First Liveaboard trip - what to take, what to leave behind, what to know?

[cbristow23]

Hi everyone,

Just as I relied on experienced divers to teach me to dive safely and have fun at the same time, I'm reaching out to the ScubaBoard community to pass along wisdom concerning liveaboard diving.

My brother, daughter and me will be spending the last week of February 2013 aboard the Aqua Cat, out of Nassau, Bahamas. None of us have any experience on a liveaboard, so we're all ears to learn what to take, what to leave behind, and what tricks and tips the community has to pass along.

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

 

[diversteve]

My first recommendation if you have cameras/flash/laptops etc. is a powerstrip or multi-outlet extension cord. There's usually some charging facilities onboard but they were installed when people didn't bring cellphones, laptops, ipads, ipods, dual flash setups etc. One trip we were on, chargers were spread out all over the boat.

I also bring spare light batteries, spare AI computer batteries, a spare mask (they'll likely have one if yours gets smashed/knocked overboard) but I prefer mine. Spare mask/fin straps and a non-corroding multi-tool. Also cable ties. I also bring at least two lights in case one breaks - Aquacat will probably provide them as needed also. I also buy cheap sunglasses, when they get broken, tossed overboard, etc. I'm not out $100. Polarized will help with the glare.

It's windy in the Bahamas. Squalls can blow up quickly at night. Twice during a liveaboard in the Bahamas Outer Islands both a crew member and I ran around catching people's suits/towels/t-shirts before they blew overboard (at least we tried). So some sort of big clothespins or another way to clamp your clothes onto hangers.

I have several pairs of micro-fiber boardshorts for lob trips. They dry fast and are decent enough looking to wear at dinner (not that you'll exactly dress for meals) I always find that I bring too many clothes - some never get worn during the week. I would leave the flip-flops at home, they're slippery on wet decks and if you do any shore excursions you'll need something better. I have a pair of treaded Teva-style sandals that work acceptably. One boat I was on (Explorer) you took your shoes off on boarding and went barefoot (or in dive boots) all week. They'll prefer no wet boots indoors also.

Strong sun block/tan lotion is a given, on the top deck of the Aquacat you're the tallest thing for miles. Everybody gets cooked in the water anyway...lol.

You're probably on your own the last night in Nassau so whatever you need for that...

Money for the tip also. The crew works hard to see that you have a good time. Most of them work for very little pay. Usually that's done when you settle up with the purser at the end of the week. I personally like to give it in cash so it can be divided among the crew immediately. Checks/credit cards are more difficult for them locally since they're often only in port on Saturday.

Don't forget your c-cards!!!

 

[ktomlinson]

I think diversteve covered most of it! My advice is advice that was given to me before a liveaboard. Pack your clothes, then take half of them back out and leave them at home.

 

[BAMA6977]

OK, last year I had same question. Going to save you a lot of research. Lengthy, but here is what I found on "The Board":

Everything on a boat breaks everything on a boat leaks Liveaboards range from the spartan (such as Blackbeards) to luxury so your expectations may vary, depending on what is provided on board. Privacy on the boat can vary depending on how full it is. Even with the large liveaboards, space tends to be a premium, so you don't want to pack lots of clothing - just a set for sleeping in, and maybe 2 sets of clothes (for, say, 4-5 days' stay) in between dives if the boat is air-conditioned.
I'm not sure if this helps, but here are some items I came up with for packing for a liveaboard, some of which I wished I had brought (I hope I didn't miss anything):
- sunscreen (lots), skin moisturizer (if needed)
- 1 or 2 good books to read
- Q-tips
- extra towel (liveaboards tend to provide one, but you may need more than that for drying dive or photographic gear)
- 2 pairs of swim suits (unless you don't mind wearing one that is constantly wet and likely cold)
- safety sausage and air horn
- try to pack essential gear (reg, mask, computers, camera) in your carry on as it can take a while to have delayed luggage delivered to your boat
- battery charger (for camera, lights etc), extra memory card
- universal cable (USB on one end) to download images to the boat's computer or your laptop
- if there is something you cannot live without, a specific brand of tea or coffee, or candy, bring it.
- spare parts/repair kit (O-rings, lubes, spare batteries for dive computer etc)
- sandals (for walking around the boat, unless you like barefoot)
- medication (including motion sickness pills)
- cash for tipping the crew
Most importantly - be social, get to know your fellow divers, have an open mind and enjoy your trip!plastic dish bin - for putting under my seat on the dive deck. put mask, gloves, lights, mask defog, etc in it.
Large alligator clips (PLASTIC NOT METAL) - for holding towels down for drying. don't even bother with cloths pins
ear plugs - for sleeping. boats are noisey, people snore, walls are thin.
flashlight for bunk - most cabins are below decks with no natural light and no emergency lighting system. be prepared.
SMB, spool/reel - I know it was mentioned above, but I wanted to add "learn how to use it before you get there"
Duct Tape - duct tape "fixes everything". great for blistered feet if needed.
insulated cup - great for keeping the "cold drinks cold" and the "hot drinks hot"
blank CD's and/or USB drive - for getting/copying pics taken by others.
zip lock bags - gallon size. in case you gear bag gets stored on the top deck or bow. keeps stuff in your bag dry if you need it, or any other use.
extra batteries for EVERYTHING - lights, computers, backup lights, camera, strobes, etc.
small power strip or 3 plug adapter - been on several boats that there weren't enough plugs for everyone to plug their cameras chargers, battery chargers, etc in at the "charging station". most chargers have those "wall bricks" and hard to plug in multiple ones of them. Having a multi-port plug strip is nice. (you'd think that the boats would bust out a few bucks for something like this...buy some don't).
power voltage adapter - since you're going overseas. you might have to deal with 220v 50hz.
soft side luggage - because boats can't store hard side luggage well in those tiny cabins.
sweatshirt, etc - I bring this up because it'll be hot during the day and the AC will keep up, but at night when it cools off, the A/C will "catch up" and it'll be often very chilly in the cabins in the morning after the AC has been running all night to "catch up". Also there will be a breeze at night when above decks also.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - DCS can be caused by being dehydrated.
FACTS about boats:

• everything on a boat gets wet
• nothing on a boat every really dries
• everything on a boat smells like a boat; where things break, get wet, and never really dry
• anything that doesn't smell like a boat smells like people who live on a boat
• everything mechanical on a boat is very loud (until it breaks; then it becomes very quiet)
• everything non-mechanical on a boat creaks and/or rattles (until it breaks in; then it gets very quiet; that's usually the day before it breaks)
• everything on a boat is small
• if something is not small, it's not on the boat
• if something is not available on the island/mainland, it's not on the boat
• if something is not on the boat, it's not on the boat
• if you need something specific but didn't bring it, it's not on the boat
• even things that are usually on the boat are often not on the boat
• most things that happen on a boat happen simply "because it's a boat"

A thousand major/minor/uncomfortable/disgusting/annoying/inconvenient things can go wrong on a boat over the course of a year. Statistically, that means that 20 of them will happen the week you're on board. You won't notice 15 of them. Will any of the the other 5 things ruin your trip? Honestly - other than a condition which presents a clear and imminent safety or health issue - whether or not something ruins your trip is entirely up to you. I choose to focus on the things like diving that make my trip enjoyable; folks who choose to focus on things that will ruin their trip can always find something that will.



---------- Post Merged at 08:17 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:03 PM ----------

Part 2 :But, as an optimist, keep in mind that you also get to take the good with the bad...

• everything GOOD that happens on a live-aboard happens "because it's a boat"
• you're never more than an hour or so from the next dive, the next meal, the next nap, or your first drink - because it's a boat
• you set your gear up once and don't worry about it again - because it's a boat
• you're right over the dive site - because it's a boat
• two hours later you're right over the next dive site - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from your last bite of desert after dinner to your night dive - because it's a boat
• it's a ten foot walk from your night dive to a hot shower - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from the hot shower to a cold beer - because it's a boat
• it's a twenty foot walk from the cold beer to your bed - because it's a boat
• when you wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and waffles...you're right over the next great dive site - because it's a boat

To put liveaboard tipping figure of "10% of trip cost" which is a good start. For a week-long trip I budget for $300+ pretty much regardless of the cost of the charter.

get NITROX certified, and use it! (and bring your C-cards)/DAN insurance cards.

stay hydrated, I bring a small plastic water squirt bottle and keep it out on deck in the dive bag, it's great for getting a swallow of water whenever I want, also use it to rinse off mask defog as I'd highly recommend you NOT use the communal mask bucket!

buy some dive socks to wear under booties, you will be doing a LOT of finning (25 - 30 hrs underwater over a week @ 4-5 dives daily) and blisters on those feet will really suck!

learn how to use your computer, bring a back up computer (preferably the same/similiar unit...and bring a paper copy of the owner's manual for you to reference...many divers who wait longish periods between dive trips sometimes forget all the details about how their computers work.

make sure you're bring good fins you really like, or it's gonna be a really LONG week!

at least a pair of thin reef gloves is a good idea, for holding onto down lines in a current.

don't underestimate your thermal protection needs....you will be underwater a LOT,

Also be sure to bring your sense of humor and patience. Not everything can always go as planned so try to relax and have fun.
Let me second (or third) the need to take lycra socks to protect your feet. Even if you wear hard soled boots or booties. Your feet will be raw by the 2nd or 3rd day. Something like this:

Xs Scuba lycra Socks reviews and discounts, XS Scuba

Mine are Deep Sea. I always carry two pair just in case one is lost or I need to lend a pair to a buddy.
EVERYTHING will be damp by the end of the trip. If you want really dry clothing, towels, books or anything else, bring a dry bag to put them in.

If the boat's layout and the weather permit, try to sleep up on deck.

Cultivate patience and a sense of humor. One of my favorite sayings is that you are either in the middle of a great experience or a good story.

Don't forget an adequate supply of any prescription medications you take. That seems to be something people forget on trips.

On the boat - just apply all the kindergarten lessons - share, play, have snacks, stick with your buddy, take naps, laugh, have a good time. Can't let the small things bother you - and don't be an A-hole and ruin it for others around you. When diving with groups of people, be aware - there will be people with more experience, and less experience, better equipment, worse equipment. Be a nice/fun kindergartner - share, be nice, helpful.

Stuff breaks, and they aren't always able to have it fixed. Get over it. (unless it's the engine(s) - then I'd understand). (missing the damn hot tub all week ....

Night dives are cool - invest in a nice (expensive) underwater light/torch.

My schedules have been like this:

7:00am Wake Up, Continental Breakfast
8:00am Dive
9:00am Real Breakfast
10:15am Dive
11:00am Nap
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Dive
2:00pm Nap
3:30pm Dive
4:30pm Relax / Nap
6:00pm Dinner
7:00 Night Dive
8:00pm Hang out / drink a couple beers / read a book / watch a movie. Go to bed.

You don't need to bring much. A couple swim suits, a couple beach towels, a couple sundresses, something to sleep in, and toiletries. Maybe a book or two and an iPad / iPhone with movies loaded. And of course, your gear. Some boats allow you to bring alcohol and store it in their fridge. You might want some snacks. The boats I've been on didn't allow shoes or flip-flops (too slippery) so I was barefoot the entire time. Don't forget sunglasses.

Like I said before, I get seasickness, so I take dramamine as often as bottle recommends.

Ears, get that funny tickle or itch in your ears after day three, and your seven day tropical livaboard experience can turn into a nightmare.
1. So, I bought an ear dryer from a swimming store and dry my ears once/ twice a day.
2. Talked to Alex the Diver MD on a dive boat and use his ear drop recipe,
3 parts rubbing alcohol, 1 part vinager and 2 parts distilled water, put in a one ounce plastic bottle with a top that lets you place a few drops in your ears every other day.
3. Also, Alex likes to drop in a drop of mineral oil/ ear every morning. Not sure about that one.
When I do the liveaboards it's 4-5 and occassionally six dives/ day. Wet ears need care. Have fun.
If there are 5 dives a day, I use three bathing suits: one for the first two dives, the second for the two afternoon dives, and the third is for the night dive (yes, a dry suit for the night dive).
If you have ear issues, here is my trick: use the blow dryer in your cabin, on low, with your spare hand cupped around the air nozzle as a spacer, and dry your ears out with that once or twice a day.
Bring 1/3 the amount of clothing that you think you need. Seriously, you won't be wearing anything for more than an hour at a time, so it isn't dirty or smelly. Rotate three outfits (light weight tops & shorts or pants, one or two sun dresses), and don't bring shoes. I wear my tevas for travel, and bring one pair of flip flops, which usually don't get worn all week. Everyone goes bare foot.

Regarding rolling dive travel bags: I bought a large Eagle Creek to pack all of my dive gear, including wetsuit, BCD, absolutely everything. Packed it weighs in at 42 pounds, but going home (when gear tends to be heavier) it tops out at about 48 pounds. I bought the smallest Eagle Creek rolling bag for my clothes, and packed with limited clothing and a couple books, it weighs in at 24 pounds. My small rolling carryon, with my regulator, Canon Elph & u/w housing, etc. weighs in at 18 pounds.

 

[Doubler]

If you get your regulators serviced prior to your trip, get in a checkout dive before you leave to make sure your gear was properly serviced. I have found that regulators work fine until you have them serviced and it sucks to find out they housed them up on your first dive of a week long trip.

 

[koozemani]

Hi everyone,

Just as I relied on experienced divers to teach me to dive safely and have fun at the same time, I'm reaching out to the ScubaBoard community to pass along wisdom concerning liveaboard diving.

My brother, daughter and me will be spending the last week of February 2013 aboard the Aqua Cat, out of Nassau, Bahamas. None of us have any experience on a liveaboard, so we're all ears to learn what to take, what to leave behind, and what tricks and tips the community has to pass along.

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

Thanks for the thread! The wife and I have our first one booked for April so I've been perusing as many of these as possible.

 

[tracydr]

Hi everyone,

Just as I relied on experienced divers to teach me to dive safely and have fun at the same time, I'm reaching out to the ScubaBoard community to pass along wisdom concerning liveaboard diving.

My brother, daughter and me will be spending the last week of February 2013 aboard the Aqua Cat, out of Nassau, Bahamas. None of us have any experience on a liveaboard, so we're all ears to learn what to take, what to leave behind, and what tricks and tips the community has to pass along.

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

Think about things that break or get lost. Make sure you have the ability to fix or replace each piece. Back up mask. Fins trap.o-rings. That sort Of thing.

 

[asha]

Avoid bringing large hard-sided bags (e.g., roller suitcases). Space is at a premium on boats and soft bags like duffels can be tucked away much more easily.

 

[Darnold9999]

Good lists so far. A couple of points to add or amplify.

Multiple dives a day mean you will get colder than you expect. I bring three wetsuits, two shorties and a full. One drys out while I am diving the other. Always dive the full on the night dives. Overkill, but I find the spare wetsuits are great for protecting fragile camera gear.

Also bring multiple shorts/bathng suits. Always change into the next pair at the end of a dive so am always in dry shorts. Don't wear anything else except t-shirts, and possibly a sweatshirt at night. If you bring more than that you will likely not wear it.

Rather than duct tape I pack a roll of first aid waterproof tape - works better for protecting your feet from rubbing fins and can protect a cut or abrasion during a dive. Your local drug store will have it.

If it is essential for your diving and unique - bring two. Dive boats have lots of spares, but might not have exactly what you need.

The spares I pack are: mask, lights, batteries for everything, spare orings for my camera, sync cord for the strobe and memory cards

 

[Slmason.72]

Power strip - take two!
swim ear drops
robust save a dive kit.
Wetsuits - even in 83* water, with that many dives a day, your core temp WILL drop.
6-8 Clothes line clips- heavy duty... Think Home Depot clamps.
2-3 Micro-fiber towels. They aren't a gimmick. They soak up a ton of water and dry fast.
Good deck shoes... Flip flops are fine IF they have good traction. (I like Reef)
a large insulated mug for your drinks (especially on Blackbeards)
HALF the clothes you think you need.
soft luggage - think duffel bags, not suitcases.