Dive Review of
Mike Ball in
Australia/Coral Sea/Barrier Reef

All around Carribean, Australia, Florida

Dive Conditions

Normal recommendations, but we were allowed to do our own thing.  

Excellent facilities- plenty of space for setup and good rinse facilities. 
Computers available for downloads.  Classes available, and weekly photo
contest.  Onboard photo staff provided (for a fee) a DVD of the entire
trip.  

Overall Rating

This trip was a repeat of a trip we took earlier in the year that was cut
short due to the approach of two cyclones.  We handled everything via
e-mail directly with Mike Ball, including hotel reservation pre- and post
trip.  The staff was extremely helpful and even provided storage for some
luggage prior to our trip.

All of the staff could not have been friendlier or more helpful.  Tanks
were refilled (inlcuding Nitrox) within 15 minutes of our dive, enabling
multiple dives at each site.  Dive briefing were very thorough, guides were
offered but not required, and many unusual underwater critter locations
were marked with lightsticks by the divemasters so no one would miss them. 
Warm towels were provided, and there was always plenty of hot water for
showers.  Snacks were always available, as was coffee/tea 24/7.

The food was very good, with a lot of variety and plenty of vegetarian
options always included.  A continental breakfast was available for the
early risers followed by hot breakfast after the first dive.  Soft drinks
were provided free, and wine was served with dinner.  The bar was ala
carte, but well stocked.

We had a premium cabin, which was very spacious and airy for a dive boat. 
Two large windows eliminated any feeling of confinement.  Plenty of drawer
space, very good A/C and a very comfortable bed.  There was daily
"maid" service and fresh linens mid-week.  Chocolates were placed
on the pillow at the turn-down (the staff even arranged to meet another
dive boat and replenish the chocolate supply when it ran low- a very nice
touch)!

The diving was what we had hoped for, and we identified over 150 species
that we had not seen in the Carribean.  Visibility was not as good as it
could have been at all of the sites, but always good enough to make for
good diving.  We experienced a few currents, and there were several divers
that had to be picked up in the inflatables, but the boat had a great
system for keeping track of the divers and always having observers on the
top deck and an inflatable in the water.

This was our second trip on this boat, and it mirrored the first trip
(except for better weather this time), which says a lot for their standards
and quality control.    

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