Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Odyssey Adventures in
Micronesia/Truk

Odyssey Adventures, Apr, 2010,

by G. Tripp Jones MD, SC, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 72 reports with 29 Helpful votes). Report 5473.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations N/A Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was our dive shop's (Wateree Dive Center, Columbia, SC) third trip to the live aboard Odyssey. It is a long way from Columbia,SC (9,000 + miles), but the trip is worth it. The Odyssey is our favorite liveaboard and like the two previous visits in 2004 and 2007, it is an excellent dive venue. We arrived via Guam and spent 2 nights there to acclimate to the time change, and then flew on the Continental red eye to Chuuk (Truk), arriving after midnight and this was a 1 1/2 hour flight. We were met by JJ and the Odyssey crew who bussed us to the Blue Lagoon Resort where the Odyssey is moored just offshore. The roads in "downtown" were as bad as any we have come across. With all of the rain, the road looked like it should have been a "no wake zone" with bomb craters. The level of poverty is tremendous with an unemployment rate of greater than 75%.

The Odyssey is an excellent liveaboard with very good food, and plenty to eat, along with assorted snacks, beer, booze, etc. The crew, led by Captain JJ and wife Kim, are fine. We missed Lenny and Cara, but the level of service was superb. Charlie, Todd, Madison, Ken and all were totally dedicated to making the entire diving experience hassle free and fun.

The diving is done from the Odyssey, so no launches, pangas, etc. to worry about. The boat swings some, but a jug marks the wrecks, so you can't miss it. Usually 5 dives a day could be done, with 2 in the morning, moving the boat at lunch, then having 2 afternoon dives and a night dive at the same site. Deep dives such as the San Francisco Maru ( 150+), Fumitsuki destroyer and I-169 sub (115+) were done as a 1 site dive, otherwise, it was done as above.

The water temp was 80-82 degrees and quite comfortable with a rash guard or thin skin. The viz ranged from 15 feet on the Nippo Maru to around 90 on the Hoki Maru. The corals on the ships are in good shape, along with many healthy juveniles. There were a lot of carpet anemones and the entire coral ecosystem looked healthy. The big guns sometimes could not be identified from a short distance, but only after seeing them from a more distant location. The soft coral really make the guns, kingposts, masts and other areas beautiful.

The crew was glad to show various inconspicuous sites, such as R2D2 on the Fujikawa Maru, galleys, machine shops, plane parts, tanks, Sake bottles, etc. Some areas are really showing their age and are not safe to dive under, such as tween decks with bulldozers sitting precariously on a rail. However, the dive briefings were done in great detail and all divers were advised and cautioned concerning these potentially dangerous areas. No penetration rules were set and no problems with adhering to these guidelines was seen.

Leaving the Odyssey on the last morning is done without any real problems. We spent the day at the Blue Lagoon Resort with dinner at their restaurant. I'll take the Odyssey's menu any day as a comparison, although the food at their restaurant was OK. We grabbed a few winks of sleep, before leaving the hotel at 1:15 AM to return to the airport via the horrible road previously travelled one week before. Hanging around the Truk Airport waiting on the flight to leave at 4:25 is a hassle. The trip to Guam is tight to connect to the Honolulu flight with only about 35 minutes to connect, and this includes having to go through immigration and security again. Thankfully the flight was held for us. We stayed in Honolulu for a couple of nights and this helps acclimate back toward the East Coast time. The 8 hour legs of the flight from Houston to Honolulu and then Honolulu to Guam are butt-kickers!

This is a long trip, but it is well worth it. The wrecks are slowly deteriorating and if one ever considers making this trip, then go ahead and do it. I can honestly recommend the Odyssey as a great dive venue with a great crew. We may go back again in a few years.
Websites Odyssey Adventures   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Caymans, Australia, Bonaire, Belize, Roatan, St. Kitts, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Grenada, St. Lucia
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, rainy, cloudy Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 80-82°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 15-80 Ft/ 5-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Follow computer profile
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments My wife, the photograher, was satisfied with the set up.
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 470 dive reviews of Micronesia and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Looking for sharks, wrecks, kayaking, tropical islands? We specialize in adventures to Micronesia.

Want to assemble your own collection of Micronesia reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.15 seconds