LIVEABOARD CRUISING

In the March 2001 issue of Rodale's Scuba Diving the editors made a very concise and compelling argument for why liveaboard dive boats are generally so popular. Their observations are as follows:

"Why A Liveaboard Adventure? Some of the many draws to liveaboard diving include: cost; only unpacking once (this includes clothes and dive gear); more dives each day, if desired; more diving flexibility; generally smaller dive groups; less explored dive sites; onboard photography and video services; and advanced certification courses and other educational programs."

"Like taking a cruise, the 'all-inclusive' cost of a liveaboard trip can generally be more economical than a land-based dive vacation. If you compare costs, the savings can (but won't always) include expenses for diving, food, beverages, and more.

"Many people don't think they'll like cruises, but one of several reasons cruise travel has grown in popularity is because you only have to unpack once, even though you are visiting many places. For liveaboards, this means you take your clothes and dive gear out of your bag once and not have to repack until the end of your trip. You also don't have to lug your dive gear around each time you're going diving.

"One of the best reasons to try liveaboards is that they offer more diving each day. The average is typically four or five dives per day, but it's really up to the individual diver (given proper surface intervals, of course). If you really want to dive during your vacation, the sheer quantity of liveaboard diving is an advantage.

"There's also great flexibility when it comes to liveaboard diving. If the conditions aren't good on one site, the ship simply changes locations. If the group tends to like diving on wrecks, and wrecks are available, that's where the liveaboard's diving can lean.

"The diving off liveaboards tends to be in smaller groups as well. This can be because the boat doesn't carry as many divers or it can be because they stagger divers, giving everyone a chance to explore the dive sites with just a few others (sometimes just the dive buddy).

"Liveaboards also tend to offer less-explored diving. This is thanks to their ability to go (and stay) where land-based dive boats simply can't reach in reasonable times. And you go where few (if any) divers have ever been.

"Many divers also seek to learn or expand their photography and video skills. Liveaboards typically offer full service to shooters, allowing participants to see their work and apply lessons to future dives (sometimes that same afternoon). In addition, on the learning front, advanced certification courses and other educational programs make liveaboards floating classrooms. It seems like the perfect environment to learn if, like many divers, you're ready to go back to school.

"Of course, there are other reasons for planning your liveaboard trip, including more enjoyable surface intervals on your floating resort; lack of tropical insects (they're not nearly as bad out to sea as they might be on land); better reef conditions; the like-minded company of passionate divers; and generally more adventure above and below the surface."

For my style of diving and my photographic imperative, the liveaboard is perfect. I agree with the observations made above, but when diving the Bahamas, there are other very specific advantages to liveaboard cruising. One of the most significant is the sheer range of dive options available to the liveaboard that are simply beyond the reach of day boats. When you consider a destination that consists of 100,000 square miles of open ocean punctuated by 700 islands and 2,500 tiny cays, the cruising opportunities seem almost limitless. There are plenty of places to find sheltered anchorage for the night in proximity to awesome dives featuring pristine reefs, vertical drop-offs, shipwrecks, and high-voltage marine life encounters. Rarely are there long stretches of cruising between dive sites, and most itineraries include an appealing combination of dive and snorkel opportunities, beach excursions, and maybe even a semi-rowdy night ashore in a fascinating port of call like Bimini, Freeport, or Nassau.

Two of my favorite Bahamas liveaboards are the Nekton Pilot and Blackbeard's Cruises. I was grateful to have had an opportunity to sample both during this year's Stephen Frink's Bahamas Odyssey.