The Indian Ocean charter season runs November to April. The Maldives is the headline act, a thousand-atoll archipelago so dispersed that a well-specified charter yacht can spend ten days at anchor and see perhaps two other yachts the entire time. The Seychelles , Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, is the more compact alternative, better for a one-week charter with a strong gastronomic overlay. Both regions reward yachts of at least forty metres with extended range; smaller boats find the crossings long. PADI-certified crew, on-board compressor, full technical tank setup, rebreather-ready, plus permitted access to the world's most protected dive sites. Matched to Indian Ocean, the fleet narrows to the yachts that actually deliver on the brief in practice, rather than on paper.