15 Liveaboard Diving Tips to Have the Best Trip Ever
Don’t Get Hung Up On Dive Sites
One of the most exciting parts about liveaboard diving is that you’re on a boat that can reach the most remote dive sites. When we were diving in the Bahamas on the Aqua Cat, they hung a dive map on the wall and used it as tabletop decorations.
You’ve heard this mantra before, but it’s particularly true for liveaboard diving. You’ll be diving up to five dives a day for about a week. Not only is this physically exhausting, but you’ll be loading nitrogen into your body as well.
Hydration helps with everything. It helps with motion sickness, sore muscles, and workout recovery. Heck, if your motion sickness has you feeding the fish, you’re going to really need to hydrate to replace those fluids.
It might seem obvious to put on sunscreen if you’re on a boat in the middle of the tropics, especially if you’re on a shore excursion. But, often, it’s those hidden moments of sun exposure that get you.
When you think about beach vacations, you imagine the hot sun and warm sand. However, packing for a liveaboard is different than packing for the beach. On the shore, you’re usually back inside before the sun goes down.
The best way to have a good morning is to have a great night. Your best self is your rested self. However, despite needing sleep, it’s sometimes hard to catch your zzz’s on the seas.
You probably heard this saying in your first dive class. If you’re diving for a week straight, you need to know it, live it, and love it. I’m talking about more than just watching your no-stop limits.
Diving with Nitrox, that is to say, a gas mixture with more oxygen and less nitrogen than air, will reduce the amount of nitrogen your body absorbs and give you more bottom time.
When should you start preparing for your next dive on a liveaboard? As soon as you get back on the boat. Here’s a quick checklist to prep for your next dive, but you should be building your own:
Given the price point of most liveaboards, you should consider getting your own dive gear if you’re going on a liveaboard trip. You probably already have your own mask and fins, but a good-fitting wetsuit and dive computer will go a long way to turning a good trip into an extraordinary one.
There will be trials and tribulations throughout any adventure. No matter how hard you prepare, you will encounter unexpected setbacks. The only thing you have 100% control over is your attitude.
A particular type of person would choose to sail on a boat out of sight of land. They would prefer to wear wet neoprene all day instead of sitting by the pool reading a book. Chances are, if you’re on a liveaboard dive boat, you’re one of them, and these are your people.
We say this about cruise ships and boutique travel, but it applies double for liveaboards – pick your level of luxury. For any all-inclusive experience, you need to find something that suits you in terms of food and service.
This might come as a surprise to you, but it’s sometimes hard to get cell service when you’re island hopping through remote waters. There are two ways you can look at this. 1) OMG, I miss my email, or 2) Good, nobody will be bothering me.