Your packing & general liveaboarding tips for upcoming Raja Ampat LoB

[chillyinCanada]

Great, thanks everyone! @scubaNYC16, I got Nitrox as part of the package, but I'll see if I can swap it out. Since it's only about a month til, I have a feeling I might find myself without extra time to do a cert locally, but we'll see!

Do it online and get tested there.

 

[fluff_astrid]

Ah, yes! I misunderstood. The cert package I'm doing includes doing the e-Learning in advance. I'm just waiting until I'm a little closer to the date so I don't lose knowledge in the interim, forgetting curve and all that

 

[Mike1967]

There's not a lot to forget TBO lol

 

[jjwebster]

I have booked a liveaboard to Raja in 2020, the boat allows BYO wine and spirits, I'm thinking of skirting the rules and BYO beer as I don't fancy the extortionate prices they are charging!

Anyone had any experience of this? Don't mind keeping it in my cabin and only chilling what's required for the evening in the kitchen fridge...

 

[Mr. Sunday]

I have booked a liveaboard to Raja in 2020, the boat allows BYO wine and spirits, I'm thinking of skirting the rules and BYO beer as I don't fancy the extortionate prices they are charging!

Anyone had any experience of this? Don't mind keeping it in my cabin and only chilling what's required for the evening in the kitchen fridge...

The last boat I was on divers in one group brought pallets of beer. This turned out to be an issue for the crew who sold beer for profit onboard aside from their usual boat salary. It got a bit tense for a while as they were clearly angry about it. You might ask your cruise director prior to so if any issues.

 

[SeaWarden]

Hey folks, thanks much for the thoughts and advice from a few months ago when I asked which op to go with for a Raja Ampat trip (and for giving me advice to take a longer trip than the 6D/5N one I'd been looking at ). I'll be joining the Blue Manta during the holidays for their 9D/8N trip, and looking forward to it!

Although I'm not new to boat diving, I haven't dived many LoBs. I've historically travelled with people who prefer land, but this time I'm able to go off on my own My last was a 4D/3N Coral Sea LoB in 2015. I'm a bit of a planner/mental preparer when it comes to these things, so I'd love your tips, tricks, and other insights for how to best pack and prepare for my upcoming trip! Particularly:

- What should I pack, both dive and non-dive items?
- What should I leave at home?
- What thing(s) did you not think of before you went on a LoB and now make sure to always take with you/do?
- Since I'm traveling solo, what's the best way to ensure I look out for myself, without being a demanding patron? My biggest worry is getting auto-buddied with someone who's less cautious than me or doesn't speak my language so that we can't communicate our plan at the surface, but feeling awkward about how to raise the issue to the coordinator. I truly enjoy diving and am extremely good on air; that said, I fall into the conservative diver category (*especially* if I'm doing multi diving days or diving in a new/current-heavy region), and I don't like to push limits. On one-off dives, I've been buddied with people who wanted to push our limits or couldn't understand the dive plan and just went about their business; but in those cases I could just walk away after the one dive...

Add'l details that might help: Female diver, will be renting BCD/reg (though have a mouthpiece to swap in), get cold easily so def. have multiple hoods already in my bag

Thanks!

Here is what I would pack:

1. Malaria meds, in case you get bites on land.
2. PLB in case you get swept away from the group.. I am a bit more paranoid but the currents are strong there.
3. A knife for those trigger fishes.. they feed on coral, so can hurt when they bite.
4. Sunscreen.
5. Cheese.. Indonesia lacks good cheese.. wine to go along with it from duty free.

 

[SeaWarden]

I have booked a liveaboard to Raja in 2020, the boat allows BYO wine and spirits, I'm thinking of skirting the rules and BYO beer as I don't fancy the extortionate prices they are charging!

Anyone had any experience of this? Don't mind keeping it in my cabin and only chilling what's required for the evening in the kitchen fridge...

Haven't had issues with duty free..

 

[jjwebster]

Any reason why they specifically only mention duty free alcohol? E.g. anything wrong with domestically purchased spirits/wine....

 

[SeaWarden]

Any reason why the specifically only mention duty free alcohol? E.g. anything wrong with domestically purchased spirits/wine....

Buy them from big store and you be fine.. but Indonesia does allow you to bring in 1 bottle without issues. So no reason, not to do so.

 

[dirtfarmer]

I have booked a liveaboard to Raja in 2020, the boat allows BYO wine and spirits, I'm thinking of skirting the rules and BYO beer as I don't fancy the extortionate prices they are charging!

Anyone had any experience of this? Don't mind keeping it in my cabin and only chilling what's required for the evening in the kitchen fridge...

Wow that's quite some penny pinching, how many beers every night are you going to drink?
I've brought beers on LOB before but that was because they didn't sell them.