FAQ

The water temperature is around 29°C (84°F) throughout the year, although it may occasionally be cooler.

We also post updates on current conditions on our social media channels.

If you are sending equipment from overseas, we generally do not recommend shipping it to our shop.

International mail and parcel services do not guarantee a specific delivery date. Customs clearance may also be required, and international shipping can be expensive.

The same applies when shipping equipment from Palau. Simply completing a shipping form may not be sufficient. The most reliable option is to bring your equipment with you as baggage on your flight.

We do not have Barracuda fins available for rental. If you would like to use Barracuda fins, please bring your own.

Most of our rental fins are Warp Mini fins.

A mesh bag is not required. If you use one, it will mainly be useful on the first and last days of your diving trip.

For the Ryoma I Cruise, it may be used when transferring equipment between the dive boat and the mother ship.

For Day Trip Diving, it may be used when transporting your equipment between your hotel and our dive shop.

Ryoma I Cruise

If diving in Peleliu is one of your main objectives, we recommend joining a Ryoma I cruise itinerary that includes the Peleliu route.

Day Trip Diving

Our Day Trip Diving tours are generally shared with other guests, so arranging a trip to Peleliu is usually difficult.

We may consider a Peleliu trip only when all necessary conditions are suitable, including sea conditions, boat operations, guide availability, and the experience and skill levels of all participating guests.

At present, it is difficult for us to operate Peleliu trips simply on a request basis as we did in the past.

When a Peleliu trip is being considered, we generally ask participants to have at least 200 logged dives. However, eligibility is not determined by the number of dives alone.

Your recent diving activity, diving skills, sea conditions on the day, and other factors will be taken into consideration. The final decision will be made by our local dive guides.

Therefore, even experienced divers may not be able to dive in Peleliu.

If Peleliu diving is the main purpose of your trip to Palau, we recommend considering a Ryoma I Cruise itinerary that includes the Peleliu route rather than relying on Day Trip Diving.

View Ryoma I Cruise Schedule

Wearing a wetsuit is not mandatory.

However, many dive sites in Palau have coral and rocky areas, and there may sometimes be strong currents.

To help protect yourself from injury, we recommend wearing a full-length wetsuit that covers both your arms and legs.

The water temperature is generally around 28–29°C (82–84°F) throughout the year, but we recommend a 5 mm full wetsuit.

This is because your body can become cold on rainy days or when traveling by boat in wet conditions.

If you do not get cold easily, a 3 mm wetsuit should generally be sufficient.

In addition to your regular diving equipment, the following items may be useful:

• Motion sickness medication
• Anti-itch medication for jellyfish stings or insect bites
• Cotton socks to help prevent fin chafing
• Spare coin-cell batteries for your dive computer

Many products in Palau are imported, so prices can be high and availability may be limited or inconsistent.

If you have specific products that you normally use, we recommend bringing them with you from home.

Recommended Items for Palau

*The linked information is currently available in Japanese.

Hotel preferences vary depending on your budget and priorities, such as location, facilities, convenience, or resort atmosphere.

Hotels near our dive shop in Malakal

• Antelope Guesthouse
• West Plaza Malakal
• Palau Royal Resort
• Cove Resort Palau
• Sea Passion Hotel

Hotels in central Koror

• Garden Palace Downtown
• Palau Hotel
• Palasia Hotel Palau
• Palau Central Hotel
• West Plaza Downtown
• West Plaza Lebuu Street

Hotels with Japanese-speaking staff

• Garden Palace Downtown
• DW Motel
• Palau Royal Resort
• Palau Pacific Resort
• Palau Plantation Resort (depending on the season)

The availability and working hours of Japanese-speaking staff may vary by season and time of day.

Our hotel transfer service is generally available for hotels located within Koror State.

Hotel facilities, services, rates, and staffing may change. Please contact each hotel or your booking website directly for the latest information.

Please review the Point Card Terms & Conditions for information about eligibility, benefits, and how points may be used.

View Point Card Terms & Conditions

*The linked PDF is currently available in Japanese.

There are two main options for internet access:

1. Free Wi-Fi on board Ryoma I
2. A local Palau SIM card or eSIM

Free Wi-Fi is available on board Ryoma I. It can generally be used for email and text messaging through services such as LINE, Messenger, and Teams.

Internet speeds in the areas where Ryoma I operates are relatively slow. The connection is not suitable for streaming video or uploading large numbers of photos and videos.

If you expect to send or receive a large amount of photo or video data, you may also wish to consider purchasing a Palau SIM card or eSIM.

Network congestion is common between approximately 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM, and connection speeds may become especially slow around the Ngemelis and Peleliu areas. Early morning generally offers better connectivity.

Some eSIMs purchased outside Palau may only work around Koror and may not connect in the Peleliu area.

International roaming plans offered by your mobile carrier also do not guarantee connectivity in all areas of Palau.

We currently do not purchase personal SIM cards or eSIMs on behalf of guests. You will need to bring your smartphone and complete the purchase or registration process yourself at the service provider's sales counter.

Please see the Ryoma I onboard amenities information. It includes details about electrical outlets and the amenities provided in each cabin.

View Ryoma I Amenities

We provide both bath towels for use in your cabin and towels for diving.

Freshly washed and dried diving towels are available each time you return to Ryoma I after diving.

Most flights arriving in Palau arrive at night or late at night.

For safety reasons, we do not make stops at stores between Palau International Airport and Ryoma I.

Please check the operating schedule for your cruise. In general, guests may remain on board until 9:00 AM on the disembarkation day.

View Ryoma I Cruise Schedule

Payment for a Ryoma I Cruise is divided into advance payments and payments made locally in Palau.

Advance Payments

The cruise fare, including the basic cruise fare, expedition fee and fuel surcharge, as well as hotels arranged by us and airport transfers, must be paid in advance after your booking has been confirmed.

Payment for the cruise may be made by bank transfer or credit card.

Accepted credit cards are: VISA, MasterCard, and Diners Club.

Please see the Ryoma I Cruise General Information page for details regarding payment procedures and deadlines.

Ryoma I Cruise General Information

Payments in Palau

Diving permits, ROOM TAX / VESSEL CABIN TAX, and tips must be paid in US dollars in cash.

Other locally payable charges may be paid in US dollars in cash or by credit card.

Accepted credit cards are: VISA, MasterCard, JCB, and Diners Club.

American Express and traveler's checks are not accepted.

Cancellation charges and date-change fees vary depending on the cruise you are joining.

Before making a reservation, please be sure to review the cancellation charges and date-change fees in the Ryoma I Cruise General Information.

Ryoma I Cruise General Information

First, please check the Cruise Schedule page for your preferred dates, route, and rates.

Once you have selected your preferred cruise, please contact us through our Reservations & Inquiries page.

View Ryoma I Cruise Schedule Reservations & Inquiries

Hotel pickup times vary depending on where you are staying. Approximate pickup times are listed below in alphabetical order.

• The pickup times above are approximate.
• If your pickup time changes due to your hotel location, reservation conditions, or other circumstances, we will notify you by the day before your dive.
• Pickup may be slightly delayed due to traffic or other circumstances.
• If your pickup has not arrived 15 minutes after the time shown above, please ask your hotel front desk to contact our dive shop.

Yes. You are welcome to request dive sites such as Blue Corner or Blue Holes.

However, our Day Trip Diving tours are shared with other guests, so we cannot guarantee specific dive sites in advance.

Dive sites for the day are selected by our dive guides and boat captains based on sea conditions, requests from all guests, and the diving skills of each group.

If it is your first time diving with us, or if it has been a long time since your previous visit, your first dive on the first day will generally be used as a check dive so that our guides can assess your diving skills.

If you have any concerns, please speak with our reservation staff in advance or with your dive guide on the day.

Our Day Trip Diving program covers dive areas within Koror State.

We generally visit one main area per day, although different areas may be combined depending on sea conditions and other circumstances.

① Ngemelis Area

Blue Holes, Blue Corner, New Drop Off, Big Drop Off, German Channel, and other sites.

② Ulong Area

Siaes Corner, Siaes Channel, Ulong Channel, and other sites.

③ Malakal & Inner Lagoon Area

Chandelier Cave, St. Cardinal, Marine Lake, and other sites.

④ Ngerchong Area

Secret Stadium, Ngerchong Inside, Ngerchong Outside, and other sites.

Possible combinations:
① + ③ / ② + ③ / ① + ④ / ③ + ④

View Dive Sites

Our Day Trip program is designed for certified fun diving.

For this reason, our regular Day Trip Diving tours do not visit sightseeing attractions such as Milky Way or Jellyfish Lake.

Individual guests who would like to visit these attractions should consider booking a separate sightseeing or optional tour.

Guests who have booked a private boat charter may contact our reservation staff to discuss their itinerary.

We can accept an advance request for early-morning diving.

After you arrive in Palau, we will let you know whether the dive can be arranged.

Please note that early-morning diving may not be available depending on sea conditions, reservation status, or other operational circumstances.

Your final dive must be completed at least 18 hours before your scheduled flight departure time from Palau.

Please calculate your latest possible diving time by subtracting 18 hours from your flight departure time.

View Day Trip Schedule

We are sorry, but we do not operate afternoon-only diving tours.

Our Day Trip Diving boats depart in the morning and normally do not return to the harbor until the day's diving program has been completed.

Yes, you may participate in only one or two dives.

However, you may need to remain with the boat until the day's diving tour has been completed.

Our diving fee is a fixed daily rate. We do not offer separate rates for one dive or two dives.

Thank you for your understanding.

Guests who hold an Open Water (OW) certification or higher may participate in our Day Trip Diving program.

However, on certain dates, minimum requirements regarding diving experience or the length of your diving break may apply in order to manage the safety of the entire group.

If you have limited diving experience or have not dived recently, please let us know your number of logged dives and the date of your most recent dive when making your reservation.

We do not offer introductory/trial diving, Discover Scuba Diving programs, or scuba certification courses for non-certified guests.

We currently do not offer introductory or trial diving.

Our Day Trip Diving program is a fun-diving tour for guests who already hold an Open Water (OW) certification or higher.

We do not offer introductory/trial diving, Discover Scuba Diving programs, or scuba certification courses for non-certified guests.

If space is available and sea conditions are calm, a non-diver may sometimes be able to join the boat.

However, our Day Trip Diving program is not a snorkeling tour. Participation for non-divers is basically limited to riding on the boat.

Snorkeling may occasionally be possible during breaks between dives, but this depends on sea conditions and the circumstances on the day.

Lunch and surface intervals on our Day Trip Diving tours are generally spent on the boat. Divers spend part of the day underwater, but guests who are only riding the boat will remain on the boat for most or all of the day.

If you are concerned about seasickness, we recommend that you do not join as a non-diving passenger.

Please also note that some of the boats we use do not have a toilet.

We generally do not accept non-diving children as boat passengers. In addition to sea conditions, scuba tanks and other equipment are carried on board and may present safety risks.

It depends on the boat used for the day.

• 29 ft boats: No toilet
• 41 ft boats: Toilet available

The boat used may change depending on the number of participants and our operating schedule, so we cannot guarantee a boat with a toilet at the time of booking.

If you prefer a boat with a toilet, please let us know as a request when making your reservation. Please note that we cannot guarantee this request.

Payment for Day Trip Diving is divided into prepaid diving fees and payments made locally in Palau.

Prepaid Diving Fees

Diving fees are invoiced in US dollars.

Payment may be made by credit card or debit card.

Accepted cards are: VISA, MASTER, DISCOVER, JCB, and DINERS.

Chase-branded cards cannot be used for advance payment.

Payment by US-dollar bank transfer to a local bank in Palau is also available.

If you would like to use another payment method, please contact our reservation staff and let us know which payment method you would like to use.

Payment Deadline

As a general rule, payment is due 10 days before the date on which cancellation charges begin.

Payments in Palau

Diving permits and tips must be paid in US dollars in cash.

Other locally payable charges, such as equipment rental and additional diving fees, may be paid by credit card or debit card.

Accepted cards are: VISA, MASTER, DISCOVER, JCB, and DINERS.

American Express is not accepted.

First, please check the Day Trip Diving Availability Calendar.

After confirming a date showing availability, please submit your booking request through our Reservations & Inquiries page.

Check Day Trip Availability Reservations & Inquiries

Day Trip Diving rates are available on our Day Trip Diving in Koror page.

Rates may vary depending on your diving dates, so please check the rate that applies to your participation period.

View Day Trip Diving Rates