Dive trip with SeaOra - 7 nights

Boat

SeaOra is made for travellers who want the Maldives to feel larger than a single resort island. At 29.5 metres—rounded to 30 metres in the operator’s technical data—she brings accommodation, dining and open-air relaxation together on four decks, while a separate dhoni handles dive logistics. That division matters: cylinders, compressors and wet equipment remain away from the main guest areas, leaving the mothership quieter and more comfortable between activities.

The vessel was originally built in 2004 and, according to the operator, received a complete interior and mechanical renovation in 2024. Her current presentation combines warm Maldivian timberwork in the accommodation areas with a lighter, contemporary salon and dining space. The result has character rather than the anonymous finish of a hotel: polished wood surrounds the suites, while broad windows bring daylight and ocean views into the shared rooms.

SeaOra’s public areas encourage guests to change pace throughout the day. The indoor salon gives an air-conditioned refuge for briefings, films or a quiet surface interval. Outside, covered seating protects from the midday sun, an observation area opens the view across the atolls, and the upper deck provides space for unhurried sunsets. The outdoor Jacuzzi is a particularly welcome option after a full diving or snorkelling programme. An all-day bar is advertised onboard, while soft drinks and alcohol are not part of the published Beyond the Blue package.

Meals are served buffet-style, with Western and Asian dishes forming the operator’s core offer. Vegetarian and vegan choices are advertised, as are snacks between activities. On the Beyond the Blue departure, the confirmed full-board package includes water, coffee and tea. The week is designed to move beyond the dining room as well: weather permitting, the programme includes an island dinner, while the published schedule adds a beach barbecue, a white party, a meal with a Maldivian family and a special farewell dinner.

The operator lists a cruising speed of 11 knots and a maximum of 12 knots. More important for guests than the engine specification is the boat’s operating pattern: SeaOra functions as the floating hotel, the dhoni positions divers and snorkellers, and the cruise team adjusts navigation to weather, current and the next activity. Safety equipment in the current specialist record includes GPS, radar, VHF/DSC/SSB radio, EPIRB, emergency rafts, life jackets, oxygen, first-aid kits, fire detection and extinguishers, satellite and mobile communications, and an engine-room camera system.

Cabin

SeaOra’s detailed inventory reconciles to exactly 10 air-conditioned cabins with private bathrooms and a maximum operating capacity of 20 guests. The current room-by-room configuration is:

• 1 Master Suite — lower deck: 16.72 m²; one king bed measuring 6.5 × 6 ft; dressing and storage area; private bathroom with two wash basins, a separate shower and a large bathtub; hot and cold water; maximum 2 guests
• 1 Junior Suite — upper deck: one king bed measuring 6.5 × 6 ft; private bathroom with hot and cold shower; individually controlled air conditioning; standard exterior window; maximum 2 guests. No reliable floor area is published, so none is stated here
• 4 Upper Guest Suites — upper deck: 9.27 m² each; one queen bed measuring 6.5 × 5 ft plus one single bed measuring 6.5 × 3 ft; wardrobe and storage; private bathroom with separate shower; hot and cold water; air conditioning; standard exterior window; maximum 2 guests per cabin in the current sales inventory
• 4 Lower Guest Suites — lower deck: 10.22 m² each; the category is described with either a 6.5 × 5 ft queen or a 6.5 × 4 ft double, together with one 6.5 × 3 ft single; wardrobe and storage; private bathroom with separate shower; hot and cold water; air conditioning; porthole; maximum 2 guests per cabin in the current sales inventory

The arithmetic is precise: 1 Master + 1 Junior + 4 upper Guest + 4 lower Guest suites equals 10 cabins, and the current two-person sales limit for every room equals 20 guests. Although each Guest Suite contains an additional single sleeping surface, the published operating capacity does not release all of those beds at once. Visitors should therefore treat the single as useful room flexibility—not as automatic triple occupancy—and have every child, third guest or shared arrangement approved on the dated rooming list.

The two king-bed categories offer distinct experiences. The lower-deck Master is the largest published cabin and the only category confirmed with a bathtub and twin wash basins. The upper-deck Junior has no stated size, but its position provides a standard window rather than a porthole. Couples prioritising floor area and a larger bathroom will naturally favour the Master; those wanting an upper-deck location may prefer the Junior.

Upper Guest Suites combine a queen and a separate single in 9.27 m². They suit friends who accept the published bed arrangement, a couple wanting an extra surface for personal items, or an approved small-family rooming. Lower Guest Suites are slightly larger at 10.22 m², but the operator describes more than one double-bed width across the four-cabin category. The exact cabin number and whether it carries the queen or smaller double should be written on the confirmation rather than assumed from a category photograph.

Every category is ensuite and air-conditioned. The upper cabins have conventional windows; the lower categories use portholes. Storage is explicitly listed in both Guest Suite types and is especially generous in the Master dressing area. Because room configuration and occupancy affect comfort, request the named deck, bed arrangement and cabin category before payment, then verify the final allocation again when travel documents are issued.

Diving

SeaOra’s published Beyond the Blue week includes 14 dives, one of them at night, for qualified participants. Standard diving support comprises a 12-litre cylinder, weights, local Maldivian guides and complimentary Nitrox. The operator is careful about the Nitrox promise: it is a free service, and no compensation is due if it becomes unavailable for an unforeseen operational reason. Divers should carry proof of Nitrox certification if they intend to use enriched air.

A dedicated dive dhoni carries the working equipment and brings groups to suitable entry points. This keeps the main vessel uncluttered and lets the dhoni follow divers during drift dives or collect guests away from a reef. Daily timing, group division and whether a site is used for scuba, snorkelling or both remain decisions for the guides, who must account for current, visibility, sea state and participant experience.

The seven-night programme is intentionally broader than a conventional dive-only safari. Its published sequence combines manta areas, nurse-shark encounters, a wreck, coral reefs, a night dive and the site described by the operator as “Shark Tank” with sandbanks, local culture, a beach evening and time in Malé. Snorkellers can join many surface encounters, but scuba and snorkel access are never identical. A strong current, depth profile or night entry may make a location appropriate for certified divers while surface guests follow a separate plan.

Neither scuba nor snorkelling equipment is included. Guests should bring their own correctly serviced set or reserve rental sizes in advance. A 15-litre cylinder is also excluded, while the included standard is 12 litres. The exact regulator fitting, exposure protection, computer, light and snorkel set should be confirmed before embarkation; availability onboard should not be treated as unlimited.

Medical and diving insurance is mandatory under the published package. Certification level, recent experience and any health declaration should be reviewed before sale because the itinerary includes sharks, a wreck, currents and a night dive. Fourteen is the planned total, not an unconditional guarantee: weather, marine conditions, safety, guest qualification and changes made by the guides can reduce, reorder or replace activities.

Other Information

• Destination: Maldives
• Programme described: Beyond the Blue, 8 days / 7 nights
• Embarkation / disembarkation: transfer via Velana International Airport and the Malé area, according to the confirmed meeting plan
• Vessel: 29.5 m overall; operator technical data rounds to 30 m
• Beam: 8 m on the current operator page
• Build / renovation: built 2004; complete interior and mechanical renovation reported in 2024
• Speed: 11 knots cruising; 12 knots maximum
• Guest capacity: maximum 20 in 10 ensuite cabins
• Accommodation: 1 Master, 1 Junior, 4 upper Guest and 4 lower Guest suites
• Climate control: air conditioning in every cabin; air-conditioned indoor salon
• Leisure: Jacuzzi, observation and leisure areas, indoor audio/video entertainment and fishing equipment advertised
• Dive operation: separate dhoni, 12-litre cylinders, weights, local guides and conditional complimentary Nitrox on Beyond the Blue
• Languages: English, Spanish and Russian are listed in the current specialist vessel record

Confirmed as included on the published Beyond the Blue package: all necessary transfers within the Maldives; seven nights aboard SeaOra in a standard double cabin; full board with water, coffee and tea; 14 dives including one night dive; 12-litre cylinders and diving weights; local Maldivian dive guides; dinner on private islands when weather permits; and complimentary Nitrox, with no compensation if the free service is unexpectedly unavailable.

Confirmed as excluded on that package: international or domestic airfare; 15-litre cylinders; scuba and snorkelling equipment; mandatory medical and diving insurance; soft drinks and alcohol; government taxes; and a published crew gratuity of €100 per person. Anything not expressly named in the operator’s included list must be treated as excluded until added in writing to the booking confirmation.