Originally Posted by
manneca
I posted not so much to second guess the divers, but to point out that UA's bad press is everywhere. This newsletter is read by lots of serious divers who depend on the recommendations in making pricey travel decisions.
Lots of divers don't have lots of time to plan extra stop-overs. And if one is connecting to a live-aboard and the equipment doesn't make it, then one can be out of luck. Most live-aboards carry a limited amount of equipment and require divers to reserve ahead. And the live-aboards wait for no one. And in these remote destinations, there is no option of catching up with the boat a day later as they may be with cruise ships.
This is not the case on Chuuk. The only true live-aboard Odyssey will send it small boat back to get missing divers or gear. The other Thorfinn is usually anchored so shouldn't be a problem. The Truk Stop hotel is five minutes from the airport with the Blue Lagoon about 30 with horrible roads.
If you are going to dive the pacific you better have the time to do it right. The distances are great and the number of flights are very limited. Miss a connection and you can spend days waiting for another. But with that said, its well worth the effort to go.