Are you a tech diver and looking for the best places around the world to dive from a liveaboard? If you are, there’s a number of places to choose from, so let’s take a look.
Where are the best tech dive liveaboard destinations in the world?
The best tech dive liveaboard destinations in the world include the following destinations:
Truk Lagoon or Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia: WW2 wreck diver’s Mecca + top technical diver destination.
Honduras liveaboard.: Deep dives.
The Red Sea liveaboards: Great for wrecks.
The Solomon Islands: Deep WW2 wrecks.
The Philippines: Wrecks + sea life.
The Galapagos Islands, Gili Islands or Indonesia.
So let’s take a look at these best tech dive liveaboard destinations in more detail.
The best way to dive Truk Lagoon is by a scuba diving liveaboard. You can check the latest and best deals on Truk Lagoon liveaboards using the following window:
1. Truk Lagoon or Chuuk Lagoon and Micronesia for technical diving
I’ve already written a number of articles on Truk Lagoon or Chuuk Lagoon, and if you’re a tech diver Truk Lagoon will probably be top of your list.
The wrecks at the bottom of Chuck Lagoon are a wreck divers dream and is known as a wreck divers Mecca!
Why is Truk Lagoon best suited for tech divers?
Whilst, some of the wrecks are dive-able as a recreational diver, to really enjoy some of the best Truk Lagoon wrecks and to explore them fully for extended times, diving using either mixed gases or a closed circuit rebreather is the way to go.
What happened at Truk Lagoon was during World War II. It was during Operation Hailstone that the Americans attacked Japanese naval stronghold Truk Lagoon. Which is where the major part of their naval fleet were at anchor.
At the end of this 36-hour battle, around 53 Japanese ships were sunk in Truk Lagoon, where around 48 of these wrecks are now dived.
Scuba diving the wrecks of Truk Lagoon (or Chuuk Lagoon as it’s now called) is a wreck-diver’s Mecca, but due to the depths at which some of the Truk Lagoon wrecks lie, the diving there is for the more advanced deep divers to explore.
But also, even where some of the wrecks are around the 30 metre (100 feet) mark, to spend enough time exploring these historic wrecks requires extended range diving.
This is why it’s recommended as a tech diving destination.
Popular wrecks of Truk Lagoon include the following three wrecks:
The San Francisco Marudepth range is from 42-64 metres (140-210 feet). The San Francisco Maru dive is considered to be one of the most exciting dives in Chuuk Lagoon. She has four cargo holds containing aircraft bombs, artillery shells, tanker trucks, a flatbed truck, and torpedo warheads. One dive won’t be enough as there’s so much to explore on this World War II wreck.
The Rio De Janeiro Maru dive, which was originally a converted submarine tender, but then after the majority of the Japanese submarine fleet were almost but destroyed, she was reconverted to a transport vessel instead. The deepest point of this dive is 33 metres (110 feet), which makes it an achievable dive for recreational divers, but to spend the time at this depth to see it all is better done as a tech diver.
The Fumizuki Destroyer Truk Lagoon wreck is one of three purpose-built military ship wrecks. A Japanese Mutsuki-class destroyer and one of two destroyers sitting on the sea bed at Truk Lagoon. At the maximum depth of 40 metres (131 feet) she sits within the range of a recreational scuba diver. But to spend enough time for exploring this wreck, tech diving is the way to go.
What about technical diving on a liveaboard in Truk Lagoon?
What about tech diving on a liveaboard in Truk Lagoon – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com
There are mixed views as to whether you need to dive Truk Lagoon on a liveaboard or not.
To understand the arguments of resort diving Truk Lagoon vs a Truk Lagoon diving liveaboard and the usual liveaboard diving vs resort diving pros and cons and how they apply to Truk Lagoon, please take a look at this article:
On the assumption you want to dive from a liveaboard, which makes the whole experience so much easier as a tech diver, the SS Thorfinn liveaboard is geared up for technical divers.
The SS Thorfinn liveaboard is designed for up to 20 guests across 10 cabins. There are 13 bathrooms on board and all cabins are en-suite and air conditioned.
There’s free internet on board for those who need to stay in touch on the internet.
This specialist tech diver liveaboard has two special diving packages.
The Rebreather Plan includes the following:
Daily diving.
Free rebreather cylinder hire and fills.
Free sofnolime.
Extended deep schedules with an experienced guide.
Helium is also available.
The Truk Tek Unlimited package includes:
Daily diving.
The use of side-mount cylinders.
Manifold twins.
Stage cylinders and pony bottles.
Plus free cylinder fills and custom dive schedules.
So whether you’ve experienced scuba diving with a closed circuit rebreather or you tech dive with mixed gases using an open circuit aqua lung, the SS Thorfinn has the facilities for you to scuba dive the pristine wrecks of Truck Lagoon.
The SS Thorfin liveabaord is overall rated 9 out of 10 and has 4.5 stars out of 5. Plus is rated Superb. Here are a few great reviews of this specialist tech diving liveaboard.
Liveaboard anchored, but great diving.
“We were really disappointed this liveaboard was anchored, as we could see the other liveaboard moving around the lagoon. We took boats out to dive sites and likely saw as much as they did…we just never had a change of scenery from the boat. Great (deep!) diving, healthy coral/sea life and great food!”
“I stayed on the boat for 8 days diving 4 wrecks every day, and when I left there were still many we had not seen, I was Tech diving but other diver where mostly recreational level, the wreck are at all depth so OK for all diver but some of the deeper ones were 60+ m so having deco cylinder helped reduce the deco times. The boat was moored while we were on it, which worked well as she is mored close to the main wreck and has fast Dive boat to take you to the dive site, we were comfortably doing 4 dived per day with meals or snack waiting between dives. The captin Lance was a working history book of the area which added to the interest.”
Recommended for: Great Wrecks, Tech Diving, Good food.
If you are interested is other Micronesia liveaboards for your tech diving, please take a look at this further selection of liveaboard dive boats.
The only two of which that offer scuba diving in Truk Lagoon are the SS Thorfinn above and the Truk Master below.
Alternative Micronesia liveaboards
Solitude One, Micronesia rated Superb, 9.1 out of 10 and 4.5 5 stars – suited for up to 22 guests in 10 cabins all with en-suites and air conditioning.
Palau Aggressor II, Micronesia rated Superb, 9.4 out of 10 and 4.5 stars out of 5 – for up to 18 guests in 9 cabins all with en-suites and air conditioning.
Palau Siren, Micronesia rated Superb, 9.2 out of 10 and 4.5 stars out of 5 – for up to 16 guests in 8 cabins all with en-suites and air conditioning.
Ocean Hunter 3, Micronesia rated Exceptional, 9.6 out of 10 and 5 stars out of 5 – for up to 16 guests in 8 cabins all with en-suites and air conditioning.
Truk Master, Micronesia rated Superb, 9.1 out of 10 and 4.5 stars out of 5 – for up to 16 guests in 8 cabins all with en-suites and air conditioning.
To book any of the above Truk Lagoon or Micronesia liveaboards, please go to Liveaboard.com.
2. Honduras technical liveaboard diving
I’m afraid there’s only one Honduras liveaboard to choose from for tech diving. But the one below is an excellent choice, rated 9.4 out of 10 and 4.5 stars out of 5. There’s more details of this liveaboard boat below.
Honduras features The Bay Islands, which provides for diving on dramatic walls and vibrant reefs. There are also caves at depths of 45-80 metres (148-262 feet) to explore with stalactites to see.
There are challenging drift dives and seamounts and pinnacles at depths of 40+ metres (131+ feet).
From lush coral formations to impressive sponges and iridescent fish. Witness large manta rays and hopefully the elusive whale shark, which at Utila from mid-February through to March you can almost be guaranteed a whale shark experience.
The best tech dive sites of Honduras
Roatan’s Cayman Trench. This dive site has walls and crevices up to 60 meters (197 feet) deep where you can find black corals. Roatan is also a known area for whale shark encounters too.
Utila dive site. The north side of Utila has the walls and caves mentioned above with the stalactites. But these can only be dived as a tech diver due to the depth they are at, which is between 45-80 metres (148-262 feet). On the north side of Utila you can see plenty of pelagics, including barracuda and marlin. To the east and south side of Utila there are seamounts and pinnacles to dive and explore down to 40-80 metres (131-262 feet).
Whale Rock Utila dive site. Another great technical dive site around Utila is Whale Rock. This is where tech divers can ascend up the ‘whale’s head’ and swim through its eye at 45 meters (148 feet) and then through the whale’s ‘blowhole’ at 39 meters (128 feet) down.
Cayo Cochinos. The Cayos Cochinos or Cochinos Cays consist of two small islands and 13 more small coral cays. It is located around 30 kilometres (19 miles) northeast of La Ceiba on the northern shores of Honduras. The best site would have to be the sea mound called ‘Roatan Banks’. The top of the mound is 14 metres (46 feet) and the sea life here is incredible. This includes large schools of jacks, barracuda and snapper. You’ll also see turtles, rays, groupers and every type of coral and reef fish you can imagine. But the currents are sometimes very strong and you’ll need to be good on air to get a nice long dive on this site.
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras liveaboard
Roatan Aggressor, Honduras liveaboard – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com
The Roatan Aggressor liveaboard is a 31 metre (102 feet) boat designed for up to 18 guests. She is classed as a luxury liveaboard boat and each of the 9 cabins have en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning.
Scuba diving Roatan Aggressor Honduras reviews
The following are some great reviews from diver’s who’ve all enjoyed their diving from this luxury liveaboard boat.
Our time on the Roatan Aggressor was MAGIC & PERFECTION!
“The highlights are too many to list, as the entire trip was incredible from start to finish! If we must highlight some highlights, I would say: The underwater life was stunning. The crew/staff ensured our safety and comfort at every moment. Breathing in the open air. The accommodation were lovely – we were upgraded to the front cabin! (SO KIND!) The food was unbelievable. At every meal. Our fellow passengers were great! This was our very first liveaboard and don’t know if we will travel/dive any other way moving forward. Thank you so much, Aggressor – we will be back for certain!!“
Recommended for: The diving, the food, and the staff/crew were the best things about the Roatan Aggressor.
“The entire crew was awesome from beginning to end. The days ran seamlessly with help on the dive deck from Jonathan, Gabby and G. Captain Eddy is a master both in and out of the water and kept the boat steady in the face of some challenging winds. Johnny kept all the systems running without a hitch. Jennelle and Milton rocked it in the galley and we all finished the trip a few pounds up. It was a great week. I look forward to another trip to Roatan.”
Recommended for: The crew, the dive sites and the food
To book the Roatan Aggressor Honduras liveaboard, please go to Liveaboard.com.
3. The Red Sea technical liveaboards
Whilst the Red Sea is for everyone level of scuba certification to dive, there are plenty of dive sites and wrecks that are perfect for technical divers too.
The Red Sea has numerous wrecks to explore, which includes my favourite The SS Thistlegorm wreck.
Whilst the Thistlegorm is at recreational diving depths, the stern section is in over 32 metres (100 feet) of water. At 32 metres or 105 feet your no decompression stop limit is reached very quickly at just 17 minutes for BSAC (PADI (14 Minutes).
Best tech dives of the Red Sea
Dahab. Dahab is a top technical diving destination, which is thanks to the infamous Blue Hole dive site. This underwater sinkhole is located southeast of Sinai and a few kilometres north of Dahab.
Blue Hole dive site. The depths of this huge sinkhole of the Red Sea reach over 100 meters (328 feet). The opening to the Red Sea is a shallow and is about 6 metres (20 feet) deep. This is known as “the saddle“. There is a long tunnel which is 26 metres (85 feet) long. It is known as “the Arch“, where the ceiling is at a depth of 55 metres (181 feet). But as it falls on the seaward side the depth reaches around 120 metres (394 feet)
Technical diver training. The arch of the Blue Hole plummets beyond the reef wall to over 1000 meters (3280 feet) deep. Due to the minimal currents in the area, this makes this site a great area for technical diver training.
The Canyon at Dahab. This canyon is a popular dive site with tech divers as there’s a deep crack that descends to 54 meters (177 feet). There’s also Neptune’s Chair which sits below the Canyon at 70 to 80 meters (230 to 262 feet) deep.
Thomas Canyon. Thomas Canyon drops to a maximum depth of 92 meters (302 feet). This dive site has archways along its length and includes a swim through at 65 meters (213 feet).
Elphinstone Reef. This is a popular dive site with all divers that are certified and experienced to dive this relatively deep reef. There is a strong current that runs past this spectacular dive site where you can see all manner of sharks, including the Oceanic Whitetip shark. This reef drops of to around 1,000 metres (3,280 feet). Whilst this dive site is 30 km (19 miles) from Marsa Alam and can be dived on a day boat, it’s much better dived from a liveaboard.
The SS Maidan. This World War I war ship wreck is at Marsa Alam. It is a 1912 steamer and was used to transport troops in World War I. You could be one of the special few tech divers to visit this deep wreck which lies at of 120 meters (394 feet).
The Brothers. The Brothers is a dive site not visited by many and is a great spot if you love to scuba dive with sharks. You’ll see the occasional hammerheads, silvertips, silky and oceanic white tip sharks and mantas. You may even see the rare thresher shark, but you’re almost guaranteed to see grey reef sharks in abundance.
There are a few Egypt liveaboard boats you can dive from. The following offer technical diver support:
M/Y Aphrodite Liveaboard, Egypt – 9.8 out of 10, 5 stars out of 5 and Exceptional
M/Y Aphrodite Liveaboard, Egypt – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com
The MY Aphrodite liveaboard is a Red sea boat and was built by divers for divers. She accommodates up to 23 guests across 11 modern cabins. Each cabin is en-suite and air conditioned.
“One week trip to the Brother’s Islands with some modification based on weather changes that worked out well. Crew really went out of their way to ensure they could do everything possible including getting special milk for my wife and provided modified meals for people with any requests. Boat is quite nice with mix of covered areas, sun decks, in/outdoors etc. Diving was easily handled off the back of the large deck or with tenders. They arranged all rental equipment for us beforehand and made changes as needed. They provided the option of guided dives with instructor or independent diving with partner after briefing etc. Diving was excellent with good vis, coral, fish etc!“
The MY Coral Dreams liveaboard Egypt caters to just 16 divers in 8 en-suite air conditioned cabins. The M/Y Coral Dreams explores the northern Red Sea. The dive sites visited include the SS Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas, Dunraven for wreck lovers and Ras Mohammed for stunning reef diving.
“All of the different marine life that I have never seen before. All of the people that I met that were so friendly. All of the new information and other recommended places to go diving. All of the new diving tips and skills that I learned from the other divers.”
Recommended for: The diving , the sky at night , all the friendly people I met
“There were highlights for each dive, but being on scuba with a pod of 14+ dolphins around us for almost 10 minutes was incredible. Diving the Thistlegorm has been a goal ever since I started diving 18 years ago, and being able to dive it 3 times, one after the other was truly a wonderful experience. Our guides and boat went to great efforts to ensure that the sites we visited were easy to dive without there being the need to swim too far or be overwhelmed by other diving tours – Most of the time we felt like we were the nylon divers there, and the Red Sea belonged to us. We will definitely be back!“
Recommended for: The crew were always friendly, helpful and willing to assist with anything and everything to do with our stay on board as well the diving experience, whether it was gearing up, gearing down for diving, or waiting for you with a warm drink after a cool night dive. We always felt welcome on-board. The dive guides were incredibly knowledgeable about each site we visited, and always acted with our best interests in mind, ensuring both our enjoyment and safety. The meals on board are just out of this world.
Stuart A, United Kingdom
Another review scoring the M/Y Emperor Elite liveaboard 10 out of 10 and 5 stars out of 5
Outstanding Experience with an amazing crew and Co-Divers!
“This was our first Dive Safari, and it was an amazing experience. The Emperor Elite is a spacious and comfortable ship and has all that you need on board for a great safari experience. The crew is extremely helpful in every aspect; The Diveguides, Momo and Saad look after each and everyone – you can be sure to have lots of great dives. The Emperor Elite is really well equipped – being provided with Nitrox is a great plus, and there is enough comfortable options in the lounge area to charge lamps, computers, cameras etc…
This cruise was very special as it was a group of 26 guests, from 15! different Nations – ranging from 20 – 1000+ dives, not only it has been great fun to get to know many different people – but you could also learn something from each and everyone. Momo and Saad were our guides – and I never had such professional briefings prior diving in my previous 5+ years of diving – they are wonderful guides and extremely nice people. But that is true for all the crew on board. And the food the chefs create on board throughout the day, is nothing but stunning – super tasty and nicely presented – and with a variety that there is something for everybody. A big thank you to everyone there!!”
Recommended for: International group of Divers, Fantanstic Guides and Crew – Amazing Food.
Markus H, Germany
To read more great reviews and to book the M/Y Emperor Elite liveaboard please go to Liveaboard.com.
The following liveaboards also support technical divers.
Heaven Saphir, Egypt – 19 divers across 9 cabins with en-suites and air conditioning.
Nouran, Egypt – 24 guests across 12 en-suite cabins with air conditioning – Rated Superb and 9.2 out of 10.
Oceanos Liveaboard, Egypt – For 26 divers across 13 en-suite cabins with aircon. Rates 8.6 out of 10 and Fabulous.
Okeanos Xplorer, Egypt – For 22 guests in 11 cabins which are air conditioned and en-suite. Rate 8.8 out of 10 and Fabulous.
The Solomon Islands are in the Pacific and about 1,750 kilometres (1,094 miles) northwest of Cairns Australia. To get there from Cairns is a four hour 45 minute flight.
The Solomon Islands are just east of Papua New Guinea. The sheer number of species of hard and soft corals as well as in underwater creatures rivals the best in Asia, such as Raja Ampat.
Similar to Truk Lagoon, The Solomon Islands was one of the most significant bases for the Japanese during the war and the scene of several major battles.
The history of The Solomon Islands from World War II left its mark
As part of the Guadalcanal Campaign (code named Operation Watchtower), these battles were considered the turning point of World War II in the South Pacific.
During the battles in this part of the Pacific around and 1,200 aircraft were lost. The seabed is littered with at least 200 varieties of watercraft and over 600 aircraft from World War II. There are so many wrecks that the area is nicknamed the “Iron Bottomed Sound“.
What’s been left from the aftermath of the war are Japanese and American seaplanes, cargo Ships, minesweepers, a submarine and heavy cruisers. When the US Military left The Solomon Islands, they dumped much of the machinery and equipment there.
This makes it a dive where you can find trucks, jeeps and discarded ammunition.
Many of the wrecks in the Solomon Islands are considered deep dives. A number of the Solomon Island wrecks are far below recreational limits, which makes it ideal for technical diving.
Whilst many of the wrecks are in depths suitable for recreational diving, their depths warrant tech diving to spend enough time to explore and enjoy seeing as much as you can.
Best tech dives of The Solomon Islands
One of the best wrecks is the USS Aaron Ward. This wreck is considered one of the world’s top wreck dives. She lies at 60 to 70 meters (196 to 229 feet) deep.
The Twin Tunnels which is near the Florida Islands and is made of two big vertical lava tubes in the sea mount. The tubes are next to each other; you can pick either and swim down to where they join. These tunnels open up on the side of a reef wall at about 36 metres (118 feet). You can see corals, resting nurse sharks. huge schools of fusiliers, pygmy seahorses in the fan corals, hairy squat lobsters, cuttlefish, octopus, and eels.
White Beach, not really a tech dive site, but it’s where the Americans pushed everything into the sea. Explore: trucks, pieces of machinery, bullets and old coke bottles.
Leru Cut, which again isn’t a tech dive, but is possibly the most famous dive site in Solomon Islands. Leru Cut is an indent into the side of a small island which runs for about a 100 metres (328 feet) at 12 metres (40 feet) deep. Where you surface is in the interior of the island.
Hirokawa Maru with plenty of swim-throughs in the wreck to explore. There are torpedo holes you can go in and out of, big open cargo holds with cars and other junk inside. The stern is in 60 metres (197 feet) of water.
The Solomon Islands technical diver liveaboards
There’s one liveaboard suitable for tech divers, which is the Solomons PNG Master.
Solomons PNG Master rated 9.2 out of 10, 4.5 stars out of 5 and Superb
Solomons PNG Master, Solomon Island Liveaboard – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com
The Solomons PNG Master liveaboard is a 30 metre (100 feet) custom built yacht.
She offers year-round diving trips in the Solomon Islands. Suitable for up to 20 guests who are accommodated across 12 air-conditioned cabins. Only some of the cabins have en-suite bathrooms, where some have shared bathrooms.
Key features MY Aphrodite liveaboard:
Tech diving support.
Rebreather support.
DIN adapters.
Nitrox available.
Scuba gear rental on board.
Florida Islands – Tulagi, Ghavutu, USS Minneapolis, RNZN Moa.
Russel Islands – White Beach, Around Honiara.
Leru Cut.
Ta and Karamulon Point.
Plus many more great dive sites of The Solomon Islands.
Review of the Solomons PNG Master liveaboard
What a crew!!!!
“Soft coral on the reef tops, especially on north coast of New Britain. The Beach BBQ Cream Puffs Post debarkation full day tour of Rabaul Robby – my personal favorite amongst a phenomenal staff!“
“Carmen is a wonderful, deeply caring and enthusiastic dive guide and teacher. I have never learned more about the marine life on any trip before. Highly recommend this trip!”
To read more reviews about the Solomons PNG Master from divers from Australia, Canada, Slovakia and Brazil or to book a liveaboard holiday go to Liveaboard.com.
5. Technical diving in the Philippines
The Verde Island passage, which is between Lubang Island and the main island of the Philippines. This area covers 1.14 million hectares and has numerous deep dives. These include wrecks, walls and drop-offs.
The currents in the passage can be strong and are ideal for drift diving and have excellent water visibility.
However, not all dives in the Philippines have clear visibility. If you’re into ‘Muck Diving‘, then muck diving the Philippines is on the cards. A muck dive or a low visibility dive in the Philippines can be exciting.
Puerto Galera, which is on the north of Mindoro Island is a renowned muck diving area. You may see Hairy Frogfish, Thorny Seahorses, flying gurnards, sea moths, nudibranchs, bobbitt worms, Mimic Octopus, and Wonderpus.
But if you fancy a night dive, you may also see the molluscs hunt for prey!
You also have the wrecks of Coron Bay. On 24 September 1944, a squadron of 24 Helldiver bombers attacked Japanese strong hold Coron Bay in the Philippines.
The attack on Coron Bay was ruthlessly successful, especially as the Americans had just 15 minutes to complete the attack.
This left a legacy that wouldn’t be discovered until recreational diving came to this remote part of the Philippines, where Coron Bay has the best wreck diving in Southeast Asia.
The best tech dive sites of the Philippines
The Pinnacle dive site descends to 60 meters (196 feet) deep and is a coral dive with large pelagic life, which is east of Verde Island.
The Wall dive site disappears into the depths to over 70 meters (229 feet) and offers gorgonians, corals and schools of reef fish. This is an ideal destination for combining technical diving with searching for tiny critters in the deep, including frogfish, Bobbitt worms and mimic octopus.
Wrecks of Coron Bay – for example the Irako is the top wreck for divers. At 147 metres (482 feet) long, it’s a large wreck. It sits virtually upright on the sea bed at 43 metres (141 feet). The deck is around the 30 metre (100 feet) level.
Muck diving in Puerto Galera.
‘The Washing Machine,’ this site is a series of interlocking canyons to dive in-between, where some of the channels meet and current collide it creates that washing machine.
The ‘Manta Bowl’ dive site to see big sea creatures like mantas and potentially whale sharks.
Rock Point’ is another favorite spot where you can spot manta rays.There are often times strong currents at Rock Point.
‘Monad Shoal,’ for the early morning Thresher Sharks.
Here’s a list of the best Philippines liveaboards for tech diving.
Seadoors, Philippines liveaboard – 8.7 out of 10, 4.5 stars and Fabulous
Seadoors, Philippines liveaboard – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com
The Seadoors Philippines liveaboard is a 25 metre (82 feet) liveaboard designed for 16 guests. She has 8 cabins with air conditioning and en-suite bathrooms.
Key features of Seadoors tech diving liveaboard
Tech diving support.
Nitrox on board.
DIN adapters.
Rebreather support.
Sidemount diving.
Scuba gear rental.
Reviews of the Seadoors Philippines liveaboard
Really fun week with some amazing diving!
“Such a great trip! Even with a slight hiccup of a typhoon that we had to deal with. We were well taken care of, and they put everyone’s safety first. They also did the best they could to let us make up any missed dives by adding in some extra night diving. We had some great people on board and the best part was the staff and crew. Hilarious and fun and I can’t wait to come back for another trip!“
To see more reviews of the Seadoors Philippines liveaboard or to book on a trip, go to Liveaboard.com.
Dolphin Liveaboard, Philippines – 8.6 out of 10, 4.5 stars and Fabulous
Dolphin Liveaboard, Philippines – image courtesy of Liveaboard.com
The M/V Dolphin Philippines caters to 18 guests in 9 air-conditioned cabins. Each cabin is carpeted with en-suite bathrooms. The two VIP Cabins located on the upper deck have an extra sofa, mini-bar & TV.
Key features of Dolphin tech diving liveaboard
Tech diving support.
Nitrox on board.
DIN adapters..
Sidemount diving.
Scuba gear rental.
Review of Dolphin Philippines liveaboard
Exceptional Diving and Liveaboard Experience
“Naturally all of the great diving, numerous whale sharks, several mantas, lots of sharks, schools of barracuda and jacks. The crew was very good and the fellow divers were fun to know. The end of the trip barbeque on the rear deck was a hoot, live singing and just plain fun, lots of diver participation. Jan did a great job of organization.”
Recommended for: The diving was well organized, the food and beverages were very good, and the crew, excellent
To see more reviews of the Dolphin Philippines liveaboard and to book your dive holiday, go to Liveaboard.com.
For more Philippines liveaboards go to Liveaboard.com. But for specific liveaboards going to Coron Bay wrecks, please visit Coron Bay Liveaboards.
6. Technical diving the Galapagos Islands and the Gili Islands of Indonesia
There are other places around the world that are ideally suited for tech divers. One such place is The Galapagos Islands.
As I’ve already written in detail about the Galapagos, please take a read of these two articles. One is on luxury liveaboards to the Galapagos and the other is budget liveaboards.
The other top tech diving site is in the Gili Islands, which is part of Indonesia. One top dive site is Shark Point, which is one of the deeper dive sites in the Gilis.
You will see turtles, reef sharks and stingrays while exploring the deep canyons of this dive site. Takat Tunang is another dive site which is located to the northwest of Lombok. It is a deep reef dive to a maximum depth of 45 metres (147 feet).
To review some great liveaboards and to book your liveaboard holiday to the Gili Islands, go to Liveaboard.com.
What is a technical scuba diver?
Firstly, before going into the best tech dive liveaboard destinations in the world, let’s explain what I understand to be a technical or tech diver.
Essentially technical (or tec) diving means going beyond the recreational scuba diving limits. But what are the ‘recreational scuba diving limits’? Well this depends.
The recreational scuba diving limit depends on which scuba diving organisation you trained with. It depends on your scuba certification. But if you are a PADI or a NAUI scuba diver, the recreational scuba diving limit is 40 metres (131 feet).
However, if you trained with BSAC, then the recreational scuba diving limit is 50 metres (164 feet).
But which ever you belong to, it’s recognised that tech diving is more expensive, requires specialist training and requires additional diligence to stay safe.
But also, deeper diving usually requires extended decompression penalties. Which in turn means that you need to carry and manage additional gas supplies for the dive.
According to PADI, technical scuba diving involves going beyond recreational scuba diving limits and includes one or more of the following:
Diving beyond 40 metres/130 feet.
Requires stage decompression.
Diving in an overhead environment beyond 40 linear metres/130 linear feet of the surface.
Accelerated decompression and/or the use of variable gas mixtures during the dive.
Use of extensive equipment and technologies.
What is technical diving according to BSAC?
BSAC defines ‘technical diving’ as diving which involves specialist equipment. According to BSAC, technical diver training is really just expanding your diving skills.
They also explain that it’s probably not as complicated or difficult as you think.
For BSAC tech diving includes:
Using Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCR).
The use of multiple gas mixes on an open circuit.
Or diving that uses helium based gas mixtures termed mixed gas.
This means that depending on which diving organisation you’re certified with may affect what you classify as tech diving. But they both agree on the use of mixed or multiple gasses, which help with diving deeper and for longer at depth.
But I think the essence of technical diving is taking diving to a slightly different level from an advanced diver level.
This list of liveaboards with tech diving support is in descending customer rating order, followed by Scuba Diving Luxury Rating (SDE Lux Rating, see below), so the liveaboards with the highest customer rating and the best SDE lux rating will be at the top of the list. If you want to change the list order, use the “Sort by” dropdown below.
The Scuba Diving Earth Luxury Rating (SDE Lux Rating) is explained on each liveaboard review when you click the “Discover Liveaboard” link, and is my own Liveaboard Luxury Rating I’ve assigned to all liveaboards. Choosing between liveaboards is helped by customer scores, and if you get stuck choosing between two or three liveaboards, where each one has a high customer score out of 10, you can use the SDE Luxury Rating to help narrow down your choice.
Think about it like using Booking.com when searching for the best hotel. Booking.com also use a customer score where each customer rates hotels out of 10. This is similar to the liveaboard customer rating, which is also rated out of 10. But let’s say you only like to stay in hotels rated 8 and above on Booking.com, but you also want the hotel to have WIFI or parking, or to have a swimming pool etc. The features each hotel has is usually secondary to the score out of 10.
I hope you enjoyed this article about the best tech dive liveaboard destinations
I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of diving and snorkeling, in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your underwater cameras or videos from your waterproof Gopro’s!
If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkeling or types of scuba diving (or specifically about the best tech dive liveaboard destinations), please comment below with your questions.
There will also be many more articles about scuba diving (and snorkeling) for you to read and learn about these fabulous sports.
Have fun and be safe!
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Article written by Russell Bowyer who has been a scuba diver since diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in 1989. After his first dive he trained as a BSAC diver in the UK. He attained his Diver Leader certification with BSAC. He then went on to become a scuba diving instructor, teaching others how to dive and was voted as Diving Officer and Treasurer for the Saffron Walden BSAC club too. Russell has dived all over the world, including the UK, on liveaboards in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, South Africa and the USA. Russell is experienced in all dive types, including drift diving, deep dives that involved decompression stops and recreational dives too.
