Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon and Palau with Divers Two

January 20th - February 7th 2012

How about a week of diving in what has been called the best wreck diving location in the world aboard a first class live-aboard dive boat?  

Or would you prefer a week diving in one of the most pristine tropical diving locations in the South Pacific while staying in a deluxe full service resort?

How about doing them both on the same trip? 

We’re talking about Chuuk Lagoon (formerly known as Truk lagoon) and Palau.

Our first destination is Chuuk Lagoon for 7 nights with 6 days of diving on the Odyssey live-aboard dive boat. The Odyssey is considered the best live-aboard operation serving Chuuk Lagoon. We’ll have up to 5 dives a day exploring the historic wrecks of Chuuk.  Accommodations are in the spacious air conditioned staterooms aboard the Odyssey. All meals and beverages (including beer and wine) are included. For diving, tanks, weights and free nitrox for EAN certified divers are included.

Rebreather divers can bring their units, including tanks, and the Odyssey will provide at extra cost O₂ fills and scrubber. 

 Details and more information on Chuuk and the Odyssey can be found at the Odyssey web site. 

After a week in Chuuk, we’ll fly to Palau. Palau has it all – reefs, wrecks, drift dives, big fish, little fish. It is one of the most biologically diverse diving destinations in the world. We’ll spend 7 nights on the island based in the nicest full service resort there – the Palau Pacific Resort .

On Palau, we’ll have 5 days of two tank dives with ample time to explore the land based attractions of the island or to add on additional dives.  

The cost of the trip is $6400*.

Considerably more expensive than your usual Caribbean-style dive trip, but this is a very special trip to two of the top locations in the world. 

*We are offering an early signup bonus. Divers who sign up and pay the initial deposit before July 31^st, 2010 can save $300.00. Their net cost will be $6100. 

The $6400 cost includes: 

·         7 nights and 6 days of diving in Chuuk aboard the Odyssey. (Double occupancy)

·         7 nights and 5 days of two tank diving in Palau with double occupancy accommodations at the Palau Pacific Resort.

·         Chuuk and Palau taxes and dive permits.

·         Side trip to historic Peleliu while in Palau for two dives and a tour of the battle site.

·         Kayak trip on our last day surface interval in Palau.

·         Free Nitrox (for certified divers) or air for all diving.

Not included are: 

·         Air fare and hotel accommodations to and from Chuuk and Palau. (See below)

·         Lunches and dinners in Palau.

·         Scrubber and O₂ fills for rebreathers.

·         Tips for dive crews.

 Closer to the departure date we will investigate group airfare rates and suggested flights.

Based on current flights a tentative itinerary is as follows: 

·         Depart Newark Friday, January 20, 2012.

·         Overnight in Houston.

·         Depart Houston on Saturday, January 21^st.

·         Arrive Chuuk and 9:30 PM Sunday, January 22^nd.

·         7 nights and 6 days of diving aboard the Odyssey.

·         Return to Chuuk on Sunday January 29^th AM.

·         Depart Chuuk for Palau via Guam 2:30 AM January 30^th.

·         Depart Guam for Palau 6:30 PM.

·         January 31^st – February 5^th diving in Palau.

·         February 6^th – No fly day in Palau, kayak tour.

·         Monday, February 7^th depart Palau shortly after midnight.

·         Monday, February 7^th arrive Newark around noon.

 It may be advisable to leave a day earlier, on Thursday, January 19^th and spend a day in Chuuk before boarding the Odyssey. This leaves some leeway for flight delays and luggage mixups and some time to recuperate from the long flight.

 The trip is limited to 15 divers. A $1000 deposit is required to secure a spot.

The payment schedule is as follows:

• November 2010 - $1000
• March 1, 2011 - $1000
• June 1, 2011 - $1000
• September 1, 2011 - $2400* (balance)

 *$2100 if you sign up with an initial  $1000 deposit before July 31^st, 2010.

 All payments should be considered non-refundable unless the trip is overbooked or a substitution can be arranged. Trip insurance is highly recommended in the event of cancellation due to medical or other serious emergencies.  Trip insurance is available through DAN.

Because of the remote locations, all divers must have DAN medical coverage or its equivalent.

 If you have questions contact Carl at the shop 732.776.7755 or send email to darthmuhl@harvestwoodworks.com.

 This is going to be a great trip.

 Thanks,

 Carl

Bonaire with Divers Two

May 18^th – May 26^st, 2012

Announcing our fifth annual Bonaire Tropical Diving Paradise Trip!

We’re going back!

Join Divers Two for a week of superb tropical diving in Bonaire, one of the Caribbean’s top diving destinations. We will be spending a week at the Plaza Resort Bonaire, a Scuba Diving Magazine^TM  Reader’s Choice Award winning location. Bonaire has some of the nicest diving in the Caribbean with spectacular coral reefs, walls, and even a few wrecks. We’ll have 11 boat dives (2 each, most mornings) as well as unlimited shore diving on the 50 marine park sites located on Bonaire’s coast line. The boat diving will be with Toucan Diving, a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Dive Center on the hotel grounds. In addition we’ll have free unlimited air fills for the shore diving. Nitrox certified divers will get free unlimited 32% Nitrox fills.

The trip cost includes 7 nights lodging (double occupancy) in one of the Plaza Resort’s Standard Suites or, for an additional fee, a Ocean View Suite.  A daily full buffet breakfast is provided and there are several excellent restaurants at or within walking distance of the resort for lunch and dinner.

Rebreather divers may bring their units. Scrubber material can be purchased on the island and rebreather tanks are available for rent. There are opportunities for technical diving as well.

 Divers Two is also offering the opportunity for divers to complete their PADI Advanced Open Water Certification or any of a number of specialty certifications with one of the shop’s highly regarded staff instructors. Bonaire’s wide variety of dive sites will make it possible to complete Night, Navigation, Deep, and other PADI specialty certifications while on the trip. Prior to the trip, divers can complete their Enriched Air/ Nitrox certifications with Divers Two so that they may take advantage of the free Nitrox offer on the trip.

 Costs for the trip are as follows:*

 Standard Suite Diver/Non-Diver Package (Double Occupancy):                   $1150.00

Ocean View Suite Diver/Non-Diver Package (Double Occupancy):              $1245.00

Standard Suite Diver Package (Single Occupancy):                                        $1925.00

Ocean View Suite Diver Package (Single Occupancy):                                   $2200.00

 *Early signup discount: Signup before 1/31/2012 and get $100 off these prices.

The costs include lodging, 11 boat dives, free breakfast, and unlimited air/Nitrox for shore diving. Not included in the trip price is the Bonaire Marine Park fee of $25 or the Bonaire Island Departure tax of $35. These fees are subject to change. Taxes and government fees are also subject to change.

Air fare is not included in the cost. The suggested flights are the following:

Leave Friday May 18^th, 2012                               EWR 11:59 PM

Continental Airlines   CO1422                                 Arrive Bonaire 4:32 AM, May 19th

 Return Saturday May 26st, 2012                          Bonaire  7:00AM

Continental Airlines CO1420                               

  Arrive EWR 11:40 AM

 The airfare price as of December 2011 is $692.10 including most fees. We recommend booking as early as possible in case the flights fill up. Note:  Orbitz.com offers a flight fare guarantee if the fare should decrease.

 To get more information on the Plaza Resort visit their website www.plazaresortbonaire.com and for Toucan Diving the web site is www.toucandiving.com.  For general information about Bonaire, you can go to http://www.infobonaire.com. Photos from earlier trips can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/darthmuhl and for an excellent slide show on Bonaire diving visit Sterling Levie’s site at:

http://homepage.mac.com/sterlinglevie/2008/Bonaire2008/Bonaire2008/Home.html

  We will be renting one or more cars/trucks for the week to travel to different shore dive sites and to travel around the island. The cost will be split among those participating.

 The payment schedule is as follows: 

Initial Deposit:                       $500

Balance:                                - due March 1, 2012

 All payments should be considered non-refundable unless the trip is overbooked and substitutes can be found. Trip insurance is highly recommended. DAN members can obtain trip insurance at the DAN website at http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/. DAN diver medical insurance or the equivalent is required for divers on the trip. Non-diver insurance is also available – call the shop for information.

 For information on the diving classes on the trip or for questions contact Carl Muhlhausen at the shop: 732.776.7755 or via email at carl@harvestwoodworks.com

 Our previous trips were fabulous and this trip should be just as good.

Carl

 Thanks to Greg Havlusch for most of the photos.