If You Had It To Do Over Again....??

[GLENFWB]

I am going on my first Liveaboard trip in June (Galapagos Islands). I have read all kinds of advice on what to bring. Problem is, if I follow all the advice....there won't be any room for me!!

So the question for those of you who have done a liveaboard trip....If you had it to do over again....what would you bring on your next trip, that you didn't the first time....and what would you NOT bring the next time that you brought the first time?

Help me avoid some costly mistakes!

 

[TSandM]

I'd bring very little clothing. I spent most of my time in dive gear or undergarments or a tank top and shorts. (This was the Red Sea, not the Galapagos, though.) But I'd definitely have some kind of waterproof/windproof jacket/coat on ANY liveaboard, anywhere. You can get cold when you're wet, even if the air is warm, if it is moving. I'd also have a big dry bag to store my spare clothes in. In both liveaboards I've been on, things gradually and inevitably get damp.

 

[lulubelle]

I agree with TS and M. Hardly any need for clothes, and as you are in them for just a short period of time, plan to wear them again. I wish I had brought fewer tshirts and such. I was mighty happy I brought my boat coat. I was in the Turks and Caicos in January and by dive three, I was putting the boatcoat on after every dive. I also wish I had brought more bathingsuit coverups for in between dives. I wish I had brought fewer "entertainment" items like IPODS, books, computer etc. I was too busy diving to really need or want any of those things.

I'm sure there are packing lists on here somewhere, I have seen and used them on other forums. They were very helpful to me. I would not have thought to bring flash drives but saw them on a packing list and came home with someone else's great pics.

Good luck, have fun, I thought it was a blast.

 

[ewaiea]

I did my first liveaboard on the Kona Aggressor II, when I do my next trip, I'm bringing neoprene socks because I got blisters from the chaffing of the rubber on my feet. If your boots or wetsuit has any rigid rubber, I would put a lycra suit on underneath if it's the wetsuit or the socks on underneath the boots if the boots have rigid edges. Plus, any kind of lycra undergarment will help slide the wetsuits on and off alot more easily.

I did use my seasickness meds a bit for the first few days - just something mild and that helped alieviate nausea. If you do bring any DVDs, consider leaving one for the crew - trust me, they will appreciate it. They don't have national TV and they re-watch the same set of movies over and over and over, the crew will appreciate not only a good tip but also a new movie or two (used or new).

Plus, since you're diving the Galapagos, consider a 5mm wetsuit with a 7mm as a replacement for later in the week (don't forget a hood too). It's crazy that a dive destination on the equator has water temps in the mid 70s with thermoclines in the mid to high 60s - but that's what you should be prepared for.

What operator are you diving with in the Galapagos Islands?

 

[GLENFWB]

What operator are you diving with in the Galapagos Islands?

Thanks for the suggestions....we will be diving the Deep Blue. Have you had any experience with them?

 

[mjh]

We have done about a dozen live-aboards and agree with others. We have been to Cocos twice which I think is much like the Galapagos. Less cloths, more swim suits, wife agrees on cover-ups, if you run cold a boat coat or fleece but something waterproof, heavy duty cloths pins for drying said suits on railings, I bring only one pair of sneakers or walking shoes for on shore (I never wear them once on board), some form of seasick pills we take Scopolamine patches which we have used 1/2 the time on 1/2 the boats. Must say love the new Kindle reader especially given how tough the airlines are getting with weight. If you are taking lots of photos make sure you have enough storage on your device of choice.

 

[DiveTheGalapagos]

Bring small, soft-sided luggage...not much room for the hard cases. Deep Blue has two land visits. Tevas/Keenes can result in scrapes or blisters due to the gravel on the paths, so definitely sneakers with socks are better. Onboard, track pants/sweat pants/quick dry pants, long sleeve t-shirts and a light weight jacket will be your attire for the week. A fleece is good between dives. You'll be surprised by how cool/cold it can feel. Shoes onboard will be neoprene shoes, crocs, flip-flops or barefoot...not all...I'd only bring 2 pairs of shoes...one for the land visits and something for onboard.

I would bring my own seasickness pills and patches just in case. You can't buy the patches down here. Any other meds you might need as you probably won't find much in San Cristobal. I'd bring a couple of plastic bags for when you are ready to leave and need to put anything in wet. Bring a good book. I am a big advocate of having a noisemaker to stuff up my sleeve as a piece of safety equipment to be used only in the event of an emergency. Can't use it for spotting since the dive guide will and too many cooks in the kitchen....

Bring some vaseline. If you have any wound in an inconvenient place, this is the only thing that will keep you out of pain on a dive. I have a skinned knee now. Have chafed the back of my neck with velcro from an improperly closed wetsuit. Vaseline and/or a headband used around my neck saved that trip.

Bring a memory stick. Everyone has their cameras and laptops and are more than happy to share photos...if you have a memory stick or small external hard drive.

Bring sufficient cash to cover fuel surcharge, Nitrox, tips and your bar tab to avoid steep credit card surcharges onboard.

Bring at least a spare mask and spare computer battery. Do not bring a regular snorkel as no one dives with a snorkel in the Galapagos due to the currents. At Darwin, you could end up with problems if you have a snorkel attached. Current there can almost rip the regulator out of your mouth sometimes. If you feel better with a snorkel, buy the collapsible type to store in your BCD pocket. I also like to take a lunchbox sized dry box to keep things in at my dive station and to store things in when in transit. It keeps them together and dry. (noisemaker, ProPlugs, headband, maybe hair clips, etc.) If you have a Nitrox analyzer, bring it so you're not waiting to borrow the 2 or so everyone else is using.

Don't bring towels. Plenty onboard. If no hoods, wife should think about what will keep her hair out of her face in current. You need gloves for dexterity and grabbing rocks, not for warmth, so they don't need to be thick. Many divers use garden gloves which work well. I have 2 pairs of tropical weight gloves I use, one with kevlar palms and one with suede. Trim your BCD since you will have to add at least the SMB, dive alert and PLB. I'm not a big fan of alt air sources, but they work well for up there by cutting down on what the current can play with. Long sleeve pajamas are good as the AC in small cabins can get cool at night. Bring a toiletry kit that hangs easily as there's not much space for things in the bathroom.

Do you have any dietary restrictions? If so, that's a whole other list.

That's all I can think of right now. Enjoy!

 

[GLENFWB]

Thank you for the GREAT information. I think this will save me a lot of problems.

Bring small, soft-sided luggage...not much room for the hard cases. Deep Blue has two land visits. Tevas/Keenes can result in scrapes or blisters due to the gravel on the paths, so definitely sneakers with socks are better. Onboard, track pants/sweat pants/quick dry pants, long sleeve t-shirts and a light weight jacket will be your attire for the week. A fleece is good between dives. You'll be surprised by how cool/cold it can feel. Shoes onboard will be neoprene shoes, crocs, flip-flops or barefoot...not all...I'd only bring 2 pairs of shoes...one for the land visits and something for onboard.

I would bring my own seasickness pills and patches just in case. You can't buy the patches down here. Any other meds you might need as you probably won't find much in San Cristobal. I'd bring a couple of plastic bags for when you are ready to leave and need to put anything in wet. Bring a good book. I am a big advocate of having a noisemaker to stuff up my sleeve as a piece of safety equipment to be used only in the event of an emergency. Can't use it for spotting since the dive guide will and too many cooks in the kitchen....

Bring some vaseline. If you have any wound in an inconvenient place, this is the only thing that will keep you out of pain on a dive. I have a skinned knee now. Have chafed the back of my neck with velcro from an improperly closed wetsuit. Vaseline and/or a headband used around my neck saved that trip.

Bring a memory stick. Everyone has their cameras and laptops and are more than happy to share photos...if you have a memory stick or small external hard drive.

Bring sufficient cash to cover fuel surcharge, Nitrox, tips and your bar tab to avoid steep credit card surcharges onboard.

Bring at least a spare mask and spare computer battery. Do not bring a regular snorkel as no one dives with a snorkel in the Galapagos due to the currents. At Darwin, you could end up with problems if you have a snorkel attached. Current there can almost rip the regulator out of your mouth sometimes. If you feel better with a snorkel, buy the collapsible type to store in your BCD pocket. I also like to take a lunchbox sized dry box to keep things in at my dive station and to store things in when in transit. It keeps them together and dry. (noisemaker, ProPlugs, headband, maybe hair clips, etc.) If you have a Nitrox analyzer, bring it so you're not waiting to borrow the 2 or so everyone else is using.

Don't bring towels. Plenty onboard. If no hoods, wife should think about what will keep her hair out of her face in current. You need gloves for dexterity and grabbing rocks, not for warmth, so they don't need to be thick. Many divers use garden gloves which work well. I have 2 pairs of tropical weight gloves I use, one with kevlar palms and one with suede. Trim your BCD since you will have to add at least the SMB, dive alert and PLB. I'm not a big fan of alt air sources, but they work well for up there by cutting down on what the current can play with. Long sleeve pajamas are good as the AC in small cabins can get cool at night. Bring a toiletry kit that hangs easily as there's not much space for things in the bathroom.

Do you have any dietary restrictions? If so, that's a whole other list.

That's all I can think of right now. Enjoy!

 

[Mossman]

I'd reconsider the advice to not bring a snorkel, as your liveaboard may offer you a chance to snorkel with the penguins. That's harder to do if you don't have a snorkel, IMO, and a snorkel hardly takes up much weight or space in your luggage. (Take it off your mask when you're actually diving, of course )

I'd also reconsider the advice to "bring a large dry bag for your dry clothes" as you're going in the dry season to a desert island locale. As long your boat has decent a/c, indoor humidity isn't a big issue. I've been on 11 liveaboards, including 2 in the Galapagos, and never recall experiencing damp clothing. I rarely bring a dry bag for a liveaboard, unless it's a small one for keeping stuff dry on long skiff rides. In the Galapagos, the skiff rides are very short and you get on the skiff already geared up, so there's no real point in bringing a dry bag for anything if you want to eliminate non-essentials from your packing list.

I recall there were two types of landings for land tours, wet and dry. Sneakers and socks are great for the dry ones, but you might want something more waterproof in case they're wet landings.

Bring your own nitrox analyzer and you'll only have other people asking to use it, a liability since they're delicate, and definitely totally unnecessary because there will already be two aboard. Everyone else has to wait to analyze their own gas, so the only benefit to analyzing yours before everyone else is that you have more time to sit and wait for everyone else.

I wear quick dry bathing suits under my wetsuit, alternating between dry and wet when I go in for meals and such. However, they do tend to start to stink after a day or two (damn plankton-rich sea water), and washing them with soap or shampoo in the shower isn't always enough. J brings a little bottle of detergent and we soak the suits in the sink - Sink the Stink or an alternative could be helpful as well.

If you're planning on dining out during your overnights in mainland Ecuador, bring at least one pair of long pants since many restaurants require them for men.

Sunscreen, and maybe a hat if you're hair-impaired, for the land tours where it can and will get very hot and sunny. Sunglasses too, of course. Lip balm and lotion help with lips and hands damaged by sun, dry air, and salt water exposure, and I always kick myself if I forget nail-clippers, especially toenail clippers, since toenail growth can get painful if your boots aren't forgiving. I'd choose Neosporin over Vaseline for any nicks and scrapes - might as well kill some bacteria while you're at it.

I never bring a coat on any liveaboard anywhere since it's too much to pack - after all, I'm flying home to warm Los Angeles; but a sweatshirt, maybe a hooded sweatshirt can come in handy even if you're cold tolerant. Don't forget, you're on a boat with a large interior. You can always come indoors if it's too cold outside.

 

[H2O Gal]

Actually, I DO get to do it over--got a trip coming up to Cay Sal banks in June! And I'm not going to change a thing--I followed all the advice from here on SB the first time and it was great advice--I'm taking almost everything I did the first time! The only change we are making is flying Southwest Airlines--no baggage fees that way--the fees have gotten so ridiculous that it almost costs as much to fly our gear as it does us!