Booking Hotline - Telephone 01334 656577 from inside UK
or ++44 1334 656577 from outside the UK
For late offers and a list of Liveaboards which connect with the flights from UK see our internet site at http://www.redseadivers.com
M/Y Monsoon
Click here to jump down to info on the Northern Atolls
Monsoon, launched in 2007 is the most advanced Maldives Liveaboard. Her 36.5m steel construction gives a large and stable platform from which to explore the whole of the divers paradise that is the Maldives.
There has been no compromise when it comes to providing comfort for her guests. All cabins have en suite bathrooms, and A/C with individual controls. Lighting and music are controlled from the bedside and there is also a small fridge. Each cabin also has a safety deposit box.
The restaurant is situated on the main deck and provides a spacious and tasteful environment to enjoy an excellent variety of local Maldivian and European cuisine. Above the restaurant on the bridge deck is the saloon and bar, a comfortable relaxation area with stereo, CD/DVD and a plasma screen for viewing the days digital shots and video footage or taking in a movie. The bar has wine and a selection of spirits and cocktails. The cocktail deck provides relaxation in or out of the sun, and for those real sun worshippers there are several sun decks.
The dive deck is fully equipped to cater for all diving needs, scuba or technical, open circuit or re-breathers, photo or video. Features include; tanks filled in situ, air-drying for cameras, Nitrox membrane, mixing panel, Haskell booster pump. Nitrox, Oxygen and Helium, Inspiration tanks, pony cylinders, sofno lime and 15 litre tanks are available by request and are subject to additional charge. There are two spacious 6m RIBs with centre consoles and a smaller inflatable for use by the crew.
Why Monsoon? This boat is the first truly international standard steel hulled vessel to operate in the Maldives. The latest vessel from Tornado Marine, she not only luxurious but has been designed by people who really know Liveaboard diving. She is sister ship to Hurricane, voted “Best Liveaboard of the Year” two years in succession by the readers of Diver magazine. With our top dive team and excellent food Monsoon provides the ultimate Maldives dive adventure.
Itineraries
Monsoon will be based on the popular Kuredu Resort in Lhaviyani and will cruise
the remote Baa Atoll and the newly opened Noonu Atoll as well as some dives in
Lhaviyani Atoll.
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Specifications |
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|---|---|
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Length: |
36.5m |
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Beam: |
7.8m |
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Cabins: |
11 all en-suite |
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Engines: |
2 x KTA 19 Cummings |
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Desalination: |
Yes - Aqua Set 4800 litre/day |
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Compressors: |
2 x B14 |
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Generators |
2 x Onan 80Kw |
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Navigation: |
GPS, VHF, RADAR |
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A/C |
Throughout |
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Guests: |
22 |
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Crew: |
11 + 2 dive guides |
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Tender: |
2 |
| Oxygen: | Yes |
| Nitrox: | Yes + Re-Breather friendly |
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Safety: |
Emergency oxygen kit |
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Flights Emirates’ scheduled flights to the Maldives
depart Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester or Birmingham daily, via Dubai, and
arrive in Male the following day. Flight times are in local time. Check
in 2 hours before departure at the indicated terminal. Please ask for
details if flying with Sri Lankan. Stopovers are available in Dubai or
Sri Lanka (please ask for details). Flight tickets will be sent to you by post unless otherwise arranged. Please call if you have not received your ticket 3 days prior to departure Baggage allowance is 30kg for hold baggage and 5kg for hand baggage on Emirates. It is recommended that electrical goods (torches) and gauges (regulators) in hand baggage. Dive knives go in the hold. Pony Cylinders can be transported in the hold luggage but must be shown to be open and empty. Arrival in the Maldives Your flight will arrive at the airport island, Hulule, close to the capital Male. If joining one of our liveaboards you will be met by a member of the boat crew and/or our instructor (local contact Tel313 537/9). If you are going to a resort you should make your way to the relevant welcome desk. In both instances these will be outside the terminal building after the baggage reclaim. Transfers transfers between airport and Island Resort or liveaboard, unless specified otherwise, are by boat. Where seaplanes are provided it may be necessary to transfer by boat between the seaplane and resort/liveaboard. If scheduled flights arrive at night or depart very early in the morning, or in cases of bad weather, it may be necessary to overnight at the airport island hotel, in Male or at a nearby resort at the appropriate cost. In addition a wait may be necessary to at the airport to connect with your transfer/flight. Refreshments are available at the airport (charged locally). Clothes Towels are provided in the rooms/cabins but we recommend you pack a beach towel for after diving. Shoes are not worn on any of the liveaboards or many of the island resorts. Shorts, T-shirts and swimwear are the norm. We recommend warmer cloths for the evenings when the breeze may pick up. Remember sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, as the weather is nearly always sunny. Customs There are strict laws forbidding the import of alcohol, drugs and pornography and all products containing pork. All Island Resorts and our liveaboard dive boats have licences to serve alcohol to tourists Money Maldivian currency is the Rufiya, but US Dollars and credit cards are is widely accepted on the Island resorts. You will need very little cash on our liveaboards. Drinks are normally charged on an honesty system payable at the end of the trip and a tip for the crew if appropriate. These payments can be made in USD or Sterling. On the last day you will need money for drinks and lunch and any presents you wish to take home. Maldivian departure tax is now included in your holiday price, Weather Good weather all year with temperatures around 30°C and evenings rarely below 22°C . During the southwest monsoon, May to October, you may experience some rainfall and strong breezes. Year round water temperature is approx. 28°C. Insurance Please make sure you have insurance that covers travel arrangements and diving. We can provide holiday and diving cover from £47.50 per person. If you have your own insurance we will need a copy of the certificate Visas None required for British passport holders staying for up to 30 days. Please note your passport must valid for at least 6 months after the trip returns Vaccinations You should refer to your GP or vaccination centre for the most up to date advise. We recommend Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus and Polio Tourist Office Tel 0207 224 2135 www.visitmaldives.com Time Difference: GMT +5hrs Equipment You will need a full set of diving equipment. Tank and weights are the only equipment provided by the boat or included in the cost of your day diving. You will need a mask, fins and snorkel, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, dive computer or the PADI wheel dive tables. Diving in the Maldives usually follows a multilevel profile, square profile tables are therefore not appropriate. Delayed SMB’s (surface marker buoy’s) are required on all dives in the Maldives while these maybe supplied locally you would be advised to carry your own. Rental torches are expensive and unreliable, we recommend you purchase a small dive light for night dives. Equipment rental is available from our centre in the UK or in your resort. Please give prior notice. Water temperature ranges from 24°C in October to 29°C in June so choose your suit accordingly. There are charging facilities available for lights and cameras, standard 220/240 volts. The sockets are continental 2 pin or 3 pin, so UK plugs may require an adapter. We recommend you buy film and batteries before departure. Both international (A Clamp) & din regulators can usually be accommodated. Tanks are generally aluminium 10/11 litres. Pre-booked diving Pre-booked diving must be booked in the UK and cannot be changed in resort. The cost of any unused dives may not be refunded. Local Regulations: Diving is restricted to 30metres by law. All divers must perform a check out dive at the beginning of their holiday. Medicals & Certification Please bring with you your diving certification card and logbook. A medical certificate may also be required on resorts at the discretion of the local dive guide. |
South
West of India the Laccadives Ridge rises some 4,000 metres from the floor of the
Indian Ocean. Crowning this submarine mountain range thousands of sand spits,
islets and lush low lying islands form 26 coral atolls. A divers' paradise, the
Maldives. Sitting in shallow lagoons, encircled by coral reef, a handful of the
islands now hold a single resort each.
This ribbon of atolls creates a broken barrier across the prevailing ocean currents. These currents and local tides flush fresh water through the channels, locally known as Kandus, carrying with them nutrients and plankton. This gives Maldives' diving a character all of its own and, for more experienced divers, means exhilarating drift dives. Sites are around the outer walls and mid channel coral pinnacles, or Thilas, which attract schools of fish including larger pelagics.
If
you measure a good dive by the amount and size of the fish life, head for the
Maldives. One of the richest coral reef areas in the world, these waters boast
over 70 species of coral. Mantas are seen daily at feeding and cleaning
stations. Eagle rays and various shark species are almost commonplace, and at
certain times of year divers may be lucky enough to come across a whale sharks
or three.
Lhaviyani Atoll
With over 45 local sites this atoll offers a good variety of diving and with only 3 resorts its far from crowded. Most of the diving is found in the northern half of the atoll. Lhaviyani is renowned for its channel dives. Highlights include the two wrecks of the Shipyard, now festooned with life and swept by current, and Kuredhoo Express. On this long drift dive Eagle rays and various reef sharks are regulars, as the name suggests its not for the faint hearted.
MALDIVES NORTHERN REEFS & FAR NORTHERN REEFS
The boats that operate this route are Monsoon and Nautilus
1
The Northern Reefs of the Maldives are relatively undocumented by dive
books/guides, which offer divers the chance to get away from crowded dive sites
and experience relatively untouched reefs. The Itinerary departs from the
popular resort of Kuredu Island and will include dives in some or all of the
Lhaviyani Atoll, Raa Atoll, Baa Atoll and the newly opened Noonu Atoll. The
Itineraries are kept flexible to seek the best diving according to prevailing
weather conditions and season.
Lhaviyani Atoll has few thilas (a coral reef usually a few metres below the surface) but some excellent channel dives with plenty of fish around the entrances. 'Fushifaru Kandu' is the main attraction, and in the right conditions produces encounters with grey reef sharks, barracuda, and eagle rays. Another famous dive is the 'Kuredu Express' , this site gives divers the opportunity to see just about everything the Maldives has to offer. From schools of trevally, black snapper, and sometimes eagle rays and grey reefs sharks to leaf fish and moray eels , there is something for everybody here.
Baa Atoll is rapidly gaining recognition as a new dive spot for enthusiasts keen to escape the crowds of the more popular dive sites in the Maldives. One of these reasons is the number of whale sharks and manta rays that visit the area between may and july. With a number of established dive sites offering healthy coral and plentiful marine life Baa Atoll has a mix of Thila and Kandu's to dive.
Raa Atoll has no resorts (at the time of writing) and is only generally dived by those on a liveabord. A huge Atoll with a mixture of thilas and kandu's gives the diver a chance to seek new and undiscovered sites. With only a handful of "stock" dives in this atoll , when in this area it is often the case of jumping in at a new GPS location and seeing what happens. This can produce some amazing results and often surprise even the most experienced divers.
Noonu Atoll only recently opened to tourism still has a wealth of dive sites to discover. With most of the diving in Noonu Atoll conducted on Thilas diving in this area offers some beautiful topography with caves and overhangs. 'Trick Thila' is one of the first officially documented sites and has been producing some great grey reef shark dives to date. Another frequently visited site on this Atoll is 'Xmas Rock' , home to large schools of snapper and barracuda this christmas tree shaped thila is a fantastic atmospheric dive.
WW MALDIVES DISCOVERY AND EXPEDITION
The Maldives Discovery (generally 7 nights) and Maldives Expedition (generally
14 nights) Itineraries depart from Male and cruise some of the most popular and
renowned dive sites in the Maldives. The Discovery Itinerary will usually
include dives on North and South Male Atolls plus Felidhoo or North Ari Atoll.
The Expedition Itinerary offers the diver the chance to spend more time on the
North and South Male Atoll, and will usually include North and South Ari Atoll
along with Felidhoo Atoll. The Itineraries are kept flexible to seek the best
diving according to prevailing weather conditions and season.
Highlights on North Male Atoll include 'Lion's Head' , a 500 metre deep channel ideal for viewing territorial grey reef sharks that patrol the area. 'Manta Point' in the Himmafushi region with a world-wide reputation for being one of the most consistent sites for attracting manta ray. Surrounded by deep water, the atoll produces excellent visibility and with in-going currents encounters with large pelagic's are frequent.
South Male Atoll is home to many popular dive sites and has a range of caves and drop-offs to dive. One of the most exciting channel (kandu) dives is the 'Embudhoo Express', named because of the exhilarating 2km long drift dive when conditions are right. As with most sites in the Maldives , currents at the channel mouth attract a range of pelagic's , eagle rays and napoleon fish.
Diving in North Ari Atoll is characterized by its large amount os thilas (a coral reef usually a few metres below the surface). One such dive site is 'Ukulhas Thila' which is a chain of underwater reefs popping up from the 30m bottom. There are 3 coral rocks along the reef top that are cleaning stations for manta rays , seen here between December and April. 'Fish Head' further south in Ari Atoll has a great reputation for the presence of a large school of grey reef sharks and a wide variety of marine life. It is a great place for photographers to get a shot of these graceful predators.
South Ari Atoll is also host to many excellent thilas, both within the atoll and in the channels. Ariyadu Kandu on the southern outer reef has become famous for the regular all-year-round sightings of whale sharks. Whilst 'Madivaru' , during the North East Monsoon produces great manta ray encounters whilst they feed on the plankton-rich waters. With strong currents in this area , it is recommended for experienced divers only.
Felidhoo is much less developed than the other touristic Atolls. Most of the diving is conducted in the channels as the thila as are not as prominent. During the North East Monsoon the current hitting the eastern side of the Atoll produces exhilarating , clear water diving ideal for seeing shark and pelagic fish. 'Devana Kandu' is one of the most documented dive sites in Felidhoo. Sightings of grey reef sharks , eagle rays and pelagic's are common around the entrance to the channel.
Availability for Groups and individuals
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check departure/ return days on Datelist Prices include flights, airport to boat transfers - extras - See Travel info above. All divers must have travel insurance with medical cover for diving - Travel Insurance - World wide with cover to 40 mts is available from 43 pounds for up to 10 days or 53 pounds for 11-17 days - for UK Residents only - Click insurance for cover details or to buy on line. Annual cover also available
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Booking Hotline - Telephone 01334 656577 from inside UK
or ++44 1334 656577 from outside the UK
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