Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Truk Odyssey in
Micronesia/Truk Lagoon

Truk Odyssey, Feb, 2006,

by Chrisanda Button/Rickie Sterne, Arkansas, USA . Report 2282.

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 N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Let me begin with the ugly: the flight from Little Rock to Weno. We arose at 0330 in a desperate bid to get our luggage onto the airplane(those of you who fly out of major hubs cannot imagine the problems of divers who must begin their journies on tiny Embraer jets). We went to bed on the boat a bit after midnight. Half our group was plagued with sinus and ear problems for the next week, and we kept falling asleep at 2030 and awaking at 0430. Everything else about the trip, however, was excellent. The Odyssey is a very comfortable boat. The cabins are huge. Even with a queen-sized bed we had more floor space than is usual on a liveaboard, and the shower was of normal dimensions. Each cabin has a small TV and DVD player with two sets of headphones so our neighbors could watch action movies while we read. There are also reading lights on both sides of the beds. Cabin towels were replaced daily, and hot water was abundant. The dining area was a sunny room with hardwood tables. The salon on the deck below offered soft couches and a large TV, while housing the boat's outstanding library of marine ID and history books. The half-covered sun deck was large enough to accommodate all 16 divers during surface intervals. The food was good home cooking in liberal quantities. Breakfast was cooked to order from a menu, while lunch and dinner were served buffet style. There were sweet snacks between morning dives and outstanding savory snacks (sushi, calamari) in the afternoon. Candy, nuts, and package cookies were always available. On the Odyssey, everything is included in the ticket price. There is no extra charge for Nitrox or the bar. The dive operation treated us very much as responsible adults capable of determining our own limitations. Dive briefings were the most thorough we have ever been given. We were told about the history of the ship, given detailed information about penetrations, and also advised of the marine life we would see. Divemasters offered to serve as guides before every dive. With the help of the DM's we were able to see areas of the ships we would not have penetrated alone. There were five divemasters/instructors and Captain Lenny to assist sixteen divers. The dive deck provided each diver with a station that included under-bench storage. Warm towels appeared after each dive, and the deck shower was warm. The diving in Truk Lagoon was like no other. From massive destruction comes great beauty. The wrecks themselves, qua wrecks, are truly awe-inspiring. Heavy decking is twisted in sinuous forms. Entire portions of ships have been blown away. What I found most moving were the small objects that had been dropped as men ran to their battle stations or struggled to safety. But after sixty years, the wrecks have also become reefs. We saw gorgeous carpet anemones guarded by three kinds of anemone fish. Soft corals covered kingposts and masts. Tropical fish were cleaned in holds and along decks. We saw quite a few nudibranchs, several turtles and morays, and one pair of eagle rays. Once a week the Odyssey does a shark feed followed by a dive on the lagoon's outer reef. The diving in Truk Lagoon is unique, and the Odyssey with its excellent crew offers a safe and comfortable base for doing up to five dives a day there. It is a topnotch liveaboard in a very special location. We felt that a week of diving in Truk barely gave us an overview.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Bahamas, Bay Islands, Belize, Cozumel, Turks & Caicos, Australia, Sea of Cortez, Fiji
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather cloudy Seas calm, noCurrents
Water Temp 82-0°F / 28--18°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions If you go into deco, follow your computer and be sure you have enough gas on your back to do the hang time.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 466 dive reviews of Micronesia and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Looking for sharks, wrecks, kayaking, tropical islands? We specialize in adventures to Micronesia.

Want to assemble your own collection of Micronesia reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

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.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.1 seconds