Dive Review of
Mike Ball Paradise Sport in
Papua New Guinea/Kavieng/Kimbe Bay

USA (FL,IL,NC,TX,MO,CA,Alaska),
Canada(BC,Nanavut),Greenland,Carribbean(Bahamas,Turks&Caicos,Curacau,Bo
naire,Belize,Mexico)Pacific(Socorro,CocosIsland ,Galapagos,Tahiti,Truk
Lagoon,Palau,Yap,Sipadan,Bali,N.Sulawesi,Phuket,Burma,PNG) Australia,
Antartica, Mediterranean (Costa Brava, S. France, Corsica, Sardina, Italy),
Red Sea

Dive Conditions

Varied with conditions, but usually per training and computer.  

There is plenty of room on the dive deck for cameras, housings, charging,
rinsing and whatever. The crew was helpful with equipment.  

Overall Rating

     I went on this trip alone but joined the group Denver Divers whom I
had met on the Tahiti Aggressor previously. Unfortunately, someone on the
boat brought along a cold and shared it with the rest of us so that most of
the divers spent much of the 10 day trip nursing runny noses, coughs, and
general malaise.  As a result, I missed about half of the dives. I am quite
sure I would have had a much better impression of PNG had I not felt so
under the weather. 
     Nevertheless, I did manage to take a few photos and quite a lot of
video.  But, in general I felt that the areas we visited did not live up to
the rave reviews I had heard. The coral was not particularly spectacular or
colorful. I had expected more soft coral. However, I did especially enjoy
some of the sites near Kimbe and found the sponges there to be quite
unusual. There were lots of sharks cruising around. We trapped some
nautilus which we photographed before releasing.  The terrain was
interesting with high profile peaks and valleys.  
     The Paradise Sport is a comfortable boat with a good layout. The crew
was attentive, food good, and service fine. The dive crew is helpful
without being intrusive. Solo diving is allowed for those qualified. I flew
in on Air Niugini via Singapore to avoid Quantas or other airlines where
there may be severe restriction both for carryon baggage and lower
allowance for baggage on PNG domestic flights. As a result, I managed to
avoid any charges for excess baggage throughout the trip. It pays to check
on such matters in advance.  

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