First liveaboard advice

[tarponchik]

Liveaboards vary to a great extent. From the outrageously free Nekton, where the DMs will simply declare "OK folks, the pool is open!" to SOF where we've been patronized down to DMs putting on fins on our feet before every dive, they are all very different. I haven't been on this particular one but one thing you should bring with you, though, is your own safety sausage. Maybe they will provide it to you, maybe not, but it never hurts to have one. Another useful thing is your own 3-prong extension cable.

 

[lowwall]

I did a liveaboard in March and two in the summer. I understand not wanting to try to don a wet wetsuit - but still think more than one wetsuit just takes up a lot of unnecessary space. What about a few skins or rash guard tops/bottoms with lycra socks instead

Here's a $13 option for leggings: Amazon.com : Hawk Sports Mens Compression Pants Base Layer Running Workout Muay Thai Jiu Jitsu MMA BJJ Spats Leggings Tights for Men : Clothing

I used them in Cozumel and had no problems. They make a top that's good as well if you don't have enough rashguards.

 

[myshadeofred]

Have a great time!!! And don't take too many clothes...just wear the stuff over...no one cares. Too busy diving, or talking about the dive, or eating....or sleeping.

 

[UTscuba]

Have a great time!!! And don't take too many clothes...just wear the stuff over...no one cares. Too busy diving, or talking about the dive, or eating....or sleeping.

especially sleeping. New Years Eve I was the last man standing, and I turned in at 8:30pm

 

[MrBigfins]

especially sleeping. New Years Eve I was the last man standing, and I turned in at 8:30pm

I can relate, 3-5 dives a day takes it out of me. My wife is normally an early sleeper but on dive vacations I'm asking her if she is ready for bed lol

 

[MrBigfins]

Liveaboards vary to a great extent. From the outrageously free Nekton, where the DMs will simply declare "OK folks, the pool is open!" to SOF where we've been patronized down to DMs putting on fins on our feet before every dive, they are all very different. I haven't been on this particular one but one thing you should bring with you, though, is your own safety sausage. Maybe they will provide it to you, maybe not, but it never hurts to have one. Another useful thing is your own 3-prong extension cable.

I take my dsmb on every ocean dive. I'm taking a surge protector and a 2 prong adapter in case the outlets on boat don't have a ground. Was this what you are suggesting or a long style actual extension cord?

 

[MrBigfins]

Have a great time!!! And don't take too many clothes...just wear the stuff over...no one cares. Too busy diving, or talking about the dive, or eating....or sleeping.

I can't express how excited I am to be able to travel light. On our family vacations my wife always has to take extra everything. I would pack all my clothes in my personal item backpack if it wasn't going to be full of dive gear.

 

[MrBigfins]

Here's a $13 option for leggings: Amazon.com : Hawk Sports Mens Compression Pants Base Layer Running Workout Muay Thai Jiu Jitsu MMA BJJ Spats Leggings Tights for Men : Clothing

I used them in Cozumel and had no problems. They make a top that's good as well if you don't have enough rashguards.

I wear jammer style swim trunks under my wetsuits, can't stand bunched up swimsuits. This looks like a nice longer option for what I normally wear

 

[UTscuba]

I can relate, 3-5 dives a day takes it out of me. My wife is normally an early sleeper but on dive vacations I'm asking her if she is ready for bed lol

It's not just the diving, but the first dive can be at 7am, depending on which order your boat arrived at the dive site.

Would really recommend splurging on nitrox for the whole week, I felt much less tired that I usually do on trips like this. Very few of the dives are below 100ft so well within the MOD of Nitrox 32, and for Roca Partida we dropped down to 28% for a deeper MOD but in the end the deepest I went was 104ft.

 

[MrBigfins]

It's not just the diving, but the first dive can be at 7am, depending on which order your boat arrived at the dive site.

Would really recommend splurging on nitrox for the whole week, I felt much less tired that I usually do on trips like this. Very few of the dives are below 100ft so well within the MOD of Nitrox 32, and for Roca Partida we dropped down to 28% for a deeper MOD but in the end the deepest I went was 104ft.

I requested the nitrox upgrade at the same time that I booked the trip. I dive a Suunto computer and it kind of demands nitrox for multiple dives over multiple days. I didn't understand the complaints of the conservancy of Suuntos until I tried to dive it on air for 4 dives a day for a couple days in a row. On nitrox I could do 4-5 dives a day for 2 weeks straight and depending on profiles mostly be limited by gas consumption instead of ndl. On the St Lawrence when I didn't get nitrox, it was screaming at me for 3-4 dives a day.