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Dive Review of Odyssey Adventures in
Micronesia/Chuuk

Odyssey Adventures: "Wrecks! Great Liveaboard in Chuuk", Nov, 2016,

by Clayton Randall, MA, US ( 1 report with 1 Helpful vote). Report 9411 has 1 Helpful vote.

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 4 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Pros:
- Wrecks! If you like wreck diving, this is the place- look up Operation Hailstone (Feb 17-18, 1944).
- We dove on some wrecks not usually done in Chuuk, such as the San Francisco Maru and Hoki Maru- both great wrecks.
- We usually dove 4-5x/day (night dive available most nights), 2x on the last day if diving the SF Maru. We typically did 2 dives on one wreck in the morning, 2 more on another in the afternoon/night.
- Captain, crew, and staff were very knowledgeable and accommodating.
- Dive briefings were comprehensive and accompanied by informative videos (captain is a well-known underwater photographer and videographer).
- We were treated like grownups, could dive on our own if we wanted. Guides were readily available (highly recommended for wreck penetration).
- The water was very warm at all depths, almost always 86 °F (30 °C). You don't really need a wetsuit, maybe just a skin to keep from getting scratched on the wrecks.
- Tanks were Al 80s or steel 120s, all filled to 3000 psi or so. Nitrox was free up to 30%, small charge >30%. Stage bottles were available (also free nitrox up to 30%). Bring your own reg for the stage. Hookahs with 30% were at the hang bar.
- Ship was refurbished after the typhoon a year ago. Accommodations were like a cruise ship: fairly roomy, clean, comfortable, abundant hot water and pressure in shower.
- Food was good, abundant, and varied, though nothing fancy. Accommodations were made for people with dietary restrictions. Afternoon snacks had fresh-baked cookies and bread, sometimes sushi. Steak night was good.

Cons:
- Chuuk is really not for beginners. Dives are often deep, and include wreck penetration.
- Some of the guides swam very fast. A few of the dives felt rushed because we were trying to see everything on the wreck in one dive.
- More notice of the nighttime shark feeding would have been better. Some of us who didn't do the night dive that night missed out.
- If you're one of those people who needs 24/7 Internet connectivity, just don't go to Chuuk. Internet was sporadic half the time, nonexistent the other half.
- Weather was cloudy almost the entire week, with some rain. It cleared up some later in the week, with gorgeous sunsets.
- As a result of the clouds, it was often dim at depth. Not much rain the previous week, so vis wasn't great (30-50' most of the time). It made photography more difficult.

Other:
- Bring your C-card for nitrox.
- Some of us stayed at the Blue Lagoon Resort before and/or after the Odyssey, even got in some dives. Good way to relax before/after travel, and the Odyssey is moored off the Blue Lagoon- easy transfer.
- Traveling to Chuuk is very long. Highly recommended to stop overnight in Guam or Honolulu. Flight schedules are strange, so you might need to stay on land before/after the Odyssey. Allow 3hrs before your flight when leaving for the airport; main road is still wretched.
- Take less clothing than you think you'll need. You'll be in t-shirts and swimsuits or shorts all week, and you won't wear shoes.
- Bring backup lights, reg (for stage), and computer. You probably won't need a wreck reel: penetration on your own is a bad idea, and the guides know the wrecks very well.
- Bring gifts or extra gear for the guides, such as gloves and boots- highly appreciated.
- Local woodcarvings are cheaper bought from the back of the boat than at gift shops on land.
Websites Odyssey Adventures   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Chuuk (land-based), Palau, Cozumel, USVI, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, NC, NJ, MA, PA
Closest Airport Weno, Chuuk, FSM Getting There Chuuk is a <2-hr flight from Guam or 12-hr "island hopper" from Honolulu. Schedules are irregular, so count on 2 days total travel time from US including layovers

Dive Conditions

Weather rainy, cloudy Seas calm
Water Temp 86-87°F / 30-31°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 25-50 Ft/ 8-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Essentially none: try not to come up with an empty tank
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 4 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Great wrecks and anemones/clownfish, not a huge number of other fish. One or two nudibranches, some schools of jacks and bait fish, a moray or two. Nice coral encrustations on the shallower wrecks, especially masts and kingposts.

It was cloudy all week, with less-than-great vis: not easy to get great pictures.

There was a camera table, with often shared space with gear, also a dedicated camera wash tank. Salon had computers for reviewing, but some people brought their own laptops.
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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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