Any general tips for first time liveaboard trip?

[dutchgirl]

Hi all, me and my boyfriend will do a liveaboard for the first time, very excited already! We were wondering if you have some general tips for us that maybe we haven't thought about?

 

[Silveradorob]

These are very light to travel with and come in handy to dry items.

 

[drrich2]

Lycra socks so the high frequency diving doesn't cause your boots to chafe your skin.

Whatever med.s you may need. I learned a generic of Pepto Bismol can be found in pill form; that was nice. I like triple antibiotic ointment for abrasions. Think through what you may need.

Extra dive computer battery if yours is user replaceable.

Richard.

P.S.: Swimmers' ear drops. Use from time to time; don't wait till you get infected or the burning can be quite painful. Remember water's in your ears an awful lot of the time when you're diving frequently.

 

[Aviyes]

2nd the lycra socks, also make getting into your wetsuit a breeze.

 

[Compressor]

This is one reason I like SB; I never thought of lycra socks for the problems identified above. Thank you.

 

[drrich2]

Glad to pass it along. I didn't discover it; I read about it on Scuba Board, then went out & discovered experientially that it's true.

Richard.

 

[Trailboss123]

In addition to spare batteries for your computer/transmitter- I always have a backup computer for liveaboard trips. The computer itself could crap out and not be battery related and then you are up a creek. I second @drrich2 recommendation of ear drops. At a minimum, I would use them at the end of each diving day to clean and dry your ears out. Be proactive- if you wait until your ears become painful, it will be too late and you will lose diving days. I adhere to this routine not only on a liveaboard, but for any multi-day land based dive trip. I learned (painfully) by experience on my first ever 7 day dive trip to Cozumel many years ago. I use a homemade concoction of equal parts peroxide, vinegar and alcohol.

 

[Schwob]

Glad to pass it along. I didn't discover it; I read about it on Scuba Board, then went out & discovered experientially that it's true.

Richard.

On those lycra socks:
Didn't have them during my first (and only so far ) LOB, in 2016 ... 2 successive weeks on the Egypt Agressor, which were great... Except my left above the heel area really might have benefitted from those socks... seems like either my boot or my fin strap tried to kill it. Thankfully I brought Gorilla tape... That was on that raw spot every dive of the second week.

So, duct tape, Gorilla tape is good to have.

I did not bring an extra mouth piece and my son and I both chewed through our first one. The spare one one of the DM's had was already chewed through... Found out only after already tiewrapping it on... Check first, duh... Good thing I brought 10 long enough tiewraps...
So the octo mouthpiece had to be put on the primary and the primary had to make do for a while on the octo... for me and my son... = 5 tiewraps used up in the action... Good thing I brought 10... left the others after the trip with the DM who could clearly need them...

So, a spare mouth piece per person and tiewraps would be good... Of course they should have been in my safe a dive kit, but I was at 50 dives then and had not thought I bite through that thing by 70 or such...

Had a whole bunch of stuff in that kit that was not needed. My rule of thumb: what's missing is what will be needed...

Camera: My camera gave up the ghost early in the second week. Died underwater, but died a dry death, the housing never leaked a drop, no condensation (brought plenty of little dried and sealed silkagel packets, a new one for every battery change). The camera just stopped working. Didn't think it would bother me that much , but it still bugs me. Can't afford these trips that often...

So, would a spare camera make sense?
In retrospect, yes.

I brought my Nautilus radio & an SMB and reel on every dive and made my son bring his SMB & reel. We carried whistles too. Not sure they would be that useful, but we had them on us. And we deployed one SMB on every ascend (unless it was by the mothership) for practise and to guard against zippy dinghies. A few times there was enough current and sea that it notably helped the dinghy in locating us - we were thanked for deploying it. Several passengers did not bring an SMB.
Imho definitely bring an SMB and reel per person... and what safety gear you feel you should have. I played it maybe a bit more safe because I would have not needed to return to my son's mother w/o him...

Motion sickness: I took the pills and needed them. My son was unphased by that.

Clothing: Did not bring much (I thought) and used only half of it nevertheless...

Gear and spare gear: Between my son and I we had a spare set of fins, spare straps, one spare mask, bungee cord, tiewraps, duct tape, first aid kit, o-rings, cordage, ..., some minimal tools to get at first and second stages and the hoses. needed none of it except tiewraps and duct tape. Schlepping (big, heavy) spare fins seemed stupid after the trip...

But, this summer my wife lost a fin in FL on one of her OW check out dives, the first dive of a 2 dive boat trip. No fitting fins on the entire big dive boat. Both checkout dives ruined... practically eight next to oodles of dive shops on Key Largo...
Now spare fins do not seem so stupid anymore...

I am not saying you should bring extra fins... my son and my fin size were / are compatible so it was only half the burden... just offering food for thought...

We had a few times waves high enough that loosing a fin when working up to that chopping boat ladder seemed like an achievable feat. Did not happen to us, but happened to another diver. Another divers fin (fulll foot) tore at the foot pocket. They were lucky to be helped with fins from the boat.

So anyway, think what should be in your save a dive / fix it kit as well as your first aid kit. Most of it may be available on the boat, ... except for when you need it...

Somebody already mentiobed a spare DC battery.

If your (dive) computer needs a charge cable, don't leave that right where you last topped off your computer before you headed to the airport... Did that for my first (and only so far) trip to Bonaire... duh... was a new, rare cable at the time too. Took a shop (after calling several) 4 days to get and I felt lucky they did. And they were unbeliavably kind just loaning it to me! ... Now, on an LOB ... in my case 2 weeks... that computer would have gone dead... One week, maybe it would have lasted... if I don't leave it in the rinse tank to long...

I brought tank marker lights for the night dives (as well as dive lights, spares, batteries, chargers), so I have a better chance to know where my son just went...
I know that should not happen, but trying to take pics at times makes you an awful buddy... I liked that tank marker light...

Whatever you do, test pack and weight your stuff with some time to spare... and maybe think again...

 

[KathyV]

You don't need many clothes but you do need extra swimsuits. I don't like sitting around in a wet suit so I bring 3 to 4 swimsuits and 2 beach cover ups. Also, it can get cold at night on the water so bring a pair of sweat pants and a jacket. Don't bring a lot of make-up or hair products, you won't be using them.

You won't be wearing shoes much, so only bring a pair of comfortable travel shoes and a pair of sandals. Don't bring much jewelry either, maybe a couple of pairs of small earrings.

Depending on where you are traveling, you might need electricity converters to charge batteries, but if you are going to the Caribbean that won't be an issue.

Be careful about excessive sun exposure. I got a nasty case of sun poisoning on a liveaboard one time. Now I wear a hat and I cover up and make sure to use spf lotion if I am out in the sun very long.

We also make up the same ear drops mixture and bring it with us.

Are either of you prone to seasickness? You might bring some bonine or triptone but take it about an hour before boarding the boat, and eat light on the day of departure.

Some LOBs will give you a plastic cup to write your name on and use all week, but you might want to bring an insulated water bottle and use that instead.

Bring a few paperback books to read, there's not a lot to do but eat, sleep, and dive - and occasionally read a book!

 

[tarponchik]

Glad to pass it along. I didn't discover it; I read about it on Scuba Board, then went out & discovered experientially that it's true.

Richard.

Common nylon socks do just fine.