Dive Review of Ocean Rover in
Thailand/Similans, Burma waters

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Ocean Rover, Jan, 2004, by Linda Gettmann, WA, USA ( Reviewer 3 reports). Report 965.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This is the No. 1 Live-aboard we've been on in over 16 years of diving the world. Fabulous service and wonderful diving on this two-year old, built for diving boat that sails out of Phuket. We dove several days in Thai waters 50-60 miles offshore in the Similans and Richeleau Rock, went up north into Myanmar (Burma) waters and dove the Mergui Archipelago and Burma Banks. Viz wasn't so great lots of places, but the marine life made up for it, just don't necessarily plan on shooting wide angle the whole trip--we were only able to shoot wide-angle two days of a ten day voyage. Excellent accommodations and food, the service is beyond belief, they help you on with your gear, even zip up your wetsuit, and at the end of the cruise, all gear is rinsed for you if you'd like. They were wonderful. The dive guides pointed out tons of marine life, we saw several new critters we'd never seen before or photographed. Usually were moderate currents, a couple times they were very strong. This is not a place for beginners, most of the diving is done from the dinghy and most of the reefs start below 40 feet. Lots of safety stops were done hanging in blue water drifting with the current. Safety sausage is a must have, they furnish them on the boat. I would recommend this trip for experienced divers looking for a new destination, and maybe one that you weren't aware of, the Andaman Sea is pretty amazing.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	South Pacific, Caribbean, Baja, Florida, Red Sea, PNG, Fiji, Micronesia
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	30-70 Ft/ 9-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Do a safety stop, come up with 500 psi, all the standard safety cautions, nothing was really "enforced".
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	>2
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	Mark Strickland is the photo pro on board, does an excellent job and will help you with any camera or equipment problem. E-6 processing and he did a great job there too, all 22 rolls of my Velvia film came out fabulous. Lots of camera tables and plugs for charging. Crew is very careful with camera gear, handing it in and out of dinghy's, and they rinse the cameras for you after the dive.

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Dive Review of Ocean Rover in Thailand/Similans, Burma waters

Ocean Rover, Jan, 2004,

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 Ocean Rover in
Thailand/Similans, Burma waters