Northern California Rainbow Divers upcoming events

2026 Palau Aggressor Live Aboard (05 Apr 2026)

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:30:00 GMT

Email Tommy

treasurer@rainbowdivers.org

About the Aggressor:

http://www.aggressor.com/rockislands.php

7 days and 7 nights

aboard Palau Aggressor II

April 5-12 2026

Optional Palau Royal Resort Stay & Dive

April 1-5

Scroll to the bottom for details

Dive Courses Available:

Advanced Open Water

Camera Skills

Buoyancy Skills

Nitrox

$3995 pp double occupancy

Members only package price:

$3995 deluxe cabin share including airport transfers
Only $500 deposit to hold your spot, then the rest of 2025 to pay in full
Palau is known for gray reef sharks, white-tip sharks, manta rays, cuttlefish, Mandarin fish, and WWII history
All dives from 35 ft tender
Water temperature: 80 - 82F, 27 - 28C
3mm wetsuit recommended
Up to 25 dives per trip, 4-5 dives per day with night dives offered 3 times

The ROCK ISLANDS AGGRESSOR™ and PALAU AGGRESSOR II™ are sister ships and have been an Aggressor Fleet destination for over 23 years. Palau's mushroom-shaped rock islands aboard the ROCK ISLANDS AGGRESSOR™ offer a variety of exciting dives: WWII wrecks, shark-infested channels, blue holes, and even a few caves. There are also sheer walls covered in lush soft corals and huge anemones. Beginner divers may find Palau's strong currents challenging.

Included

Transfers to/ from Koror airport, local hotel, and the boat
Accomodation & all meals
Tea, coffee, bottled water, tea-time snacks
Tanks, weights and air fills
Guided land excursions

Not included

Optional dive gear rental
Optional Nitrox fills
Taxes & fees payable onboard
International or domestic flights
Airport taxes and departures fees
Visa and entry fees
Gratuities
Any items of a personal nature
Travel or dive accident insurance

Getting There, Passports & Visa Documentation:

Palau is located 900 miles southwest of Guam and 400 miles south of Yap, at the westernmost edge of Micronesia. Palau is north of New Guinea and east of the Philippines. It is surrounded by warm, tropical water with spectacular reefs, walls and wrecks, making Palau a diver’s paradise.

Airlines fly into Koror (ROR) International Airport: United, Delta, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and China Air.

Visitors must have a current passport, adequate funds to support themselves, and a return airline ticket. US citizens require a passport that must be valid for 6 months from date of entry. It is the travelers’ responsibility to ensure they have the proper visa to travel into each country on his or her itinerary as well as for re-entry and return to their country. Since regulations vary by country, contact your consulate or embassy of your country for the requirement.

Arrival/Boarding/Departure:

Guests arriving at the Koror (ROR) International Airport on Sunday evening will be greeted by a uniformed crewmember or a Neco Tourist Agent. There are no phones or taxis at the small airport so we may assist in your transfer to the yacht. If you are already on island, you may board at any time after 4:30 pm on Sunday. Guests may board the boat up until Monday morning, the boat departs the dock at 6:00 am. Aggressor is moored in front of Neco Marine (Malakai) Harbor in Palau. After a week of diving we return to the dock Saturday afternoon after lunch. Checkout is Sunday morning at 8 am. The crew will assist organizing transportation to either the airport or a local hotel if you are extending your stay. It may be possible to take a Saturday evening flight out of Koror to begin your trip home.

Price

$3995 per person shared deluxe cabin
$500 at time of registration
$1000 due August 1 2025
$1000 due October 1 2025
Balance due January 1 2026

If you'd like a different payment plan just ask. We can be pretty flexible.

About Rainbow Divers

Rainbow Divers is a 501(c)7 non-profit mutual benefit organization, and can only organize activities and trips for its members. Trips are priced to break even. Excess cash flow is rebated to divers. Membership is cheap and comes with a bunch of new lifelong friends at no extra charge. So if you’d like to participate in this trip, please join us.

Payments are generally non-refundable. If you sign up and your plans change there may or may not be someone interested in taking your spot. If you cancel without having made all payments it is your responsibility to find someone to pay your obligation in full. It is a very good idea to carry trip insurance to cover such an eventuality. Trip payments may be made by credit card, Zelle or by check.

All divers on this trip should be comfortable diving in currents and have good buoyancy skills. Divers are required to carry valid, in-force dive accident insurance, such as Divers' Alert Network (DAN).

Divers must agree to NCRD's Event Terms and Conditions to participate in this trip. Follows these links please:

Event Terms and Conditions

Rainbow Divers Liability Release

Palau Royal Resort Apr 1-5 2026

4 night stay and 4 dive days

$1595 double occupancy

The only thing better than diving in Palau is more diving in Palau! This resort-based week is the perfect warm-up for our Palau liveaboard, and all the details are arranged to ease you into the time zone.

After your arrival on the evening of April 1 we'll enjoy an unrushed mid-morning start to diving the next day from our private boat. Dive daily for the rest of the week until we board Palau Aggressor II early on Sunday evening. Breakfast and lunch are included daily, and we can visit different restaurants for dinner every evening, with one group welcome dinner included.

Get the hang of hooking in at Blue Corner and Ulong Channel so you can enjoy them even more when we return by liveaboard - and you'll also be prepared for Peleliu the following week! You won't mind experiencing some of the world's top dive sites twice. Bento box lunches on incredible beaches and a high-speed boat ride through the Rock Islands are a daily treat. If you want to brush up on skills you can book an instructor during this pre-trip.

Getting There

Both United and China Air (Taiwan based carrier) offer one stop service from some west coast cities, but not every day to Palau. If coming for both the pre trip and liveaboard week you can book these flights from SFO. Search Seattle, LAX, Chicago and you will likely find similar options.

China Air: https://www.google.com/travel/flights/s/nE6hXjh45zJz175B8

United: https://www.google.com/travel/flights/s/mc3TXzuEbpZHDxcD7

Sea of Cortez August 2026 (23 Aug 2026)

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Aboard the brand new

Quino del Mar

August 23, 2026

$3095

7 nights twin or double accommodation

Daily meals, snacks, beer & wine

6 days of diving

Snorkel with whale sharks

Contact Tommy, treasurer@rainbowdivers.org

Contact Maureen, maureen@rainbowdivers.org

Imagine yourself immersed in a world teaming with life, a vibrant underwater ballet unfolding before your eyes. This isn't a dream; it's the Sea of Cortez, a place Jacques Cousteau famously dubbed the "world's aquarium." Click here for lots of Midriff Islands photos.

Rocio del Mar, now joined by Quino del Mar, has been taking divers to this wonderful destination for years, with one of the highest return rates in the industry. And we'll likely not encounter other divers. We're close to home, without the crowds of the Caribbean, or the cold water of the pacific.

The close proximity to the West Coast and the Sunday to Sunday itinerary means just a week away from work. We'll fly into Phoenix and catch a 4 hour shuttle ride to Puerto Penasco in time for dinner and a good night's sleep before motoring out to start our diving first thing the next morning. As we move further south we experience different sea life and reefs, culminating with a final day snorkel with whale sharks. If you've ever snorkeled with whale sharks in Mexico you know it is highly regulated and an encounter with these gentle giants in their natural setting, not like what you've heard about in some overseas destinations.

Traveling solo? No worries we'll do our best to pair you with a dive buddy and roommate. Non-diving snorkelers are also welcome on this trip.

Priced at just $3095 and with cheap flights to Phoenix, this a great budget trip. And if we sell every space on the boat we'll have commission dollars to spend on you, covering some or all of your nitrox, marine park fee, WiFi and the shuttle transfer.

Will it be hot? Yes, from Phoenix to the port, but once out to sea expect highs in the 80s to low 90s, and water temps mid 80s. So this is a great getaway if you live where it is hot (hello Palm Springs friends!)

Payments:

$500 to register
$500 Nov 1 2025
$500 Feb 1 2026
Balance May1 2026
Cancel before Nov 1 to apply deposit to a different trip
Buy trip insurance if you think you might have to cancel

Included

7 nights on Quino del Mar (double occupancy)
6 days of 3-4 dives, including some night dives
Breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner daily
Coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer and wine

Excluded:

Nitrox $140, rental equipment, the PHX shuttle $150 round trip, marine park fees of 230 pesos per day (subject to change) and WiFi if available. A crew gratuity of 10-15% of the trip price is customary.

Flights:

Fly to Phoenix to arrive by late morning on Sunday to catch a 1PM shuttle, or come the night before and stay in a nearby hotel. Book your return flight home in the afternoon the following Sunday. We'll be back to PHX by noon. Click here for more info on the trip: things-you-need-to-know-sea-of-cortez.pdf

About Rainbow Divers

Rainbow Divers is a 501(c)7 non-profit mutual benefit organization, and can only organize activities and trips for its members. Membership is cheap and comes with a bunch of new lifelong friends at no extra charge. So if you’d like to participate in this trip, please join us.

Payments are due within 10 days of sign up, and are generally non-refundable. If you sign up and your plans change there may or may not be someone interested in taking your spot. If you cancel without having made all payments it is your responsibility to find someone to pay your obligation in full. It is a very good idea to carry trip insurance to cover such an eventuality.

Trip payments may be made by credit card, Zelle or by personal check.

Divers are required to carry valid, in-force dive accident insurance, such as may be obtained from Divers' Alert Network (DAN).

Divers must agree to NCRD's Event Terms and Conditions to participate in this trip.

Event Terms and Conditions.pdf

Rainbow Divers Liability Release

Red Sea and Egypt October 2026 (10 Oct 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Women's Seaside Resort Week

Oct 11-18 2026

Mixed LGBTQ+ Liveaboard

Oct 19-26 2026

Nile Cruise with Cairo Tour

Oct 26-Nov 1 2026

$1995 per week,

if you book two of three

Book all three weeks or pick 1 or 2
Relaxed Resort Diving
Adventurous Liveaboard Diving
Nile, Luxor and Cairo Tour
Contact maureen@rainbowdivers.org

Join Maureen for a fun 3 weeks of relaxed resort diving, a week on the Red Sea, and a 1 week Nile, Luxor and Cairo tour. We begin this fun trip at Marsa Shagra Dive Village.

Week 1, Marsa Shagra Dive Village

The facilities and focus are geared to the fantastic diving, both on the excellent house reef as well as the excursions a little further afield. You'll be amazed at the coral and unique fish species endemic to the Red Sea, and the viz of the warm water.

Bring a hat! The sun is intense and the rigid hull inflatable (RIB) dive boats are uncovered. Priced at just $1995 this women's only trip is a great value.

We're sharing the resort with the Undersea Expeditions Women's group to offer this exciting new destination, including ocean view accommodations, meals, and plenty of excellent diving. There are a variety of dive sites suitable to every level of experience, and it's easy to meet a dive buddy at the welcome party where you'll get to know this friendly group of women divers.

Package Includes:

Seven nights at Marsa Shagra Dive Village in an air-conditioned Deluxe Chalet
Bonus! Stay an extra night for free if you are joining the Liveaboard 10/19.
Three days guided dives at the resort, including first day orientation on house reef
Two days excursions: Elphinstone and Dolphin House
Six days unlimited house reef diving by RIB or shore entry
Scheduled group transfers from Hurghada or Marsa Alam airports
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
Tanks, weights and weight belt

Not included:

Airfare to Egypt, any additional beverages not listed above, rental equipment or instruction if needed, Nitrox if desired ($100/wk), dive and resort gratuities, and items of a personal nature. If we bring enough Rainbow Divers we'll earn a commission that we'll apply to your nitrox for the week.

Week 2, All Star Scuba Scene

After a week of getting your sea legs in a relaxed environment, continue with us on our mixed LGBTQ+ liveaboard to explore offshore islands in the Red Sea.

A favorite of European divers, the Red Sea is rightfully considered one of the best scuba destinations in the world. Thousands of kilometers of coastline are blessed with extensive reef formations and islands. The underwater scenery is rich with coral-covered walls and beautiful "gardens". Over 400 varieties of coral and 1500 species of fish, turtles, and sharks inhabit the Red Sea.

Jacques Cousteau once said "The Red Sea is a corridor of marvels. The happiest hours of my diving experience have been spent there". That statement is as true today as it was when Jacques Cousteau explored here. Surrounded by desert, there is no runoff to cloud the crystal-clear waters.

We'll dive the top three offshore Marine Parks with shark scientist Dr. Elke Bojanowski, founder of the Red Sea Sharks non-profit. You'll need 50 logged dives to join us on this expedition, so plan ahead to be prepared!

Planned Itinerary, Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone

Attention: This is an intermediate to advanced itinerary, with 50 logged dives required. We'll mostly dive from a live skiff, requiring a backward roll to enter the water, sometimes with a negative entry. All Star Scuba Scene skiffs are equipped with a sturdy ladder for ease of re-entry. You should have Advanced Open Water training and be comfortable with buddy diving, currents, descent and ascent without a visual reference, deploying an SMB from your safety stop, and hopefully large sharks!

Dive the top three Egyptian Marine Parks: Big and Little Brothers, Daedalus Reef and Elphinstone

The Brother Islands are the pinnacles of two undersea mountains rising from the depths of the abyss and are located about 60 miles offshore. Part of the Marine Park Islands National Park, these islands offer stunning wall diving, with the walls being covered in soft corals and forests of gorgonians, creating a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours. They attract a diverse array of marine species and large pelagics. Large tuna, jacks and snappers cruise in the blue, accompanied by occasional hammerheads, silvertips, silky and oceanic white tip sharks and mantas. Even the rare thresher shark can be found here. Sightings of the grey reef shark are almost guaranteed on the North and South Plateau of Small Brother.For the wreck diver, the wrecks of the Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel, and the Numidia, a cargo ship, lie on the walls of the Big Brother. Both are covered in a rich growth of soft and hard corals. Marine life includes a family of Napoleon wrasse and grey reef sharks.

Daedalus Reef, also part of the Marine Park, is a large, oval reef with a lighthouse and is the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. Its deep walls and drop-offs offer some of the most spectacular diving to be found. Daedalus has mountainous, pristine, hard coral formations. There is also a chance of spotting scallopped hammerheads and grey reef sharks, usually deep this time of year.

Elphinstone, with its sheer walls covered in soft corals, offers a likely encounter with oceanic white tip sharks.

Please note the itinerary is an example of the planned route, and the order and dive sites are not guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

Package includes:

Seven nights aboard the All Star Scuba Scene in air-conditioned double occupancy staterooms with private bath
Transfer in Hurghada to ship and back on scheduled arrival and departure days
Meals and fresh fruit between meals
Non-alcoholic beverages
Three dives a day Tuesday-Saturday, conditions permitting, with two dives on Sunday morning
Night dives are not permitted in offshore marine parks so only two are offered on this itinerary
Transfer in Hurghada to ship and back on scheduled arrival and departure days
Meals and fresh fruit between meals
Non-alcoholic beverages
Three dives a day Tuesday-Saturday, conditions permitting, with two dives on Sunday morning
Night dives are not permitted in offshore marine parks so only two are offered on this itinerary
Tanks, weights and weight belt

Not included:

Airfare to Hurghada, any extra nights in Hurghada, visa on arrival (currently US$25), training or equipment rental if needed, Nitrox ($100 for the week), Port & Park fees, crew gratuity in cash, and dive and travel insurance (required for this expedition). As a non-profit we'll kick back any commission dollars we earn, usually by paying for your Nitrox.

Week 3, Luxor and Aswan Nile Tour Plus Cairo

After diving the fantastic Red Sea, experience the wonders of Ancient Egypt on a fabulous Nile cruise followed by exciting Cairo!

From our live aboard we'll be transferred across the Eastern Sahara to Luxor, where you'll be amazed by the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of Kings, and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. There we'll board our small cruise ship for a four-night adventure up the Nile accompanied by our own English-speaking Egyptologist, stopping along the way at stunning temples built on the banks of the river. After our cruise, we'll fly to Cairo to visit the Giza Pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum.

"All Egypt is the gift of the Nile." - Herodotus

Travel with us to experience Egypt in comfort, safety, and style!

Luxor to Aswan Nile Cruise Highlights:

The Temple of Karnak

Built in the 20th century B.C., it is the biggest of the ancient Egyptian temples and was the seat of the god Amun, and the administrative capital of the country. A visit to the temple begins at the sacred quay, decorated with a Nilometer showing flood levels of the Nile and then passes through an avenue, bordered by statues of ram-headed sphinxes, to the temple itself. Inside the temple there is an open courtyard with a smaller temple on the left-hand side. Then there is a large hypostyle hall, built during the reigns of Seti I and Rameses II, containing 134 pillars, twelve of which are topped with capitals in the form of open papyrus flowers.

The Luxor Temple

Built by Amenhotep III as a private residence for god Amun, but Rameses II later added statues of himself to either side of the temple: two seated and two standing. Inside there is an open coutyard built by Rameses II, comprising a pillared colonnade; and a second courtyard by Amenhotep III with pillars decorated with papyrus designs. The Luxor Museum contains a remarkable collection of ancient Egyptian sculpture found during the course of restoration at the Karnak and Luxor temples.

The Valley of the Kings

This site contains a large number of tombs of the Kings and Pharoahs, including the tombs of: Seti I, Rameses II, Horemheb and Tutankhamun, which was the only tomb to be discovered intact.

The Temple of Edfu

This temple dates to the Ptolemaic period and is the largest and most complete of the different temples situated along the banks of the Nile. It is located in the city of Edfu. It was a center of the cult of Horus.

The Temple of Kom Ombo

The double temple dates to the Ptolemaic period and its inscriptions contain references to the Ptolemies and to the Roman Emperors, Domitian, Trajan, and Caracalla.

Optional Abu Simbel Flight Excursion:
Visit the stunning temple of Abu Simbel, an entire mountain face moved above the rising waters of Lake Nasser after the completion of the Aswan High Dam.

Followed by Cairo Highlights:

The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) – The Great Pyramid is situated in Giza and is one of the Seven Wonders on the World. Cheops, the second Pharaoh of the IVth Dynasty, built it. It once rose to a height of 146 meters. Owing to natural wear and tear, however, its present height is 137 m.
The Sphinx – The Sphinx is one of the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt. It stands as a guardian of the ancient necropolis.
The new Grand Egyptian Museum, including the golden mask of King Tutankhamen

Included:

Four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, including meals and guided sightseeing.
Two nights hotel in Cairo, double occupancy, and sightseeing
Tourist site entrance fees
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on cruise. Daily breakfast, two lunches, and two dinners in Cairo.
English speaking guide throughout

Not Included:

International and domestic airfare
Optional flight excursion to Abu Simbel if desired (currently $375)
Egyptian Visa ($25 upon arrival)
Travel Insurance (required for this expedition)
Any additional hotel nights before the land resort, the liveaboard or in Cairo

Payments:

$500 deposit for each week you choose
We'll generate your invoice and payment schedule
Final payments 4 months before the trip
Cancellations are generally non-refundable
Buy trip insurance if you think you might have to cancel

About Rainbow Divers

Event Terms and Conditions.pdf

Rainbow Divers Liability Release

Philippines April 2027 (03 Apr 2027)

Sat, 03 Apr 2027 16:00:00 GMT

Malapascua Island

April 4-10, 2027

Atlantis Dumaguete

April 10-17, 2027

Tubbataha Reefs

April 17-24, 2027

The trip isn't sold out,

we're using the wait-list

as a pre-trip registration list.

Two resort weeks and a liveaboard
Book all three weeks or pick 1 or 2
Thresher Sharks at Malapascua
Critters at Dumaguete
Sharks and Rays at Tubbataha

Join us for a fun 3 weeks of coral triangle diving with 2 weeks of relaxed resort diving and a challenging live aboard week at Tubbataha Reefs.

Week 1, Malapascua Island, North of Cebu

We'll venture out early every day in search of the elusive thresher shark, with a chance of also seeing hammerheads, manta rays or even a tiger shark. A Gato Island day trip provides a colorful reef option. Advance open water and nitrox certification are necessary.

Plan to arrive Cebu Mactan airport on April 3 and stay overnight, or if coming from Manila take an early morning flight April 4 to Cebu to join a mid day van transfer to Malapascua. United and Philippines Airlines both offer direct flights to Manila and your other favorites offer international connecting service to Cebu. If continuing on to Dumaguete you'll take an all day van transfer the length of Cebu island. If you come for just the Malapascua week you can book your Cebu departure late in the day April 10.

Pricing is tbd, but expected to be around $1795 for 6 nights shared accommodation and 5 days diving.

Week 2, Atlantis Resort Dumaguete

Maureen's favorite place in The Philippines - Dumaguete and the fabulous Atlantis Resort. Here you will find some of the most bazaar creatures in the sea, in clear shallow waters. Frog fish, many varieties of nudibranchs, scorpion fish, octopus, cuttlefish and on and on. A macro photo paradise. But it isn’t just muck diving. On some dive days we venture out to Apo Island for it’s lush coral gardens.

$2995 gets you 7 nights shared accommodation and up to 5 scheduled dives per day.

If you joined the Malapascua week you'll arrive Dumaguete by van transfer. If starting your vacation here you can fly into Cebu or Manila to arrive by early April 10. A Manila to Dumaguete group flight booking will be offered, or a van transfer from Cebu airport. If your trip ends April 17 you'll fly to Manila or ride a van to Cebu to catch an evening international departure. If continuing on to Tubbataha you'll join a group booking to Puerto Princesa.

Week 3, Tubbataha Reefs

Just a few months of the year, from mid-March through early June, conditions in the Philippines' Sulu Sea are reliable enough to dive the remote Tubbataha Reefs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some very exciting diving. We'll share the Atlantis Infinity Liveaboard for a week of diving at a destination famous for sharks, rays and massive schools of trevally, barracuda, dog-tooth tuna, and sometimes even whalesharks. All against the backdrop of lush soft and hard coral gardens, home to all manor of macro life to search for.

This trip, priced at $3999 to $4699 depending on cabin type, is best for advanced open water divers with experience diving in strong currents, diving from a zodiac, and capable of executing a blue water safety stop while deploying your SMB.

If your trip began at Malapascua or Dumaguete you'll travel on our group booking to arrive Puerto Princesa on April 17. If starting here you can piggyback the group transfer by joining us in Manila mid day. Because liveaboards wait for no one you'll want to arrive at Manila or Puerto Princesa on April 16.

About Rainbow Divers

Event Terms and Conditions.pdf

Rainbow Divers Liability Release