First timer questions about liveaboard - BA IV

[Dogbowl]

I will be going on the Belize Aggressor IV in April and have some questions. I’m sure I’ll have more as I get closer to my departure but I’d like to start off with a few.

1. Footwear vs. no footwear - I’ve heard some people say no footwear is allowed onboard but I’m not sure if that was specific to BA IV or other liveaboards. For hygienic reasons (just reading that other thread - Severe soft tissue infection, presumed related to rental wetsuit), I’d really prefer to wear a pair of flip flops onboard if possible.

2. Can someone describe to me the process of how one changes into dry clothes after each dive? So I climb up the ladder with my gear on, fins off, go to my dedicated spot and remove my gear...then what? Is there a fresh water hose to hose down my wetsuit, beanie, booties, socks? Or just a rinse tub that everyone dunks their stuff in? Are bcd’s or regulators even removed from the tanks at all and rinsed after every dive? Do people shower on deck and change into dry clothes there, or shower in their own cabins? I don’t even know if the BA IV has showers on deck.

3. Are towels provided on deck and in the cabins or do I need to bring them? What about soap/body wash/shampoo?

 

[gbf]

I've gone on BAIV last 2 August's for their 10 day trip, my only liveaboard experiences. Enjoyed it enough to go again this upcoming august.

1. Nobody said one way or the other. I went barefoot after boarding. Seems like I saw some with flipflops. I'd say do what you want. Everybody is pretty easy-going. Danger - the "doors" at not doors, they're hatches with about a 6 " lip at the bottom. If you kick it, it will hurt. Don't ask me how I know this, somebody must have told me.

2. 2 HOT freshwater showers on the stern, both with shampoo/conditioner if you want to use it, plus fully equipped hot fresh hot showers in cabin. I stand in the stern shower with wetsuit on and rinse. Then take it off and hang. Then shower myself off with shampoo. I also use stern showers to rinse my mask instead of the communal bucket - can you say pinkeye avoidance.... Nothing else gets rinsed. BC's regs stay on tanks. Tanks get filled immediately post dive, then reg gets reattached. I shower on deck, then dry off with provided towel, then to cabin - on the same deck as dive deck - and put on dry shorts/shirt.

3. All provided in the cabin, though I bring shampoo and a bottle of shower gel.

4. Go to harbor freight and buy about 6 plastic clamps, about a buck apiece. Use them to hang swimsuits/socks/wet shirts to the rail. easy than tying.

This thread:

Belize Sun Dancer 2016 Pictures

has a bunch of top-side pics I took, then hijacked somebody else's thread to post them. May answer - or provoke more - questions.

Edit: Sundancer was renamed BA IV a couple of years ago...

 

[drrich2]

This may be a tip more relevant to people with long feet, like my size 15's... On a live-aboard I observed that on steps, surfaces had been made very rough; like sand paper. I noticed this because if I stepped down with the back of my ankle (skin over Achille's tendon) back enough to rub the lip of the higher step, it was painfully abrasive.

IIRC, I didn't change into dry clothes after each dive, just showered off at the stern showers and maybe went up to the sun deck to dry a bit. Think about it; you could be diving twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon, & once in the evening/night. How many times/day do you want to change clothes?

The BA IV & Cayman Aggressor IV kind of run together, but I'm thinking there were bathrooms where you head to the dive deck, so if you need a little impromptu 'changing room,' it can be done.

One other tip, and I don't know how broadly this applies to others, but it certainly does to me. Marine heads clog easily; there's a lot to be said for sticking your toilet paper in the trash can (yes, they tend to be small) rather than trying to flush it.

I think you'll have a great trip.

Richard.

 

[Dogbowl]

I've gone on BAIV last 2 August's for their 10 day trip, my only liveaboard experiences. Enjoyed it enough to go again this upcoming august.

1. Nobody said one way or the other. I went barefoot after boarding. Seems like I saw some with flipflops. I'd say do what you want. Everybody is pretty easy-going. Danger - the "doors" at not doors, they're hatches with about a 6 " lip at the bottom. If you kick it, it will hurt. Don't ask me how I know this, somebody must have told me.

2. 2 HOT freshwater showers on the stern, both with shampoo/conditioner if you want to use it, plus fully equipped hot fresh hot showers in cabin. I stand in the stern shower with wetsuit on and rinse. Then take it off and hang. Then shower myself off with shampoo. I also use stern showers to rinse my mask instead of the communal bucket - can you say pinkeye avoidance.... Nothing else gets rinsed. BC's regs stay on tanks. Tanks get filled immediately post dive, then reg gets reattached. I shower on deck, then dry off with provided towel, then to cabin - on the same deck as dive deck - and put on dry shorts/shirt.

3. All provided in the cabin, though I bring shampoo and a bottle of shower gel.

4. Go to harbor freight and buy about 6 plastic clamps, about a buck apiece. Use them to hang swimsuits/socks/wet shirts to the rail. easy than tying.

This thread:

Belize Sun Dancer 2016 Pictures

has a bunch of top-side pics I took, then hijacked somebody else's thread to post them. May answer - or provoke more - questions.

Edit: Sundancer was renamed BA IV a couple of years ago...

Thank you! Exactly what I’m looking for.

So, it looks like no need to bring wetsuit hangers as there seems to be plenty provided.

With regards to the clamps you suggested buying, and clipping to the rails...what rails are you referring to? I don’t see any swimsuits clipped anywhere in your pics. Also, what size clamps would you recommend? I suppose the size of the rails would determine size of clamp.

I like your process of rinsing your wetsuit while it’s still on you, then remove and hang. Then shower again with shampoo at the stern, dry off then proceed to cabin to change into dry clothes.I will do this as well.

So the bc’s and regs don’t get rinsed all week? Is this ok?

I’ll remember to mind the “doors”!

 

[Dogbowl]

This may be a tip more relevant to people with long feet, like my size 15's... On a live-aboard I observed that on steps, surfaces had been made very rough; like sand paper. I noticed this because if I stepped down with the back of my ankle (skin over Achille's tendon) back enough to rub the lip of the higher step, it was painfully abrasive.

IIRC, I didn't change into dry clothes after each dive, just showered off at the stern showers and maybe went up to the sun deck to dry a bit. Think about it; you could be diving twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon, & once in the evening/night. How many times/day do you want to change clothes?

The BA IV & Cayman Aggressor IV kind of run together, but I'm thinking there were bathrooms where you head to the dive deck, so if you need a little impromptu 'changing room,' it can be done.

One other tip, and I don't know how broadly this applies to others, but it certainly does to me. Marine heads clog easily; there's a lot to be said for sticking your toilet paper in the trash can (yes, they tend to be small) rather than trying to flush it.

I think you'll have a great trip.

Richard.

Haha, Richard, my feet is about 1/3 the size of yours! I’m a size 7 ladies/size 5 men’s. But I don’t doubt it was painful!

I understand the hassles of changing clothes upto 5 times a day, but I was also reading that other thread (the one I mentioned up top), and would really prefer to avoid being damp and warm, which is an environment conducive to growing bacteria.

Yes, my travelling companion has had toilet problems before, twice during a 7 day trip. I will definitely keep that in mind.

 

[gbf]

Thank you! Exactly what I’m looking for.

So, it looks like no need to bring wetsuit hangers as there seems to be plenty provided.

Plenty of hangers​

With regards to the clamps you suggested buying, and clipping to the rails...what rails are you referring to? I don’t see any swimsuits clipped anywhere in your pics. Also, what size clamps would you recommend? I suppose the size of the rails would determine size of clamp.

In the starboard dive deck pic its the round rail that runs right behind the tanks. I think I took these pics before the diving started. I wrap a leg of swimsuit around the rail and clip it to itself. The clips are black and orange at harbor freight, about 6 inches long. Theiy're in big bins - small ones, middle and large. I think I bought the middle ones. They'll rust out, so pitch them when trip is over.​

I like your process of rinsing your wetsuit while it’s still on you, then remove and hang. Then shower again with shampoo at the stern, dry off then proceed to cabin to change into dry clothes.I will do this as well.

I was a solo traveler. Roomie and I would decide who went to the cabin first to change based on who had to take a leak worse. Unlike drrich2 I put on dry shorts and shirt between dives. I'm subject to swimmers hiney so I just get that wet swimsuit off and hung to dry.

A side note: I took 3 swimsuits, 6 wife-beater underarmor shirts, and 4 pair of running shorts, along with golf shirt/shorts/underwear to wear home on the airplane. Way plenty of clothes. BAIV is big with adequate storage, but it is a boat.​

So the bc’s and regs don’t get rinsed all week? Is this ok?

Yep, relax. You're diving every couple of hours. You unhook your reg when you get back on the boat, then your tank gets filled, then you re-hook your reg and it's time to go diving again. I know at least one night, and could have been every night, the crew used a water hose to rinse the gear. I make it a practice to make sure my reg is connected to the tank in the event they do so...​

I’ll remember to mind the “doors”!

Another thing:

Ear and foot health is paramount. There is/was an article about a navy study done in the 60's regarding swimmers ear on the DAN website. The net, and what I do, is 50/50 white vinegar/alcohol in each ear for 5 minutes per ear after EVERY dive. No cheating. Never had an ear problem. Everybody seems to have an opinion/ soulution for this. This is mine.

I wear neoprene socks inside my wetsuit boots. I've seen people with blisters trying to survive using duct tape and whatever they could come up with.

It will wreck your trip. Take care of your ears and feet.

 

[Dogbowl]

Another thing:

Ear and foot health is paramount. There is/was an article about a navy study done in the 60's regarding swimmers ear on the DAN website. The net, and what I do, is 50/50 white vinegar/alcohol in each ear for 5 minutes per ear after EVERY dive. No cheating. Never had an ear problem. Everybody seems to have an opinion/ soulution for this. This is mine.

I wear neoprene socks inside my wetsuit boots. I've seen people with blisters trying to survive using duct tape and whatever they could come up with.

It will wreck your trip. Take care of your ears and feet.

Yes, those two things are definitely on my mind too. I am actually assembling a personalized first aid kit which will include some form of ear prophylactic and blister relief. Neoprene socks are also on my packing list.

OMG, looks like your needs are basically the same as my needs! I’m always needing to go to the toilet immediately after a dive. Is there one on the dive deck?

Thanks for all your tips.

 

[gbf]

Starboard side of the dive deck. But...

1. It's dark in there even with the light on, and a lot of people use it. Flipflops/boots would probably be good...

2. The door didn't lock on my first trip, and I didn't use it on my second trip. You can't hear someone knocking on the door - it's noisy right there. It didn't bother me when somebody opened the door while I was standing there with my back to them, but it might bother you.

Better to just reach an agreement with roomie that you get to go to cabin first...

 

[Dogbowl]

Starboard side of the dive deck. But...

1. It's dark in there even with the light on, and a lot of people use it. Flipflops/boots would probably be good...

2. The door didn't lock on my first trip, and I didn't use it on my second trip. You can't hear someone knocking on the door - it's noisy right there. It didn't bother me when somebody opened the door while I was standing there with my back to them, but it might bother you.

Better to just reach an agreement with roomie that you get to go to cabin first...

Ok, gotcha! No agreement required...hubby is my roomie. I ALWAYS get to go first. I tell him women can’t hold it.

 

[gbf]

drrich2 wrote a really really good trip report that I found very useful before my first trip. It's in the Aggressor section of this forum, easy to find if you search - I think he called it Sundancer II if you search..