It’s a major holiday for divers when they decide to hop on a diving liveaboard and have the ultimate diving trip for days. This is the time when divers could have 100% diving-concentrated escapade. And in a faraway, remote destination as Flores, diving is one of the main dishes you don’t want to miss. The Komodo National Park, known for its million-years living fossils the Komodo Dragons, hides ultra-rich, healthy marine life beneath its crystal-clear waters. Divers and ocean enthusiast alike flocks to the UNESCO-protected park to enjoy the beauty of Komodo’s underwater. Komodo diving liveaboard is one of the most popular vessel to venture in the national park and it’s obvious to see why. However, there are essential issues that need to be addressed by divers if they want to sail and dive with these diving liveaboard boats.
Your Experience Matters; Komodo Diving Liveaboard Has it Standards
The Komodo is not an easy destination. It’s otherworldly good and mindblowing, yes, but it’s not necessarily friendly for us two-legged earth walkers. See, what makes Komodo so rich in biodiversity and so healthy is the strong stream of currents from two oceans; the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. This means the currents in Komodo can be very strong and challenging to navigate. You need to have at least Advanced Open Water certification and dozens of dives on your belt. Some serious Komodo diving liveaboard even require divers to have minimum 30 – 50 dives before joining the trip. This is not “ridiculous” or anything. It’s mere to ensure that you are experienced enough to truly enjoy the diving without putting danger on yourself.
Be Honest with Yourself
Learn the nature of Komodo’s underwater before you go. The depth of sites, currents, visibility, temperature, and everything. DO you think you are qualified to go there? Be honest with yourself. If you don’t think you can handle it, look for alternatives. Contact your Komodo diving liveaboard to pick up sites that are more “beginner-friendly”. Though not as many as the “regularly challenging” sites, Komodo has a handful of mellower dive sites that less-experienced divers could enjoy.
Your Expectations of Komodo Diving Liveaboard
What do you think you need to have in a Komodo diving liveaboard? What are things that nice to have, but okay if you can’t? Some divers might put their priority on the availability of dive gear rental, nitrox, or wet room. Others need to have designated camera room on the liveaboard to process their underwater masterpiece. Some divers need to have a certain degree of comforts in their cabin or they won’t get the much-needed rest, while others don’t mind sleeping in an open deck as long as they got a good dive. Every diver has different needs and priorities when it came to a diving liveaboard.
More Komodo Stories You’ll Love:
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How to Make Komodo Liveaboard Trip Stay in Budget
Diving Locations in Komodo
There are two things that come with Komodo diving liveaboard. First, you book a slot for yourself (or for two—depend on who comes with you) and join a scheduled open trip. Second, you charter a diving liveaboard for yourself. The first option is definitely cheaper, but you can’t choose the diving destination on the list. Either look for a diving liveaboard with dive destination that match your wish list or take it as it is. The second option is way more expensive, but it gives you the flexibility to tailor the destination according to your wish. That means you can add the less popular or more remote dive spot on the list.
