How to choose a liveaboard
- Thread starter PeterL
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I really don't think you can pick a liveaboard using only ONE of the criterion you mentioned. There are multiple things (in no particular order):
1) Itinerary: beginner, advanced, mixed, type of dives, etc.
2) Size & type of boat (steel, wood, fiberglass, etc.) How many will she hold and how many are typical for that particular time of the year? How well is the vessel maintained? What kind and how many chase boats?
3) Number of dive guides and their level of experience.
4) Amenities (private heads, other equipment/activities available). This includes food.
5) Price: not is it the cheapest, but is it the best value for the money?
6)Reputation/references. You need to check out a boat & crew's track record.
Just a few off the top of my head...
~SubMariner~
1) Itinerary: beginner, advanced, mixed, type of dives, etc.
2) Size & type of boat (steel, wood, fiberglass, etc.) How many will she hold and how many are typical for that particular time of the year? How well is the vessel maintained? What kind and how many chase boats?
3) Number of dive guides and their level of experience.
4) Amenities (private heads, other equipment/activities available). This includes food.
5) Price: not is it the cheapest, but is it the best value for the money?
6)Reputation/references. You need to check out a boat & crew's track record.
Just a few off the top of my head...
~SubMariner~
What about destinations? That is what it is about for me, if the trip is to a special place then the comforts may not be so important.
Actually, I thought "destination" would fall under "itineray".
No biggie!
~SubMariner~
No biggie!
~SubMariner~
Newhampster
Contributor
What submariner said...
srkdvr
Contributor
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
Rich :mean:
Rich :mean:
art.chick
Contributor
We are vegetarians & simply refuse to get trapped on board a ship where we can't have acceptable meals. Fortunately, we have had luck when we call ahead.
gentlegiant
Contributor
I think one of the biggest things to choosing a liveaboard, next to dive destination, is the crew. The crew on the boat can make or break any dive trip, liveaboard or daily. This is one of the reasons we should all be posting trip reports as often as possible. I would never make any choice to layout that kind of $$$ without seeing what someone else has to say about it. That is where this board comes in...this is a resource for us to be able to save money, time and dive more safely.
Case in point on the crew:
On our recent Dry Tortugas trip the crew really made a good trip into a great one. The Ultimate Getaway is by no means a luxury liveaboard but the crew went the extra steps to make everything very enjoyable. They actually listened and tried to help us with whatever they could. My wife has had some back problems (broken tailbone in an auto accident) and after she told the crew this they took extra care in helping her back onto the boat after our dives. This extra help and the confidence it gave her allowed her to make more dives than any other female, and many of the males, on the trip. Find a boat with a good crew and you will have a great trip.
Case in point on the crew:
On our recent Dry Tortugas trip the crew really made a good trip into a great one. The Ultimate Getaway is by no means a luxury liveaboard but the crew went the extra steps to make everything very enjoyable. They actually listened and tried to help us with whatever they could. My wife has had some back problems (broken tailbone in an auto accident) and after she told the crew this they took extra care in helping her back onto the boat after our dives. This extra help and the confidence it gave her allowed her to make more dives than any other female, and many of the males, on the trip. Find a boat with a good crew and you will have a great trip.
Is there anyway to keep a spread sheet going on the board? Something like counts of yeas and neys grouped / cross referenced by destination. These could then include links to the report.
This as a tool could be more powerful than Rodale's reader ratings...
This as a tool could be more powerful than Rodale's reader ratings...
nickjb
Contributor
When I did a wreck tour on a Red Sea Live-aboard the crew would great us immediately after every dive (before dekitting) with a fruit cocktail drink. Not an essential feature but it definitely made the whole experience far more pleasant
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