Curious about life on a live-aboard....

[RikRaeder]

Your question seemed more reasonable than alchie to me. Something I've considered myself as I'm interested in liveaboards. I like the sound of the schedule though! Now to convince my gf...

 

[vladimir]

Perhaps I indicated that the drinking was more important than it is.

And perhaps I jumped to a conclusion.

I have done 7 liveaboards traveling solo. I have always found the other passengers friendly and gregarious. Even if you're not outgoing, the group dining and the shared activities and interests tend to engender a social atmosphere. I remain in touch with friends I met a dozen years ago on liveaboards.

The worst hangover I have ever had came after a drinking session on the last night of a week on the Palau Aggressor. We compounded a night out at a local restaurant with drinks and cigars on the aft deck of the Aggressor. Combined with the slow rocking of the ship, well...

I had to be packed and off the boat at 8:00 am and I had to dispense with the pleasantries in order to manage it. It took a few days in a hammock at the Palau Pacific Resort before I was myself again.

 

[farsidefan1]

Can't imagine it would be a problem unless it was a quaker or mormon convention taking place on the boat. Being solo is no big deal either. I always seem to get absorbed into various groups. And the staff is usually very happy to accompany you! especially when it gets them out of dish duty

 

[cowdog77]

Some divers prefer land based because they enjoy touring, seeing the sights, and interacting with the local folk. But, we're sold on the dive, dive, dive aspect of a liveaboard, as well as the whole "at sea" thing. To have the best of both worlds, we generally arrive a day or two early to enjoy the local attractions which also conveniently gives us a little buffer in case we encounter delays along the way....so we don't miss the boat departure.

 

[diver 85]

Thats what I was looking for... Thanks Mike.
Perhaps I indicated that the drinking was more important than it is. I'm 33, physically fit and enjoy a cocktail every now and then. Not every night and not necessarily anything more than a beer or two on the nights I would have something. Was just poking into the social scene aboard a boat and seeing how the time other than diving was spent. Thanks to all for their opinions.

On some live aboards, you're 1st drink of the day means you are thru diving for the day.........

 

[NudeDiver]

I've never done a live-aboard, but am heavily interested in doing one of the tiger beach shark dives for a week. Given the nature (dangerous sharks) and expense of it, it's been a little tough finding a partner. Being my first trip like this, and probably flying solo, I'd like to hear some thoughts on what to expect? Is a week of that solo going to drive me bezerk?

Liveaboards are the way to go man. Two thirds of my dives are liveaboard. It's too bad ALL dives can't be liveaboard. It's so nice having your equipment always set up, not having to move it around - not having to trudge back and forth from a hotel to a boat, making long trips back and forth to sites, etc. They're also a great way to pack in a lot of diving in a short period of time. They are well worth the money. I wouldn't have any qualms and booking one. Also, all of mine were as a solo traveler and I didn't have any problem finding a buddy of some sort on board. Of course, some buddies are better than others, but it's also a good way to meet people

Also, I'm a drinker... not a heavy drinker, but I like to have 2 or 3 rum drinks at night. Will that get me the stink-eye or do most people enjoy cocktails on the boat? Any experienced insight is appreciated.

Don't drink - so I can't help you with that one. I don't recall anyone getting sloshed on the boats I was on - but to be fair, once the drinking starts, I try to go find something else to do. I don't like being around drunks. However, one of these boats had an after-trip party at a local bar that got rather wild though

 

[diver 85]

Ah hah nudediver, you got to do 'your thingy' then----> "However, one of these boats had an after-trip party at a local bar that got rather wild though "

 

[robint]

liveaboards....... ROCK! They spoil you and you may never be able to do land-based trips again.

drinking onboard - every liveaboard we have done, after the last dive of day (for some that was dinnertime) people did drink, usually a beer or two or a mixed drink, but no one ever got drunk. On liveaboards with that dive dive dive schedule, you can dehydrate yourself, like Roatanman said, and you may end up with DCS. So people are usually responsible. On the Nekton trips, many of the girls skipped the night dive and went up to the top deck to watch the guys do the night dive. That was usually the "pub" for the evening. When the guys returned, they all had a beer up there too. Then everyone crashed for the night. In Palau almost everyone grabbed a beer after the night dive as we sat on the deck and chatted about the dive and wound down before going to bed. I never saw anyone have more than 2.

Shearwater Liveaboard - shark week trips. That is a tough one. As the others mentioned, it is not a dive trip for beginners. It is actually geared for photographers, too. All dives are with the divers just sitting on bottom while they chum the water to bring sharks. No swimming around, usually just a sandy bottom wiht no reef or other fish to see. The boat is not plush either, it is a bit cramped with everyone sharing a few bathrooms.

If you really want to do a liveaboard with some diving with sharks, consider the Nekton Bahamas trips to either Cay Sal Bank or Medio Reef. No shark feeds on those, just lots of sharks. The Aquacat does a shark feed dive one day, as do the Blackbeards boats.
Check out one of my shark videos from the Nekton this past March:
[vimeo]998250[/vimeo]

or from Cay Sal Bank on Nekton 2 years ago:

that gives you an idea of what you can see on other trips.

robin