Dive Review of Mike Ball/Spoilsport in
Australia

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Mike Ball/Spoilsport, Feb, 2009, by Randall Stephen Preissig, TX, US ( Top Contributor 38 reports with 15 Helpful votes). Report 4678.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Almost 1,000 dives and I finally made it to the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. When I boarded and found out there were 26 divers onboard(YIKES!)and 13 diving crewmembers, I was concerned. (It can accomadate 28 quests) I was pleasantly surprised at the extremely efficient operation and rarely felt crowded--on the boat or in the water. Mike Ball has moved its operations North to Cairns to be at the less harmed(by global warming)parts of the reef. I was happy to find the quality and quantity of life on most dive sites was excellent . Cuttlefish, leaf fish, mating octipii(!!), sea snake, schools of baitfish to jacks, giant clams, shark feeding(well done), huge cod, etc--Pacific diving at its best. Some currents--GREAT!--that brings in the big stuff! Food was plentiful, often, and good. The crew were exceptional--I think Peter Hughes and Aggressor could take a few "tips" from these Aussies. Speaking of tips, one low-key sentence about "how to tip if you wish to" was all we got--a welcome relief from the often high-pressure spiel we get on other live aboards nowadays. Richard was the best "program director" I've ever had. The engineer tried heroicly to fix my flooded dive light. 26 dives were offered in 6 days of diving including 4 "evening" dives at dusk. Dive guides were available on every dive, often two. With the Aussie dollar at 65 cents, the trip was quite a bargain at $1700US. I won't wait 30 more years to dive here again! Undercurrent hints: 1. Book direct at MikeBall.com and cut out the middle man--they may surprise you with a cabin upgrade(we got one), free nitrox, cheap air reservations, etc. 2. Remember: Nov. thru April is the rainy season! Expect some bad weather at these times. A cyclone hit the day after we disembarked.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Red Sea, Sipidan, Palau, Galapagos, Cocos, Carribean, Fiji, PNG, Truk, Hawaii, Tahiti, etc.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	cloudy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	76-80°F / 24-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	20-100 Ft/ 6-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Nitrox limits, o/w "sport diving" 130 ft.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Everything needed--separate wash tanks and tables, charging slots, computer for digital use, excellent photo pro with classes, photo shows and contests and a great attitude.

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Dive Review of Mike Ball/Spoilsport in Australia

Mike Ball/Spoilsport, Feb, 2009,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Mike Ball/Spoilsport in
Australia