First live aboard pointers?

[chillyinCanada]

We stopped taking clothes pins. Just loop your swim suit around a pole.

I've seen a piece of suit go missing that way and I still don't know what became of my favourite rashguard. I'm sticking with clips. In a pinch I've used them in the room when not enough cupboard space

 

[diversteve]

don’t pretend that diveboats don’t target and cater to photographers or tell them to limit their equipment.Transporting thousands of dollars of photography equipment properly doesn’t make you a jackass buddy, it makes you responsible. It’s purpose built equipment.

No actually the guy was a pompous jerk as became apparet during the week. I had as much or more in my HD video rig but managed to pack it all in a hard sided roller bag kept in our cabin. He was Not a new photog either just self-entitled.

 

[diversteve]

Years ago on the Nekton Pilot they had a rod and hangers for drying suits etc on the top deck. One night we went thru a squall and a crewman and I chased most of the clothes b4 they flew over the side - we got most of them. On that boat the railings were a good option, I carried longer bungee cord which worked well to keep all my clothes on the boat when looped thru them

 

[Ayisha]

Bungee cord is a good idea. On the BA III they cinched up empty weight belts around several wetsuits/bathing suits hanging close together from hangers on deck. They blow like crazy when the boat is underway. We already had everything secured to the hangers with spring loaded clips plus they added the empty weight belt.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

No actually the guy was a pompous jerk as became apparet during the week. I had as much or more in my HD video rig but managed to pack it all in a hard sided roller bag kept in our cabin. He was Not a new photog either just self-entitled.

sure, then if that was the case, cite the pomposity as the issue and the person as opposed to the pelican case. For all you know the O/P is a professional photographer with a pelican 1516 who is now stressing over bringing it on the boat due to a cliquey comment from the ‘big boy divers’ , or someone else reading this post in the future my be put off a trip. Carrying gear in the proper case shouldn’t be vilified...unless of course the boat you were on specifically requests that photographers don’t bring those cases, but I would be very surprised if that was the situation, I’ve never heard of it.

ive been on 20+ boats where there has been at least 1 pelican 1516 size rig case and never seen an issue with the cases either being taken by the crew to be stowed in a separate area of the bowels of the boat or stacked underneath wetsuit drying racks on the divedeck but out of the way (there were 6 x 1516s on the last cayman aggressor trip this year) and there is also always one guy who brought a full Nauticam canon rig in his back pocket on the flight.....goes on about it and then becomes my best friend at the end of the trip because I let him use my Keldans for a dive that he would have never been able to fit in his case.

obviously if the individual refused to allow it to be taken away and insisted it remain on the deck, then that should be the point mentioned as it is selfish, but I‘m going to stand up for people who want/need to use these cases to lug photography equipment properly. I’ve
A) Had too much crap broken buy American Airlines in alternate non pelican checked luggage
B) Had too many occasions where some connecting flight has changed hand baggage rules and makes you check cabin luggage so you are screwed.
C) seen guy’s trips ruined because a piece of kit crapped out after they pulled it out of improper luggage.

so in short (long) I’m not trying to attack you and I’m clearly overly sensitive about it, but I just don’t agree with any ‘if you bring a big pelican case to protect your kit, you are being selfish/jackass’ message to any new live-aboard divers.

peace out.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Which boat was it out of interest?...bet it turns out you are speaking about me on some trip I was on...

although the only boat I ever had a pelican case on deck was the cayman..

 

[chillyinCanada]

Which boat was it out of interest?...bet it turns out you are speaking about me on some trip I was on...

although the only boat I ever had a pelican case on deck was the cayman..

Ya, maybe it was you or maybe you guys are just all alike

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Probably...it does get my back up when/If there is a message to a newbie that ‘you better not make a mistake/get the code wrong or people will think you are a jackass’...etc..

I appreciate that wasn’t the intended sentiment of diversteve though..

I’ll get off my soapbox now.....and if anyone puts a drink on the camera table or spits in their mask then puts it in the bucket ...I’m throwing it overboard...

 

[diversteve]

sure, then if that was the case, cite the pomposity as the issue and the person as opposed to the pelican case. For all you know the O/P is a professional photographer with a pelican 1516 who is now stressing over bringing it on the boat due to a cliquey comment from the ‘big boy divers’ , or someone else reading this post in the future my be put off a trip. Carrying gear in the proper case shouldn’t be villified...unless of course the boat you were on specifically requests that photographers don’t bring those cases, but I would be very surprised if that was the situation, I’ve never heard of it.

ive been on 20+ boats where there has been at least 1 pelican 1516 size rig case and never seen an issue with the cases either being taken by the crew to be stowed in a separate area of the bowels of the boat or stacked underneath wetsuit drying racks on the divedeck but out of the way ( 6 x 1516s on the last cayman aggressor trip this year) and there is also always one guy who brought a full Nauticam canon rig in his back pocket on the flight.....goes on about it and then becomes my best friend at the end of the trip because I let him use my Keldans for a dive that he would have never been able to fit in his case.

obviously if the individual refused to allow it to be taken away, then that should be the point mentioned as it is selfish, but I‘m going to stand up for people who want/need to use these cases to lug photography equipment properly. I’ve
A) Had too much crap broken buy American Airlines in alternate non pelican checked luggage
B) Had too many occasions where some connecting flight has changed hand baggage rules and makes you check cabin luggage so you are screwed.
C) seen guy’s trips ruined because a piece of kit crapped out after they pulled it out of improper luggage.

so in short (long) I’m not trying to attack you and I’m clearly overly sensitive about it, but I just don’t agree with any ‘if you bring a big pelican case to protect your kit, you are being selfish/jackass’ message to any new live-aboard divers.

peace out.

Dude, you aren't the only one whose been traveling for decades with camera gear.

Actually he did something in the medical admin field, most of his friends on the boat were doctors from the NYC area - mostly all very nice people.
He even was most of the time.

He kept other lenses/gear in the case all week but rarely opened it. The boat had all sorts of customer accessible storage also - T/CEX2

Justify it all you want, he was a jerk.

As long as we're name-dropping, I shoot an Anphibico Evo with about $2500 of wide angle glass. I don't need to keep it on the dive deck though, in fact I prefer not to. None of the other photo/video shooters on the boat felt theneed to keep their hard cases on the dive deck and many were shooting better rigs than his Ikelite. This was not his first rodeo either,

I also purposely bought a hard case roller for my gear since I have had to gate check it at times.

How do you like those Keldans?

We've probably hijacked this thread enough.

Peace out,

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

One other thing to mention about the Belize boats, you may want to do a quick poll of the guests and see if there’s is a consensus to do night dive before or after dinner. Last time I was on the 3 there were some older ladies on who wanted to night dive but found it a stretch to do after eating ( I think they also didn’t want to miss the booze) either way, the captain and staff were cool with it, we did night dives before dinner and by the end of the trip everyone preferred it to trips where nightdive is after dinner..