Papua New Guinea: Trip of a Lifetime!
Details
UPDATE: All E-tickets for the PNG flights have been emailed to you all. Please use these to check-in at the Hong kong airport.
UPDATE: Nitrox is available at our resort and is $90 per week, or $25 per day.
UPDATE: Resort will accept credit cards to pay for your incidentals.
UPDATE: PNG Discussion Forum: PNG forum (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/48715926/)
Join Power Scuba for an exotic, adventurous scuba trip overseas!
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Papua New Guinea (PNG): This is another one of those "trip of a lifetime" adventures! Situated on the other side of the world, not far from Indonesia, PNG is considered one of the rarest, hard-to-get-to, pristine scuba destinations you'll find. All at Power Scuba's usual no-profit price!
WHAT: A 15-day trip to gorgeous Papua New Guinea. (Comprising eight diving days and opportunities for land tours (bat caves, skulls caves, cultural, etc) on our off-gas day and otherwise.
WHEN: September 1-15.
Why 15 Days? Our resort is remote and takes a bit of flying to get to.
COST: $4,400 No-Profit price. This is a final cost. (This price does not include your home-to-Hong-Kong-and-back airfare cost.) If we end up with a surplus, no matter how big or small, it will be payed back to the attendees.
AIRFARE: The flight from Hong Kong to PNG AND the PNG domestic flights are included in the trip price quoted above. You are responsible for obtaining your flight from your home to Hong Kong and back. (About $1,050 from Los Angeles last time I checked.) Obtain this flight (States to HK and back) asap to get the best price.
TRANSFERS: All PNG domestic transfers are included.The dive op will pick us up at the airport and return us there.
WHAT ALL IS INCLUDED IN TRIP PRICE: Air from HK-toPNG-and-back, PNG domestic air flights, accommodations, all meals while at resort, snacks, coffee/tea/water, diving (3+ dives per day), airport transfers in PNG, reef (park) fee, chamber fee, & fuel surcharge.
PERKS:
Free Nitrox, Advanced, or Refresher course for all attending members before we depart. Dates to be posted soon. (There will be 2 opportunities/dates for each course. You must attend one of these sessions if you want to participate.)
Free event T-Shirts
Conversations about our trip can be had here: PNG Forum (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/48715926/)
YOU MUST MAIL YOUR DEPOSIT OF $500 IMMEDIATELY WHEN YOU RSVP. Mail check, made out to "Power Scuba" to: Power Scuba 12546 Heatherton Court Unit 41 San Diego Ca 92128. Alternatively you could paypal the money to powerscuba1@gmail.com , but you'll have to add 3% fees to your deposit. That's $15. Deposit is wholly non-refundable after April 1, 2015.
BALANCE: A payment will be due in June and your balance will be due AT LEAST 70 days before we depart for PNG.
ITINERARY:This is a true adventure, folks. Lots of travel involved.
Sept 1: Depart your home for Hong Kong (Chek Lap Kok airport).
Sept 3: Arrive Hong Kong. (We lose a day going over international date line.) Get day room at hotel close by or hang at airport/take excellent public transport into town. Depart on evening red-eye (8 pm) for PNG. (You MUST be on this flight.) Air Niugini (http://www.airniugini.com.pg/)
Sept 4: We arrive in PNG (Port Moresby) the early morning of Sept 4.
Sept 4: Immediately depart for our Gurney airport by airplane. ~9 am Air Niugini (http://www.airniugini.com.pg/)
Sept 4: Arrive Gurney airport and transit to our dive resort (Tawali).
Sept 5: First full day of diving
Sept 12: Last day of diving
Sept 13: Off-gas day. Land tours and events.
Sept 14: Depart resort and gurney airport for Port Moresby. Air Niugini (http://www.airniugini.com.pg/)
Sept 14: Depart Port Moresby for Hong Kong. Air Niugini (http://www.airniugini.com.pg/)
Sept 14: Arrive Hong Kong 8 pm. Transfer to flight home -or- overnight at hotel of your choice and get plane in the morning -or- stay and recreate on your own.
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DIVING: Tawali Resort (http://www.tawali.com) - Well-regarded op, accessible only by boat, with a great reputation for customer service. We will do at least eight dive days there. Three dives per day. (Additional (night, etc) dives available for slight extra cost.) House reef considered the best in the country. Free shore dives! Located on a volcanic bluff overlooking the clear protected waters of Milne Bay, Tawali offers travelers a unique location to dive, relax and enjoy.
CRUCIAL NOTE:
Like our Indonesian trip of four years ago, there is marine life present that can kill you... much of it small and innocent-looking. SOME OF IT HIDDEN IN THE SAND. YOU MUST STAY OFF THE BOTTOM. THIS GOES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS DOUBLY SO. Muck sticks are mandatory!
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MEALS: All meals are included while we are with the resort. There may be an in-between time (Resort and plane flights when it'll be necessary for you to grab a bite on your own.
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IMPORTANT: Flight from States to Hong Kong:
You want to arrange your flight from home so you are at Hong Kong Airport (Chep Lok Kok) no later than 5 pm on Sept 3rd. You are responsible for obtaining this flight. It IS NOT part of the trip package.
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DETAILS:
You'll need your passport. (Have at least 6 months of validity left on it after your return date.)
The PNG currency is the Kina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinean_kina).
Language is Tok Pisin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tok_Pisin), English (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language), and Hiri Motu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiri_Motu). Most linguistically diverse place on earth (850 languages).
Electricity: 220-240 Volts. More details here (http://www.adaptelec.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&products_id=244). Converters and surge protectors will be needed.
You'll definitely want to bring a dive computer. A backup is good as well.
Room safes/on-site safe: TBD
Gear storage at resort: TBD
MUCH more information can (will) be had at our Questions and Answers page on the message board: PNG Forum (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/48715926/)
ADVANCED: You should have an Advanced scuba certification to go on this trip... or ANY overseas trip. Some of the dives will be over 60' of depth... and PNG is known for some pretty exciting dives. (Some overseas dive ops REQUIRE an Advanced cert to go to certain sites.) There is plenty of time between now and then to get your cert.
Nitrox: Checking on availability
A 2/3 mm wetsuit will be a good thing to bring, but you may not need it.
Dive boats are of the "panga" variety.
Decompression chamber: Located at Port Moresby Medical Services, it is a DAN-sponsored facility.
Medical facilities: Also in Port Moresby. Don't count on very much at our resort destination.
Bring that sun block!
If you're a single, we'll pair you up with another person in your room. (Same sex if at all possible.)
Don't wait until just before the trip to buy your airline ticket. You'll regret it.
Bring your Dramamine/Bonine. No use letting seasickness spoil your trip.
Bring your Immodium/Anti-diarrheal. Just to be safe!
No car rental needed or available.
Your Checklist:
_______ Liability Release submitted (found in the "Files" section of this group).
_______ Medical Questionaire submitted (found in the "Files" section of this group).
_______ Packout List: https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/48715926/ (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/boards/thread/19126432/0/)
_______ Passport (with at least 6 months validity AFTER your return date)
_______ Send Bill Powers your Emergency Contact Info and any medical conditions.
_______ Verify the Roommate list (found in the https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/48715926/ ).
_______ Send the Tawali info sheet to them. Form is found in https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/48715926/ .
_______ Verify the Boat Assignment list. (TBD)
_______ Read the event page in its entirety.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
Booze
Departure tax: TBD
Scuba gear (but available for rental).
Full Disclosure:
The dive resort gives one free spot for every 4 paid divers. The first spot is taken by the Trip Organizer. The other spots will be factored back into everyone's cost.
The dive resort vendor gives the Trip Organizer a 20% commission. This is NOT taken by the organizer. Rather this savings is factored back into everyone's cost.
$95 is being added to each person's trip price for admin costs and to help defray the expense of the Trip Organizer's plane flights. As the Trip Organizer is needed on-site to administer to the group and liaison with the vendors this is considered a necessary expense to the group. No other outside costs or profit is added to your trip fee. (The trip Organizer will still have to pay some of the trip cost himself.)
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ADMIN STUFF:
If you have not filled out a liability release for Power Scuba Meetup, please follow this link to the file, print, sign and bring to the event, along with your C-Card (scuba certification card). You only need to do this once a year: Liability Release and Assumption of Risk (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/New_Liability_Release-2.pdf)
You must also read this: Disclaimer and Clarification... AKA Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/5914647)
Anyone with a medical condition possibly counter-indicitive to diving must have a doctors signature on a diving waiver form and submit signed form to Bill Powers (or an organizer) before they may attend any Power Scuba event. YOU MAY NOT ATTEND THIS TRIP WITH AN UNDISCLOSED MEDICAL CONDITION. Doing so is grounds for expulsion from the group. Here is our medical statement: Medical Statement (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/Medical%20Statement%20and%20Questionnaire.pdf) Therein you'll find a Doctor Waiver form as well.
REFUNDS: If you are due any refund, there \may be fees associated with that process: Refund Policy (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/32049962)
Attending any scuba event Power Scuba facilitates constitutes attendee's affirmation they are medically fit to dive, have read the Terms and Conditions, and have submitted a signed Liability Release to an organizer.
Important Note: It is not the Organizer's role to lead your actual dives. He/she merely facilitates you getting to the pre-dive meeting location. The Organizer will not assign you a buddy nor will he/she be leading the dive as a "group dive". Liability does not allow for that. Nor will the Organizer tell you whether you are skilled enough to make any particular dive. That is for you (only) to decide. When you enter the water, you (and your buddy) are on your own (possibly under the observation of a resort dive master). Once members arrive at the meeting spot, the Trip Organizer becomes simply another diver.
Your participation constitutes your affirmation you agree to these above rules and disclaimers.... and that your buddy(s) (if applicable) has read and agrees to the same.
DISCLAIMER: We are traveling to a very remote part of the world. Circumstances preventing us from performing some (or all) aspects of the described trip may arise beyond the control of your Trip Organizer and Power Scuba. You agree to hold the Trip Organizer and Power Scuba blameless and without liability should conditions arise beyond the control of Trip Organizer and Power Scuba.