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by
Dennis & Karen Sabo
Never
before has a subject caused such spirited conversation among
divers: a land-based versus a liveaboard dive vacation. Supporters
of each have debated this issue again and again. Arguments for
each are strong and make sense.
 Liveaboard
dive vacations offer fantastic diving to remote, exotic locals.
Land-based vacations are the perfect way to combine diving with
inland sightseeing while gaining educational insight about the
country being visited. Some say land based vacations are the
diver's best choice while others say that a liveaboard trip
is the only way to go.
Let's
review some considerations that should be addressed when planning
a dive vacation focusing on advantages and disadvantages of
land versus sea. The question which really needs to be answered
is "What's best for you?".
 INDIVIDUALITY
Diver
know thy self. As mentioned in our previous articles of the
Travelling Diver, different people have different expectations
of what a dive vacation should be. When planning your vacation,
it is important to thoroughly examine your own unique situation.
Things you need to consider are your level of dive experience,
your personal likes and dislikes, travel experience, and your
travelling companion, if applicable.
Your
level of dive experience should be an important factor in your
vacation selection regardless of whether it is a land based
or liveaboard trip. Are you a novice with just a few dives under
your belt or are you an old salt with ten years of dive experience
looking for big fish and even bigger thrills? Your vacation
selection should properly match your qualifications.
Some
folks will prefer a trip which comes with an "escape"
clause. This means a vacation which provides the freedom to
do what you want when you want. With any land-based operation,
whether it accommodates sixteen or 160, there will be a defined
boat diving schedule. The only way around this is if you happen
to be the only guest registered for diving during your stay.
In this case, the schedule may be flexible to accommodate your
personal preferences. Being realistic, aside from the diving,
you can arrange your trip where the remainder of the decisions
are left to you. These decisions may include: where, when, and
what you eat; choosing topside activities; opportunities for
sightseeing; and the nightlife you wish to experience. If you
like a variety of options in all of these categories, you'll
be much happier at a large resort at a somewhat commercially
developed destination. Remember, with a small group on a liveaboard
or when staying at an intimate resort in a remote location,
schedules sometimes dictate when and what you will eat along
with restricted day and evening activities. Of course this may
be exactly what you are looking for; just diving and relaxing
wilh no decisions to make. If you want to stay active, there's
always the dive cruise ship which supposedly combines the best
of both worlds. If you are considering this route, make sure
you understand exactly how often you will be given the opportunity
to dive and how the schedules and logistics are planned. Define
exactly what you want to do on your vacation, then match your
desires accordingly.
If
you are considering a liveaboard, you will need to evaluate
your personality, and be honest! Are you a tolerant person who
gets along easily with all types of people? There aren't many
places to hide or ways to avoid a conflicting personality 200
miles out at sea. It would be a shame to have your entire vacation
ruined by a single person who was having a great time just being
himself.
If
you are travelling alone and you have a special interest, you
should make some inquiries before you go. For example, a photographer
should ask about the nature of a liveaboard trip before signing
on. There can be nothing more frustrating than planning a week
of photography only to find that the remaining nineteen on board
are hunters. On the other hand, for some individuals, a liveaboard
is the perfect choice because it enables them to join in easily
with a small group who share the same interests. A camaraderie
usually develops on board which is less likely to occur at a
large resort where an individual can get lost in the crowd.
If travelling with a non-diving companion, a land-based trip
will most likely suit you best. Those not interested in diving
will enjoy the freedom of shopping, sightseeing, and participating
in the local color and flavor of the destination. Land should
also be your choice if children will accompanying you since
the confines of a boat are too limiting for the activities of
kids. In addition, consider the welfare of the other passengers.
Is it fair to confine them with your kids?
Some
divers may not be able to travel by sea for the simple reason
of sea sickness. Sure, there are medications and for some, this
is all that is needed. For others, no medication is strong enough,
no dive site worth that miserable feeling for an eight day/seven
night high seas adventure. Some people may be fine to participate
on a boat travelling in calm seas while other locales may need
to be avoided. It bothers me to hear that the world's best dive
sites are accessible only by boat. For someone prone to seasickness,
this news can surely burst their BCD. The analogy that I make
to this statement is that of the instructor who tells his students
to help each other with gear. This same instructor then casually
puts his gear on over his head, without the assistance of anyone.
Students see this and think "Gee, I'm not that strong,
I don't think I'll ever be able to do that, so I guess I'll
never be the diver he is". Statements regarding the world's
best dive selections are all relative because people have different
interests. A photographer doesn't care how big and meaty a fish
is, he just wants the photo. A hunter may not be interested
in diving tropical reefs if all he can do is look.
Live
aboards will provide wilderness diving at its best.
 BOAT
SELECTION
"Attention
Divers!! New liveaboard offering unlimited diving plans to set
sail in the Windward Isles this Spring."
There
are many reasons why you may want to choose a liveaboard dive
vacation over a land based operation. One is that often times,
the boat is anchored at a particular dive site for the entire
day. It can be extremely satisfying to be able to dive a particular
site at different times during the day, and at different depths.
This allows you to observe the ever-changing marine ecosystem.
The behavior pattern and activities of fish and corals along
with their presence or disappearance can be depend ent on the
time of day. The freedom of choosing your own time to dive is
also pleasant. Land-based boats have obvious restrictions of
fuel and time while liveaboard operations provide opportunities
to dive sites that would otherwise never be explored. Areas
such as the Sea of Cortez, the Galapagos Islands, and Australia's
Coral Sea are examples.
DO
NOT choose a liveaboard dive vacation purely on the advertisement
of "Unlimited Diving" Boats have to travel at some
point daily to find safe anchorages and to get from one site
to another. DON'T choose a liveaboard purely because the boat
has promised to travel to a particular dive site. Political
and environmental con iderations, along with diver safety are
the utmost concern to the skipper, and these factors all will
dictate where the boat goes and where you will dive. Many land-based
resorts offer two boats daily, and unlimited shore diving. This
can provide the diveaholic with just as much diving and some
times more! In either scenario, a dive travel specialist should
be able to thoroughly explain exactly what "unlimited"
means.
Divers,
know thy boat. Today's modern liveaboard fleet can resemble
a floating hotel, providing luxurious accommodations, gourmet
cuisine, and excellent logistics for diving. It is probably
best to stick with an established operation unless you are willing
to take your changes. You don't want to get caught on a converted
tug, where the numberone consideration is not water conditions,
but the engine's oil puddle and the rusty anchor that seems
to be in everyone's way.
What
type of accommodations are provided'! Will you have your own
stateroom, or will you be sharing a room with others? If you
are travelling with a group of four people, then a quad could
be perfect. However, if your party consists of two and your
roommate' s name is Jason who has a strange infatuation for
hockey masks, you may not be a happy camper for the entire trip.
Now that you are in your cabin, you may find no toilet or shower.
You find it is down below and will be shared by eight people.
These points should be considered prior to your selection, then
you will need to decide for yourself if these things are acceptable.
Not all liveaboards have quad accommodations or shared toilets.
Some provide spacious, private stateroom with a main saloon
characteristic of a quaint and charming hotel.
Make
sure you know the product and make sure that it matches your
likes, not dislikes. If you are an individual diver and you
wish to go on a liveaboard, perhaps you should consider taking
a friend along. You will be assured that at least one other
person on board shares your interests.
LAND-BASED
One
last aspect of land-based operations needs to be addressed.
Island resorts provide opportunities for cultural exchanges
that may be missed if you spend all of your time on a boat.
I always recommend to liveaboard enthusiasts ... if you can
afford the extra time and money, spend it meeting the people
and learning about their culture and way of life. You'll come
away with a much fuller experience. A couple who took their
vacation on a liveaboard in Fiji remarked on the spectacular
diving but added that one key ingredient was missing ... the
Fijian people. They had taken a land based trip there some years
earlier, and it wasn't until they compared the two trips that
they realized how much cultural exchange can add to a diving
adventure.
So
what's the bottom line? You work hard, you deserve a vacation,
and you want to get the most for your money. Start by making
a list of the things you enjoy and what you would like to do
on your vacation. Then go shopping. Start by calling a dive
travel specialist, their advice is FREE. Planning a vacation
can be great fun. After your planning pays off, you'll have
memories to last a lifetime.
Dennis
and Karen Sabo, both certified scuba instructors, have over
21 years of dive travel experience and are accomplished underwater
photographers. Their work has been featured in Dive Training,
Dive Travel, Discover Diving, and Scuba Times magazines, and
the book Best Dives in the Caribbean.
Reprinted
with permission |
