Deciding to Book
When it comes to choosing a dive liveaboard trip, my past experiences and the people I’d be diving with plays a significant role. My first liveaboard adventure was at the Poor Knight’s Islands with Northland Dive, which was an amazing experience, largely because of the fantastic people on the trip. For this particular trip, I knew most of the participants, which added to my excitement and anticipation.
Initial Impression
Initially, I was a bit intimidated by the skipper, John, but his gruff exterior quickly revealed a humorous side, and we all warmed to him. Although not concerned I wondered about the lack of a deckhand. However, John managed everything seamlessly throughout the trip. It was a bit of a rush getting all our gear on board, so much that I left all my clothes & towels which were in a separate bag in my car. I guiltily told my buddy, who said she had a spare towel for me & Claire kindly loaned me her thermal jersey & track pants.
Daily Dive Experience
The brief for the trip was that we would be anchoring at a site, with the first dive scheduled for the morning. To my pleasant surprise, the skipper, John, offered us the opportunity to do a night dive on the first evening. Being the first to jump in (to nobodies surprise!), followed by my awesome buddy Sophie, I was stoked by the variety of marine life we encountered. The NZ demoiselles, which would become our constant companions during daytime dives, were hidden away under rocks and sponges at night. Hiding our torches and stirring up bioluminescent krill with our hands was a great way to kill time during our safety stop.
Among the memorable dive sites we visited, “Danger Rocks” stands out. Likely named for the numerous submerged rocks that pose a hazard to boaters, the site was stunning. One diver, Everett, described his experience of being surrounded by schools of Koheru, NZ Demoiselles, and Blue Maomao as his “Disney Princess moment,” which perfectly captured the enchanting underwater scene.
John, our skipper, shared his extensive knowledge of the area, and took us to a variety of dive sites including walls, pinnacles, and kelp forests. The clear water and sunlight bouncing off the rocks in combination with the quantity and range of fish life made every dive stunning.
Onboard Life and Atmosphere
The social atmosphere aboard the liveaboard was chilled out and friendly. Having little to wear meant I decided to stay in my wetsuit most of the day, so my time inside the cabin was limited. There were plenty of people coming out and having a chat and blowing bubbles with me though!
Claire had all the catering sorted. She’d come up from a dive and be straight into preparing and cooking our next meal. We even got to have a second breakfast each day, how good.
Final Thoughts
Despite the initial hiccup of forgetting my clothes, the generosity of my fellow divers and the
light-hearted atmosphere on board made it a non-issue. It ended up being a great lesson on how I could pack lighter for my next trip!
The diverse marine life, especially the bioluminescent krill and the mesmerizing schools of fish at Danger Rocks, provided a visual feast that will remain etched in my memory.
When we received our feedback form my instant reply was “Put me down for next year!”.
