Carribean Explorer I - Booked my first liveaboard

[thebes11]

I get to excited to wait until the last minute to pack! I love night dives too, my wife will be doing her first night dive on this trip! Plan for me right now is to do every dive available! People say it's tough to do that, but we'll see, I'd like to consider myself hard-core...guess this trip will tell!

 

[tstormdiver]

I get to excited to wait until the last minute to pack! I love night dives too, my wife will be doing her first night dive on this trip! Plan for me right now is to do every dive available! People say it's tough to do that, but we'll see, I'd like to consider myself hard-core...guess this trip will tell!

Last year on the night dives we saw lots of eels & turtles. I was looking for octopi, but never saw any. Doing most, if not all all the dives is what I plan also, but I'm not sure if my buddy will be able to or not, so we're going to play it by ear. She's been sickly most of the winter & is just now getting on the downhill side of it. I did all the dives on Blackbeard's (3-4 a day). My buddy & I may have to sit out the last dive or 2 on Fri. because of "no fly" times. Our plane leaves out of Georgetown at about 7:00am Sat. morning (it was the only flight we could get without costing us lots of $$$$$).

Are you both also diving Nitrox? I've been Nitrox certified since Christmas, but haven't gotten to use it yet. My first chance was going to be this weekend, but all my buddies had to back out for one reason or another, but it's a blessing in disguise as now I can clean house & pack.

My buddy & I are talking about taking a dive before boarding the boat on Sat. through a local LDS on the island. We're going to try for a nice easy dive to review skills & such. Neither one of us have dove since New Years & we both feel like we're a bit rusty.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

My buddy & I are talking about taking a dive before boarding the boat on Sat. through a local LDS on the island. We're going to try for a nice easy dive to review skills & such. Neither one of us have dove since New Years & we both feel like we're a bit rusty.

No need to dothis as the boat has a 'check out dive' where the crew (almost all of them) dive with the group and watch for skills etc. They realize that most people are a little rusty on the first dive or two. After about the 2nd day you will be so comfortable.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

I get to excited to wait until the last minute to pack! I love night dives too, my wife will be doing her first night dive on this trip! Plan for me right now is to do every dive available! People say it's tough to do that, but we'll see, I'd like to consider myself hard-core...guess this trip will tell!

I think I did all of them except the very last dive at the end since it was so shallow and i was beginning to get an earache. Don't forget your Auro-Dry or whatever you use to dry your ears. I left that in the room on the sink and used it after the morning dives, the afternoon dives and of course after the night dive. (Basically anytime there is a long surface interval). In order to do all of the dives you must abstain from alcohol. As tempting as it may be (since it is free and readily available) it will only dehydrate you and wear you down. I wasn't a boozer soit was no big deal. Many people did not do the night dive as they had wine/beer with dinner. Water water water.

 

[tstormdiver]

No need to dothis as the boat has a 'check out dive' where the crew (almost all of them) dive with the group and watch for skills etc. They realize that most people are a little rusty on the first dive or two. After about the 2nd day you will be so comfortable.

We just figured we might, if we felt up to it. Since we're coming in on Fri. & don't board until Sat. afternoon. It will be a nice way to kill a little time while waiting. If the water's as warm as I'm anticipating, I'll probably be at ease in about 10 min.

 

[thebes11]

Are you both also diving Nitrox? I've been Nitrox certified since Christmas, but haven't gotten to use it yet. My first chance was going to be this weekend, but all my buddies had to back out for one reason or another, but it's a blessing in disguise as now I can clean house & pack.

We are both diving Nitrox, I've been diving it for about 3 years, my wife actually takes her test on Tuesday! It's really no big deal, just gotta keep an eye on oxygen exposure in addition to the usual stuff. If you're diving a Nitrox computer, it really easy since it'll show your PO2 right on the screen. I like to keep it below 85%.

We're not rusty, great thing about living in FL, we just dove the Mercedes in 95 fsw last weekend down in Fort Lauderdale. Missy's new though, so she still take a dive or two to get comfortable, but she's improving greatly with each dive (she's at 27 now).

Just think, by this time next week, we'll already have a few dives in!

 

[tstormdiver]

I'm jealous. Hopefully I'll be able to start diving the quarries here soon after I return.

Only a little more than 5 days to go!

 

[robint]

tick tick tick

are you sleeping at all? I can't wait to read your trip reports when you get back.

robint

 

[tstormdiver]

Actually,....... no.......not sleeping well at all & this is one of the toughest weeks of the year where I work.

 

[tstormdiver]

Just a few more days left to go here! I'm all packed, myself. I hope everyone is well. I can't wait to meet everyone & get in some great diving. See you all there!