Why Liveaboard?

Image by Peter Hughes

Why Live Aboard?
If you've never tried a live-aboard dive vacation, it's time to jump in. One of the biggest reasons liveaboards have become increasingly popular is because their destinations are often less-traveled and less-dived areas of the world.

So, If you enjoy the thought of miles of beautiful ocean ahead of you, remote dive sites, picturesque horizons and the slow, soothing movement of a boat rocking you to sleep, then consider a liveaboard for your next dive vacation.

Keep in mind that although liveaboard vacations offer a different kind of dive experience, it is not always for everyone. So, before you plan your boat-based vacation make sure you have researched all the different options by searching online, through travel agents and by checking with your local dive shop. In the meantime, here are some sample itineraries.

Sample Liveaboard  Itineraries:
Liveaboards give divers the chance to visit dive sites that are rarely visited, to create close friendships with other divers in an intimate setting, re-connect with family and truly get-away-from-it-all. Try leaving the Blackberry and the laptop behind (how about that MP3 and iPod, too?) and hear and see the world from a different perspective. To whet your appetite for adventure on the open seas, here are a few sample itineraries. Check the individual websites for the most current information and pricing for each package.


Aggressor Fleet
Here's a sample of a week aboard the Kona Aggressor II:
•    Board the boat Saturday evening, followed by dinner and the Captain's briefing.
•    Sunday morning, dive briefing, then the first dive of many dives, including night dives.
•    Between dives: snacks, meals, soft beverages, local beer and wine are included.
•    Diving ends Friday before lunch.
•    The boat returns to port Friday at lunch for shopping and sight-seeing.
•    Guests return to the boat for an afternoon cocktail party. Dinner is not served on board Friday, however, the crew can recommend a local restaurant.
•    After a good night's rest, everyone says good-bye at the Saturday morning check-out.
•    Transportation to the local airport is provided.

Destinations:
Aggressor Fleet charters 13 different yachts that cruise to 11 different countries including: Belize; Cayman Islands; Cocos Island, Costa Rica; Fiji; Galapagos Islands, Ecuador; Kona, Hawaii; Maldives, North Sulawesi; Palau; Turks & Caicos;  Utila, Honduras. Aggressor Fleet also offers a unique trip selection tool to help choose the right trip for you.


Peter Hughes Diving
Dancer Fleet 
Grenada: Wind Dancer
The Grenada Wind Dancer is a 120-foot yacht with a crew of 10 and accommodations for up to 18 people.
Sample itinerary:
Here is a typical itinerary for the Wind Dancer Grenada:
•    Leave Grenada head towards Isle De Ronde, dive the Sisters
•    Off shore, dive Bird Rock and/or London Bridge (weather permitting)
•    On the way to Carriacou, dive Bonaparte Rocks and Frigate Island, which is on the edge of an active underwater volcano known as "Kickemjenny"
•    Next stop at National Park of the Tobago Cays, and off-shore dive Sail Rock
•    Returning, heading south, the sites missed heading north will be visited
•    Ending the trip with a dive on the Bianca C, one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean
Check out this slideshow of photos of Wind Dancer:

Dancer Fleet's Other Destinations:
Galapagos, Belize, Bali, Papua New Guinea, Maldives, North Sulawesi and Raja Ampat.


Mike Ball Expeditions
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions specializes in dive expeditions in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Here is an example of the seven-day Coral Sea Safari expedition:
•    Embark: Thursday seven p.m. – Trinity Wharf, Cairns
•    Spectacular first dive at Challenger Bay
•    Diver-size fish at the Cod Hole
•    Plummeting Coral Sea wall dives in gin-clear water
•    Exciting shark action in the Coral Sea
•    Schooling trevally and barracuda in the Coral Sea
•    Exploration of Lizard Island
•    The Cod Wall, outer edge big fish dive
•    The prime Ribbon Reef sites
•    All dives north of Cooktown, dive site guarantee!
•    Superior vessel stability in adverse weather conditions
•    Disembark: Thursday eight a.m. – Trinity Wharf, Cairns. (Courtesy city hotel transfers)

Other Mike Ball Dive Expeditions:
3 night – Fly/Dive Cod Hole ; 4 night – Fly/Dive Coral Sea; Minke Whale Expeditions; Great White Shark Expeditions     

Click on the links below for more information  and itineraries for other liveaboards.