Dive Review of S.M.Y. Ondina in
Indonesia

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S.M.Y. Ondina, Jul, 2006, by Jacob Rosenstein, CA, U.S.A. ( Contributor 14 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 2651.
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	Overall, this is a very good dive boat. The dive briefings are detailed and informaive. However, once in the water the group split up. This was not a problem most of the time, but when there were currents or poor visibility it was uncomfortable, especially since some divers surfaced far from the pick up inflatables. They were later safely picked up. All diving was done from inflatables. Ricard Buxo was good at showing the marine life. We hiked through Komodo National Park and saw several Komodo Dragons. Also had a couple of village tours. Dove the islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Flores. Lots of diverse marine life, from the tiny Pygmy Sea Horse to the huge Manta Ray. Coral very lush and healthy. All the coral in the ID book can be seen in this part of Indonesia. The domestic air carrier Merpati is unreliable. They cancelled/changed their schedules several times even up to departure time, affecting my return International flights. Insist on a diferent domestic carrier if you can as this is a major nuisance. Booked my itinerary from City Seahorse (Deb Fugitt and Tony Mathes)-cityseahorse.com. Very good booking agents for this boat. Boat is generally in good shape, except for the marine head and the hand held shower, which did not have hot water. There is plenty of room for socializing and relaxing. The cabins are well planned with plenty of storage space. Food is good, a mixture of Asian and Western dishes. E-6 color processing was available, as well as Nitrox. Big camera table at rear of boat with storage space for lenses, accessories,etc. Water is colder and green at southern Komodo, but this is where the Manta Rays hang out. Came head-to-head with a giant Manta in this area, as the animal just appeared out of the murky nowhere. Lots of surprises diving Indonesia! Four dives max, including night dives were enough for me.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Belize, Little Cayman, Roatan, Costa Rica, Cozumel, Bonaire, Fiji, Big Island-Hawaii, Eilat-Red Sea, California Channel Islands.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	72-78°F / 22-26°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	20-60 Ft/ 6-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No deeper than 130 feet,however at one dive site it was easy to exceed this limit.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	Squadrons
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		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	The Ondina has a very large camera table on the rear of the boat with storage baskets underneath. Also there are individual charging stations, although the bottom ones are near standing water and the top ones are out of reach. Some of the non photographers use these cubbies for storing towels and wet stuff.

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Dive Review of S.M.Y. Ondina in Indonesia

S.M.Y. Ondina, Jul, 2006,

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 S.M.Y. Ondina in
Indonesia