Ocean Hunter, October, 1994. "Good: Boat goes right to sites, no rides on skiffs from bigger boats (Aggressor, Dancer...). Palau is Palau. You got to go. Great mixture of dives. Weather allowed us to go to all the best places. Best dives were at night. Crew good, friendly. . . . Bad: Vis in some areas somewhat low (<50') at wrong times of day. Hard to get fish closeups with big current. Wish I had known that it's a great trip to combine Palau with Yap or Truk Lagoon. Several on boat had done this." Anon.

Ocean Hunter, November, 1994. "Wonderful small boat (five passenger, maximum) with attentive, hard working crew. Captain Navot and dive guide Gidi know the reefs. Aft cabin with ensuite facilities is best and the equal of many cruise boat accommodations. The food was good and plentiful. . . . Night dives not as well planned as day. Virtually no fish identification library - as avid photographers, we missed this." Dean and Ginny Schulman, Columbus, OH

Ocean Hunter, February, 1995. "The alleged high voltage diving is far from certain. Large pelagics were limited, and we seldom encountered large schools of fish. Only two dives could be considered memorable. It was disappointing, particularly given the cost. It was explained that tidal changes were limited when there was no moon, and currents were too weak to generate concentrations of fish. All the same, the sequencing of dive sites for a day too often brought us to the best deep dive sites last so that it was not reasonable to try to compensate for the lack of current and fish at shallow depths by going deep. Palau Pacific Resort is excellent, but Palau Marina Hotel is a second-class operation." Anon.

Ocean Hunter, April, 1995. "I told captain Zovat at the end of the 10 day trip that this was our 17th live-aboard dive trip so we know what we like. And we loved the Ocean Hunter. The crew anticipated virtually all our needs. Their attitude was to do whatever it took to make it a great diving experience for us. We did 48 dives in the 10 days including eight night dives. So what if the mantas didn't show up. We have seen and ridden them before in the Sea of Cortez and Cocos. While the Sun Dancer and Aggressor divers were ferried to dive sites on chase boats, the Ocean Hunter goes directly to the sites." Tom Wilson, Princeton, NJ

Ocean Hunter, May, 1995. "World class operation. Captain and crew of highest professional quality. Food was excellent. They even provide for special diet needs. Everything was better than expected." Anon.

Palau Aggressor II, January, 1995. "Outstanding diving. Superb new boat. Used a hook at Blue Corner. Made less reef contact than hand holding. Not at all unsafe for experienced diver. Recommend arriving one day early and stop at Palau Pacific Resort that has the best snorkeling reef I have ever seen. Water 81 degree, vis 50­125." R.I., Louisville, NY

Palau Aggressor II, February, 1995. "Good: Superb operation. Best live-aboard around. This is the dive boat to do. The mother/daughter boat scheme works well. Bad: poor visibility and strong currents on night dives. Wish we had known: extent of the currents in Palau." Tara Chronister, San Antonio, TX

Palau Aggressor, March, 1995. "Second trip on Palau Aggressor. New, better boats. Same excellent crew and food. Awesome, high voltage drift diving. Run, don't walk."David Lund, Minneapolis, MN

Palau Aggressor II, March, 1995. "The weather, though often cloudy with occasional afternoon showers, did not spoil the diving. From the quality of the diving, we apparently had optimal tide and current conditions during the week. . . . The water felt colder than the advertised 82. Having brought only a shorty, I borrowed hoods and vests for the afternoon and night dives. Visibility was good to excellent, depending upon the site: Blue Hole, Blue Corner, Big and Little Drop Offs, Siaes Channel were outstanding. Not for novices because of the ripping currents and the 125' plus depths through the holes and caverns. . . . The shallower coral reef sites were less spectacular, but were excellent opportunities for the macro photographer. Chandelier Caverns, Jellyfish Lake, Clam City and one wreck dive afforded a unique variety to the hard core diving. Manta Rock rivaled Yap's Mil Channel. Though fewer in number, the mantas in Palau appeared larger and more acrobatic. . . . During the week, this diver saw everything that makes Palau famous: sharks on virtually every dive, mantas, turtles, dolphins, cuttlefish, alligator fish, turkey and lion fish, the Nautilus, giant clams, enormous humphead Napoleon wrasse, huge schools of large fish, funnel clouds of barracuda, giant sea fans, sumptuous coral, nudibranchs, crinoids, anemones. . . . Spacious cabins include individual head, shower, lavatory and A/C controls. The main salon is roomy with a well-stocked library, entertainment center and open bar. The upper sun deck and the hot tub were great between dives. The dive platform has individual gear lockers, plenty of hangers, two fresh water showers, camera table and rinsing tanks and a complete E-6 lab. Hot and cold fresh water was limitless. The jet powered skiff was a marvel of comfort and efficiency. The dive briefings were an entertainment event unto themselves. Divers could dive their own profiles (I had five dives/per day) but the crew unobtrusively monitored computers and stayed close to the less experienced divers. Divers were allowed some options in choice of sites. (Something of a negative in that half the group preferred the shallower, less challenging sites, but the crew managed it well). . . . The crew was efficient, hard-working, courteous and fun. Captain Shelley did his utmost to catch the optimal tides and currents at each site, copied and gave me some stock Palau video, and even made a late night run into Koror to get champagne for a 100th and 400th dive milestone celebration. . . . Cook Erwin was a marvel, the food on the Aggressor ranks a five plus. Cabin attendant Tina washed all my clothes the last night on board for the long trip home. The dive team of Buck, George, Ike and Stacy worked their tails off to give us the best diving possible. The only thing the diver had to do was don his gear and fall into the water. The crew did the rest. And they were fun people. The fresh, hot scented towels handed to the diver when he emerged from the water, stepped off the skiff or got out of the hot tub was a wonderful touch. Each diver was given free slides taken of him during the week by the crew. Another nice touch was the between-dive beach outings and picnic. The efficiency of the operation, right down to the pick up at and delivery to the airport, was impressive. . . . Bad stuff: There was none. I would like to have repeated some dive sites, but the crew understandably had to balance requests. The night dives were disappointing. Little effort went into them because too few divers in our group participated. Overall, this diver rates the Palau Aggressor a solid five plus. Incidentally, the Palau scenery is worth the price of the airfare." Jim Parkhill, McAllen, TX

Palau Aggressor II, April, 1995. "I am usually not disposed to write about the quality of the live-aboard dive boats on which I host tours ­­ my opinions might be deemed motivated by self-interest. On the other hand, my acquaintance with live-aboards for many years may lend a valid perspective. . . . I just returned from the new Palau Aggressor II, the most comfortable, delightfully hedonistic dive tour in my memory. It is possible without hyperbole to consider this remarkable boat the most thoughtfully equipped, roomy and generously attended live-aboard dive boat in the world. That is saying a lot, since it completes with another new and splendidly-appointed boat, Peter Hughes' Wave Dancer, which also serves Palau and is attended by a fine crew. . . . The Palau Aggressor II is a 100' aluminum-hull catamaran. It was designed for comfort and diving to the finest detail. . . . The piece de resistance is the launch that takes all sixteen divers to each dive site from the mother ship. The launch, powered by twin diesel jet engines, is boarded from the dive deck. All your equipment, other than wet suit and camera, is stowed in a locker under your seat on the launch. When all are aboard the launch is put into the water along a slide and elevator hydraulically operated. Once in the water it motors off its submerged platform and takes off for the dive site at 30 mph. Divers are seated with their backs to a center row of tanks. They slip on their equipment on the way to the site, do a back launch into the water and are picked up at the end of the dive with a handy boarding ladder for getting into the boat. When the launch returns to the mother ship it maneuvers onto the submerged platform and elevates back up to the dive deck. . . . By the time you are out of your wet suit your camera has been rinsed and awaits you on the enormous camera table that easily accommodates sixteen cameras and strobes at once. There are three low-pressure air hoses on each side of the camera table and always a hamper of fresh towels for body and camera. . . . Eight double cabins each have a queen-size lower bunk, a standard upper, big sink space, a private shower and head, and ample drawer and closet space for anything short of a steamer trunk. Each cabin has its own thermostatic controls for the air conditioning and a real window. . . . Lunch and dinner always had at least two entrees - sometimes three - at least three salads, various veggies and relishes and always a large bowl of freshly cut fruit. One dinner offered roast turkey and Duck Orange with a cherry cheese cake dessert that would make strong men sob aloud. And wine......I wake up sobbing when I think of the wines. There are strictures against use of alcohol before the night dive; so I gave up the night dives and surrendered myself to the Luculian delights. . . . As a videographer I also appreciated the state-of-the-art High-8 deck hooked up to a superb large monitor. As usual on all the dive boats I have used over the years, the crew knocked themselves out to help and be companionable. . . . For Kevin Davidson, who spelled the regular captain during my week aboard, I provided a cigar for his underwater hoot. To the great delight of the camera people he appeared to puff on a cigar while sitting on the reef thirty feet down. Smoke emanated from his mouth, or so it appeared. To prepare his stunt he had bitten the edge off a milk carton and sucked out a mouthful. While exhibiting this submarine sang froid he was wearing a pair of sun glasses. Be sure that will appear in my next video production. The Palau Aggressor II capped all live-aboard dive boats I have known." Stan Waterman

Palau Aggressor II, August, 1995. "Good: Super boat with comfortable skiff and excellent load/unload convenience. . . . The greatest variety of coral I have seen, most in good condition. Found new affection for grey reef sharks (calm) at Blue Corner. . . . Bad: Nutrition not considered: canned, frozen, heavy fatty foods. We longed for lighter, fresher, tastier, California style meals. We were also disappointed that our travel agent, Tropical Adventures, booked us on such flights with long layovers when others were available." Frances M. Feid, Peco Rivera, CA

Palau Aggressor II, August, 1995. "Wonderful boat, fine operation for diving; loading/unloading skiff on board most convenient. A major plus having the rapid skiff, pick up after dive ­- no searching for the boat. Dive briefings often over sold the dive site. Some drop offs required 15 plus minutes to get to the preferred dive site. Blue Corner ­- marvelous experience. Many grey reef sharks, some white tips, all kinds of fish life -­ beautiful soft and hard corals. Food was plentiful, much more than we could eat. Captain Buck, Gui and rest of crew did all they could to make the trip a memorable experience. Ranks with the best in my 35 years of diving." Dick Johnson, San Dimas, CA

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, September, 1994. "Know when to go. Palau is touted as holy Grail; some disappointment is inevitable. Go December­April if you can. Primary gripe: wind and rain. Six hours of sun in seven days, rough seas kept us from the best side of Palau; 3­1/2 days spent on 'exploratory' dives on lee side (N.E.) of islands. Some reef sharks, white tips on most dives, big schools of bump-head parrots, wahoo, occasional sea snake, crocodile fish, stingray. Topography and coral on the calm side is boring and visibility so­so to poor. The best: Neherong coral gardens; wonderful hard corals. Ngemelis drop­off, German Channel Wall, Manta Station, Ngarong drop­off all delivered lots of turtles, several mantas, and parades of sharks, but keep your nose out of the anemones and watch the blue for the action. Visibility 50 feet. Crew and boat topnotch. Hard to get excited about Caribbean after Palau." Charlie Erickson, New Haven, CT

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, February, 1995. "Luxury on high seas, beautiful Islands. Crew tried hard to please, but diving somehow didn't meet up to all that I had heard and read. Dive crews had trouble figuring out constantly changing and unpredictable half moon tides so we fought the current. Only able to do three dives per day, maybe four. Numerous sharks, turtles, lion fish, and critters. Skip German Channel. Don't miss Jelly Fish Lake, be prepared to snorkel down to 10-25' where they congregate. Bring strobe. I prefer largest macro set up at lake. Good hike to lake, lots of sharp coral, be careful." Paul J. Weisbroat, New York, NY

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, March, 1995. "Seas calm and flat or choppy; surge; strong currents; water temperature 80°; visibility 50­100 feet; could dive own profile; depth limit 120 feet never checked; time limit one hour (all drift dives from skiffs). Don't go if you don't have experience. We had a beginner on board and she didn't have fun. The journey to Palau is long. If you can fly direct to Honolulu, do it. . . . The diving was fantastic and this boat was beautiful. The crew worked harder than any live­aboard we've been on. They made it easy for us despite chop and currents, constantly maneuvering; safety­ oriented. The captain went where we wanted to dive. This is one place that lives up to the hype, especially Blue Corner. Two skiffs worked well, don't know about the new one." Bev and Dave Brandt, Council Bluffs, IA

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, March, 1995. "Sun Dancer is a beautiful, well-maintained dive ship. The level of service was exemplary. The crew obviously enjoyed their jobs. Sixteen of us all traveling as a group treated as the experienced (all) mature (some) divers we were. The only reason the food is a 'three' is that it must be difficult to obtain better quality food stuff. The whole operation deserves a 10. Good job, Peter Hughes." Bruce & Donna Wilson, Portland, OR

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, April, 1995. "Outstanding live­ aboard; crew was outstanding as was everything associated with the operation. Water temp, 82­84. Vis, 80­120 feet." J. J. Chudacoff, Torrance, CA

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, April, 1995. "Good: Excellent accommodations, crew and food. Exciting diving - all diving was drift diving with safety sausage. Operation of chase boat superb. Aussie John put the jet boat in your lap. Bad: Long plane ride. Downwelling currents (no place for beginners)." Bob & Audrey Ray, Pasadena, CA

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, April, 1995. "Everybody knows diving in Palau is some of the best in the world. Sharks on almost all the wall dives. On this 10-day trip we got to all the normal sites, but also to Angaur. Despite its reputation, we had heavy current only five out of 30+ dives. We dove Blue Corner four times and it lived up to its reputation - sharks, dog tooth tuna, barracuda, Napolean wrasse, marbled ray. Water 82 degrees, vis 50 to 80 ft. . . . Sun Dancer is fantastic. They just added a new 32' tender with individual dive stations, camera table, dry box, fresh water shower and jet drive. It made the trips to the dive sites (5-15 minutes) quite comfortable. The cabins are really nice, especially the owners' suite. And the staff was the finest I have seen on a live-aboard. The only thing they couldn't do was to make it sunny all of the time. Oh well." Keith Weed & Julia Molander

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, May, 1995. "Boat and crew, especially Captain Stewart Fontaine, are super. (We were there twice in seven months). Ship and diving are magnificent. Dealing with the Coral Gables office is a frustrating ­- incorrect information, don't return calls. . . . Palau Pacific resort (last night of charter) is posh but service is poor. Best to arrive a day or so early, put up with the poor service, and acclimate." Jeff Hubbard, Glenmont, NY

Peter Hughes' Sun Dancer, May, 1995. "Outstanding boat, crew was great - went out of their way for us. Will use Peter Hughes again when possible. The 'bus' boat used to transport us to dive sites was state of art." Mike Bristow, Dallas, TX

Truk

SS Thorfinn, November, 1994. "Wreck diving is spectacular; the soft corals the most beautiful we have ever seen. The water temperature was a uniform 86° with no thermoclines. We were alone on a 26-passenger boat and had our personal dive tender with our own dive guide and helper (both skillful and helpful). . . . Cockroaches with a capital 'C.' Cabins, with the exception of those on the main deck forward of the lounge, are small, musty, poorly laid out and none too clean. The ensuite cabins are the least desirable. . . . The food was fair at best and frequently not that good -­ heavy, greasy, and not well prepared. Night dives were made from a dive tender with no lights on it - for us, unique live-aboard night diving method." Dean & Ginny Schulman, Columbus, OH

SS Thorfinn, June, 1995. "At 170 feet the Thorfinn is one of the largest live-aboards offered to divers (26 maximum). It is spacious, comfortable, and well air­conditioned with small but clean rooms. There are four decks, an outdoor whirlpool spa and two open decks for sunbathing and stargazing. The ship moves between several anchorages in Truk, and uses small outboards to deliver divers to the sites with average 5-10 minute travel times. The boat offers more choices of dive sites than any other operator in Truk including the Aggressor. In six days I did 20 dives and only dove one wreck twice, though I had the option for multiple dives on a wreck. There is a five dive per day option as well. . . . Local guides were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Unsupervised diving is allowed, but they will give you the deluxe wreck tour if you prefer. The boats were fast and comfortable for the three divers we had, but would be a little tight with six. A hang tank is provided and air fills are generous. Shore excursions are offered. Flexibility with arrival days and length of stay (Aggressor only offers Sunday to Sunday). I saw no more cockroaches on this boat than on any other I've sailed. The Thorfinn also offers a wreck and reef combination with part of the week spent on virgin outer island reefs which reportedly rival Palau. . . . Bad stuff: The food. I would give it a fair rating; this is not the place to be if you're looking for gourmet dining. Loud generator noise on the upper two decks. No oxygen on runabouts. . . . The boat is scheduled for a major refit in November, 1995. Included will be TV, VCR, queen size beds, and lengthening of the runabout boats." Stephen R. Weinman, M.D., Agana, Guam

Truk Aggressor I, December, 1994. "Wreck diving in Truk Lagoon has many advantages. Beautiful corals (like on walls) but without the current. Lots of environments to explore. The Aggressor visits all the best wrecks (except two that begin at 160+ feet). It offers an advantage over both land­based and the Thorfinn in that the best wrecks are dived multiple times. The Truk Aggressor I will soon be replaced by the Truk Aggressor II (the former Palau and Kona Aggressor) which is in dry dock. I have been on that boat as well, and it is also a nice ship." Stan Watt, Tokyo, Japan

Truk Aggressor II, 1995. "Captain Spencer and Ursula Penrose the tops. Lots of penetration ­ dive your own profiles ­­ visibility not too good. Good soft coral growth, not many big critters ­­ lots of schools of other fish." Trish Marcario, Germantown, MD

Truk Aggressor, April, 1995. "My 4th Aggressor, and my 2nd dive on this, the old Kona Aggressor. By far my best dive trip ­- crew, facilities and wrecks. I rented a camera for the first time and got several great shots (no kidding). Scott the camera guy was great. His help was unbelievable. Tips and duck tape with F stops and distance made it great. This crew was absolutely unbelievable - Lenny, the captain had us on a dive DSF Matu -160 feet. The cook was great. Water, 82 to 86 degrees; vis 50­60 feet." Lesley D. Hand, Lafayette, CA

Copyright 1996 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.