What to pack for a tropical liveaboard dive trip?

So you’re going on a liveaboard! Have you ever been so excited about a holiday that you forgot to take the obvious? Or stressing out at work to finish all your deliverables before you go on vacation that packing is the last thing on your mind? Or maybe this is your first scuba safari and you are wondering what to pack for a liveaboard dive trip?

I am a master in packing and I have still managed to go on an exotic holiday to a remote island without my sunglasses or to realise on the day of departure that I don’t have the cable to charge my camera. And usually I forget things just because I pack in the middle of the night. So after many trips, I started to make a checklist and here we have put together for you a packing list for your next liveaboard trip.

 

Packing for a liveaboard is very important for two reasons:

1. You are going to be on a boat in open sea, on average for a week, with no access to any shops, so you need to make sure that you are well prepared and have thought through everything you might need for the duration of the cruise.
2. Even in the most luxurious liveaboards, cabin space is scarce and you’ll want to pack smart. Focus on the essentials and keep the rest to a minimum, especially if you are only going on a diving cruise holiday (home-plane-boat-plane-home).

Apart from the super obvious (like your dive gear), here are a few things that are often forgotten but highly appreciated. This is followed by an extensive list of all the things we carry. You can decide for yourself which ones are important to you and what you’d like to pack for your liveaboard dive trip.

 

Top of the list – What could be a lifesaver on a liveaboard trip?

• Motion sickness meds
• Local SIM card
• Ear drops
• Poncho towel
• Reef-safe sunscreen & After sun cream
• Condoms (a liveaboard is a great way to bond)

Equipment

• Mask and fins – MUST HAVE! We list them as one, as it is the most important piece of equipment and you should invest in your own set. If you have an ill-fitting (leaking) mask or uncomfortable fins that cause you blisters, you might as well not bother going liveaboard diving. If you have a spare mask, we highly recommend that you take it along!
• Regulator – Pack it in a separate bag to keep it protected and to prevent dirt coming into it. Wrap between clothes if it goes in your checked-in luggage.
• BCD –  Don’t forget your weight pockets if your BCD has some! From experience, weight pockets get lost all the time, especially during water entry, as the lock system is not 100% reliable. Leave the weights and weight belt at home, though! You can get those on the boat.
• Dive computer – You will be doing up to five dives a day and will want to monitor your dive profile and stay within your NDL. In some countries it is mandatory to use a dive computer. Have a look at the local regulations before going and check your battery before you leave!
• Compass – For underwater navigation.
• Boots or Neoprene socks – Depending on your type of fins, of course. But even if you wear closed heel fins, it is always more enjoyable to wear 1mm socks. 
• SMB and reel – Never dive without one, especially in areas with strong currents. In some countries like the Maldives, carrying one (only the SMB, not the reel) is mandatory and you will definitely need one, if you and your buddy want to dive on your own.
• Snorkel – even if you’re not going to have it attached to your mask the whole time, you wouldn’t want to miss out on jumping in the water and swimming with whale sharks, manta rays or turtles between dives.
• Reef hook – To cause as little damage to the reef as possible, have your hands free and stay effortlessly in the middle of all the action when the current is strong. It saves you so much air and energy! Remember: use it only on rocks and never hook yourself on living corals!
• Gloves – We do not recommend using them, unless in cold water, so that you do not get into the habit of touching sensitive marine life. In many countries it is forbidden to wear gloves, so check local regulations before you put them in your suitcase. Remember: “take only photos, leave only bubbles!”

SPARE PARTS

• Fin straps and buckles
• O-rings – for your camera housing, strobe, light, etc.
• Mask strap
• Mouth piece
• Snorkel attach
• Dive computer battery
  

Wetsuits

(bare in mind this article is about tropical diving)

• Take two! – You might be comfortable simply in a bathing suit or with a rash guard on when you dive in tropical waters but for a liveaboard, we would recommend you take another pair of exposure protection (shorty/full wetsuit, leggings, neoprene vest, long sleeves rash guard or even better a 1mm long sleeves top…) so you always have one hanging to dry and don’t need to squeeze in a soaked wetsuit every dive. You can always decide which one to wear depending on the dive you will be doing so that you feel comfortable. For example, if you are doing a channel dive and will be hooked to the reef for the majority of the dive, you might want to wear more protection than on a dive where you actively swim.
• Under the wetsuit –  You can keep yourself comfortable by wearing a rashguard under your wetsuit. It also comes handy when snorkeling and prevents you from getting a sunburn. Remember that your body cools down from the repetitive dives if you do not provide it with the necessary energy, so make sure you have a good meal and drink plenty of water between dives to prevent yourself from getting cold and dehydrated.

 

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Photography

• Camera – Check SD card (minimum 32GB) and charge batteries
• Housing – Check o-ring and apply silicone grease on it. Pack extra humidity absorbers.
• Lenses – fisheye, wide-angle, macro.
• Strobes – Check o-ring and charge batteries.
• Tray, arms, clamps, floating arms and tools (allen key, screwdriver, etc.)
• Fiber optic cable – check for scratches or kinks. Definitely take a spare one!
• Video light – Check o-ring and charge batteries.
• Diving light – Check o-ring and charge batteries. If you have a video light, it can replace your diving light at night dives, but do carry a back-up!
• Portable hard drive – To backup all your amazing photos EVERY DAY and keep your SD card empty.
• Multiple SD cards – For the rare occasion in which you realize you forgot to download your photos the day before and don’t want to run the risk of having a full SD card underwater. There’s nothing more annoying than deleting photos from your camera underwater.
• Chargers and cables – Line up your equipment nicely and see that you have the batteries, chargers and respective cables for each. You can add an HDMI cable to the pack if you want to view photos and videos on the flat screen.
• Extra batteries – For all of your electronics! You will want to always have a fully charged set of batteries so that you can change them between dives. You won’t have time to recharge the ones you just used.
• Camera diving insurance
• Flash diffusers and backscatter if you use a polycarbonate (transparent) housing.
• Snoot

Clothes & Shoes

TRAVEL

• Sneakers – Try to combine the shoes you travel in with a pair that you might need on land, such as for excursions.
• You know best what you are comfortable in – We would suggest wearing a warm jumper or hoodie, which you can then wear onboard if you are too cold in the common areas which are air conditioned.

 

ON THE BOAT

• 4-6 bathing suits / trunks – This is what you will essentially be wearing the whole time. Get out of the wet one after each dive and put on a dry one straight away, in which you can sit in the restaurant and common areas and are ready for the next dive. Rotate your trunks and bathing suits by handing the wet ones to dry on the sun deck at the end of each day, collecting the dry ones for the next morning.
• You don’t need shoes – You will be asked to take off your shoes as soon as you get on the liveaboard and will only get them back on the day you depart.
• Clothes – a few shorts, t-shirts or some summer dresses will suffice. Take a few of your favorites to take some stunning shots on the boat but don’t overdo it. Just remember you are there to dive and feel comfortable, so give other essentials a bigger priority in your luggage.
• Waterproof windbreaker – It is never cold but it might rain and even a light wind is freezing while you are still wet from your dive.

 

FOR EXCURSIONS

• Hiking shoes / sneakers – If the itinerary involves climbing a rocky path, you will want to have closed-toe shoes. Remember, those could be the ones you wear on the plane.
• Water shoes – If you are going to explore some rocky beaches. You can also wear your diving boots for that purpose.
• Flip flops – For visiting local islands or beach hopping (though for the latter you’ll probably go barefoot)
• Appropriate apparel – Be mindful and remember that cultures differ and it might not be acceptable to stroll around in bikini. Be respectful and take decent clothing that covers the shoulders and knees if you would like to explore local islands.

 

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Medicine

• Ear drops – The one who has the ear drops is always the hero! This can be a holiday saver when you are on a liveaboard. Our tip – rinse your ears with fresh water after surfacing every time to avoid infection!
• Eye drops – Some boats use soap to rinse the masks before diving, which can cause irritation if your eyes are sensitive.
• Decongestant – Not to be used before diving, but it is a relief on the plane or before going to bed.
• Magnesium – To avoid getting cramps underwater.
• Antibacterial cream or powder – For coral cuts or small wounds. You will not want to have those infected in the water.
• Hydrocortisone – For skin rashes, bites or irritations. It reduces swelling and itching.
• Seasickness pills – Remember you are going to be on a boat most of the time. Even if you usually don’t get motion sickness, just be prepared, because weather conditions can sometimes be unpredictable and you wouldn’t want to miss our on great dives, because you were flat in bed.
• Antihistamines – exotic places can cause exotic allergic reactions.
• Anti-diarrhea – Pretty obvious why you might need it, right? Just remember it’s a different cuisine, to which your stomach might be sensitive.
• Painkillers – what’s worse than a headache in the boiling sun?
• Tiger balm – In case you wake up stiff, pull a muscle, hurt your back with the heavy tank or strain your muscles too much during a dive.
• Sore throat pills – The immune system is prone to give in after a period of hard work, so when the brain relaxes and switches to holiday mode, the body defences weaken. You’ll usually need those for the plane, where the air is very dry or when you switch often between being very hot outside and coming into an airconditioned room.
• Waterproof plasters / bandages – They would usually have those on the boat, but we would suggest taking a few of your own since they don’t take any space.
• Copy of your prescription meds form – If you are taking prescribed medicines, take enough to last for your whole trip. We also suggest to make a copy of the prescription just in case.

 

Toiletries

• Coconut oil or Aloe vera – The sun and the salty water drain your skin and hair. One of the best ways to nourish it is with some bio coconut oil. It replaces any aftersun lotion. If you don’t believe this, take an aloe vera aftersun cream as well.
• Leave-in conditioner – Soap and shampoo is usually provided on the boat, but you will definitely want to take along a conditioner to get rid of all the knots that your long hair is bound to have after diving multiple times a day.
• SPF lip balm – To take care of your dry lips when you’re at the surface.
• Waterproof mascara – For the ladies, who want to have some underwater portraits taken. But don’t bother with any other makeup. It’s not a gala and no one cares how you look.
• Nail file and nail clipper – You are prone to break a few nails as they get soft in the water and you handle your equipment.
• Hair ties and bobby pins – You don’t want to have your long hair in your face or caught on the tank the whole time while diving, so take plenty of hair ties and pins (they get lost the whole time).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Useful

• Local SIM card – Many liveaboards do have wifi on them, but if you really want to stay connected, just get a prepaid SIM card when you land at the airport. It can happen that the boat wifi data is used up half way through the trip if everyone is connected to it. If you can afford it – we would just propose to disconnect completely.
• Laptop – Hopefully not for work, but to download and browse through the amazing photos you took during the day.
• Poncho towel – You will get a bathroom and a sun deck towel on the boat, but if you are thinking of bringing your own, then go for a poncho towel and take it on the diving boat with you. It is so great to put on after peeling yourself out of the wetsuit!
• Super glue / waterproof tape – For emergency mending. Remember, you’re out at sea, getting a replacement will not be very easy.
• Bug spray – Even if you are going to be using it only once for a land excursion!
• Reef-safe sunscreen – Everything you put on your skin goes directly in the ocean. Pick a sunscreen, that does not contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are chemicals toxic to marine life and coral reefs. Pack plenty of it and remember to apply it from day one. You don’t want to be strapping on your BCD to burnt shoulders!
• Extension cord – the plugs on the boat are not necessarily always there where you want to leave your equipment to charge or sit down with your laptop to look at your pictures of the day.
• Universal adaptor plug – Bring your own!
• Over the door hooks – Come handy for hanging towels and toiletry bags when the cabin space is limited. Get some cheap ones and then leave them for the crew – they will appreciate it!
• Ear plugs – Boats often sail during the night. If you are a light sleeper of simply do not want to be woken up by the engine or anchor, make sure you get a pair of comfortable ear plugs. You will need all the rest you can get after a full day of diving.
• Eye mask – For those who need total darkness or want to take a nap during the day.
• Water bottle – Bring along your own water bottle which you can refill and minimise the use of single-use plastic bottles. We’re in love with the FishTank bottles (and you can get 10% off with the code: diveintolife10)
• Log book – Don’t forget your log book if you want to document the dive sites and all the interesting encounters. If you are about to get a new one, see that it is waterproof.
• Dry bag – To take along on the dive boat. It can also be used for the land excursions and to pack your toiletries when you travel.
• Waterproof phone case – If you are tempted to take your phone on the diving boat.

 

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Don’t forget

• Passport – Don’t forget it needs to be valid at least for another 6 months from the date of travel.
• Visas – Do you need a visa for where you’re going? Can you get it upon arrival or do you need to apply for one beforehand?
  If it’s in an old passport, don’t forget to take that too. You’ll need the original!
• Certification card – Or a paper/digital copy of it. Many of the good dive sites lie below 18m / 60ft and local regulations will not allow open water divers to join on those dives. If you are NITROX certified, don’t forget to pack that card as well. A photo of the card is even better!
• Dive insurance – Make sure you are covered for diving related incidents including emergency rescue and decompression chamber treatment. Once again, for some destinations it is mandatory to have a diving insurance.
• Cash – Before going, check with the liveaboard how you are going to settle your bills. Most accept credit cards, but tips for the staff are usually collected in cash. Even though most major currencies will be accepted, check in advance what the preferred one is and consider exchanging money at your home country.
• Sunglasses – Take your cool shades to look glamorous on your vacation. The preferred option when on a boat would be polarized sunglasses, because they give your eyes extra protection and you can see underwater reefs or marinelife swimming close to the surface (dolphins, sharks, whales, mantas…) better.
• Hat – Pick one that will not easily fly away when you’re cruising.

 

Entertainment

• DVDs – Liveaboards usually have a flat screen with a DVD player in the common area. If you’re bringing DVDs with you, leave them on the boat as a present for the captain and crew. They will love you for it!
• Books & magazines – Load your Kindle before leaving, as wifi and reception at sea is not really reliable.
• Deck of cards – Doesn’t take much space and is a nice ice breaker to make new buddies.

 

Revise once you’re ready

After preparing everything you want to take along, revise and see what you can get rid of. Do you really need all those clothes and pairs of shoes? Can you combine some of the chargers? Check with the boat which of the things they might already have. Is there anything you can combine with your buddy (Shampoo and other toiletries. Do you need two laptops?)

Don’t pack the day before you leave. Do it at least two days before departure so that you can see whether everything fits within the baggage allowance and you can rethink whether you really need all the stuff that went into your suitcase. This is a rule wherever we travel, not just for a liveaboard trip and we have mastered the art of packing smart!

What are your liveaboard essentials?

Is there anything that we have missed in the list above? Let us know what your liveaboard essentials are in the comments below!

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Do you know anyone who is not sure what to pack for a liveaboard dive trip and would benefit from a this list? Share the article with them!

Also check out one of the best liveaboard routes in the Maldives Deep South!