I just got back from Cocos and I love Liveaboard diving! - If you own all your own gear bring it. I’ve been in situations where the rental gear doesn’t fit me. - My dive bag and carry on are soft-sided but my camera case is hard-sided. I carry on my camera bag on the way there and usually gate check it on the way home (no extra bag fee when you gate check. I also bring goodies for the crew. DVDs, books, etc. The crew is always grateful and I gain enough room and weight for souvenirs. - I bring a woolly hat and hoodie. The interior of the Liveaboard is always air-conditioned and after multiple days of repetitive diving you’ll lose your core body temperature. - OTC decongestants! Everybody gets stuffy sinuses and I’ve missed dives over stuffiness and more than once I’ve seen passengers miss EVERY dive on a trip!!! - I’m a big guy, so my clothes are big too. I use packing cubes and count the number of swim trunks, undies I’ll need and add a spare pair. - I also toss some clothes in packing cubes in the fin pockets of my dive bag (the fins go inside the dive bag to protect my regulator). - Make sure you dry your dive gear thoroughly before packing for the trip home. I use this travel scale and it’s saved me from having to repack at the airport: travel inspira Luggage Scale,... www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWFHRGD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share A little foldable shopping bag in my backpack is handy if I wind up with a slightly heavy checked bag: a.co/d/2PiE6Xh If you haven’t done a Liveaboard yet, do it! Lots of great diving and you’re just steps away from food, diving and sleep. Be warned that cabins on Liveaboard’s are really small. That’s when the packing cubes are really helpful. You’ll only bang your head in your bunk for a few nights before you get used to the cabin.
Just got back from my first liveaboard holiday, and on Explorer Ventures! You really weren't kidding on packing LIGHT - I truly needed only my dive gear, swim clothes, a wrap and my cozy pajamas, that was it! What an awesome trip and this video helped me pack. Thank you!
Went on my first liveaboard this summer and it was an AMAZING experience… my main takeaway: pack light! A couple of board shorts and a couple of loose fitting button-down t-shirts is all you need.
#askmark have you ever heard of the OGIO 9800 Rig travel bag? It is marketed to motocross riders but it looks like it would make a great dive travel bag,what do you think? Thanks! Love your videos 😊
That's a new brand to me but, it looks like a tough bag that doesn't advertise that there may be dive gear inside. It looks pretty big and rigid for a liveaboard. I'd struggle to fill it with just my own gear unless I was going somewhere cold.
I finished up a 3 week stint in the Philippines using a Aqua Lung Explorer II Duffel Pack and a LL Bean daypack in May. The Aqua Lung Explorer II Duffel Pack will actually work as a carry on so you never have to worry about checking. It carried my shortie, regulator, BCD, fins, t-shirts, shorts, extra book, underwear, spare mask,...including a cribbage board and two one pound bars of chocolate. Have used it to travel the world and love it!
Mask, regs, computer, torches and board shorts in the carry-on to derisk your luggage getting lost / delayed. Check-in everything else, max 20kg to allow for cheap / internal island flights. Useful sundries: big clips & collapsible hangers for drying stuff; drybags and bin liners for packing wet & dirty stuff; minimal first aid kit for clean ears and cuts & scrapes.
Haven't been on a liveaboard yet, but startet recently to carry a ikea bag or similar in my dive bag as a lite and durable carry bag between the car and dive site. And some gear ties are handy as well if you need to improvise something to dry your diving stuff on in the hotel room and only got anti theft hangers without a hook.
Hi Mark. I'm considering various options for a second regulator set for travel. I'm currently leaning towards the Apeks XL4 or the Aqualung Helix Pro. I'd love to get your thoughts as well as recommendations on other manufacturers like ScubaPro, as I'm just starting to research my options. Thanks and happy bubbles! #askmark
I like the Mares 62X 1st stage, it's a tiny 1st stage and great to save some weight. Scubapro has the Mk11 as their unofficial travel 1st stage. But the XL4 and the Helix would be my first choices for a compact regulator.
13L shoulder bag( personal item) to carry battery, liquid, doc etc Aqualung 40l explorer ii duffle bag carry on, ( reg and torche in a bag surrounded by bubble wrap, underwater phone housing and some clothes) Standard check luggage size hard luggage, for everythings else
Another reason why I've put my regulators in my carry-on, was when I was a little over the luggage weight limit. So I moved the regs to my carry on. Relative to the size they are usually rather heavy. Sometimes you can also use a regulator-bag as your "personal item". For non-divers this is often a laptop bag, but I'd say regs are more important then a laptop :D
I just got back from Cocos and I love Liveaboard diving!
- If you own all your own gear bring it. I’ve been in situations where the rental gear doesn’t fit me.
- My dive bag and carry on are soft-sided but my camera case is hard-sided. I carry on my camera bag on the way there and usually gate check it on the way home (no extra bag fee when you gate check.
I also bring goodies for the crew. DVDs, books, etc. The crew is always grateful and I gain enough room and weight for souvenirs.
- I bring a woolly hat and hoodie. The interior of the Liveaboard is always air-conditioned and after multiple days of repetitive diving you’ll lose your core body temperature.
- OTC decongestants! Everybody gets stuffy sinuses and I’ve missed dives over stuffiness and more than once I’ve seen passengers miss EVERY dive on a trip!!!
- I’m a big guy, so my clothes are big too. I use packing cubes and count the number of swim trunks, undies I’ll need and add a spare pair.
- I also toss some clothes in packing cubes in the fin pockets of my dive bag (the fins go inside the dive bag to protect my regulator).
- Make sure you dry your dive gear thoroughly before packing for the trip home. I use this travel scale and it’s saved me from having to repack at the airport:
travel inspira Luggage Scale,... www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWFHRGD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
A little foldable shopping bag in my backpack is handy if I wind up with a slightly heavy checked bag:
a.co/d/2PiE6Xh
If you haven’t done a Liveaboard yet, do it! Lots of great diving and you’re just steps away from food, diving and sleep. Be warned that cabins on Liveaboard’s are really small. That’s when the packing cubes are really helpful. You’ll only bang your head in your bunk for a few nights before you get used to the cabin.
Bringing Towel clips to hang your wet rash guards and swimsuits to dry is a great tip I picked up on my first liveaboard.
Just got back from my first liveaboard holiday, and on Explorer Ventures! You really weren't kidding on packing LIGHT - I truly needed only my dive gear, swim clothes, a wrap and my cozy pajamas, that was it! What an awesome trip and this video helped me pack. Thank you!
Went on my first liveaboard this summer and it was an AMAZING experience… my main takeaway: pack light! A couple of board shorts and a couple of loose fitting button-down t-shirts is all you need.
Great timing, today and tomorrow I'm packing for my first live aboard
Have fun.
Officially jealous 😂😂
As I packed for my first livaboard, I packed too much. So remember, less can be more
Awesome. The tips in the video and comments are spot on. Enjoy!
#askmark have you ever heard of the OGIO 9800 Rig travel bag? It is marketed to motocross riders but it looks like it would make a great dive travel bag,what do you think? Thanks! Love your videos 😊
That's a new brand to me but, it looks like a tough bag that doesn't advertise that there may be dive gear inside.
It looks pretty big and rigid for a liveaboard. I'd struggle to fill it with just my own gear unless I was going somewhere cold.
I finished up a 3 week stint in the Philippines using a Aqua Lung Explorer II Duffel Pack and a LL Bean daypack in May. The Aqua Lung Explorer II Duffel Pack will actually work as a carry on so you never have to worry about checking. It carried my shortie, regulator, BCD, fins, t-shirts, shorts, extra book, underwear, spare mask,...including a cribbage board and two one pound bars of chocolate. Have used it to travel the world and love it!
Useful. Thanks!
Mask, regs, computer, torches and board shorts in the carry-on to derisk your luggage getting lost / delayed. Check-in everything else, max 20kg to allow for cheap / internal island flights. Useful sundries: big clips & collapsible hangers for drying stuff; drybags and bin liners for packing wet & dirty stuff; minimal first aid kit for clean ears and cuts & scrapes.
another tip: get a USB data blocker if plugging in at airport or other public spaces - you never know if someone installed one of those OMG cables.
Security!!! Egypt - they will check you out like 10 times especially on leaving...
Haven't been on a liveaboard yet, but startet recently to carry a ikea bag or similar in my dive bag as a lite and durable carry bag between the car and dive site. And some gear ties are handy as well if you need to improvise something to dry your diving stuff on in the hotel room and only got anti theft hangers without a hook.
You forgot the dpv and rebreather 👀😂
very good
Hi Mark. I'm considering various options for a second regulator set for travel. I'm currently leaning towards the Apeks XL4 or the Aqualung Helix Pro. I'd love to get your thoughts as well as recommendations on other manufacturers like ScubaPro, as I'm just starting to research my options. Thanks and happy bubbles! #askmark
@wtaffle. I purchased the Aqualung Helix Pro last year for me and my family. Great set and recommend.
I like the Mares 62X 1st stage, it's a tiny 1st stage and great to save some weight. Scubapro has the Mk11 as their unofficial travel 1st stage. But the XL4 and the Helix would be my first choices for a compact regulator.
@@ScubaDiverMagazine thanks Mark! I'll have to take a closer look at the Mares and do a comparison to see if it fits for me
13L shoulder bag( personal item) to carry battery, liquid, doc etc
Aqualung 40l explorer ii duffle bag carry on, ( reg and torche in a bag surrounded by bubble wrap, underwater phone housing and some clothes)
Standard check luggage size hard luggage, for everythings else
Another reason why I've put my regulators in my carry-on, was when I was a little over the luggage weight limit. So I moved the regs to my carry on.
Relative to the size they are usually rather heavy.
Sometimes you can also use a regulator-bag as your "personal item". For non-divers this is often a laptop bag, but I'd say regs are more important then a laptop :D