Blackbeard's was my first diving liveaboard experience.
Short review: It was awesome and all I had hoped it would be.
Longer review: Don't expect the Ritz, but if you're there for the diving then the entire experience, camaraderie, and value can't be beat.
This is seriously camping at sea.
You will Dive, Eat, Sleep, and Repeat. Everything else is secondary.
Your space is limited to storing your dive gear under a seat on deck shared with your dive buddy; your BCD and regs attached to your tank; your wetsuit hanging on the rail (don't forget to buy clamps/clothespins!); and a bunk with your soft luggage at the end for a footrest at night. You're in your bunk for sleep and the occasional nap, otherwise you will be spending your time up on deck enjoying the sea air and chatting with your fellow divers, or at the table in the galley chatting and dining.
You will be in tight quarters, bumping into people at times whether going up or down ladders, in the galley, or gearing up for a dive and being patient is key. Going alone, you will find a dive buddy and you'll get on the same page pretty quickly.
A flexible mind is necessary, and you need to be able to roll with it, whatever it is.
You will be bunking with others in your cabin, and your private space is your bunk with a light-blocking curtain and that's it. If anything under-pack as there isn't space and you likely don't need that stuff anyways. You're gonna meet people from all over the world (On this boat we had Americans from all over, a lot of Canadians, 1 Australian, and a French couple, and while you all have a love of diving in common which helps, there's gonna be differences, so just play nice and it all works out. Politeness, a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and being always ready to be helpful to others goes a long way, as does not being standoffish.
There will be changes in weather that can affect your trip and dive sites; the A/C may break (it did in our case making below decks a tad sweaty), and other stuff can and will happen. Just roll with it (literally).
You will be getting in line for food and you eat what they make, but while it won't be cordon bleu, what is there is flippin' amazing considering it is made in a galley the size of a phone booth. The food really was great and I never walked away not being well fed and ready to get another dive in. You will be eating above deck a lot given the lack of space at the table, so expect to eat picnic-style with the plate on your lap above decks and enjoy the experience.
The maritime heads are not exactly spacious, but they work (so long as you don't clog them), and there's one shared shower that is salt water with a 30 second fresh water rinse. You're diving 4 times a day, so not a lot of people showered much anyhow.
In short, with a good and friendly attitude it is the best live-aboard value there is anywhere and the diving can't be beat.
The diving is fantastic, the crew work their tails off both ensuring you have the best possible experience and keeping you safe. The crew really sets the tone for the trip from the outset and their enthusiasm and professionalism really made it a great trip.
In short, it's an amazing time and a great experience with a great bunch of people.
Yes, I will be going again!
1 comment:
Glad it went well!
Post a Comment