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Dive Review of Odyssey in
Micronesia/Chuuk - Truk Lagoon

Odyssey, Mar, 2009,

by Steve M. Dussault, NH, USA (Contributor Contributor 18 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 4690.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars 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 2 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments When traveling to Chuuk, Micronesia there is only one airline servicing Micronesia - Continental Airlines. Either you will fly from Honolulu to Guam to Chuuk, or do the island hopper. When doing the island hopper there is a Continental Technical Operation Personnel that flies with the plane. This is in the event that if something breaks along the way there will somebody to repair it and continue the flight. We flew Continental from Boston – Newark, NJ - Honolulu, HI. The Newark to Honolulu flight is 11 hours and we spent the night at a hotel near the airport. We then flew to Majuro, Marshall Islands where the plane experienced problems with the GPS navigation system. After sitting in the plane for 6 hours on the tarmac it was decided that another plan from Guam would be flown in to continue the trip. Continental put us in a hotel for 6 hours where we could shower and get something to eat.

We finally arrived at Chuuk, Micronesia 28 hours after leaving Honolulu. We had put enough time in the schedule so we did not miss the boat. We took the 4 km ride from the airport to Blue Lagoon Resort which takes about 15 minutes due to the potholes and ruts in the road. Top speed is 20 MPH!

We hung out at the Blue Lagoon Resort after sleeping in. We and one other couple met the boat at 5:00 PM. The rest of the passengers flew in that night from Guam.

The Odyssey is 136 feet and holds 16 divers. The staterooms are the largest I have seen on a live aboard so far. Two people can comfortably walk around in the room, and there is a king size bed! The staterooms have individually controlled air conditioning so you can control the temperature in your room. The A/C is bit noisy but works wells and helps drown out the boat noises. There are also televisions with DVD players in each room and a large selection of movies on board. The boat is very spacious.

The diving at Truk Lagoon is amazing. You can dive your own profile with no limitations. We pre-arranged for double cylinders and dove them for the week. Surprisingly, we were the only ones diving twins that week. Due to the depths of the wrecks it is recommended to use NITROX, and you should be certified for NITROX before doing this trip. NITROX training is available on the boat if needed. The Odyssey has a membrane system and uses 28% for most of the dives during the week. The Odyssey is able to mix any percent of oxygen for your diving needs. There is a large diving deck to do a giant stride off to access the wrecks directly from the back of the boat. There is a hang bar at 11 feet directly below the dive platform to do your safety stops. Two long ladders make exiting the water easy.

The dive briefings are the most comprehensive that we have ever received on a live aboard. They provide a detailed diagram of each wreck and points of interest in and on the wreck. Odyssey does have cue cards available for sale about the wrecks that you can take down with you. The briefing includes history about the wreck, how the wreck is laying, and good photography points on the wreck.

As with any live aboard it is sleep, eat, and dive! Morning briefing was held at 7:30 AM after breakfast for the first dive of the day. Depending upon the schedule there may 1 or 2 dives on the morning wreck and then move to another wreck for two dives in the afternoon. Most days there was a fifth dive (night dive) after dinner. We were typically tired after the 4 dives and wanted the extra time to off gas in preparation for next day’s dives.

There are guides available for the dives. The guides can take you through the wrecks and show you the highlights of the wreck. There are more divers than guides so you may not get a guide for every dive.

The meals are buffet style with snacks in between dives. For breakfast eggs, french toast, and pancakes can be ordered. Generally the food is pretty good. Beer, Wine, and Alcohol are available at no charge.

The highlight of the week is diving on the San Francisco Maru. This wreck has 3 tanks on the deck, tanker trucks in the holds, and lots of munitions. The deck of the San Francisco Maru is at 165’ so the bottom time is limited along with some deco time. It is definitely a dive not to miss.

There is a large camera table and two rinse tanks that are cleaned and water changed daily. The crew is very careful with the cameras as they hand them to you in the water. There is a charging station inside the parlor.

The crew of the Odyssey is very professional and courteous and provides an excellent week of diving the wrecks of Truk Lagoon.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving USA, Carribean, Fuji, Micronesia, New Zealand, Thailand, Ecuador, Costa Rica
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 81-83°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 30-60 Ft/ 9-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions No Restrictions
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

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

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Large camera table with two rinse tanks that were changed daily. Lots of photo opportunities on the wrecks.
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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.

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