a fresh water-maker on board? Are all drinks included in the liveaboard Maldives holiday price? And as with any Maldives holiday you will want to know what’s included; dive gear, dive permits, visas, dive courses, even film processing and battery chargers for cameras etc. And what about safety gear and communications equipment? What does the liveaboard have and are the crew fully trained to use it? Is your departure point convenient in terms of flights and transfers? Importantly, how experienced is the boat skipper, the crew and the dive guides? Confidence in a quality service is essential for a relaxed and rewarding liveaboard in the Maldives.
And finally… You can book direct with the liveaboard Maldives agent and purchase your own air tickets separately from a discount travel agent. Or you can book a dive travel package through your specialist Maldives liveaboard travel agent. There are a number of popular and respected magazines and journals for the diving community and for liveaboard Maldives breaks. Just because you may be a beginner doesn’t mean you can’t use the professional arena as a resource. Check out the online magazines too. See what others have experienced on their Maldives liveaboard scuba diving holidays.
As an information provider we are not here to promote one resort or holiday over another on our site. That decision is in your hands. We give you as much information as possible but you are not limited by what we provide. Always verify critical information (passport, money, holiday provider, flight for example) with the relevant authorities. Enjoy your Liveaboard Maldives Scuba Diving holiday!
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