Recommendations for Bali/Komodo Liveaboard Dive Operations??

BengalBoy,

For all my Indonesian diving and excursions I use: http://www.aquamarinediving.com

They are based in Bali and are excellent in arranging anything you want to do in Indonesia from diving, live-a-boards, intra-island travel, land excursions, etc.

They have excellent dive guides that I hire as a private guide and just list what I want to see and it is done

Elmer

That is Awesome to know Elmer! Yes, that is exactly what i'm looking for. i'm making my "Trophy List" that I intend to shoot and I really like the idea of having a personal guide to help me meet those goals. This will be the pinnacle of my underwater photography gear to date and I really want to do some amazing macro shots and wide angle like I see from the Photographers on WetPixel's Facebook page. I got the bug many years ago with a cheap digital rig that eventually flooded.. tried it again many years later when technology changed and Panasonic's first underwater compact came out,, then upgraded to a Olympus TG-1 with Strobe & video light. Now I've got a EM-1 with 7" dome & a 60mm macro port with CMC.... My ideas of subjects, dive environment *day/night*, UV light photography, over/under shots, etc.. I'm really getting excited about having great equipment to accomplish with IQ underwater what I previously could only shoot on the surface. An adventure with 1 camera, 3 lens, underwater housing & lighting equipment and a camera drone. 2-3 weeks in Komodo/Bali... Childhood dreams of riding a Dragon come True! Haha! I will check out the dive shop you recommended as well and compare! Did you do any UV photography on your night dives or see any being done? I'm curious how much marine life was fluorescing and how did you like the results of the shots?

BengalBoy

I was introduced to Aquamarine by a dive buddy who has been using them for 15+ yrs, he dives the Indo-Pacific 3 months a yr.

When I dive Bali, I arrange a private dive guide who takes care of all my dive gear as we travel from dive site to dive site. They pick me up at Denpasar and off we go. I give my dive guide a list of what I want to see and he will find them. I have not done any UV stuff. A cool trip is to drive around Bali and dive. There is much muck, but also manta and mola mola sites

Elmer

http://www.dive-away-liveaboards.com/en/ilike#aboutIlike is a new live aboard, runned by a good friend of mine. They have realy nice promotions this year because they are starting up.

I will be on board end of juli and probely also in oktober :-)

Thanks for all the info! Wish I'd seen it sooner to consider, but, I've booked with Mermaid II for September. Will be looking for charter to Nusa Penida and Liberty Wreck on return back to Bali after week in Komodo.