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Dive Review of Odyssey Adventures in
Micronesia/Truk Lagoon

Odyssey Adventures, Feb, 2010,

by Jeanne & Bill Downey, PA, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 52 reports with 16 Helpful votes). Report 5396.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This year, our 6th trip to Truk Lagoon, we got smart and booked two back-to-back weeks, one regular and one high octane tech diving. Most of the crew was the same, although J.J. is now captain of the Truk Odyssey. Over the two weeks we experienced the entire crew; many of the locals work every other week. The Odyssey is still one of the best liveaboards we’ve ever been on; when the last night came and we were offered a choice of a restaurant dinner or warmed up leftovers, once again no one wanted to leave the boat!
The first week consisted of the same wrecks as in the past, plus we got to dive a new one for us—the I169 submarine, which sank because the aft ventilation tube was not closed all the way when the I169 submerged. We also had a choice of either diving the San Francisco Maru at 175’ or making two shallower dives instead, including the Betty Bomber. Our group requested the shark feed, which brought us a bounty of at least 20 sharks, including three silvertips. The shark feed is no longer on the normal schedule or even mentioned—it has to be requested.
Everyone disembarked at 9:00am Sunday morning and went to their day rooms at the Blue Lagoon. Nine of our group had a blast renting “mopets” at the hotel and exploring the island of Weno (formerly Moen). The rest hung out at the hotel, mostly trying to access the internet via a very slow telephone modem. Four of us re-boarded the Odyssey at 5:00pm—glorious!
The second week was technical diving—five divers using double tanks and sling bottles, five using rebreathers, and one using a large single, a smaller pony bottle, plus sling tank. Those of us using doubles started off with 50% 02 in our sling bottles, then switching to 100% 02 at the hang bar, but the bar was swinging and bouncing so much that we switched to 80% 02 in our slings and spent as little time as possible on the bar, completing most of our deco on our sling bottles, then switching to pure 02. During tech week, we started off with three shallower wrecks, and then hit the deep ones, such as the Amagisan Maru, deeper on the San Francisco, the Aikoku Maru, and the Nagano Maru for the first time. The deeper wrecks are in better condition because less sunlight means less growth—a gun still looks like a gun, unlike on some of the shallower wrecks. We normally did three dives each day—two deeper dives and one shallower dive. The rebreather divers sometimes only did one dive, but it lasted over two hours. At the end of the second week, we had to leave the Truk Odyssey for good, although I tried to sneak on the skiff for the third week; JJ just shook his head and shooed me away. Continental, which normally heads to Guam at 2:25am, had switched their schedule temporarily so our flight left at 4:25am. I actually liked this better, because we managed to sleep for 3 hours before leaving the Blue Lagoon, instead of putting in the time at the Guam airport between flights.
The wrecks, especially the shallower ones, are deteriorating faster now; if Truk Lagoon is on your must-dive list, do not wait! You don’t have to be a die-hard wreck diver to enjoy the wrecks, as there is so much coral and fish life to look at. And Truk Lagoon is a great place to become certified as an extended-range diver. We have already booked another two-week trip in 2013.
Websites Odyssey Adventures   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Bahamas, Caribbean, Honduras, Socorro, Galapagos, Palau, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Bikini, etc.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, rainy, cloudy, dry Seas calm, choppy, no currents
Water Temp 83-83°F / 28-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Follow your computer and dive plan.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 2 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 2 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Large camera table. Charging station inside.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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