Do you have to go to Baghdad to know you don't want to be there?...Dexter Fulton - Tech Diver/Civil EngineerNovember 7, 2004 at 14:27:09Just back from my first dive trip to Baja.
All of the decisions I made about which companies would get my money and which ones would not, were based on information I got from the web as well as a few trusted friends. Like it or not Ian, that's what's happening these days. You don't have to get on a Mike Ball boat to know you don't want to patronize Mike Ball's company.
I just don't give my money to scammers and if that's a problem for you, I don't care. It's my money, it's my call. You go ahead and make yours. About Mike Ball's old boats, you also don't have to get on one to know it's a cattle boat.
Just count the number of divers and forget about the cabin dimensions, ensuite facilities, deck space etc, because that approach can put you on a cruise ship with 3,500 people. I know what I want and it's not paying for Mike Ball's overpriced magazine ads to sit on a cattle boat with a total of 36 people or more. No matter how big the boat is, 26 divers plus a half dozen divemasters does not work for me, not in the water, not on deck, and not at the dinner table. I
usually charter my own boats but if I had to get on a commercial liveaboard with crew to dive the Great Barrier Reef, I would be leaning towards Diversity, which is set up for 12 divers. If you force me to get on a cattle boat, I would be leaning towards TAKA. It's a brand new boat based on a traditional seaworthy design and to the best of my knowledge, the owner has not resorted to the unscrupulous and contemptible conduct that has made Mike Ball infamous.
More power to CDNN for exposing Mike Ball's scams. | 
