Shorter liveaboard for 1st time?

[Damselfish]

I am very interested in trying a liveaboard for the first time. I have done a good amount of research and it seems like all the liveaboards I have found are at least 7 day trips. I would like to find a liveaboard that is 3 to 5 days long. I live in Chicago so Mexico/Caribbean is where I am looking (I'm not interested in flying great distances for this particular trip).

Can anyone point me towards a shorter liveaboard? Any help is appreciated.

If you want shorter to save time or money, that's one thing, you can only do what you can do. But if that's not it, I recommend reconsidering the length. I can understand being uncertain if you will like it and all that. But on a short liveaboard you are barely getting into the swing of things when you have to get off. It doesn't seem as worth the flight and the unpacking/setup/packing/drying on a short trip, it's just a lot of overhead. I think most divers find after 7 nights on a liveaboard they really aren't ready to leave yet. Also, many (not all) of the boats that do shorter trips are going to give you an entirely different experience than the boats that stick to longer trips, because of less space, less service, more people, where they can go to, or whatever. What are you looking for in a liveaboard besides short? They vary alot.

 

[caymaniac]

Alot of the liveaboards have diving for 5 1/2 days of a 7 day trip, then if you want a shorter trip go to Australia they have plenty of 3 to 4 day out of Cairns/Port Douglas area.
I took a 5 night 4 day out of Port Douglas on my first time on a liveaboard and was sorry we had not done it before and sorry I wasn't on a 7 day trip.

 

[inter4alia]

Thank you to everyone for all the information. I knew there were shorter liveaboards out there.

Damselfish, I'm looking for a shorter trip for the 1st time because my buddy is worried about the small boat experience and the intense dive schedule. If it were only me, I would book the full week. I would just feel horrible if I booked and paid for a full week and my buddy just wasn't into it after a couple of days. However, I appreciate your thoughts about most of the shorter trips not really providing the same experience -- I didn't think about that possibility.

Now that I have some information to chew on, I will consider it with my buddy and hopefully figure out what we want to do sometime soon. It might be a while before we sail, but I will report back.

Thanks again for all the info!

 

[robint]

Thank you to everyone for all the information. I knew there were shorter liveaboards out there.

Damselfish, I'm looking for a shorter trip for the 1st time because my buddy is worried about the small boat experience and the intense dive schedule. If it were only me, I would book the full week. I would just feel horrible if I booked and paid for a full week and my buddy just wasn't into it after a couple of days. However, I appreciate your thoughts about most of the shorter trips not really providing the same experience -- I didn't think about that possibility.

Now that I have some information to chew on, I will consider it with my buddy and hopefully figure out what we want to do sometime soon. It might be a while before we sail, but I will report back.

Thanks again for all the info!

Let your buddy know that dives are not mandatory on liveaboards. You are free to go on all or only a few, you decide what you want!
On our first Nekton trip an older lady was traveling with her son. He did every dive, she only did 2 dives all week. She said she loved being at sea and diving wasn't her thing so much anymore. I think she sat on deck and read 2-3 books during the week. She had a great time, too.
Our last Nekton trip had 2 couples where the husband wanted to do every dive and the wives wanted to dive 2 times and day and then sit in sun and chat the rest of the day. It worked out great and nobody questioned it. There was also a couple that only did a dive or two a day and then watched movies in the salon the rest of day or read a book. Some people go on liveaboards to get away from crowds and relax, not just to dive dive dive.

robin

 

[divengolf]

The Spree (previously mentioned) does 3-4 day trips to Dry Tortugas in the fall. They leave from Key West.

 

[mantajohn]

I agree with Robint & Damselfish. You'll miss out on the whole liveaboard experience if you go for the shorter trip.

i've only been diving for 6 years. For much the same reasons that you express, i was very apprehensive about taking my first liveaboard. It took me 4 years to take the plunge - now i'm a total convert & have done 5 in the last 2 years.

Nothing's compulsory. Though there are some tough choices to be made eg

*wine with dinner or a night dive
*2nd dive in the afternoon or chill out with a book on the sun deck
*etc

i tend to take 4 or 5 dives a day where possible, but loads of people take a more leisured approach & have a great trip.

Book it - your buddy will be fine.