MV Mamro

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:32 pm

Has anybody done a trip with these people? Peter and I are planning to do a bunch of diving in BC next year, and would like to do a liveaboard, and the Nautilus Explorer isn't up there any more. I found this on the Cool Dives website, but wondered if anyone knew these people or had been out on this boat.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:41 pm

LCF wrote:Has anybody done a trip with these people? Peter and I are planning to do a bunch of diving in BC next year, and would like to do a liveaboard, and the Nautilus Explorer isn't up there any more. I found this on the Cool Dives website, but wondered if anyone knew these people or had been out on this boat.

It's a good boat- I've never been on it, but they filled our 02 bottles when I was staying at the Hideaway w/ John Deboek. A lot of my dive buddies have done trips on it as well. The Captain- I think his name is Danny- is a really nice guy, and he has a good reputation. I wouldn't hesitate to book a trip with him. Where are you going, Lynne?

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:39 pm

I don't know yet -- they offer a variety of itineraries, from the Gulf Islands to Port Hardy, and they do Nakwakto Rapids, which is a dive I sort of think I'd like to try someday

What I really want to do is come up with two or three multi-day trips up to BC for 2010. We keep tearing around the world after great diving, and we've really seen very little of the great diving in our own back yard, so we have dubbed 2010 the "year of the West Coast" and intend to do our diving closer to home.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:28 pm

That's an excellent idea. Personally, I could be very happy diving the BC coast and Alaska for the rest of my life. It's beautifull, and kind of like the last frontier in diving. I'm sure Cozumel and Fiji and the Red Sea are fantastic....but Browning Wall, Nakwakto, and Watts Narrows are world class dives, and much closer to home.

Like I said, Lynne- I haven't been on the Mamro, but I've met the captain, and a lot of good friends of mine have dived off his boat- I hope they chime in, or if not, I'll put you in touch with them. Go for it!

rjw · Post by **rjw** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:05 am

Spent a week on the Mamro last July. Went from Port Hardy up to the wreck of the Transpac. Drop me a PM I will answer any questions that you might have.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:49 am

The Mamro is a small converted fishing vessel. Its not luxury but it does access many sites/areas. They move around seasonally and have been doing diving charters for at least 10 years You will want to buy the whole boat and fill it with good friends who are interested in similar diving. They can do trimix and O2 but I suspect you'll need to arrange this custom.

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:45 am

fill it with good friends who are interested in similar diving.

Are you and Mel volunteering, Richard?

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:58 am

LCF wrote:
fill it with good friends who are interested in similar diving.
Are you and Mel volunteering, Richard?

You have dates?
If you are headed to Nakwakto we are in. Although that's a very short dive and we need some long Browning Pass dives for sure.
IIRC the Mamro takes 6 divers total.

Pez7378 · Post by **Pez7378** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:05 pm

Never been on the Mamro, but I've seen it up close. Danny skippered a charter out to the Nanaimo wrecks for me once, when Ken from Divers Choice was overbooked. He's used to dealing with experienced divers. He's a nice enough guy I guess, and everyone up there seems to know him pretty well. Contact John Deboek (hideawayjohn), he knows Danny personally.

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:13 pm

If they're scheduled after mid-March, I could likely be talked into a trip or two. Sounds like a lot of fun.

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:31 pm

Danny's a great skipper and a great guy. The Mamro itself is a good, solid craft but far from plush, so you need to understand that going in. You'll get to some outstanding diving but luxury, roominess and comfort aren't really part of the deal. Having said that, I'd go diving on her with Danny in a heartbeat!

Richard is correct - your best bet on the Mamro is to put together a trip of like-minded divers with similar skill levels, since you won't be able to get away from each other the entire week! HA! That's not being an "elitist snob" or anything, it's being practical. Having similar skill sets on board will enable Danny to take you to sites at the team's level rather than "mixing and matching" a group consisting of multiple skill levels and experience.

- John

Sounder · Post by **Sounder** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:57 pm

Is there a website or pictures of the boat somewhere? I'd never even heard of it until today.

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:16 pm

Sounder wrote:Is there a website or pictures of the boat somewhere? I'd never even heard of it until today.

http://www.mamro.com/

Geez....I thought that you were a "cyber-diver"!

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:52 pm

Sounder wrote:Is there a website or pictures of the boat somewhere? I'd never even heard of it until today.

Some take Sounder's Full expedition cyber diver card away.

John Rawlings wrote:Danny's a great skipper and a great guy. The Mamro itself is a good, solid craft but far from plush, so you need to understand that going in. You'll get to some outstanding diving but luxury, roominess and comfort aren't really part of the deal. Having said that, I'd go diving on her with Danny in a heartbeat!

Richard is correct - your best bet on the Mamro is to put together a trip of like-minded divers with similar skill levels, since you won't be able to get away from each other the entire week! HA! That's not being an "elitist snob" or anything, it's being practical. Having similar skill sets on board will enable Danny to take you to sites at the team's level rather than "mixing and matching" a group consisting of multiple skill levels and experience.

Yeah its small and there's no privacy, so you better know how to get along! And its slow so you better want to dive the same sites, there's not alot of capacity to zip here and there satisfying individual site preference whims. Alot different than the Nautilus Explorer which has 2 lounges, hot tub, staterooms with private heads, and a dive skiff 75% the size of the Mamro that does 40knots.

Long drive to Port Hardy to board for getting to Nakwakto. I would love to dive the Transpac and the Mamro is the only charter really accessing that. But that's really way way up there.

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:07 pm

Unfortunately, the Nautilus Explorer is out of the BC market for 2010. I went looking for liveaboards, and this is what I found. Does anybody know of anything else?

Maybe a land-based operator with a faster commuter boat would be better?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:13 pm

If Nakwakto is your goal then contact John deBoeck at The Hideaway.

The folks at God's Pocket go there as well, I'm sure.

John's boat isn't fast, but it'll get you there ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

LCF · Post by **LCF** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:50 pm

There's really no specific goal -- I had just heard about the Nawkwakto Rapids dive, and seen pictures of the barnacles. I just want to do several short trips up into BC next year, and I've liked my two liveaboard experiences, so I thought I'd ask about this one.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:47 pm

Nakwakto has an incredibly short slack window ~25min dive and its on the other side of Queen Charlotte Strait (NE from Vancouver Is) so its very weather dependent. I've been weathered out twice. So if that is a goal, pick an optimum weather month like June, July, or August. September is too late to be reliable up there.

Personally I could spend many many dives at Browning Pass and be happy as a clam.

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:36 am

CaptnJack wrote:Nakwakto has an incredibly short slack window ~25min dive and its on the other side of Queen Charlotte Strait (NE from Vancouver Is) so its very weather dependent. I've been weathered out twice. So if that is a goal, pick an optimum weather month like June, July, or August. September is too late to be reliable up there.

Personally I could spend many many dives at Browning Pass and be happy as a clam.

Me too ... we went in August and got weathered out for Nakwakto. So we turned around, followed a pair of humpbacks back to Browning, and did the wall. Awesome!

Lynne, if you want a series of short trips on VanIsle/Sunshine Coast, here's my suggestion ... visit the following. For best effect, I'd do them in this order ...

- Porpoise Bay Charters, Sechelt
- Rendezvous Lodge, Barkley Sound
- Abyssal Charter, Quadra Island
- Browning Pass Hideaway, Port Hardy

I haven't been to Tahsis, but from the reviews it sounds like that would be a spectactular choice as well.

Plan a minimum of three diving days at each ... I would recommend more for BPH, as you've got such a long drive getting up there.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

John Rawlings · Post by **John Rawlings** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:11 am

I agree with Bob wholeheartedly....ALL of those are stupendous choices - you simply cannot go wrong by choosing any of the folks on that list. Plus I would add Tahtsa Dive Charters at Tahsis/Nootka Sound.

- John

limeyx · Post by **limeyx** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:19 pm

LCF wrote:There's really no specific goal -- I had just heard about the Nawkwakto Rapids dive, and seen pictures of the barnacles. I just want to do several short trips up into BC next year, and I've liked my two liveaboard experiences, so I thought I'd ask about this one.

...and another thread here I missed -- you people are sneaky (Yah, I am hanging out here today after having thrown the proverbial stinkbomb over the wall elsewhere!)

If you plan some dates in advance, I may be able to drag up some of us fair-weather cherry-picking SoCal divers also ... I am definitely interested. It would somewhat depend on the definition of "multiday" though ...

Dusty2 · Post by **Dusty2** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:27 pm

How about Ceader Beach on Thetis Island with Andy Lamb? Anyone done that one?

Northwest Dive Club

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