First liveaboard advice

[eleniel]

If it's warm enough, I'm a big fan of full foot fins for liveaboards. Better power than their open foot versions and one less thing to deal with. I've used the same pair of Mares Superchannels for 12 years. They have the distinction of having the highest speed and thrust of any fins ever tested by Scubalabs back when they still did objective testing and the foot pockets fit my wide feet well. Of course the big freediving fins will be even more powerful, but are less controllable and are harder to pack.

You do have to get creative packing freediving fins - I love them and wouldn't dream of leaving them home for most dives, but they do require extra planning.
I currently try to book a window seat so I can carry them on (skateboard style) and slide them between the seat and the wall. If I can't do that, I lay them flat where my feet go and just straddle them the whole flight, or see if I can get them stored in a closet on the plane. It can be annoying, but I haven't found anything that works better in currents or surge.
I have a lot of control with them too, but it takes practice and you need to adapt your techniques - I can't back-fin in them but can do most other kicks (or variations with the functional equivalent) easily. I do a lot of photography so precise control is important and my super long fins deliver.
Learning to use them was pretty funny though and I crashed into the wall (in the pool!) multiple times before I figured it out.

 

[scubadada]

I dive Dive Rite XTs, that fit in my check in baggage, and deliver plenty of power, including for the Revillagigedos.

 

[Darnold9999]

On the extension cord issue it is most often a matter of not enough outlets to go around. If you have a surge protector with multiple outlets that will take all of the various things you need to plug in you are good. Just make sure that you have at least one adapter for the boat. That info is always on the website. I always carry a few different ones as they live in my camera kit.

 

[Hoag]

On the extension cord issue it is most often a matter of not enough outlets to go around. If you have a surge protector with multiple outlets that will take all of the various things you need to plug in you are good. Just make sure that you have at least one adapter for the boat. That info is always on the website. I always carry a few different ones as they live in my camera kit.

I have one similar to this that I keep in the dufflebag that I use as luggage on dive trips.

 

[tarponchik]

I take my dsmb on every ocean dive. I'm taking a surge protector and a 2 prong adapter in case the outlets on boat don't have a ground. Was this what you are suggesting or a long style actual extension cord?

The simple one like this. Sorry, I meant not a 3-prong, but with 3 outlets.

 

[Tattoo John]

Triple Antibiotic ointment and bandaids; if you get a little cut or chafed place, say on a toe, this can save some wear and tear and help you heal. Also a fan of Lycra socks.

I like to take a 24-hour Sudafed the morning of a dive day. In the Galapagos, where prompt negative entries were at times needful, this was quite helpful for equalization. I don't know how well you tolerate it, and I stick with long-acting since I don't want it wearing off underwater. I also use Flonase. I've had significant reverse squeeze twice in my life; that's about enough of that!

Similarly, I take over-the-counter and prescription med.s I may want. As someone once said, if it's not on the boat, it's not on the boat. Generics for Imodium, Pepto-Bismol equivalent in pill form, something for urinary pain, I pack quite the little Pharmacy.

I use those 'swimmer's ear' drops every few dives to prevent getting the condition. If you wait till you've got it, it'll burn! Use it as a preventive, and no such problems. I think Trailboss123 uses a product called Ear Shield; I also used it in Bonaire, and it seemed helpful, too.

I bring a little grooming kit to help keep the top of my mustache trimmed off. If you wear glasses, a bunch of those little wipe packets come in handy.

[
Boy oh boy... word on that drrich2... I read your advice in a previous thread about liveaboard experience and it helped alot. I did bring a little pharmacy on my first liveaboard and really glad I did. I saw others struggle with the onboard miscellaneous supply of pharmaceutical items. I used and was thankful I brought Swimmers Ear drops, lycra socks - 2 pair, 3-way surge plugin, clips, Pepto, Advil, Bonnie, and of course I brought more clothes than I needed. Heck I never dived with my wetuits... the water temp in August around Cayman was mid 80's. But you never know. If anything I am really glad I did the liveabord. The repetitive diving made a self confident diver who better understood my rigging, I like the less is more feel now. Looking into AI and different scuba equipment built around my needs.

 

[nquinn]

Any experience with new skin instead? A friend suggested new skin for any booboos as it holds up against water well.

You should take a look into Leukotape. It's super strong and lots of long distance hikers use it.

https://smile.amazon.com/BSN-Medical-BEI076168-Leukotape-Sports/dp/B000E59HXC

 

[MrBigfins]

What are thoughts on taking or leaving wetsuit hangers at home?

 

[Hoag]

What are thoughts on taking or leaving wetsuit hangers at home?

Leave it/them at home. The boat will have them. They are used to having divers on board and are pretty good at looking after our needs.

Note: Some VERY basic boats might not have them, but I have never been on one that didn't.

 

[Hoag]

If you take a look along the right and left sides of this pic from the Aggressor website, you can see the wetsuits hanging up and a few spare (extra) hangers.