Solomons Master — a compact steel liveaboard for serious diving

Solomons Master suits divers who would rather spend a week with a capable small group than trade space for a larger hotel boat. Sixteen guests is enough for a social saloon and small enough that the crew can keep track of how the diving is going. The boat is built around wreck diving and accepts technical and rebreather divers, so it is not limited to standard recreational profiles. It also has the practical details that matter after several days: a proper camera area, separate charging and rinse arrangements, individual dive stations and room to store accessories. The strongest reason to choose it is the balance. The hull is an older steel vessel, but the crew and diving score much better than the boat itself, while the food is the clear standout. This is a boat for divers who value the people running the trip and the working layout over a new-build finish.

Solomons Master makes no attempt to hide its working-boat past. The steel hull and the 2016 renovation point to a vessel kept in service rather than replaced by a polished new platform. Inside, the impression is practical: a dining room, an indoor lounge and bar, a shaded relaxation area, then a large upper-deck sun deck when the weather allows. The boat moves easily between the spaces divers actually use; the dive deck is not an afterthought reached through a maze of accommodation. That matters when wet gear, cameras and accessories follow the same route all week. It is an older boat, and guest feedback reflects that, with the hull scoring below the crew, food and diving. The return is a compact operation where the crew remains close to the diving rather than hidden behind hotel-style service.

The atmosphere is shaped more by the crew than by the hull. Guest feedback puts the crew well ahead of the boat itself, and that difference matters on an older liveaboard: the people running the trip are where the confidence comes from. The crew speaks English, and the small guest list keeps the working parts of the day visible. Divers meet at the stations, return through the same rear platform and regroup around the dining room or bar. The dive deck has enough room for equipment and accessories, so the usual scramble is reduced even when everyone is preparing at once. By evening, the boat's social centre is the indoor lounge, where the day's dives can turn into a film, a photo review or a drink before sleep.

Three guides work on Solomons Master, and the crew speaks English. The boat supports recreational, technical and rebreather diving, and courses can be arranged on board; certification courses are an optional extra. The available information does not set out a guide-to-diver ratio, instructor qualifications, a minimum logged-dive count or a fixed grouping system, so those details should not be assumed. Briefings are part of the working routine before the tenders and rear platform put divers into the water. Emergency oxygen, first-aid kits, trained first-aid crew, a fire alarm and extinguishers, life rafts, VHF/DSC/SSB radio, satellite and mobile phones, GPS, radar and a locating beacon are carried on board. That is the safety framework; the actual briefing remains the place to learn how this particular cruise organises recalls and groups.

The dive deck is one of Solomons Master's better arguments. Individual set-up stations, under-bench storage and a large working area give each diver a place for the equipment and smaller accessories, while the rear platform leads directly to the water by ladders. Two tenders support the diving operation. Three compressors are carried, and the boat can provide nitrox as an optional service; technical and rebreather diving are also supported, with gas and equipment requests arranged before departure. Rental equipment is available, as are additional 11.1-litre and 13.2-litre cylinders. The boat does not carry 13-litre or 15-litre cylinders. Photographers have a dedicated camera station with charging points and storage, plus separate camera rinsing facilities. Freshwater and outdoor showers make the return from the water less punishing.

Between dives, Solomons Master gives guests several different places to disappear for an hour. The shaded relaxation area works when the sun is too hard, while the upper-deck terrace offers open air and space to stretch out. The air-conditioned indoor lounge has a bar, audio and video entertainment and a library, so a surface interval does not have to mean sitting beside wet gear. Photographers have a dedicated area for charging and preparation rather than taking over the dining table. Internet is available as a paid service, but the more useful habit on a remote route is simpler: rinse the equipment, eat something, find shade and let the boat carry the noise away.

A day aboard is organised around the dive operation rather than a hotel timetable. The first briefing comes before the equipment work, then divers move from their stations to the rear platform or tenders and return to showers, food and a place in the shade. Snacks keep the gap between dives simple, while full-board meals provide the larger pauses and bring everyone back to the dining room. When the boat is underway, the upper deck and shaded areas become the natural places to watch the islands and recover. The next interval may belong to a camera station, a book in the library or a quiet hour in the air-conditioned lounge. The exact number and timing of dives depends on the itinerary and conditions, so the shape is reliable even when the clock is not.

Food is Solomons Master's strongest point in guest feedback, and the offering is broad enough to support a full week of diving without making every meal feel the same. Full board includes buffet service, snacks throughout the day, Western and local cooking, vegetarian options, and outdoor dining when conditions suit. Beer and wine are available, while non-alcoholic drinks, drinking water, tea and coffee are included. The useful detail is the timing: snacks fill the gap between dives, and proper meals bring the group back together after the equipment has been rinsed and stored. On a boat doing repeated dives, good food is not decoration. It is recovery, conversation and the reason the saloon stays occupied.

The cabins are arranged as Classic Twin, Premium Twin, Premium Twin/Double and Superior Twin/Double. All have air-conditioning, private bathrooms, hot water and extra storage, with twin or double arrangements available in the flexible categories. The Superior cabin adds more room and views, while the Classic cabins keep things straightforward. These are sleeping quarters for a diving trip, not oversized suites: the useful luxuries are a door that closes, a cool room after a long day and a bathroom that belongs to the cabin. With eight bathrooms for eight cabins, there is no shared-bathroom compromise. The older hull may show more age than a newer liveaboard, but the accommodation gives each guest a private base between dives.

Cruises depart from Honiara, with itineraries returning to Honiara or ending in Munda. The Guadalcanal and Western Province route runs from Honiara to Munda; the technical-special, Best of the Solomons, and Florida and Russell Islands routes return to Honiara. Airport and hotel transfers are included. Arriving the night before gives useful protection against a delayed flight or a missed embarkation connection.