Solomons Master

The Solomons Master is a 34m steel hulled liveaboard operating various dive cruise routes in the Solomon Islands. The country is located in the Coral Triangle and therefore boasts the ultimate in marine diversity. It is a region so remote that new species are still being discovered!

The vessel can accommodate 16 guests in 2-share cabins, all of which have private bathrooms and individual air conditioning units. The social areas are on the main and upper decks, comprising of an indoor dining area, a lounge bar, a lounge with comfortable sofa seating and plasma screen, a shaded outdoor area, and a sundeck. There is also a flybridge from where you can enjoy the stunning views of the Solomon Islands.

Dives are conducted from 2 motorised tenders, and the vessel utilises a deco-bar for off-gassing. For guest safety, there is a defibrilator onboard. Dive equipment is set up and stored on the dive deck on the main deck. All divers are allocated a personal station, with storage for masks, fins and other personal items. A central camera table can be used to store prepared equipment ahead of the dive, with dedicated rinse tanks provided. There is also a camera preparation room with storage drawers. Divers can take advantage of the on deck shower hoses or use the starboard deck head to rinse off between dives. The Solomons Master is also tec-diver friendly.

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Dive experience: Advanced certification and 40 logged dives are recommended for most tours on the Solomons Master. However, the special dedicated wreck cruises require advanced certification and 75 logged dives. We strongly recommend that you have previous experience and are comfortable with drift dives, negative entries and deploying an SMB. Diving in some parts of both the Solomons can be challenging with strong currents. While the wrecks on the wreck itineraries are within recreational limits, it would be highly beneficial to be qualified to dive to at least 40m and to have experience of wreck penetration.

Cruise price per person includes: Local hotel/airport transfers to/from the boat, cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, dives (as detailed in the trips above), 3 experienced dive guides, tanks, weights and weightbelts, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (incl dive computer US$ 308 per week), port and park fees (7 nights - US$ 175, 10 nights - US$ 250), diving insurance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (US$ 200 per week), diving computer (US$ 78 per day), torch (US$ 100 per day), 13.2 litre tank (US$ 39 per day). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The Solomons Master uses 2 ports for its trips in the Solomons:
Honiara - Coral Sea Resort in the capital city of the Solomon Islands is the principal port used. Its airport (HIR) has international flights to/from Nadi in Fiji, Brisbane in Australia, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, and Port Vila in Vanuatu. The major airlines are Solomon Airlines, Virgin Australia, Fiji AIrways, Air Niugini, and Qantas.
Munda - Agnes Lodge Dock in the Western Province of the Solomons is used for some itineraries. There are daily direct domestic flights to Munda Airport (MUA) from Honiara with Solomon Airlines that take just over an hour.
Transfers are provided from local hotels/airports. Boarding time on the first day is at 6 pm, with the boat leaving port within the next 2 hours. The boat returns by 10 pm on the penultimate day and disembarkation is at 9 am on the last day. There will be 2 planned dives scheduled on the second last day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: 10% discount off the published price (discount can not be combined with any other special offer).

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 80% of the normal published price for their own cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 7 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise free of charge in the lowest priced cabin (total 8+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 14 guests and 2 additional persons can join free of charge in the lowest priced cabin.

Solomon Islands (8 Days / 7 Nights - 22 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Russell Islands: Leru Cut, White Beach, Rainbow Reef, Mirror Pond, Karumolun Point; Mary Island, Florida Islands: Twin Tunnels, Tulagi, Maravagi Bay, Tanavula Point, Mavis Seaplane, Ghavutu Island. Village visit to see traditional family life.

Day 1
The Solomons Master staff will meet you at Honiara Airport or your local hotel and transport you to the boat for boarding early evening, but you can arrive any time on the first day since the vessel will only depart tomorrow. The cruise director will welcome you onboard, assign you to your cabin, give a crew introduction, a boat and safety briefing, and explain the plans for the coming days. You will have time to complete the necessary paperwork, familiarise yourself with the vessel, make yourself comfortable and chat with fellow guests. Dinner will be served. After a good night's sleep in your cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-7
Off the beaten track, the Solomon Islands have an amazing diversity of marine life, and dive site environments - wrecks, pristine reefs, lagoons, caverns and walls. There are pilot whales, various kinds of sharks, manta rays and huge schools of fish, not forgetting its macro wonders such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and ghost pipefish. Wreck dives include The Ann, the Japanese Mavis Seaplane, and the famous World War II dump site called White Beach. There are usually 4 dives per day, conducted from the mother ship.
The galley staff offer a choice of international and local cuisine over 3 meals per day, served buffet style in the air-conditioned dining area. The chefs can assist with dietary requirements with advanced notice. Fresh fruit and a selection of tasty treats are served for those that feel peckish between meal times. A range of fruit juices, soft drinks, black, green and aromatic tea, as well as instant and freshly brewed coffee are available. Guests can also order spirits, beer and wine from the cocktail bar. There is a ‘ships only’ bar policy, i.e. no guest alcohol to be consumed onboard.
You will visit at least one village to see traditional life, singing and dancing. After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the vessel begins its journey back to port.

Day 8
After a breakfast, you will disembark. Transportation is provided to Honiara Airport and hotels.

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Solomons (Wreck Special) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 22 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Russell Islands: White Beach, Wreck of the Ann; Florida Islands: Tulagi, USS Kanawha, Mavis Seaplane, Ghavutu Island, RNZN Moa, USS Minneapolis, Catalina Airplane; Guadalcanal: Bonegi I, II, III. Land visits to see historic WWII sites, and village visit to see traditional family life.

Day 1
The Solomons Master staff will meet you at Honiara Airport or your local hotel and transport you to the boat for boarding early evening, but you can arrive any time on the first day since the yacht will only leave port on the following morning. The cruise director will welcome you onboard, assign you to your cabin, give a crew introduction, a boat and safety briefing, and explain the plans for the coming days. You will have time to complete the necessary dive paperwork, familiarize yourself with the vessel, make yourself comfortable and chat with fellow guests. Dinner will be served. After a good night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-7
Off the beaten track, the Solomon Islands have an amazing diversity of marine life, and this specialist cruise will take you to explore many of its famous World War 2 wrecks, as well as provide land visits for an all-round WWII experience. The islands were the site of many bloody battles near Gaudalcanal. Operation Watchtower was a decisive turning point in the Pacific campaign and the wrecks that you will visit are in a diverse conditions – some whole, some broken, some blown apart, some merely debris. Wreck dives include The Ann, the Japanese Mavis Seaplane, and the famous World War II dump site called White Beach. There are pilot whales, various kinds of sharks, manta rays and huge schools of fish, not forgetting its macro wonders such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and ghost pipefish. There are usually 4 dives per day, conducted from the mother ship.
The galley staff offer a choice of international and local cuisine over 3 meals per day, served buffet style in the air-conditioned dining area. The chefs can assist with dietary requirements with advanced notice. Fresh fruit and a selection of tasty treats are served for those that feel peckish between meal times. A range of fruit juices, soft drinks, black, green and aromatic tea, as well as instant and freshly brewed coffee are available. Guests can also order spirits, beer and wine from the cocktail bar. There is a ‘ships only’ bar policy, i.e. no guest alcohol to be consumed onboard.
You will visit at least one village to see traditional life, singing and dancing. After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the vessel begins its journey back to port.

Day 8
After a breakfast, you will disembark. Transportation is provided to Honiara Airport and hotels.

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Solomon Islands (11 Days / 10 Nights - 34 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Russell Islands: Leru Cut, White Beach, Custom Caves, Rainbow Reef, Mirror Pond, Karumolun Point; Mary Island, Florida Islands: Twin Tunnels, Tulagi, Maravagi Bay, Tanavula Point, Mavis Seaplane, Ghavutu Island, Devil’s Highway, Baby Cakes; Marovo Lagoon; Kavachi Corner, Wickham Harbur, Mbulo Island. Village visit to see traditional family life.

Day 1
The Solomons Master staff will meet you at Honiara Airport or your local hotel and transport you to the boat for boarding at 6 pm, but you can arrive any time on the first day since the yacht will only leave port on the following morning. The cruise director will welcome you onboard, assign you to your cabin, give a crew introduction, a boat and safety briefing, and explain the plans for the coming days. You will have time to complete the necessary dive paperwork, familiarize yourself with the vessel, make yourself comfortable and chat with fellow guests. Dinner will be served. After a good night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-10
Off the beaten track, the Solomon Islands have an amazing diversity of marine life and dive site environments - wrecks, pristine reefs, lagoons, caverns and walls. There are pilot whales, various kinds of sharks, manta rays and huge schools of fish, not forgetting its macro wonders such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and ghost pipefish. Wreck dives include The Ann, the Japanese Mavis Seaplane, Japanese transport vessels in Marovo Lagoon, and the famous World War II dump site called White Beach. There are usually 4 dives per day, conducted from the mother ship.
The galley staff offer a choice of international and local cuisine over 3 meals per day, served buffet style in the air-conditioned dining area. The chefs can assist with dietary requirements with advanced notice. Fresh fruit and a selection of tasty treats are served for those that feel peckish between meal times. A range of fruit juices, soft drinks, black, green and aromatic tea, as well as instant and freshly brewed coffee are available. Guests can also order spirits, beer and wine from the cocktail bar. There is a ‘ships only’ bar policy, i.e. no guest alcohol to be consumed onboard.
You will visit at least one village to see traditional life, singing and dancing. After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the vessel begins its journey back to port.

Day 11
After a breakfast, you will disembark at 9 am. Transportation is provided to Honiara Airport and hotels.

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Solomon Islands (11 Days / 10 Nights - 34 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Russell Islands: Leru Cut, White Beach, Custom Caves, Rainbow Reef, Mirror Pond, Karumolun Point; Mary Island, Marovo Lagoon; Kavachi Corner, Wickham Harbour, Taiyo, Mbulo Island; Munda: The Abyss. Visit to Skull Island, and a village visit to see traditional family life.

Day 1
The Solomons Master staff will meet you at Honiara Airport or your local hotel and transport you to the boat for boarding at 6 pm, but you can arrive any time on the first day since the yacht will only leave port on the following morning. The cruise director will welcome you onboard, assign you to your cabin, give a crew introduction, a boat and safety briefing, and explain the plans for the coming days. You will have time to complete the necessary dive paperwork, familiarize yourself with the vessel, make yourself comfortable and chat with fellow guests. Dinner will be served. After a good night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-10
Off the beaten track, the Solomon Islands have an amazing diversity of marine life and dive site environments - wrecks, pristine reefs, lagoons, caverns and walls. There are pilot whales, various kinds of sharks, manta rays and huge schools of fish, not forgetting its macro wonders such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and ghost pipefish. Wreck dives include Japanese transport vessels in Marovo Lagoon, and the famous World War II dump site called White Beach.
This route includes diving at Munda, possibly one of the best dive locations in the world. Spectacular walls drop off to over 600m, where grey, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks routinely patrol, as well as silvertips and hammerheads. Eagle rays, dogtooth tuna, barracuda and other pelagics are also common. Munda’s reefs are in pristine condition, with lush hard and soft corals, and gigantic sea fans. In addition to the reefs and abundant marine life, the seabed is littered with wrecks from WWII, with fighter planes, bombers, a Japanese freighter, and a recently discovered dump site with tanks. There are usually 4 dives per day, conducted from the mother ship.
The galley staff offer a choice of international and local cuisine over 3 meals per day, served buffet style in the air-conditioned dining area. The chefs can assist with dietary requirements with advanced notice. Fresh fruit and a selection of tasty treats are served for those that feel peckish between meal times. A range of fruit juices, soft drinks, black, green and aromatic tea, as well as instant and freshly brewed coffee are available. Guests can also order spirits, beer and wine from the cocktail bar. There is a ‘ships only’ bar policy, i.e. no guest alcohol to be consumed onboard.
You will visit at least one village to see traditional life, singing and dancing. After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the vessel begins its journey back to port.

Day 11
After a breakfast, you will disembark at 9 am. Transportation is provided to Munda Airport and hotels. Note that this trip can run in reverse so please double check the ports of departure and return.

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(7 Days / 6 Nights - Dives)

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: zz

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Solomons (Tec Diver Special) (11 Days / 10 Nights - 22 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Florida Islands: Tulagi, USS Kanawha, Mavis Seaplane, Ghavutu Island, RNZN Moa, USS Minneapolis, Catalina Airplane; Guadalcanal: Bonegi I, II, III., plus other wrecks to 50m deep.

Day 1
The Solomons Master staff will meet you at Honiara Airport or your local hotel and transport you to the boat for boarding early evening, but you can arrive any time on the first day since the yacht will only leave port on the following morning. The cruise director will welcome you onboard, assign you to your cabin, give a crew introduction, a boat and safety briefing, and explain the plans for the coming days. This is a special cruise and only suitable for technical divers with certifications and experience beyond depths of 50 metres. You will have time to complete the necessary dive paperwork, familiarize yourself with the vessel, make yourself comfortable and chat with fellow guests. Dinner will be served. After a good night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-10
Off the beaten track, the Solomon Islands have an amazing diversity of marine life, and this specialist cruise will take you to explore many of its famous World War 2 wrecks, as well as provide land visits for an all-round WWII experience. The islands were the site of many bloody battles near Gaudalcanal. Operation Watchtower was a decisive turning point in the Pacific campaign and the wrecks that you will visit are in a diverse conditions – some whole, some broken, some blown apart, some merely debris. Wreck dives include The Ann, the Japanese Mavis Seaplane, and the famous World War II dump site called White Beach. There are pilot whales, various kinds of sharks, manta rays and huge schools of fish, not forgetting its macro wonders such as pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and ghost pipefish. There are usually 4 dives per day, conducted from the mother ship.
The galley staff offer a choice of international and local cuisine over 3 meals per day, served buffet style in the air-conditioned dining area. The chefs can assist with dietary requirements with advanced notice. Fresh fruit and a selection of tasty treats are served for those that feel peckish between meal times. A range of fruit juices, soft drinks, black, green and aromatic tea, as well as instant and freshly brewed coffee are available. Guests can also order spirits, beer and wine from the cocktail bar. There is a ‘ships only’ bar policy, i.e. no guest alcohol to be consumed onboard.
You will visit at least one village to see traditional life, singing and dancing. After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the vessel begins its journey back to port.

Day 11
After a breakfast, you will disembark. Transportation is provided to Honiara Airport and hotels.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

There are 8 cabins onboard, all with private bathrooms. 1 double bed Superior cabin is located on the upper deck, 4 Premium twin bed cabins on the main deck, and 3 Classic twin bed cabins on the lower deck.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 9 / 11 - hot water