Since mealtime is near and dear to most everyone’s heart, the cook is an important crew member on any boat. Ample, tasty, varied, and native describe the cuisine I’ve experienced on dive cruises. Fresh fish, fruit, and vegetables are plentiful, with most operators now including all drinks in the price as well. Snacks are put out between dives mid-morning and mid-afternoon, so you won’t go hungry. If you have a special dietary requirement, just let the boat know and they will do their best to accommodate you. Meals are scheduled around the travel and dive schedule. Breakfast can be whenever you get up, and the coffeepot is always on. Meals give everyone a chance to exchange dive stories, tell jokes, and get acquainted. I’ve met so many great people sitting around the dinner table; it’s all a part of this special experience.
The People
Almost without exception, live-aboard guests are experienced, avid divers; many are photographers as well. The easy living lends itself to maximum dives and rolls of film, with E-6 processing available on most boats today. If you’ve wanted to take that advanced specialty course or try your hand at underwater photography, live-aboards offer a variety of certification courses and most have rental cameras.
People of all ages and occupations congregate on dive boats. I’ve enjoyed meeting divers from around the world on all of our live-aboard vacations. By the middle of the week everyone is very comfortable, joking is commonplace, and we have all shared fabulous dive sites and expanded our horizons. For those traveling solo, a crewmember, captain, or another guest is always available to be your buddy. If you’ve got especially good buoyancy control, some photographer will want you for a model. Enjoy the camaraderie and make new friends. You might even find a new dive buddy!
Location, Location, Location
Where do you go and who do you sign on with? Many live-aboards operate in exotic locations around the world. Dive the Red Sea, Micronesia, Fiji, PNG, Indian Ocean, Australia, the Bahamas, and many parts of the Caribbean from the deck of a live-aboard. Go where you haven’t been before; experience new sights and reefs. Some recommendations I can make after nine live-aboard trips – Peter Hughes’ Dancer fleet worldwide, the Aggressor fleet worldwide, and Fiji’s Nai’a. Cost is usually an object, and the “you get what you pay for” adage is usually true with live-aboards. The inexpensive Blackbeards
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