Any general tips for first time liveaboard trip?

[scbaNE2179]

I agree, this is a great choice for a first LOB! I was on the TCEx2 a few years ago and I loved it.

Here is a link to my thoughts on the boat.

I try and go on this trip every year if possible, the crew and diving is that good. I do have to say if you're fortunate enough to have Bunjee Jo as a DM for your week, be prepared for something special-she's one of the reasons why I'm a repeat customer.

More tips:

• Whatever clothes you need, cut in half, then cut whatever is left in half again-BE STRONG HERE-resist the urge to bring clothes you WILL NOT USE. If you are planning on buying a t-shirt on board, bring one less t-shirt with you. I would recommend 2 bathing suits so one is always dry when you need it.
  
• Leave your toiletries at home-Unless you need specific toiletries, the boat will have everything you need. Also, the boat has leftover sunscreen so no need to pack that either.
• Snorkel-what's a snorkel? I leave this at home, I'm here to dive and not snorkel!
• Everything is free until Fri afternoon when you have to tab out. This is where you'll pay whatever on board fees that you have. I usually pay my fees on CC but I usually tip in cash(USD). You can certainly pay for everything on your CC but I personally tip in cash. Tip amounts vary and totally up to you but figure 10-15% cost of the trip.
• If you're a single traveler and the fear of an unknown roommate snoring scares you, ear plugs are your best friend. Although if you have a female roommate I'm not sure if girls snore?

 

[scbaNE2179]

Thanks for your review too! I am getting quite curious now about ending the dive and "enjoying the ride" as you guys called it, as I've never had a dive with such bar hanging in the water before

HA! The capt and crew will definitely explain this to you during their safety briefings. FYI-this boat does not have a hangbar as it has 2 drop lines at 15ft. I'll leave everything to a surprise but be prepared for the most wild ride of your life! My word of advice: DO NOT CHASE after the line-YOU WILL NOT catch it, just wait for the boat to swing back around to grab the line safely.

 

[donhealy]

Have 6 pair of nylon socks. Everyone wants to borrow them on liveaboards.! Light on clothes and at least 2 swim suits. Most important is bring a good attitude and the desire to have fun.

 

[donhealy]

What dates are you going? I will be on the T&C II the week of Nov. 11th. Riding the line is one of the great end of dive joys! You could use a pair of the nylon socks. The last trip someone used them for their hands when putting on their wetsuit. Never saw that before.

 

[dutchgirl]

HA! The capt and crew will definitely explain this to you during their safety briefings. FYI-this boat does not have a hangbar as it has 2 drop lines at 15ft. I'll leave everything to a surprise but be prepared for the most wild ride of your life! My word of advice: DO NOT CHASE after the line-YOU WILL NOT catch it, just wait for the boat to swing back around to grab the line safely.

Haha ok, well I'll be sure to share my experiences after the trip then

 

[dutchgirl]

What dates are you going? I will be on the T&C II the week of Nov. 11th. Riding the line is one of the great end of dive joys! You could use a pair of the nylon socks. The last trip someone used them for their hands when putting on their wetsuit. Never saw that before.

We're going in December, so still a few more weeks of anticipation. Enjoy your trip and I will be sure to look into those nylon socks, never saw those before but many of you recommend it I see

 

[scbaNE2179]

We're going in December, so still a few more weeks of anticipation. Enjoy your trip and I will be sure to look into those nylon socks, never saw those before but many of you recommend it I see

HA! I'm going there in Dec as well! As for the socks, I've been using these Lavacore socks for warm water travel and they've been great!

 

[Johnoly]

... if you have some general tips for us

Bring a small pen light with a string loop for your bed. Makes it nice for your room mate so you don't have to turn on the cabin lights to go to the bathroom {or look for your phone, etc}

P.S. I like bungie's {stretchy bands} better than clips to secure/hang stuff up to dry outside. I clip off one end then do one or two full wraps over the clothes hanging on the rail and clip off the other end of the rail. Clips fail me cause they are always too big and loose or too small and don't open enough. Also down in your cabin you can make a long chain of bungie's clipped off to the bed and then other door hook, etc and have a long drying line inside. AND if you setup your camera before departure, you can use the bungies to secure it to the table/rack/etc so it won't crash around. Very versatile and they pack tiny too.

 

[ppatin]

We'll be going on the Turks & Caicos Explorer II

I haven't done the Explorer boat, we did the T&C Aggressor back in the summer and had a blast. The Turks and Caicos are a *great* diving destination. Little or no current, lots of walls, we saw sharks and turtles on almost every dive. The style of diving you do there is also very relaxing. Set up your gear on day 1 and then when it's dive time you listen to the briefing, pull on your gear and hop in the water. You are going to have a blast.

Re: socks, I just used a pair of old running socks.

Re: ears, take care of them! By the end of my one week trip I was having a lot of ear issues. I normally don't have problems with my ears, but five dives a day for a week takes a toll on them.

 

[scbaNE2179]

I haven't done the Explorer boat, we did the T&C Aggressor back in the summer and had a blast

We see the Aggressor folks every now and then during my trips on the TCEX2. One time our group actually ran into them underwater. The TCEX2 has a bottle of "ear beer" on the dive deck. This solution smells like salad dressing if you ask me.