Dive Review of Ocean Rover in
Indonesia/Islands of North Sulawesi

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Ocean Rover, Jul, 2004, by Jim Chubb, ID, United States . Report 1143.
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	Ocean Rover has got to be the best dive operation on the planet. Service is amazing. On our 9 diving days we were in Lembeh's world, at strong currented Banca, up towards Mindanao in the Philippines into the seldom visited Sangihe archipelago, huge volcanoes and drop offs into open ocean. Then back south to dive the smoking Siau volcano's flanks, salt water hot springs, and onward to Bunaken, Manado Tua, and the flats south of Minhassa lagoon where in the grass 24 species of pelagic juvenile have been spotted, all the other critters typical of Lembeh, yellow and red sea horses galore, 3 species of seas-snake, and a large very obliging bright yellow rhinopias (holy grail) scorpion fish. The water is clearer here than Lembeh. Beautiful coral dense reefs packed with life everywhere on the cruise. Multiple varieties of everything, a lot of it very small. Some of the dives you flowed with currents others you could remain still. There are down currents at places and washing machine effects here and there while surfacing behind current swept open ocean seamounts. You'd best learn reflexive buoyancy control. The viz never got crystalline but it was certainly good to very good for the most part except dim in Lembeh and up in one enclosed lagoon in the Sangihe archipelago. A great trip. Dramatic scenery. Nitrox package. I wish I'd known how good the service would be as I certainly would have brought along more cash than the usual 10%. Before and after our Ocean Rover cruise we stayed at the Lembeh Resort which is very friendly, lovely, sweet and simple and affords three nitrox dives a day. Their nitrox doesn't seem state of the art with tank O2 concentrations ranging from 27 to 40 in one particular batch of tanks. And the Oxygen meter looked tired. The dive master suggested setting our computers to air and having a huge safety margin, depth not being an issue. Guides were good. Food service was a trifle tardy at times but I think they are working on it. The cook had a tiny kitchen to work in, with a few woks and pans and a three burner stove. On a bad night 14 people arrived at once to eat. On the other hand, every now and then there is a barbeque that leaves you babbling about the local grilled pork and all you can eat fresh seared ahi tuna. Rooms are comfortable with nice outdoor bathrooms and outdoor shower. At night we discovered we needed to stuff towels into gaps in the door to keep mosquitoes totally out. The area is supposedly Malaria free.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	[Unspecified]
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, cloudy, dry	Seas	currents, noCurrents
Water Temp	76-84°F / 24-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	15-100 Ft/ 5-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	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	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Ocean Rover in Indonesia/Islands of North Sulawesi

Ocean Rover, Jul, 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
Indonesia/Islands of North Sulawesi