Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Divebooker.
This post contains affiliate links. If you book something through these links I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about my disclosure and affiliate policy here.
…
I have been diving all over the world for over ten years now. One of my favorite holidays is on a diving liveaboard. I love being on boats, and some of the creme de la creme of the underwater world is only accessible with a diving liveaboard.
By now, I have been on a few liveaboards in the Maldives, the Similan Islands in Thailand, Raja Ampat, Komodo, and the Banda Sea in Indonesia. But how to find the perfect diving liveaboard? How to choose where to go and which vessel, and what to expect on board? And how to keep the costs down? All of this and more in this post – I am sharing my best tips for diving liveaboards with you.
The ins & outs of liveaboard diving
Booking a liveaboard in times of uncertainty?
- As if booking a liveaboard wasn’t exciting enough, the current situation in the world adds a layer of excitement that nobody cares for. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Get comprehensive travel insurance (well, this should go without saying, but is even more important now). I use DAN for diving and Safety Wing for traveling in general.
- Heed your official government travel warnings – sometimes your insurance won’t cover you if a travel warning is in place.
- Stay flexible:
- Invest in flights with flexible rebooking options.
- On Divebooker, you can check which liveaboards offer flexible rebooking terms as well as those that have not added a fuel surcharge.
Check Liveaboards with flexible rebooking options/ no fuel surcharge
What is a liveaboard?
So what actually is a liveaboard? Technically, any boat can be a liveaboard as long as you live aboard the vessel for a certain amount of time, like a cruise. However, I am talking about diving liveaboards.
These are usually smaller vessels with space for an average of 10 to 30 divers that are equipped with anything you may need for a diving holiday. This includes compressors and equipment on board as well as all facilities you need to spend a few nights, and of course, crew to take care of you.
While some liveaboards focus on exploration and land-based excursions, diving liveaboards focus on diving. Usually, overnight voyages are used to bring divers directly to the top dive spots in a given region.
Why choose liveaboard diving?
Liveaboards are great options if you want to do many dives in a short amount of time and explore certain far-flung destinations. In fact, some of the greatest diving areas in the world are only or best explored with a liveaboard since they are incredibly remote.
Personally, I also think liveaboards are great for solo travelers and those who don’t want to take care of much during their holiday. Once you have booked your liveaboard and boarded the boat, you won’t have to do much else (except fin).
Liveaboards can also provide really good value for money in destinations that tend to be rather expensive, like the Maldives.
The best destinations for liveaboard diving
There are a few destinations that are famous for liveaboard diving. What most of them have in common is that they are home to remote dive spots – usually, the majority of the distances are covered overnight. Other destinations are perfect for a liveaboard when you want cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.
Some liveaboard favorites include the Maldives, Egypt, Komodo or Raja Ampat in Indonesia, but also the Similan Islands in Thailand. That said, in some of these regions, you can also do land-based diving if you decide that a liveaboard is not for you.
Other regions can only be explored by liveaboard, as getting there takes way too long for a day trip. These include the Galapagos, Socorro in Mexico, the Banda Sea in Indonesia, as well as parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
Is liveboard diving right for me?
While liveboard diving is a fantastic opportunity to dive and visit remote destinations and do many dives in a short amount of time, it is not for everyone.
Most liveboards require a minimum of an Advanced Open Water certification and a minimum number of logged dives. This is a precaution as some dive sites tend to be deep (below 18 meters/ 60 feet) and have stronger currents.
While some liveaboards offer PADI courses onboard, I recommend you have at least an AOW to get the most out of your liveaboard experiences. This way, you won’t ‘waste’ time studying and doing skills, plus courses are usually a lot more expensive on a liveaboard than at a land-based regular dive center.
Can I do a liveaboard if I get seasick? That will depend. Luckily, I have never been seasick before, but I know that many divers will take medication when diving from a boat. If you are prone to seasickness, it can pay off to do some extra research when it comes to calmer seasons and bigger vessels, as they tend to be more stable in the water.
Last but not least: take it easy and book a liveaboard according to your abilities. I am perfectly happy with 3 dives a day, so an Aggressor boat offering 4-5 dives per day would not be for me. And yes, you have paid for a certain number of dives, but I recommend you pace yourself. If you are feeling tired, sit out a dive – there will always be more.
How to find the perfect liveaboard?
Liveaboards are like hotels – some are chic, big and expensive, some are small and backpacker-friendly. There are even some operators like Aggressor or Emperor that offer liveaboards in various countries just like a hotel group.
You can book a liveaboard directly, through an agent, or through a booking platform. Unless you have a specific liveaboard in mind, I prefer a good booking platform like Divebooker.
Divebooker works similarly to companies like Booking.com or Agoda, albeit exclusively for liveaboards. They currently offer over 270 amazing liveaboards in 33 countries, all in one place.
Booking through Divebooker comes with quite a few advantages:
1. You can search for the perfect liveaboard with a variety of filters: countries and destinations, price, length of trip, and departure port. However, you can also set search filters for facilities like tech diving, camera station, or even child-friendly and even themed voyages like luxury trips, spa amenities, or a focus on non-diving activities.
This way, you can find your perfect liveaboard in a destination you may not have even considered before.
2. You can compare a variety of liveaboards, prices, and reviews from other divers in one place. No going back and forth between Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, and recommendations from that random dude you met during a fire show in Koh Phi Phi.
3. The price is set! Unlike a hotel booking that may get cheaper if you book directly, the price for a liveaboard will be the same whether you book with Divebooker or the operator directly.
4. Divebooker has a dedicated (and I want to add – all-female team!) of actual divers. Someone functions as the middlewoman between you and the liveaboard operator to answer all your questions and liaise with your best interest at heart. And since everyone on the Divebooker team is a diver too, they are able to answer all your questions knowledgably, unlike regular travel agents.
They also offer 24/7 support to answer your questions in person as they don’t use bots in their communication – yay! And you can choose the channel – chat, WhatsApp, email, or phone.
How much is a liveaboard?
Liveaboards aren’t cheap, to be honest; however, there are definitely options for you to save, especially when booking with Divebooker.
First of all, the more remote a liveaboard, the pricier it gets. This is due to fuel cost as well as the added cost of getting to your departure harbor.
Once you see a price for a liveaboard you like, you will need to add some extra costs to calculate your final budget. These can include:
- Harbor fee
- Fuel surcharge
- Marine park fee
- Tips (usually 5-10% are recommended, and sometimes a service charge is mandatory)
In addition, you should inquire about extra fees for Nitrox fillings, a 15l tank, and equipment rentals. Since you are on a boat, you usually pay a premium for these.
My tip: While gear rental is sometimes unavoidable, do pack little things like reefhook and torch as well as camera equipment, SD cards, and cables. Those tend to be quite overpriced when you have to get them through the liveaboard.
THE ULTIMATE PACKING LIST FOR A DIVING LIVEABOARD.
But here is the good news: there is plenty included in your liveaboard price too! First of all, you will get a cozy cabin. Just like in a hotel, you can usually choose between different categories. For cabins, the most important distinction is below deck – no window – or upper deck – with a window.
Some liveaboards have fancy double beds, air conditioning, and ensuite bathrooms, while others have small dorm rooms with fans and communal showers. I’d almost say that there is a liveaboard for every budget.
Some areas also offer liveaboards for 3 nights only – perfect if money is tight or you want to try out the whole liveaboard concept first.
Divebooker lets you set your price range, shows you budget or luxury liveaboards, and trip duration, as well as filters like ‘free nitrox’.
Usually, liveaboard prices are per person prices in a shared cabin. That said, Divebooker gives you filter options to search for liveaboards where you can pay a single cabin supplement. And if you prefer to share with another diver, they will even sort those logistics with the operator on your behalf.
In addition to your cabin, you will usually get three meals and non-alcoholic drinks every day. Some fancier liveaboards even offer a glass of wine for dinner, while most offer the option to purchase alcoholic beverages.
And of course, your dives are included. Most trips include a set number of dives that may be done over the course of your trip, depending on the conditions. In general, these dives are guided and will include your tank and weights.
Some boats also include a certain number of land-based activities or excursions, spa treatments, and transfer from/to the airport.
So, is a liveaboard expensive? Diving is not a cheap hobby, and liveaboard dive trips are no exceptions. That said, if you break down the costs, which include room & board as well as diving, they are not as much as you may think, especially in pricier, remote destinations.
Find great liveaboard deals on Divebooker!
Divebooker features to help you save
There are a few other features that Divebooker offers, unlike an agent or booking directly, that can help you save.
Complimentary DAN insurance / Diving insurance is an absolute must, and most regular travel insurance won’t cover you fully if you have a dive accident and may have to visit a hyperbaric chamber (fingers crossed this won’t happen). While those who dive regularly probably have a yearly insurance with DAN, Divebooker offers free insurance for your trip If you don’t. Just request it during your booking!
Loyalty perks / After each booking, you get a 5% travel credit that you can use towards your next booking (up to 10% of that next booking). Considering the average liveaboard price, 5% is a really nice discount. And if you are considering doing another liveaboard in the future, there is no disadvantage to staying loyal to Divebooker for your next trip.
On select days, they run promo events when you can get 2 x travel credit, so being part of their Loyalty Club really pays off.
In addition, you get $75 for every friend you refer and $25 if you write a review after your liveaboard diving trip. And no, that review doesn’t have to be all sunshines and rainbows, though chances are it will be.
Flexible payment options / I have recently started paying a lot more attention to conversion fees when using different payment methods. And I was today years old when I learned that PayPal is the worst. Luckily, I have a few credit cards that won’t charge me when paying in foreign currencies. And even better, Divebooker doesn’t charge credit card fees either.
This goes for card payments in USD or CAD. Alternatively, you can pay via wire transfer in USD, CAD, or EUR to avoid fees.
My tip: Most boats do charge hefty credit card fees when paying for extras and incidentals. I recommend getting cash in the local currency and paying the bill with that.
Keen to check out some amazing liveaboard trips? Have a look at these articles with trips I have taken and loved.
