Belize Livaboard Aggressor 1V Questions
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Ok I understand that the courses probably aren't worth it and there's not really much downtime, got it.
As far as regulator rental, we use AI wrist computers that require 2 HP ports on the regulator, we'd rather not use rental gear especially if we can't swap out first stages so I'll bring an extra set of first and 2nd stage regs but probably not a hose, sounds like I can always steal one off a rental kit if the unlikely happens and one of us busts a hose.
drrich2
Contributor
Your luggage will be stored elsewhere, not in your room, after you unpack.
If you do all the dives/day, I believe adding reading, study, knowledge base answering and instruction would make for a grueling week.
I didn't see anything to indicate full service dive shop functionality onboard. Not sure just what they can handle. Bring your own spare batteries.
Multiple days of multiple dives can chilly you. A hood is small to pack and can make a significant difference; take it along.
Richard.
If you do all the dives/day, I believe adding reading, study, knowledge base answering and instruction would make for a grueling week.
I didn't see anything to indicate full service dive shop functionality onboard. Not sure just what they can handle. Bring your own spare batteries.
Multiple days of multiple dives can chilly you. A hood is small to pack and can make a significant difference; take it along.
Richard.
K
KeithG
Guest
Sit back and relax a bit! It's a vacation.
All LOBs (as well as most dive shops) offer courses. They are easy money for them. You will be busy enough trying to find some relaxing down time during the week. No need to add courses.
Onboard camera gear may be more myth than reality. This is a boat. Things break and get lost. There may not be any working rental camera when you get there. This goes for all LOBs. She should practice using your current camera way before you head on the trip. learn before you go so that she does not waste valuable dive time learning.
Same comment for equipment service / rental gear. The boat will have lots of spare common sized orings and plenty of tools (hidden away by the engineer - it is a LOB - the engineer has a complete set of tools used to service the boat on a continual basis). Many LOB I have been on have performed a gear rescue repair during the week. Simplest form of repair is oring replacement, more complex is a frankestein reg using rental parts and owner gear. There will always be a few rental regs available, but if some one else has already rented them...(umh... how often does your gear fail?). In thirty years of diving I have never taken spares or needed them (well 1 hose failure was fixed in about 15 minutes between dives)
This boat has lots of storage space for your luggage (hint: look up top in the lockers at the front of the boat...)
No need for gloves or hood. This is warm water. I do see lots of divers in ill fitting wetsuits trying to stay warm by adding a hood. Wrong answer. Very little of your body heat is lost through the top of your head. You best bet is to make sure you have a properly fitting wet suit.
Downing
Contributor
Except for my OW and AOW, I did all of my other courses while on scuba vacations. Some of them, like Fish ID and Deep Diving, were really just a lark that gave me an excuse to do something besides just dive and look at the pretty fish. Rescue Diver was both work and fun, but I did all the course study at home, along with the CPR and AHA classes, before going to Belize to take the written exam and do the pool/open water work. I would have taken Enriched Air at home--my god that was a boring course--but no one around here offered it at the time. Along the way, I became qualified as a Master Scuba Diver, which of course means very little except when I dive with a new guide then he or she has at least some idea of my experience level and hopefully won't be bugging me about my air every five minutes.
EAN and RD required the most work and were the most worthwhile. EAN because you have to have to stay awake long enough to work through the manual if you want to dive with nitrox. RD because it makes you more capable to handle emergencies so hopefully you're not just standing around wringing your hands and crying, "Omg, what do we do?". The other classes not so much, but I enjoyed them all and learned some stuff along the way.
If I have time after I retire, I may just do the Dive Master Course on an extended vacation. Not because I'll ever work in the industry. I'm too old for that. But because it would be an enjoyable challenge that would make me a better diver and, imho, a great way to spend a vacation.
Not sure I would do any of this on a liveaboard, though. That's quite the schedule, lol.
As far as water temp, I would take more than you think you will need just in case. I almost never wear any sort of wet suit in Belize but that's because I'm from a cold water state. I always bring a 2mm shorty but can't remember ever wearing it except on night dives and that's mostly for the trip back. My wife, who never dives locally, is cold-blooded (in more ways than one) and always wears a 2mm full suit and a hood. I see a fair number of divers wearing hoods there but gloves not so often. Better to have it and not need it.
EAN and RD required the most work and were the most worthwhile. EAN because you have to have to stay awake long enough to work through the manual if you want to dive with nitrox. RD because it makes you more capable to handle emergencies so hopefully you're not just standing around wringing your hands and crying, "Omg, what do we do?". The other classes not so much, but I enjoyed them all and learned some stuff along the way.
If I have time after I retire, I may just do the Dive Master Course on an extended vacation. Not because I'll ever work in the industry. I'm too old for that. But because it would be an enjoyable challenge that would make me a better diver and, imho, a great way to spend a vacation.
Not sure I would do any of this on a liveaboard, though. That's quite the schedule, lol.
As far as water temp, I would take more than you think you will need just in case. I almost never wear any sort of wet suit in Belize but that's because I'm from a cold water state. I always bring a 2mm shorty but can't remember ever wearing it except on night dives and that's mostly for the trip back. My wife, who never dives locally, is cold-blooded (in more ways than one) and always wears a 2mm full suit and a hood. I see a fair number of divers wearing hoods there but gloves not so often. Better to have it and not need it.
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In 9 liveaboard trips I've seen failures of an SPG spool, an inflator, and a near miss with a second stage reg. I also had the cheap AA battery in my new Perdix AI draining rapidly on this last trip. A few spares won't take up much space and could save you some stress. The boat should have any tools that you need.
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Thanks for all the great responses.
In summary:
- Don't bother with courses, not enough down time and it's not like they're any better than anywhere else
- Bring my spare 1st & 2nd stage regulator and maybe a hose or 2
- Don't bring my tool box
- Hard luggage that doesn't fit under the bed can be stored elsewhere on the boat
- As far as water temps, gloves not necessary, hood might be necessary for the very cold intolerant, but probably not
- Solo diving is don't ask don't tell
In summary:
- Don't bother with courses, not enough down time and it's not like they're any better than anywhere else
- Bring my spare 1st & 2nd stage regulator and maybe a hose or 2
- Don't bring my tool box
- Hard luggage that doesn't fit under the bed can be stored elsewhere on the boat
- As far as water temps, gloves not necessary, hood might be necessary for the very cold intolerant, but probably not
- Solo diving is don't ask don't tell
I would add a spare inflator, OPV, O-rings, and SPG spools if needed. (Most wings and BCDs use standard inflators and OPVs, but a few, like Apex, don't.)
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tarponchik
Contributor
All diving we did was in a group with a DM. There was no option to go solo or even with a buddy.
AdivingBel
Diver
I hope this isn't the case. I'm going in May. While I don't expect to dive solo, my understanding is they put crew in the water, but my buddy and I can dive our own plan within the limits of the dive briefing if we choose to. To me, that's how "The Know Before You Go" document reads.
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