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

[fred3798]

Sorry no pics from Oct. 27 - Nov. 3 trip. Hurricane Sandy left almost no visibility in her wake and a layer of brown sandy gunk covering the reefs. Fun trip; great boat; crappy diving.

 

[dmoore19]

Sorry to hear the diving was crappy. Any comments on the boat and crew you could share?

 

[ontdiver]

I was on the AC last year. Sent you a PM. Let me know if it does not materialize.

 

[dmoore19]

I was on the AC last year. Sent you a PM. Let me know if it does not materialize.

I didn't get a PM from you.

 

[tdtaylor]

Everything to this point is accurate, so I won't repeat. I have been aboard the Aquacat twice, and am scheduled again for next year. Fabulous crew and boat. A few thing to note- you will need a power strip, for they are few accessible outlets (which are 120v). Go light on the clothing- most people spend the week barefooted and only wear shoes for the off-boat periods before and after the cruise. T-shirts and shorts are the norm all week. If you dive all 26 dives, you will have little time to read a book, between getting ready for the next dive, logs, etc., especially if you have a camera. I would recommend a change of suit that you wear with your thermal protection- it is pretty important to "dry out" once a day before moisture creates a problem.

Also, thermal protection depends on your tolerance for cold. The temps have been 79-81 in the two Octobers we have been there, and I was fine in swim trunks while doing 25 of 26 dives. I often wore a skin, just being a photographer, so I would have to worry less about brushing something- never have touched my wetsuit. Now, the woman next to me last month wore a 5 mil in order to be comfortable. Most were wearing 3 mil shorties or full wetsuits. YMMV.

They have a great photo setup, with plenty of dry table and compressed air. The crew also uses Ikelite, so they are very knowledgeable and often have spare parts you can use.

You will get time after a casual dinner on Saturday evening, and most people walk across the street to the Atlantis. Plenty of places for shopping and eating. You will also be on your own Friday night when you return, even though you will spend the night sleeping aboard.

Also, someone suggested Lyca socks, which I highly recommend for any trip. Make getting into your exposure protection easier and help avoid those sore rub spots on the top of your feet. Also, you dive boots can be used when you do shore trips. in lieu of bringing another pair of footwear.

Overall, the crew for our trips has been very professional, catered to our every whim (don't hesitate to ask if you have an issue), and been an absolute delight to spend a week with. If you have any specific questions, give me a PM. If I don't have an answer, one of the group I travel with most likely will, some having been aboard for 5 years.

Terry

 

[fred3798]

Boat and sea crew were excellent. The Capt., 2nd Officer, Cook, Engineer and House Mouse went above and beyond to make the physical aspects of the trip more than comfortable. It had a luxurious feel. They staff took care of all of our needs and frequently proactively offered to do more. Food was opulent, plentiful, comfort-food themed and delicious. The 2nd officer spent afternoons shuttling people to beaches between dives. The rooms were kept very clean and neat. By contrast, the dive team did not seem to have the same approach. Briefings were indeed brief and information conveyed was not always accurate. The dive crew was helpful with dive gear, but just helpful. They did not take care of our equipment but helped us with it. On many day boats, I have left my equipment over night and got it back rinsed, put together and ready to load on my back. On the Aqua Cat you deal with your equipment on your own although help is avalable if needed. You walk to the entry point with the tank on your back and then put on your flippers rather than the tank being brought to you at the entry point for example. Not a huge thing. They just have a pretty clear approach to be helpful rather than doing it for you. Similarly, in the water, they prefer that you dive on your own rather than following a guide. I like being guided by someone who knows the reef and is much better able than me to find cool sea life. It is my first time at each reef. They have been there thousands of times. Yet many of us got the sense that the staff was too busy taking pictures and video to sell to us at the end of the trip to be bothered with guiding lazy divers. A promised photo course never materialized. Don't get me wrong; I liked them. They were friendly, helpful, genuinely nice people. Perhaps I was looking to be coddled too much for a liveaboard. To me, the standard of the diving service was just not up to the level of service and comfort of the physcal plant staff. Having said that, I really enojoyed the boat and will go on a liveaboard again.

 

[ridingandiving]

My experience was completely different than Fred's in that during the dive briefing (which occurred before every dive) they ALWAYS said that anyone that wanted to tag along with the dive masters were more than welcome to follow. Did they lead you around on individual tour? No. But I have a feeling if you had asked they would have been more than willing to accomodate. As to the level of help while on the dive platform, I see by your profile you have 50-99 dives. Do you really expect some one to carry your tank for you to the entry point? If this was an issue, you should have requested a dive station next to the entry point. Only 3 steps away from my experience. Other than removing and replacing your regulator between dives (to indicate your tank needed refilling) what did you expect the crew to do for you? Only thing I remember having to do for myself was to test O2 and re attach my reg, hang up/put on my wet suit, sit down and put on my fins and gear, walk to the side of the boat and jump in. How much easier can it get?

Not trying to be harsh here, but I don't want any first timers to get the impression that the deck crew is not up to an excellent rating. They will bend over backwards for you. I think you hit the nail on the head in your own words. "bothered with guiding lazy divers" and "Perhaps I was looking to be coddled too much".

Now the showers are a different story. Alex! Mia! where are you girls???? I dropped my soap!

 

[koozemani]

I've never been on a boat where my tank was brought to the entry point!?! Then what? Flippers?

i am firmly of the belief that I and only I should be setting up, breaking down, or carrying my gear anywhere. To quote my 7 year old, "you need to take care of your own dang self". Coddle and pamper me in between dives not in the water or on the dive deck.

 

[Divealpha]

A few additions to the list:
Remember, you don't have to do all the dives, if you don't feel like it! Don't dive if you're not comfortable with the conditions. Dive within your own limits.
Keep an eye on your No-Deco time....
Don't follow guides blindly, use your own brain, because occasionally you can bump into less "experienced" guides..

I always bring a hoodie for evenings, it can be windy at sea..
Happy liveaboard!

 

[tdtaylor]

My experience was completely different than Fred's in that during the dive briefing (which occurred before every dive) they ALWAYS said that anyone that wanted to tag along with the dive masters were more than welcome to follow. Did they lead you around on individual tour? No. But I have a feeling if you had asked they would have been more than willing to accomodate. As to the level of help while on the dive platform, I see by your profile you have 50-99 dives. Do you really expect some one to carry your tank for you to the entry point? If this was an issue, you should have requested a dive station next to the entry point. Only 3 steps away from my experience. Other than removing and replacing your regulator between dives (to indicate your tank needed refilling) what did you expect the crew to do for you? Only thing I remember having to do for myself was to test O2 and re attach my reg, hang up/put on my wet suit, sit down and put on my fins and gear, walk to the side of the boat and jump in. How much easier can it get?

Not trying to be harsh here, but I don't want any first timers to get the impression that the deck crew is not up to an excellent rating. They will bend over backwards for you. I think you hit the nail on the head in your own words. "bothered with guiding lazy divers" and "Perhaps I was looking to be coddled too much".

Now the showers are a different story. Alex! Mia! where are you girls???? I dropped my soap!

I have found their level of service on the dive deck just right. I have cameras, so I want to be next to the camera table. So I have to take 20 steps with my tank on my back before I jump in. After a dive, after I sat down in my place for the week, I had to take my regs off, let them fill in place, then later I checked the Nitrox and replaced the reg before the next dive. I want to do deal with my equipment- not have someone else do this- period. On numerous dive boats I have kindly asked the DMs that I will handle my equipment, the only exception being when we dove off a dingy on another trip. They were always ready to assist when needed, helping with cameras, fins, whatever was needed, greeting us with a warm water wash down when we boarded the boat after a dive. Maybe it was because we were an experienced group, we did not ask for much. At 120 dives, I was the newbie.

And they gave good briefings (better the year before), often taking about unique critters to the site and their behavior. Questions from us, often the photographers, often lead to detailed explanations. We did have one DM who was fairly new and was a little brief. On almost every dive, they asked who would like to join the DM, and 3-5 usually joined them.

My opinion, in general, if you want more services, you just need to ask. Otherwise, they leave you to do your thing and try to make your trip enjoyable.

I have to say, we were caught in Hurricane Sandy, and on Wednesday afternoon, we had to hightail it back to Nassau in very rough seas. Captain Ron and the crew worked hard to keep us in protected areas and get us 17 dives. After we tied up with 19 mooring lines in the protected Atlantis Marina (not Hurricane Hole), we buckled down for two and a half days of 90mph+ (110mph max) winds-thought it would never end. They offered to get anyone into the Atlantis (which shuttered up and was evidently a miserable experience), but only one person took advantage of the offer for one night. Captain Ron, First Mate John and crew went out of their way making sure we were safe, as comfortable as could be expected, and the Captain spent a lot of time on his satellite phone (our only communication during the storm, and provided with no charges) to change/rechange flights, etc. They kept constant food available, provided a meal Friday night, and worked to keep us entertained. While the AC is large, it is not that large. Bottom line, the AC crew went out of their way to accommodate us in a difficult situation.

The fun part is we left Nassau Saturday afternoon and flew home, just to get a visit from Sandy a second time later that week!