Are Live-Aboard Dives Generally Guided?

[Rand]

I'm considering doing my first live-aboard as my next trip and was wondering if they generally have guides leading the dives or if they just turn you loose to do your own thing.

I realize different companies/ships will have their own policies regarding this.

Right now, I'm leaning towards going with Explorer Ventures on the Explorer II to Turks and Caicos.

I have kind of mixed feelings about guided dives. On one hand, it might be nice to be led by a knowledgeable guide to see something cool, but I'd also not want to hold up the group if I'm taking photos.

Just curious what everyones' experience with this is.

 

[TravisD]

On our Aquacat trip earlier this month (siiiighhhhh) there was a DM (or two) in the water on all dives, but they were not guided, except for the 3 drift dives where there was a DM up front with the marker bouy, and a DM in the back in case anyone got separated. We were told up front that we were to dive our own profiles, but if we had any questions that they would be happy to assist. They had no problem whatsoever if you said that you wanted to hang with them for the dive.

 

[Damselfish]

In my experience there's always a DM or 2 in the water, it's your option to follow or not. Sometimes we even follow for part of a dive if it suits us then leave as we see fit (generally we tell them in advance we'll likely do that.) Exception is sometimes drift diving when people need to stay somewhat together, though in that case often teams or groups still ascend at different times if it's safe and get picked up as you go along, while folks with more air continue further.

I think liveaboards have less of an inclination to babysit divers than some land ops have a rep for, since liveaboards tend to attract more serious/experienced divers on average.

 

[Doc]

If you can find the cool stuff by yourself, tell your DM that after they look you over that you might want to stray off. if you let them know, they'll likely let you do anything.

Understand that the stated reasons that the DM's are there is that they will show you cool stuff. They are of course, trying to keep the average idiot alive as well. This can not be stated aloud, as neither the ship nor the DM is being paid to provide hand-holding and rescue~ although the owner wants the DM's to ensure everyone comes home. Get the dichotomy?

Just tell them that you'll be dawdling. If there is a current, I would advise against it. And unless you are intimately familiar with finding the critters in the area, stick with the DM! You'll get way better pictures.

 

[robint]

I think the basic rule of thumb is if diving is done from a skiff away from the "mother ship" then there is a DM leading and you follow. If diving is done off the mother ship, diving is done independently - sometimes DMs are in water and you can go with them, sometimes not. All liveaboards have someone available to dive with you if you ask.

 

[johnspierce]

I've been on 3 different Explorer Venture trips. On every dive, a divemaster gets in the water and will guide if you wish. I always dive with my wife, sister-in-law and her husband and we always wander away from the other divers. That's the best thing about a live-aboard, they let you do your own thing.

Oh, and as Robin says above, if you are diving from a skiff, they will want you to stay with the group, if diving from the back deck, you can do your own dive. None of the Explorer Ventures boats dive from a skiff, but I've done a liveaboard in the USVI where we did it that way because you couldn't get near some of the good dive sites any other way.

JP

 

[tvictory]

I've done the T&C Explorer trip twice, and they have a DM in the water on every dive to follow if you want. If you don't want, you don't have to. In many ways, the diving off West Caicos and French Cay is well suited to doing your own thing. The moorings are in the shallow, sandy areas and the moored boat tails off over the edge of the wall. It's pretty easy to find the boat coming back, whichever way you go. (The TCE II does swing in a huge arc when moored, so you might not see it immediately, but you can usually hear it and just wait a minute or two until it comes back). Sometimes we start out with the group and then hang back and do a leisurely dive and then rejoin the group when they're coming back.

 

[zf2nt]

I think the basic rule of thumb is if diving is done from a skiff away from the "mother ship" then there is a DM leading and you follow. If diving is done off the mother ship, diving is done independently - sometimes DMs are in water and you can go with them, sometimes not. All liveaboards have someone available to dive with you if you ask.

This is a very important point for me. I have been thinking of going on a 12 day Bilikiki cruise through the Solomons this summer...BUT: (a) I note from their web page that they dive off a skiff rather than off the dive platform on the boat; (b) I absolutely refuse to go anywhere that I have to stay in a group and follow a DM. So...does anybody know if Bilikiki follows the policy mentioned above?

Bruce

 

[CoralSeaMan]

On the Cayman Aggressor there is at least one Divemaster in the water on every dive and you can dive with them if you wish.

 

[robint]

This is a very important point for me. I have been thinking of going on a 12 day Bilikiki cruise through the Solomons this summer...BUT: (a) I note from their web page that they dive off a skiff rather than off the dive platform on the boat; (b) I absolutely refuse to go anywhere that I have to stay in a group and follow a DM. So...does anybody know if Bilikiki follows the policy mentioned above?

Bruce

I just went to their website and it is hard to tell exactly.......BUT it does say that they have both skiffs out and when you surface they run you back to the mothership rather than waiting on the whole group. So it sounds to me like they drop you on the reef together but you can stay together or maybe not? It says the mothership will be just a few hundred yards away during dives...
sorry, I can't be more help.
I know that the Nai'a in Fiji does that - they drop everyone together but as people come up a skiff runs them back to the ship. I don't think they are required to stay together.
You might want to e-mail them or call a travel agent and see what they say.