EARS: get an IST Pro Ear Dive mask and thoroughly test it (snorkeling through your depth max) before your trip. (the one-way valves MUST work well) It keeps the water OUT of the ear canal and greatly improves equalization I have no affiliation and have used the Pro Ear for decades - brilliant also, insurance should cover theft, loss, too. Use the wet-deck's fresh water rinse to keep your drying towel and ALL clothes as salt-free as possible
Always arrive a day early. If traveling half way around the world…one long night of good rest makes the live aboard experience even better! Also, if you experience a flight issue….you won’t miss the boat!
Great advice here. I might add that anyone who is going on a liveaboard for the 1st time or going with a company they haven't been with before, look for reviews. Often people in the reviews will give good tips on what to bring, what not to bring and the availability of storage. For example, the aggressor liveaboard boats in the Caribbean have deck towels for every person. They even warm them up for you before you get out of the water. Also, you can look up the configuration of the dive boat that you're going to be on and see what the room looks like. That will give a good idea on if there is room to store your bags or if you need to adjust what you bring. I will also add that I find live aboard diving to be relaxing and less draining than a lot of other diving. Your gear remains set up the whole time and the crew does a lot to make things easier and more efficient. Some companies offer a little trophy or ribbon if you do every single dive, but don't feel pressure to do that. Dive the dives you want to do and relax the rest of the time! Also, take the time to get to know some of the other passengers. You may just make some life long friends. My husband and I have made several friends on trips like this and actually have dive trips scheduled with some of them next year.
Plan on getting to the port the day before the boat departs. My flight was delayed causing me to miss my connection. If I hadn’t planned on arriving the day before I would have been left behind!
Thanks for the great advice. I'm going to Phuket Thailand in January for my first Liveaboard trip and I'm a bit nervous as to what to expect. These tips helped so much.
Yes, some operators will have a non-diver rate to save some money. As long as she's happy relaxing on a boat, reading a book and you disappearing for an hour a few times a day, she'll have a good time.
think about sea sick patches. better safe than sorry especially if its your first one. its better to go with a group unless you are sociable. my biggest gripe is that they don't organize any entertainment. i always thought movie night would be nice. skipping a dive is great for ndl limits as well. the only question is which dives to skip it's not like you usually do the same dive twice. i don't mean to be a downer its just a my opinion on liveaboards. i've done 4 and probably my last, resort dives offer something to do when you're not diving..
Thanks for the video and the advice. I wonder what is your recommendation for a “save the dive kit” considering the small luggage allowance we have. My wife and I have the same equipment. So I was thinking of o rings, one mouthpiece, one fin strap. Anything else essential?
Those are the essentials. Everything else you bring just covers other things that can go wrong or break. O-Rings and clips tend to be the most common thing that needs replacing. Dive boats quite often have a basic tool kit somewhere if you need a wrench. I wouldn't worry about bringing too much else with you. Just have a good look through your gear and think about what else could break. But, you already have the essentials
I’m concerned about room for large dive bags with all our equipment (Regs, BCDS, fins.. everything). Is there room to bring these aboard? A place to store these large bags?
It depends on the boat and room configuration. When we did live aboard on the Belize aggressor IV there was room underneath the bed to store our bags. However, we have some liverboards coming up that are a little tighter. If you can get all of your own stuff into a single bag rather than packing an extra suitcase you'll be far better off. You really need very little clothing on these boats and no shoes while aboard. All of your gear will be stored on the dive deck for the entire trip so if your bag folds down you should be able to tuck it away somewhere. Some boats have storage areas for your bags once you are unpacked.
As others have said, boats and operators have space for empty bags. Try to stick to bags that collapse down flat because there is limited space on boats and they're easier to stow away.
Only a few beginners. Computers do the job these days. When you download the data you can add details like dive locations, names or what you saw on each immersion
EARS: get an IST Pro Ear Dive mask and thoroughly test it (snorkeling through your depth max) before your trip. (the one-way valves MUST work well)
It keeps the water OUT of the ear canal and greatly improves equalization
I have no affiliation and have used the Pro Ear for decades - brilliant
also, insurance should cover theft, loss, too.
Use the wet-deck's fresh water rinse to keep your drying towel and ALL clothes as salt-free as possible
Going to Bahamas for Liveaboard trip in coming May for first time , can't wait 🤪🤪
Always arrive a day early. If traveling half way around the world…one long night of good rest makes the live aboard experience even better! Also, if you experience a flight issue….you won’t miss the boat!
Great advice here. I might add that anyone who is going on a liveaboard for the 1st time or going with a company they haven't been with before, look for reviews. Often people in the reviews will give good tips on what to bring, what not to bring and the availability of storage. For example, the aggressor liveaboard boats in the Caribbean have deck towels for every person. They even warm them up for you before you get out of the water. Also, you can look up the configuration of the dive boat that you're going to be on and see what the room looks like. That will give a good idea on if there is room to store your bags or if you need to adjust what you bring.
I will also add that I find live aboard diving to be relaxing and less draining than a lot of other diving. Your gear remains set up the whole time and the crew does a lot to make things easier and more efficient. Some companies offer a little trophy or ribbon if you do every single dive, but don't feel pressure to do that. Dive the dives you want to do and relax the rest of the time! Also, take the time to get to know some of the other passengers. You may just make some life long friends. My husband and I have made several friends on trips like this and actually have dive trips scheduled with some of them next year.
I’m going to Trukk and I’m not missing a single dive. I don’t care how tired I am lol.
Listen to the dive briefs, all the boats I’ve been on have something they either really want you to do or not to do, it sucks being that guy…😂
Plan on getting to the port the day before the boat departs. My flight was delayed causing me to miss my connection. If I hadn’t planned on arriving the day before I would have been left behind!
Always take a treat mine is Yorkshire tea bags need a decent cup of tea to start the day 😀
A solution of fresh water and vinegar is good for your ears after a dive
Thanks for the great advice. I'm going to Phuket Thailand in January for my first Liveaboard trip and I'm a bit nervous as to what to expect. These tips helped so much.
Great info here!
Can my wife go with me, even if she doesn't dive?
Yes, some operators will have a non-diver rate to save some money. As long as she's happy relaxing on a boat, reading a book and you disappearing for an hour a few times a day, she'll have a good time.
@@ScubaDiverMagazine That sounds great! She'd love it.
Thanks.
think about sea sick patches. better safe than sorry especially if its your first one. its better to go with a group unless you are sociable. my biggest gripe is that they don't organize any entertainment. i always thought movie night would be nice. skipping a dive is great for ndl limits as well. the only question is which dives to skip it's not like you usually do the same dive twice. i don't mean to be a downer its just a my opinion on liveaboards. i've done 4 and probably my last, resort dives offer something to do when you're not diving..
Thanks for the video and the advice. I wonder what is your recommendation for a “save the dive kit” considering the small luggage allowance we have. My wife and I have the same equipment. So I was thinking of o rings, one mouthpiece, one fin strap. Anything else essential?
Good question. I'd also be interested in some advice about that
Those are the essentials. Everything else you bring just covers other things that can go wrong or break.
O-Rings and clips tend to be the most common thing that needs replacing. Dive boats quite often have a basic tool kit somewhere if you need a wrench.
I wouldn't worry about bringing too much else with you. Just have a good look through your gear and think about what else could break. But, you already have the essentials
Bring more than one pair of noise cancelling headphones.
I’m concerned about room for large dive bags with all our equipment (Regs, BCDS, fins.. everything). Is there room to bring these aboard? A place to store these large bags?
usually you leave those at their dive center along with any big luggage. You can pick them up after your trip.
It depends on the boat and room configuration. When we did live aboard on the Belize aggressor IV there was room underneath the bed to store our bags. However, we have some liverboards coming up that are a little tighter. If you can get all of your own stuff into a single bag rather than packing an extra suitcase you'll be far better off. You really need very little clothing on these boats and no shoes while aboard. All of your gear will be stored on the dive deck for the entire trip so if your bag folds down you should be able to tuck it away somewhere. Some boats have storage areas for your bags once you are unpacked.
As others have said, boats and operators have space for empty bags. Try to stick to bags that collapse down flat because there is limited space on boats and they're easier to stow away.
Dining area at 5.30 was definitely not on one of the tornado fleet 😂
People still use physical log books?
Only a few beginners. Computers do the job these days. When you download the data you can add details like dive locations, names or what you saw on each immersion
👍😎🤿