Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet in
Micronesia/Palau

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Aggressor Fleet, Sep, 2010, by Ms Lynda Durfee, VA, US ( Top Contributor 49 reports with 24 Helpful votes). Report 5735.
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	This truly was the trip of a lifetime! I had already booked my timeshare weeks in Hawaii for September, and when Aggressor offered discounts for trips during that month, I opted for a week on the Palau Aggressor in lieu of one of those weeks. I flew to/from Honolulu to Palau, which broke up both the travel time and time-zone adjustment both ways, so I didn't arrive early in Palau and departed on the early Sunday am flight, rather than staying in a day room until a Monday am departure. Everything you've heard about the fabulous diving in Palau is true--sharks, rays, tons of colorful butterfly fish, giant Napalonean wrasses, wonderful walls, colorful coral, etc. There were only four divers to seven crew members, so it was a very relaxing trip with roomm to spread out. Weather can be rainy/windy in September, but we really lucked out, with only some rain/overcast on the first dive day (Monday) and Saturday after we finished our dive/snorkel trips. We even did two morning dives off Peleliu; the crew commented they hadn't been able to make it there is several weeks due to conditions. I did 23 dives (all but the first night dive) and the Jellyfish Lake snorkel. Nitrox reliable at about 32% ($100 for week). Used reef hook on many dives; my first time, and crew were very helpful in hooking me up. Sites: Helmet wreck, Iro Moru, Turtle Cove (twice), Barnum's Wall, Blue Corner, New Drop-off, Fern's wall, German Channel (several times), Peleliu Corner, Pelelieu drop-off, Ngedbus drop-off, Virgin Blue Hole, Blue Hole, Big Drop-off, Coral Garden (night), Siaes Tunnel, Siaes Corner, Ulong Channel (twice in one afternoon), Chandelier Caves. On the Blue Hole dive, the current carried us to the Blue Corner near the end of the dive; not enough no deco time to hook in, but we sure surprised the hook-in dives when we drifted past with a small school of sharks! I'm a fish ID fanatic, and there sure were a lot of varieties to see. Once you've seen dozens of sharks, there's plenty else to see. Watched a titan trigger fish make 5 or 6 attempts to pick up a clam the size of a football; when he finally did, he swam away with it! Crew was outstanding, both onboard and during diving. Diving was from 35-foot skiff lowered from stern with hydraulic lift; all your gear stays on the skiff at individual dive stations (with sun cover); you just climb in/out of the skiff for each dive, back roll, get back in via ladder; back to mother ship after eveyr dive for hot shower, snacks, lunch, nap, sunning, or whatever! What more can I say? On the way to the airport, I was already wishing I could stay longer, and would go back in a heartbeat, next two for two weeks back to back. A liveaboard is definitely the better choice; day boats have 45-60 minute trips each way, and crowd some dive sites. We were the only boat at the site most times (except Blue Corner, German Channel, Ulong Channel), but we had the flexibility to switch sites, entry points. The afternoon we did the Ulong Channel, it was way too crowded the first dive (at 2 pm), but we had it to ourselves at 4:30 pm; while the current wasn't as strong the 2nd time, it was a better dive overall. DMs good at finding unusual critters, dealing with currents, managing time; never felt rushed, and if you wanted to hang back with your buddy a little bit, that was OK. This is definitely a trip for experienced divers with good buoyancy skills. Safety sausages and sound-makers (attached to inflator) were mandatory and provided if you didn't have them. Be prepared to kick/swim if you get separated on a drift dive. On one of the German channel dives, I got blown away from the rest of the group, and was propelled through the shallows; what a ride, and lots of snorkel-depth fish to see. Inflated my sausage, used whistle, and DM came after me with the skiff within minutes (I was ignored by the day boats!) Good thing the skiff has a shallow draft! Food was plentiful and varied, including Asian dishes. One lunch, we had fresh poke made from a yellow-fin tuna the captain had caught that morning! Wine and beer, soft drinks included; you can BYOB liquor; once you've had alcohol, no diving for rest of day. Prime rib on Friday night was a highlight. Dinner is plated; you select from one of two choices posted in the morning. Last night (Saturday) you're on your own for dinner, but you can fill up at the "Captain's reception at 6 pm. A few bars serving food within walking distance; or take a cab to a fancier place. I'm counting the days till my next Palau trip!
Websites	Aggressor Fleet
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Aruba, Bahamas, Saba, Statia, St. Kitts, Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, Key Largo
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	82-85°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No deco; NITROX depth limit
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Separate table; separate rinse buckets; crew carefully handled cameras.

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Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet in Micronesia/Palau

Aggressor Fleet, Sep, 2010,

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 Aggressor Fleet in
Micronesia/Palau