Dive Review of
Golden Dawn in
Papua New Guinea/Eastern Fields

Malaysia, Bali-Komodo, Raja Ampat, Lembeh Straits, Fiji, Thailand, Solomon
Islands, Caribbean

Dive Conditions

Safe diving because we were in the middle of "nowhere"!  

Cameras are stored in the salon when the boat is underway; on a small
camera table on the dive deck during the day.  This is an extremely small
boat so camera gear storage is at a premium!  We used the tables in the
salon to change lens, etc. and stored everything in cases under the tables
in the salon.  

Overall Rating

Craig DeWit runs a fantastic operation.  This is the smallest liveaboard
we've done anywhere in the world but it is compact and extremely well-run. 
The food that comes out of that tiny kitchen is amazing!

The crew was friendly and very competent.  Craig is a consummate
"host"!  You don't feel like you're diving on a
"commercial" vessel; you feel like you're diving with a great
friend!  His sense of humour is wonderful and his dive briefings are the
"briefest" in the world!  This particular itinerary is NOT
suitable for beginning divers, and he's used to dealing with experienced
divers looking for a unique diving experience in a part of the world that's
only accessible for a few weeks a year.

To Craig' credit, he's extremely intent on preserving his underwater world.
 He only does trips to Eastern Fields when the weather is conducive to
traveling there, but he also only dives each site for a maximum of one
day....no matter how incredible the diving might be on each site.  Diver
impact is minimal....50 divers per year for each amazing dive site!  His
passion for sharks is world-renown and his enthusiasm is contagious!  He
knows "his" sharks personally and keeps detailed logs on
sightings, numbers, conditions, etc.  His concern for preservation is
evident in any conversation you have about his environment.  He guides all
dives himself; sometimes with some of the crew to help spot unique
critters, but the boat only holds 10 divers, so it's easy to follow him if
you're on a specific "critter quest"!

We dove sites that were breathtaking, to say the least.  You are in the
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!  We traveled approx. 120 km from Port Moresby and never
saw another boat, island, anything!  All we saw for the bulk of the trip
was sea birds!  He uses GPS coordinates for his favorite spots, lots of the
dives can be done directly from the Golden Dawn, some are done from the
inflatables.  His ladder system is a little tricky to get used to, but it
works for a boat that size and his crew is extremely helpful.

We saw sea fans that were 20' tall and in amazing colors.  The schools of
fish -- small, medium & large, were prolific.  It was tough to decide
whether to shoot fabulous wide angle or unique macro on any given dive.  He
does do a couple of "shark dives" that are quite interesting! 
The weather proved "unseasonably windy" towards the end of our
10-day charter so we had an uncomfortable crossing back towards Port
Moresby but got a chance to dive near the coast for a few days (much cooler
water!) and included Suzie's Bombie which was a fabulous end to our
adventure....a purple rhinopia was the highlight there.

The Golden Dawn's itineraries vary throughout the year based on diving
conditions all around PNG; he will do custom itineraries upon request.  We
can't wait to dive the Golden Dawn again! 

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