Looking for advice on trying a liveaboard

[WarrenZ]

The most important thing to bring on a liveaboard is a sense of humor and a generally good, positive attitude. If you're not familiar with boats - much less living on one - here's a few FACTS about boats:

• everything on a boat breaks
• everything on a boat leaks
• 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 thousandmajor/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.

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

 

[zf2nt]

You should be aware that Aggressor is a franchise operator. They provide advertising and marketing services and then act as he reservations agent for the individually owned and operated dive boats. What that means is that there can be tremendous variation among the different Aggressor boats. I've taken two Aggressor trips: one in PNG and one in Komodo. The PNG trip was an absolute delight; the Komodo trip gave us many very unpleasant surprises. I think that in general Aggressor appeals to less experienced divers and travelers. That definitely can work against you. So if you're thinking about an Aggressor trip, look carefully at the individual boat you are considering and ignore the fact that it is offered by Aggressor. They are located in Atlanta and generally don't know anything about diving, the area you want to visit, or the way the boat is operated. All they will do is take your money and set up the reservation with the individual boat operator.

 

[Jeff85248]

This is such great information everyone. I can't thank you enough. In the past days I have learned more then I could have in months of research.

Let me give more specific info so you can advise more. In the recent past I have done a lot of diving. Most recently: Saba. Bonaire. Roatan. Florida Keys. Key Largo. Dominica.

In the past I have many trips to Hawaii. Cozumel. St. Lucia. Barbados. And some small trips to Mexico and Caribbean.

Now I want to explore great resorts but also try the experience of a live aboard. I know as I can afford more time, I can venture to the far reaches of the pacific islands that (in my opinion) would be best by live aboard.

I appreciate people giving me the advise of discounts but let's say I don't need the discount and I can afford the best dives and the best part of the season. I can arrange my vacation at any time so I want to go when it's best. (I took the ferry from St. Marteen to Saba. Not the best, smoothest ride)

So what I didn't like about Hawaii was the constant reminders to the divers not to get close to the reef. I respect that because novices in the group couldn't control their buoyancy and couldn't stop themselves from touching everything. I want to travel with more advanced divers. I dove Saba and most of the sites we saw were similar. When I dove Roatan and I really liked Anthony's key we were taken to many diverse sites.

So to maximize my questions. I'm looking for great locations that offer the best staff and opportunities for great diving.

I think from reading. Cayman may be dove from a good dive shop and resort. Maybe overkill to use a live aboard.

I look forward to reading your suggestions.

Thanks again,

Jeff

 

[drrich2]

I appreciate people giving me the advise of discounts but let's say I don't need the discount and I can afford the best dives and the best part of the season. I can arrange my vacation at any time so I want to go when it's best. (I took the ferry from St. Marteen to Saba. Not the best, smoothest ride)

Then the next question is how much time can you afford to commit to the trip?

Richard.

 

[Cali_diver]

The Belize Aggressor is an awesome choice for a first liveaboard. The rooms are tiny but the dive deck is one of the best..... You can dive your own plan and the reef is beautiful. Just skip the Blue Hole... overrated and dangerous.

Sea of Cortez is a great summer option on the Rocio del Mar, but trips do sell out quickly. For the winter the boat head to Socorro Islands (mantas, dolphins, whalesharks, sharks, humpbacks) and those sell out quickly as well.

If you don't ever take a long plane trip to Indonesia, you will be really missing out. But do it after a few local trips because after Indo you won't want to go back.

 

[KathyV]

The best diving in the Turks and Caicos is only available from a liveaboard IMO. You depart from Provo and dive along French Caye and West Caicos.

Beautiful healthy walls, lots of sealife, lots of tarpons, turtles, and spotted eagle rays, and you will see sharks on almost every dive.

The day boats either stay close to Provo where the diving isn't as good, or divers spend much of their day riding in a boat just to dive 2 tanks on the better sites. A liveaboard is really the best way to dive the T&Cs but that's just my opinion.

There are 2 liveaboards that operate in the T&Cs (the Aggressor and the Explorer) and they both have good reputations. I've done the Aggressor and an older Dancer liveaboard in the T&Cs and I had great trips on both.

I did the Saba trip with Explorer and I was very pleased with the boat and the operation so I would happily go on either the T&C Aggressor or Explorer. BTW, the crossing to Saba from St. Martin isn't much fun on a liveaboard either. But I did NOT have an uncomfortable crossing or any problems with seasickness on either of the T&C trips.

However, both of these T&C boats run whale-watching trips to the Silver Banks during the first few months of the year, so they aren't always available as a liveaboard.

Most liveaboards offer different types of suites and since budget isn't an issue, be sure to book the biggest and nicest suite because they offer the most room and comfort.

Most of Cayman's dive sites are available from shore-based operations, the advantage of a liveaboard is that you get to do a lot of dives and you get to dive the best sites off of all 3 Cayman islands - but only if the weather is good. If not, you will be stuck on a boat diving the local sites around Grand Cayman.

Weather is always a factor in a successful dive vacation but even more so with a liveaboard trip. Sometimes it is an advantage because the Captain has more options to seek out the best sites - but when you can't get away from the bad weather you are really stuck.

We did one trip on the Cayman Aggressor and it was wonderful but we had perfect weather all week. It was this trip that first introduced us to diving the Cayman sister islands of Brac and Little Cayman and they have become our preferred Caribbean dive destinations, but we have been doing land-based trips there in recent years.

No one has mentioned Cuba but the Aggressor now operates a liveaboard in that region and will introduce a new boat in 2017. There's supposed to be very good diving around Cuba including great opportunities to dive with sharks if that is of interest.

Heading down toward Central and South America, there are liveaboards that service Cocos Island near Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador and they are said to be wonderful trips and geared toward advanced divers, but you might want to try something closer and easier for your first liveaboard trip - just to find out if you really like liveaboard diving - I suggest the T&Cs. Have fun!

 

[BDSC]

For the winter the boat head to Socorro Islands (mantas, dolphins, whalesharks, sharks, humpbacks) and those sell out quickly as well.

Booked the entire boat for late November 2019. It's a few years away but you two have a guaranteed spot if you want it.

 

[Dan]

If you don't ever take a long plane trip to Indonesia, you will be really missing out. But do it after a few local trips because after Indo you won't want to go back

I second that. It's exactly what I did. Already set to charter a 13-day liveaboard trip to Banda sea & Raja Ampat for November 2017.

 

[Cali_diver]

Booked the entire boat for late November 2019. It's a few years away but you two have a guaranteed spot if you want it.

Sounds good!!! RDM?

 

[BDSC]

Yep.