Theia

Theia is a 32-metre DUNE liveaboard that works the Maldives out of Male, carrying 20 guests in ten en-suite sea-view cabins across four grades. Its bread and butter is the seven-night "Best of Maldives" week through the central atolls - North and South Male, Vaavu, Ari and Rasdhoo - built around manta, shark and whale-shark encounters. Two longer ten-night crossings extend the range. "A Taste of the South" works down through Vaavu, Meemu, Faafu and the Ari atolls, with Fotteyo in Vaavu the one site the itinerary names regularly. The Deep South "To the Equator" route pushes all the way through Thaa, Laamu and the Gaafu atolls toward Fuvahmulah and Huvadhoo, ending at Kooddoo for the flight home. Maldives itineraries pick their dive sites by atoll and daily conditions rather than a fixed list, so the exact stops shift with the weather and season. Free nitrox is included for certified divers, and a roomy dedicated 16.5-metre dive dhoni carries gear and gives groups space to kit up. Who does it suit? The central weeks reward competent recreational divers, while the Deep South crossing is an expedition trip that asks for an Advanced qualification and around 50 logged dives, with the far-south atolls best in the northeast-monsoon window. Confirm current departure dates, and any technical or sidemount needs, directly with the operator.

Theia reads as a comfort-led rather than bare-bones liveaboard, with sea-view cabins across four grades and generous shared space - a sun deck, salon bar and outdoor dining - that make the longer ten-night crossings feel unhurried. The free nitrox and a roomy dedicated dive dhoni come up as practical pluses, letting groups kit up with space and reach the central-atoll manta, shark and whale-shark encounters without crowding. The Deep South "To the Equator" weeks are framed as an expedition for experienced divers, trading fixed itineraries for whatever the currents and monsoon open up across the far southern atolls, with advanced certification and a solid logged-dive count expected. The overall picture is a roomy, sociable boat that suits divers who value space and range over a checklist of named sites.