Packing for Live Aboard

[ddavin]

Doing my first Live aboard this summer (7 day trip) and am looking for advice on what to pack. Since I always pack too much, what (besides dive gear) are your essentials?

 

[Namastaras]

Where are you traveling to? That will determine what layers you'll need to keep cool/warm.

This was a good guide for me when I did my first liveaboard.
Inside My Bag: What to Pack For a Liveaboard

Highly recommend the hydration tablets, really helped me drink a lot of water. I didn't use the ear drops or dramamine I packed. I did buy sea2stream products, but noone else seemed to have anything like that. I was in egypt, where the sun is strong- the only thing that got me was I got some sunburn on the back of my hands by the end of the trip. I also got a ton of mosquito bites on the last night when we returned to port and all went to dinner. No mosquitos on the open water for the whole week, made me forget I'd need mosquito spray on land!

 

[ddavin]

We will be in the Sea of Cortez around Midriff Island. Sorry, I should have said that in the original post....

 

[Allison Finch]

You will need surprisingly little, in the way of clothing. But.... Bring at least 4 bathing suits! The second you get up from a dive, change into a dry suit immediately. That way you avoid "scratchy ass" and you dont sit on any lounge cushions, getting them wet. Nothing will make you a pariah quicker than sitting on padded chairs/couches in a damp bathing suit.

Hang your wet bathing suits to the railing to dry. A few clothes pins will come in handy. I just run the suit through the shoulder strap to tie it to the railing.

You will be spending more time in the water than you are used to. I highly recommend wearing socks in your booties. Softened skin is really prone to blisters. Bring liquid bandage/second skin, in case you do get blisters.

If you are going to PNG (and a few other locations) take candy for all the kids who will paddle out to your ship.

I do mostly liveaboards and love diving from them.

 

[outofofficebrb]

However many dives you are doing in a day, that is how many swimsuits I always bring, +1 additional. It allows me to be lazy for an entire day if I don't get around to rinsing and hanging them to dry or in case things don't dry between dives. I also bring towel clips so that I can hang things on the railing and not have them fly away. I use all Stream 2 Sea toiletries (even at home) but I definitely bring those on a liveaboard.

Eyemask, earplugs. Ear solution if your ears are sensitive to moisture all the time and/or prone to infections. Way less underwear, socks, and general clothing than you think you need. To give you an idea, when I travel for about a month and spend most of my time on liveaboards, I only bring about 4-5 shirts and 2-3 pairs of shorts, and maybe 1 or 2 pairs of pants. I wear one of those tops and pants on the plane along with a warm layer. I only bring about 7 pairs of underwear that's easy to launder and dries quickly. I have no problem doing laundry and do so in my drybag/scrubba bag with a backpacking clothesline. If you want to hear about my liveaboard underwear math.......I'm happy to share. I only bring 2 bras - a dark one and a light one for my various tops. I don't bother with makeup but I bring picardin/icaridin bug spray for land portions. Stream2Sea leave in conditioner is amazing and also doubles as a great shave cream. I bring lots of hair ties and a shower comb for managing my hair before and after a dive. I also bring a menstrual cup - have been using the same one for almost 12 years. The great thing is you can use them even before your cycle begins - no accidents - and can leave them in for a lot longer than tampons without risk of TSS. I leave mine in for 24 hours on light days.

If one pair of your shorts is also a board shorts and one long sleeve top is a rashguard, that can help with sun protection but also easy donning and doffing of wetsuits!

 

[Allison Finch]

Most Liveaboards do laundry. Just saying....

Many boats provide eco friendly soap and shampoo. If not, only bring biodegradable products.

Most dive decks have a fresh water shower. I lather my hair up there, with eco shampoo, and use my sfter dive rinse as my daily shower.

 

[Kimela]

I haven't had a yeast infection in years, but I never travel without a Diflucan - one pill cures a yeast infection. With as much as you'll be in a wet swimsuit there's always a chance it'll happen. Take any medications you might need but can't get on a boat in the middle of the ocean - antibiotics, antibiotic cream (the kind with an analgesic is my preference), duct tape to function as bandaid and other things, any special snacks you might not find on the boat, lycra socks or footed leggings, a couple pair of flip flops (so you'll have one that is dry), a nice hat with a wide brim for hanging out ...

 

[Sharon Gable]

Small container of ear wash ... the last thing you want is ear problems while you’re in the middle of paradise diving. I swear by a half & half solution of isopropyl alcohol & distilled white vinegar. You only need a couple ounces. A couple drops in each ear at the end of the day will dry any water left behind and will keep bacteria from causing an infection. If you have a water logged ear or one that is starting to stop up, use it more often. The DMs one of my trips turned me on to this homemade remedy, and I’m so thankful! As mentioned above, a clothes line and clothes pins are a must! If you have time, order some stickers with your name on them to put on all of your gear. Fins, masks, torches, computers, camera equipment, etc gets mixed in with everyone else’s gear at times. Custom Waterproof 3M Sticker Labels for Scuba Diving gear, Boating gear, Fishing gear, Kayak gear and Camping gear

have a great trip!

 

[MrBigfins]

So not from a woman's perspective, but here is what was suggested to me as I recently asked the same question.
Meds:
Benedryl
Sudafed
Immodium
Seasickness meds
Eye drops
Ear drops
Waterproof Band-Aids and medical tape
Booze
If you don't bring it you won't have it

Surge protector and 2 prong adapter
Over the door shoe rack
Reef safe sunscreen
Cruise ship spring loaded clips
Lycra socks
Multiple swimsuits
Less clothes than you think
Boat coat (depending on location and time of year)
Chargers for lights, camera, phone
Multiple sandals
Leave in conditioner for longer hair
Long phone charger cord for cabin
Save a dive kit

 

[CWK]

Over the door shoe rack
.
.
Multiple sandals

Really?