Question Galapagos liveaboard preparation

[fushkin]

I've been planning a solo trip to the Galapagos and am keen on doing a liveaboard, but have read that the diving there can be difficult (especially at Darwin and Wolf).
My experience is as follows:

• I have my Advanced Open Water and have done 50 dives in total.
• I did 8 practice dives at Nusa Penida and Gili Mimpang / Tepekong in Bali in August 2023. The currents were medium, and the water was 19-24°C depending on the site. I wore a 3mm full length wetsuit. I also practiced backroll negative entries here.
• I've probably done around 10 drift dives.
• I remember doing a dive in Thailand where the current was so strong it was impossible to swim against it, we had to crawl on the rocks and hide between them for a breather.
• I also remember experiencing some fairly strong currents when diving the King Cruiser Wreck in Phuket a few years ago.

Based on my research, the key things I haven't experienced are as follows:

• I don't have that much experience with cold water.
• I have never dived in an 8mm wetsuit and the heavy weight belt that accompanies it (I only needed 2kg of weight for the 3mm wetsuit).
• I have practiced backroll negative entries, but in calmer conditions - less current, so I was not trying to descend as fast as possible. I have not experienced the rapid descents I read are sometimes necessary at Darwin and Wolf.
• I have never needed to dive with an SMB or emergency GPS. I remember being taught how to use an SMB when I got my qualification but have not used one since.

With that in mind, I know I need to get more experience in cold water, dial in my buoyancy when wearing an 8mm wetsuit, and practice deploying my SMB. I'm planning some dives locally (I live in the UK) to do this. Is there anything else you guys think I should work on to prepare for a Galapagos liveaboard? Would appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Still Kicking]

Buoyancy control has to be pretty good for the ascent off the reef in blue water.But there is generally good vis and you're usually close to other divers dfor visual reference. The DM handles the smb for the group but you should know how to do it in case you get separated. You might want to practice just in case.

Diving in the ripping current is a blast once you get the hang of it.

Other than that, common sense and good situational awereness are key. Key an eye on the group and pay close attention to the guides. Not only will they watch out for safety issues, they will spot stuff early and give you direction.

You will have a great trip - i wish i were going back.

 

[drrich2]

I've got a couple of links that might be of some use.

Humboldt Explorer Jan 13-20, 2020 - Trip Report - Humboldt Explorer Jan 13-20, 2020

My Research Notes from Planning Galapagos Trip

You will want some tough gloves that don't get shredded grabbing onto rocks at times.

Do not drink the water! I had intermittent diarrhea for months starting early in my trip onward. Cipro saw the end of that, but still...don't do it!

We were provided Nautilus Lifelines for the Wolf and Darwin dives; see if your operator does or offers them for rent.

Any ocean diving from a boat probably merits readiness to deploy an SMB. At least a 'safety sausage' you can inflate at the surface.

Water temp.s and some animal sightings are seasonal. I went in January 2020 and didn't see any whale sharks...which was no surprise as that's not the time to see them, but it was a time of year when waters tended to be warmer.

 

[iliketopetsharks]

3mm in 19°C is brave, so maybe you'll be comfortable.
I didn't even know 8mm wetsuits exist lol, i'd rather just go dry, don't forget that repetitive dives are tiring and you'll be colder much sooner. And if you're just standing still and watch the wildlife go by you don't produce a lot of warmth.

 

[fushkin]

Thanks for the tips everyone, super helpful!

 

[KrisR]

My advice would be go for it and have a blast. If you were ok in a 3mm in 19C then you won’t need much more neoprene than that. I dove in Galapagos in May with aggressor and never bothered with a wetsuit at all. ( the exception was the 2 really cold water dives for mola mola and marine iguanas where I stuck on a 3mm and hood.)

My personal experience with our trip to Galapagos was that it wasn’t particularly any more challenging than a typical liveaboard trip. I’m not saying you couldn’t get tricky conditions but I found the guides did a great job of picking the right sites at the right time of day.

I would say just get comfortable diving try to do as many dives as you can before you go. But I wouldn’t worry about it at all.

 

[brownie]

I've been to the Galapagos 5 or 6 times now. I would encourage you to:

(a) get some advance practice deploying a DSMB, preferably using a finger spool. I find a reel too bulky and awkward.

(b) forget buying gloves at a dive shop, try to get glove "liners" that construction folks wear. They are thin, so dexterity is not compromised--but they are tough/durable, unlike most dive shop gloves. My first few trips I used dive-shop gloves: the finger tips are all shredded with holes whereas my thin, construction-type glove liners are still in pristine condition.

(c) I opted for "layers", you will need more warmth at southern sites. I like adding a vest--and a hood is a good idea. I did not use a 7 mm--instead, I layered a skin, a vest, a shortie with a 5 mm core. Cool water tolerance is subjective: but this worked for me.

Galapagos diving is so very special--wishing you an amazing adventure!