NJDiveGirl
Guest
packing for a liveaboard this week - dont want to overpack but I dont want to underpack either... Any advice???
packing for a liveaboard - question for the girls! +
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DiveMaven
Contributor
Guess it depends on how fashionable you want to be. 
I had 2 categories of clothing....wet and dry. I had 1 pair of shorts that I wore during the day while I was wet (over my swimsuit sometimes), and a second (nicer) pair that I wore after showering, during dinner and the evenings (for 3 hours). I wound up with 2 "wet" t-shirts and 2 dry ones. Didn't bother with shoes except for embarking and disembarking. You're going to want at least 2 swimsuits, though some folks on our boat had 3 or 4. I took 2 and wore one all morning, changing into my dry suit at lunch (when it was a longer SI) for our afternoon dives, then showered and put on dry clothes before dinner (I don't night dive). If you night dive, bring 3 suits (minimum) so you can put on a dry suit for dinner.
Big hint would be to make sure you have some kind of a cover-up that you can wear. I have a big Chammyz shirt with a hood that came in big time handy on our Belize itinerary. Even with the air temps being in the 80's, with the trade winds it's easy to get chilled after diving when your body temp is slightly down anyway. I bought my Chammyz especially for this trip and now won't do a charter without it (we only dive warm). Oh, but if you do consider buying one, keep in mind they run HUGE. I got a "fits most everyone" and it's even too big for my 6'4", 220# husband!!
You'll definitely want a hat to cover your salty hair during the day so the sun doesn't fry it even more. Keep in mind that nobody pays attention to what you're wearing, so pack light and plan on wearing things more than once. Oh yeah, and if you're on a liveaboard that has small cabins or bunks, pack even lighter. We were on the Nekton Pilot and had huge ensuite cabins with plenty of storage, but still packed light.
Oh yeah, bring EAR DROPS! I now carry them on all of our dive trips, not just liveaboards. With your ears getting wet 4-5x a day, you'll want something that can dry them out and sterlize them in the evenings.
I had 2 categories of clothing....wet and dry. I had 1 pair of shorts that I wore during the day while I was wet (over my swimsuit sometimes), and a second (nicer) pair that I wore after showering, during dinner and the evenings (for 3 hours). I wound up with 2 "wet" t-shirts and 2 dry ones. Didn't bother with shoes except for embarking and disembarking. You're going to want at least 2 swimsuits, though some folks on our boat had 3 or 4. I took 2 and wore one all morning, changing into my dry suit at lunch (when it was a longer SI) for our afternoon dives, then showered and put on dry clothes before dinner (I don't night dive). If you night dive, bring 3 suits (minimum) so you can put on a dry suit for dinner.Big hint would be to make sure you have some kind of a cover-up that you can wear. I have a big Chammyz shirt with a hood that came in big time handy on our Belize itinerary. Even with the air temps being in the 80's, with the trade winds it's easy to get chilled after diving when your body temp is slightly down anyway. I bought my Chammyz especially for this trip and now won't do a charter without it (we only dive warm). Oh, but if you do consider buying one, keep in mind they run HUGE. I got a "fits most everyone" and it's even too big for my 6'4", 220# husband!!
You'll definitely want a hat to cover your salty hair during the day so the sun doesn't fry it even more. Keep in mind that nobody pays attention to what you're wearing, so pack light and plan on wearing things more than once. Oh yeah, and if you're on a liveaboard that has small cabins or bunks, pack even lighter. We were on the Nekton Pilot and had huge ensuite cabins with plenty of storage, but still packed light.
Oh yeah, bring EAR DROPS! I now carry them on all of our dive trips, not just liveaboards. With your ears getting wet 4-5x a day, you'll want something that can dry them out and sterlize them in the evenings.
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DiveMaven:
Along that same line, understand that the better ships crank the A/C for the needed de-humidification of the interior spaces. "Herself" can always be found shuffling about "inside" dressed in :loki3: sweats. Not uncommon for her to use as pyjamas. The inside can be chilly... if it's being kept dry
On the Nekton, if you set the thermostat low, you can pretty much-so hang meat :errrr: in the staterooms.
SCUBAJENNIFER
Contributor
What kind of liveaboard?
OP
NJDiveGirl
Guest
hey Jen - the Cayman Aggressor. All the advice here is great! I do have a tendency to be cold - I have a chammy type pullover (I think I got it from Patagonia) that will probably be a staple of my wardrobe. Sweats are a MUST!!! The clothes pins idea is a great one. Funny I dont have any - I'll have to ask mom!!!
Allison Finch
Contributor
If you plan up to 5 dives a day, take a fresh suit for each. You should change after every dive for two reasons
#1 many seats on boats are upholstered, especially in the inside lounge areas. It is concidere BAD FORM to sit on these in a damp suit.
#2 If you sit around in a damp suit, you may get a case of rear rash (itchy butt). Not fun.
I just hang my wet suits off the dive deck railing and it will be dry by the next day.
#1 many seats on boats are upholstered, especially in the inside lounge areas. It is concidere BAD FORM to sit on these in a damp suit.
#2 If you sit around in a damp suit, you may get a case of rear rash (itchy butt). Not fun.
I just hang my wet suits off the dive deck railing and it will be dry by the next day.
In the winter woolies vein, I always bring a fleece ski cap - keeps my head warm when my hair's wet. Lots of pony tail holders if you lose those - I kept losing them. I also take a full bottle of conditioner and goo up my hair before each dive (goo up hair, put in pony tails, put on beanie. dive. I don't brush it out till the shower at the end fo the day). This helps the snarles and also helps the color stay in better as it turns out! Lots of bathing suits, ditto. In case the A/C is not cranked that much, I like to bring (a) a short jersey skirt or (b) terry cloth loose wader length pants for hanging on the boat. Soft sided luggage (duffel) is handy on some boats that don't take your suitcase away to store.
Take like 1/3 as many clothes as you think you'll need. Never fails that I bring waaaaay too many clothes. But the more bathing suits the better - in Palau once, the sun never came out, I was wearing clammy suits all week since I only brought 3 - yuuuuuuuck! Now I bring all of them. I have like 10 too! Plus the variety is fun.
Have fun!
Take like 1/3 as many clothes as you think you'll need. Never fails that I bring waaaaay too many clothes. But the more bathing suits the better - in Palau once, the sun never came out, I was wearing clammy suits all week since I only brought 3 - yuuuuuuuck! Now I bring all of them. I have like 10 too! Plus the variety is fun.
Have fun!
MagnaRyder2
Guest
Will you be with the Jim Church School next week?
OP
NJDiveGirl
Guest
MagnaRyder2:
yep!
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