New Diver - liveaboard trip

[Tadpole Frogfish]

Thanks Noserider, I am actually looking at the Red Sea.

Strictly IMHO,

There have been several issues with Red Sea Liveaboards in the past year. We were considering going but we are re-thinking it now. For newly certified divers, my favorite recommendation is AquaCat over in Nassau. Now I'm in Florida, US so it's a lot closer to us than it is you, I get that. But the people are good people and the average dive profile for the trip is 30-50 feet.

Cheers!
=C=

The regional conflict is an ongoing deterrence on the one hand and cheap dive buffets on the other. Sudan is a problem too. Lots of Red Sea burning

If you want to just log dives from the US, the Carribean is as accessible as doing so from one's coastline for less. The diving is easy from what I have read and in Honduras last year I believe, full equipment rental is $5 USD/day for a $35 dive. No need for additional gear. Incredible to say the least

 

[arkstorm]

LOB is all diving all the time. It has less to do with ability level or experience and more to do with appetite for all diving all the time. Even with only 9 dives under your belt, you can find a LOB that will cater to your experience level. Someone already mentioned Aquacat in the Bahamas which is a good choice for newer divers. I would also add Turks & Caicos Aggressor to that list.

I can't think of a better way for a diver with 9 dives to turn into a diver with 29 dives in less time than on a LOB.

 

[ColinT3]

I would suggest doing a trip to the Egyptian Red Sea at a resort, something like Camel Dive Club and Resort in Sharm (Camel are SSI), or Scubaworld at Makadi/Hurghada. You'll be able to do daily boat diving, 3 dives a day (plus optional shore night dives), so a similar number to a liveaboard, but it will be less challenging.

I'd also suggest Nitrox cert prior to a liveaboard

Once you've got Nitrox, and say 40-50 dives I'd say then get onto a liveaboard for a trip. I'd recommend a Northern Red Sea route for your first trip to get used to it, its a great route, but not as challenging as Southern routes where you'll almost always be doing a bunch of negative entries from a zodiac, one way dives, in current, sometimes in the blue (Daedalus etc), dealing with surface current and swell waiting for pick up, and getting into a Zodiac in those conditions. Make sure your happy deploying a dSMB consistently well prior to any liveaboard (you'll usually need to demo on the check dive).

Like a lot of UK divers I done a bunch of diving in the Red Sea including liveaboards, so please do shout out if I can help with any Q's you might have.

 

[ColinT3]

The regional conflict is an ongoing deterrence on the one hand and cheap dive buffets on the other. Sudan is a problem too. Lots of Red Sea burning

If you want to just log dives from the US, the Carribean is as accessible as doing so from one's coastline for less. The diving is easy from what I have read and in Honduras last year I believe, full equipment rental is $5 USD/day for a $35 dive. No need for additional gear. Incredible to say the least

Not had any issues in the Red Sea, my last trip finished 4 weeks ago. Boat safety - pick a good quality operator, check the reviews, safety equipment carried etc. Regional conflict had no bearing at all, and felt entirely safe for the entire trip, both ashore and on the liveaboard.

 

[ColinT3]

LOB is all diving all the time. It has less to do with ability level or experience and more to do with appetite for all diving all the time. Even with only 9 dives under your belt, you can find a LOB that will cater to your experience level. Someone already mentioned Aquacat in the Bahamas which is a good choice for newer divers. I would also add Turks & Caicos Aggressor to that list.

I can't think of a better way for a diver with 9 dives to turn into a diver with 29 dives in less time than on a LOB.

I have to disagree, it depends entirely on the area, most liveaboard in say the Red Sea, Indo etc are not really a great idea for new divers with less experience. On my last Red Sea trip most of us were experienced divers, one couple had ~40 dives, and it would be fair to say they struggled on a chunk of the dives, gas consumption wasn't great which made them more anxious, they were diving air (everyone else was Nitrox), they were usually last in, and already on the Zodiac (often for a good 15-20 mins) when everyone else came out. They would have had a much better time diving at a resort in more relaxed conditions and building experience. You can rack up the same dive numbers at a Red Sea resort as on a liveaboard.

 

[Edward3c]

I have to disagree, it depends entirely on the area, most liveaboard in say the Red Sea, Indo etc are not really a great idea for new divers with less experience. On my last Red Sea trip most of us were experienced divers, one couple had ~40 dives, and it would be fair to say they struggled on a chunk of the dives, gas consumption wasn't great which made them more anxious, they were diving air (everyone else was Nitrox), they were usually last in, and already on the Zodiac (often for a good 15-20 mins) when everyone else came out. They would have had a much better time diving at a resort in more relaxed conditions and building experience. You can rack up the same dive numbers at a Red Sea resort as on a liveaboard.

There are Red Sea liveaboards that cater for both experienced and new divers, see this BSAC liveaboards: member experiences

 

[Tippytoes12]

Anybody can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are hundreds of liveaboards in the Red Sea at any one time. From the UK, it’s just five hours via convenient day flights at reasonable fares. The diving is wonderful, would really recommend it. Dahab, from Sharm Airport , is a beautiful old town with great flexible shore diving.

 

[divingdayz]

I would get some more dives under your belt before doing a liveaboard. The pace can be pretty intense (dive eat dive eat dive eat dive eat sleep repeat). Even as a longtime diver, I have found myself dragging a little, though it'"s a lot of fun too.

The trouble is there is not much else to do so if you get burned out, you've spent a lot of money and you're stuck on a boat with reading and sunbathing as your two main passtimes. You might be fine with it and have a blast but you won't know until you're out there for a week of nonstop diving.

I'd go with this advice about getting more dives under your belt first. It's nice on a liveaboard, but it all just diving. You will enjoy more with some experience and some stories to tell also.

 

[ColinT3]

There are Red Sea liveaboards that cater for both experienced and new divers, see this BSAC liveaboards: member experiences

That link does read more like training experiences with lots of oversight than a standard liveaboard, 2 dives a day isn't a usual experience.

I did also say 'most', and I stand by most Red Sea liveaboards (and Indo) expecting a little more experience and self sufficiency. It wasn't that long ago most had a minimum dive requirement of 50, and some 100. Speaking to crews, that requirement has dropped due to commercial pressures and the sheer number of vessels and hence competition in the Red Sea. Instructors/guides I've spoken to don't see dropping the minimum requirements as a good thing.

Someone that's new will likely have a much better experience from a shore based resort, such as Camel, Roots etc. They'll get to do as much diving as on a liveaboard, build great experience diving from a boat, and do some fantastic diving, but in more benign conditions, they also have the opportunity to get away from being all consumed with diving if they choose. There is also a good chance it will be a bit cheaper too.

I honestly don't think a BDE itinerary as listed on that page is a good idea for a newly fledged diver.