Odyssey Dive — a small expedition catamaran for the remote Rowley Shoals

Odyssey is for divers who want the Rowley Shoals rather than a polished resort at sea. The destination sits 300 kilometres from the nearest land, and the boat is built around reaching it with a small group, a capable tender operation and enough deck space to live outside between dives. The attraction is not a long list of onboard luxuries. It is the combination of remote coral atolls, clear lagoons, vertical walls, canyons and strong tidal movement, reached from a vessel that can carry everyone together. Non-divers and snorkellers are welcome, so a mixed group can share the trip without turning the diving into a separate operation. Odyssey suits divers who value access, food and crew attention over the feel of a new yacht. The crew score is stronger than the boat score, while the food scores highest of all. That tells the useful story: the vessel is a working expedition boat, and the people and galley are a significant part of what makes the week worthwhile.

Odyssey presents as a working exploration vessel rather than a floating hotel. Its custom-built catamaran hull gives the interior and decks a practical, stable feel, while the twin Detroit diesel engines are designed for quiet operation on long passages. Boarding leads into a boat arranged for outdoor living: shaded upper-deck seating, open viewing areas and a large alfresco space where meals can be taken outside. The 12-metre Homer is part of the first impression too. It travels with the main vessel and carries the whole group into places a larger boat could not reach, with shade, cushioned seating, easy boarding and its own toilet and washing facilities. The boat was launched in 2006 and renovated in 2015, so it should be approached as an established expedition platform, not a recently built luxury yacht. Its appeal lies in how directly it serves the remote route.

Odyssey has the atmosphere of a small working expedition, not a formal cruise. With a maximum of 20 guests, the group is small enough for the crew to remain visible through the day: running the tenders, explaining the conditions, handling excursions and keeping the practical details moving. English is the working language. The crew's role extends beyond the dive platform, since the same people help shape the fishing, snorkelling and shore or reef activities around the tides. In the evening, the shaded deck, bar, library and screens give the group places to stay together without forcing everyone into one activity. Passenger scoring reflects the balance clearly: the crew and food are rated higher than the boat itself. Odyssey is therefore best suited to divers who accept a practical, established vessel in exchange for a crew that carries much of the experience and a galley that reliably supports the long days.

The route is an eight-day, seven-night loop from Broome to the Rowley Shoals and back. The destination is a chain of three coral atolls rising from deep Indian Ocean water, with each atoll offering different ways into the reef: clear lagoons, near-vertical walls, deep blue canyons and drift dives shaped by the large tidal range. The five-metre tides move substantial volumes of water through the coral framework, which is why the same reef can feel entirely different according to the tide and the dive plan. Clerke Reef is the atoll where fishing is permitted, and the boat stays there for about four nights; fishing is prohibited at Mermaid Reef. No verified site-by-site catalogue or dive depths is available for this itinerary, so the route should not be sold as a fixed list of named dives. The draw is the scale and isolation of the atolls, combined with the chance to enter their lagoons, walls and current-cut passages from the tenders.

The Rowley Shoals is a remote destination, so a recognised open-water certification is required. Odyssey recommends that divers have kept their skills current and logged at least 20 dives; that is sensible preparation for clear water, tidal movement, tender transfers and an itinerary far from shore. The crew speaks English, and crew members hold current senior first-aid certificates. Oxygen, first-aid kits, a Royal Flying Doctor Service medical chest and satellite-phone access are carried aboard, with the Royal Flying Doctor Service available for consultation around the clock. The available information does not give guide-to-diver ratios, instructor numbers, formal group sizes, onboard courses or a recall system. Briefings and group organisation are therefore best confirmed for the particular departure. This is not a place for a diver who has left the sport untouched for years; it rewards people who arrive comfortable with their equipment and ready to respond to a remote-water briefing.

The dive setup is straightforward and built around tenders. Odyssey has a dedicated dive platform, DIN adaptors and diver tenders, while air fills come from the onboard 21 cfm compressor. Belts and weights are provided. The 12-metre Homer is the primary expedition tender, with easy-access boarding, shade, cushioned seating, a toilet and washing facilities; two additional five-metre tenders support the operation and other activities. Divers should expect to move between the main vessel, tenders and reef rather than step directly from a large dive deck onto every site. A camera room and photo space give photographers somewhere to work between dives, and charging stations are available. The boat also carries hot-water showers for the return from the water. DIN adaptors are listed, but tank material and capacity, nitrox, rental equipment, SMB arrangements, rinse-tank layout and the exact tender entry system are not described here. Divers who rely on any of those details should ask before booking.

Between dives, the upper deck is the natural base. It has shade, alfresco dining and wide views across open water, with a bar close by for the hours when the heat has settled in. The lower interior provides air-conditioned space, a library and audio-visual entertainment, but the Rowley Shoals make it easy to stay outside: the boat is surrounded by sea, reef and sky rather than a passing coastline. Fishing is available at Clerke Reef under the marine park rules, with equipment carried aboard and tenders used to reach the fishing grounds. Snorkelling and optional kayaking give non-divers and surface intervals a purpose of their own. Odyssey also carries a photo space and camera room for sorting images before the next entry. The useful rhythm is simple: dry off, eat, review the last dive, then decide whether the next gap belongs in the shade or in the water.

A Rowley Shoals day is organised around the water rather than a sightseeing timetable. The boat anchors in the marine park, the crew prepares the tenders and divers move between Odyssey and the reef as the conditions and tide allow. Meals and snacks break up the diving, with fresh food ready after the effort of a tender transfer and a salt-water exit. The gaps belong to the shaded upper deck, a nap in the air-conditioned cabin, camera work, snorkelling, fishing or simply watching the atoll from the boat. The itinerary is eight days and seven nights, but no fixed daily dive count or exact sequence of dawn, afternoon and night dives is published. That matters at the Rowley Shoals: tidal movement is part of the reason to go, and a useful day is one arranged around the reef rather than forced into a rigid clock. The boat returns to Broome at the end of the loop.

The galley is one of Odyssey's strongest points. The onboard chef prepares fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner, with morning and afternoon snacks, and the menu draws on both Western and local cooking. Vegetarian choices and dietary requirements can be accommodated when given at booking. A buffet format keeps meals simple after a dive: food is ready, portions are flexible and nobody has to wait for a formal service while still wet from the water. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, soft drinks, juices and snacks are available throughout the day. Beer and other alcoholic drinks are available from the bar as an extra. On a remote itinerary, good food is more than comfort. Four dives, tender transfers, sun and salt create a steady appetite, and a galley that delivers fresh meals every day changes how manageable the week feels.

Cabins are on the lower deck, with portholes, air-conditioning, storage, a bar fridge and 240-volt power. The deluxe cabins include double and twin layouts; the classic category is a twin cabin. Four shared bathroom facilities sit close to the cabins, with hot-water showers available. These are practical sleeping quarters for a week centred on the water, not oversized rooms designed to keep guests indoors. The portholes give a sense of the sea without turning the cabin into a viewing lounge, and the air-conditioning matters after a day in the Rowley Shoals sun. Outside, the boat offers more breathing room: the shaded upper deck, bar area and other viewing decks are where most guests will spend the hours between meals and dives. The cabin is for sleep, drying off and sorting the next dive. The sea is the larger room.

Odyssey's Rowley Shoals trips depart from Broome and return to Broome. Airport and hotel transfers are optional extras rather than part of the standard onboard inclusions. Arriving in Broome the night before is the sensible choice, leaving room for delays before boarding and the offshore departure.

Odyssey operates without shore-based structures and explores the Kimberley and offshore reefs as a small group. The crew is trained to encourage minimal-impact activities and respect the history and culture of the places visited. Marine waste is collected when encountered and returned for proper disposal, while onboard waste is retained for recycling where possible or taken to an approved waste-management site. These are practical measures rather than a claim that the boat leaves no footprint: the vessel still runs on diesel and operates in a remote marine park.