Help with planning a liveaboard

[liliade]

Better look at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7898130474452378423&q=sailing&pl=true
to judge the quality!

 

[save-money-diving]

Greets all - Hi James ... Have you considered Thailand ... most expensive part is the flight ... but you can do a 4 day live aboard with a cheap flight for around 1500 ...

I believe this may be my first post on here, but I've been signed up for while, browsing the forums and whatnot... So a little about me - I'm a 23 year old pre-med student working at a bio lab in Philadelphia. I grew up on Long Island Sound and I've loved SCUBA diving since I was certified when I was 12 (although I've never done it in the Sound, pretty mucky there), and have always wanted to do a liveaboard trip. I've been diving in Cape Cod, Block Island, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos (my most recent trip, last summer, did 12 dives there).

Now that I've graduated school and have a real job, I am seriously looking into a liveaboard. I'm young and adventurous and I don't really care much about a "pampered" cruise. I would have no problem eating oatmeal and hotdogs all week as long as I get some great diving in So I have all my own gear, and I am looking for the most economical way to do this sometime in the next 6 months. Any advice on specific companies to look into, and what I can expect to spend in the end would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'm assuming that I'll be somewhere in the Caribbean, unless I could go somewhere more exotic for not too much more money, but I'm guessing the airfare to Fiji or the Red Sea (the two places I would most want to go) would probably be too expensive for me. I'm hoping to do this for no more than $1000 to $1200, but hopefully less.

Thanks,
James

Hi James Have you considered Thailand as an option ... if you find a cheap flight .. you can put together a 4 day-live-aboard trip for around 1500 ,,,, get creative on searching for flights ...

 

[Doc]

Better look at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7898130474452378423&q=sailing&pl=true
to judge the quality!

Great video. Especialy liked the part with the empty whiskey bottle rolling around on the cabin floor. Nice touch. But still... no diving.

Please.

 

[Allam]

Two weeks for blue collars (workers, construction, shops, etc) and four weeks for white collars. Combien this with an often unlimited willingness to pay and you get the reason why half the population never goes abroad. In Europe no local would pay 100US for a hotel night or 700US for a 4 hour flight. Here, that is low-budget......

How is life in Australia? Have heard some nice stuff. As the diving, of course.

 

[TimAZ]

Unless you're set on warm water check out Horizon Charters out of San Diego. Not fancy, but they have a good boat and a great crew. www.horizoncharters.com/

 

[robint]

I agree with TimAZ, if you are not set on warm water, why not check out the liveaboards in California?
Check out: www.peaceboat.com and www.truthaquatics.com for multi-day trips. Not pretty boats but great diving and great food. Water is 50s in winter, 60s in late summer/fall. Diving is excellent and worth every penny.

robint