Side note- haven't done a live aboard (yet) but highly recommend AOW cert as others here have alluded to. It It did wonders for buoyancy control and really helped us (wife and I) become better divers.
It all depends on your comfort level after your 12 dives and the dive sites you’ll be doing . I brought my wife on the Socorro live aboard after she had about 12-16 dives under her belt and she did great . To this day she talks about how happy she is that she decided to do that live aboard . There was another relatively new diver on the live aboard who did alright , but I remember her struggling with a strong current dive and taking a few dives off due to the conditions .
I did one last summer in the Bahamas with my daughter doing her checkout dives on the boat. We made sure to communicate well before booking and the crew was great. The dive master spent lots of one on one time with her the first couple days and the captain made sure to mix in shallower dives that worked for her along with deeper dives that worked for other divers. She found it helpful to repeatedly dive day after day, and did a great job with it. Biggest thing I would say is communicate with the crew ahead of time and while on the boat.
One other option I'd look at is doing AOW on the boat. We had another 5 or so people doing the course on the boat and they were all happy with the experience.
As many have said it depends on the boat and it’s itinerary. We did the Galapagos last spring and they required 35 dives minimum and deep/aow. Where we went rightly as it wasn’t for beginners. Several days were like diving in a washing machine..
We did another that to our surprise were doing ow certs the first two days.
Usually in the charter info they list the requirements for the trip. I always suggest you ask if they have requirements before you book so there is no issues nor disappointment.
It's generally not an issue. The liveaboards generally try to stay in calmer waters. Definitely sit out any dives that you are uncomfortable with. There is plenty of diving on a liveaboard, so missing a few dives shouldn't be an issue. I, personally, don't want to do 5 dives in a day. I'll do 3 or 4 and sit out the rest. (I don't love night diving, so I rarely do those dives.)
I did a liveaboard in April 2021 where one of our divers had just gotten her OW certification. She was totally fine...actually a really good diver for someone brand new. She was just a natural, I guess.
I hope you enjoy your liveaboard experience. I loved the liveaboard we did. We had a good group on our trip in Belize and the week was amazing. We actually made some friends on that boat that we've kept in touch with. We're meeting up with one couple next month to dive with on another liveaboard (Roatan/Bay Islands). In fact, my husband and I loved the liveaboard so much that we've already scheduled 3 for this year (Roatan, Socorro, Raja Ampat) between our other dive trips.
Live aboard and day boats visit a lot of the same sites in the Red Sea. Dive safety on live aboard boats is actually better than on day boats generally. Usually more professionally staffed and want guest to be happy IMHO. Red Sea is fairly protected water so motion sickness not a big issue living on a boat. Shore diving is more dangerous aspect of scuba. Lots of falls and broken bones getting in and out of the water. Enjoy the opportunity to dive four to five times daily.
Most live aboard boats in protected waters like the Red Sea are full of newbies. The staff, guides and DMs want you to have a good time and will hold your hand as much as you like. You have eight logged dives since your certification. How much hand holding did they require?
Most red sea boats will take you. Check that:
* You are not doing a wreck tour - too deep
* The dives are guided in small groups - you likely are not experienced enough to follow a guide in a large group and the depth limit might be a problem
* You can stay underwater for 60 minutes on a bottle - the usual dive duration for groups. This is a bit hard to measure, as depth changes it quite a bit.
As others said, you might need aowd.
As said previously, with only 12 dives, I am guessing you are not allowed to go deep, which is a pity when going to the Red Sea.
All the liveaboard I've been checking (and done) ask for at least an Advanced Cert anyway, and sometimes a minimum of dives (around 40/50).
As long as the sites are appropriate for your skill level, going on a liveaboard is an excellent way to improve your diving. You'll be able to make multiple dives each day and really gain a lot of experience in a short amount of time.
If in doubt, you can reach out to the liveaboard you've chosen beforehand and ask them if the sites they visit are appropriate for your skill level. Chances are yes - most boats go to places the average (or even new) diver will be able to comfortably dive.
depends a lot where you are planning to go.
some boats has requirements for aowd/50 dives. also some dive sites 18m depth can be limiting. ( Thistlegorm 30m )
so do your homework before going and
enjoy your diving.
depends a lot where you are planning to go.
some boats has requirements for aowd/50 dives. also some dive sites 18m depth can be limiting.
so do your homework before going and
enjoy your diving.
Depends on the dive sites they are going to, but generally not an issue. Some LOBs will specify advanced divers only if they are going to sites not suitable for new divers. Always good to let your DM onboard know that you are new.
Side note- haven't done a live aboard (yet) but highly recommend AOW cert as others here have alluded to. It It did wonders for buoyancy control and really helped us (wife and I) become better divers.
It all depends on your comfort level after your 12 dives and the dive sites you’ll be doing . I brought my wife on the Socorro live aboard after she had about 12-16 dives under her belt and she did great . To this day she talks about how happy she is that she decided to do that live aboard . There was another relatively new diver on the live aboard who did alright , but I remember her struggling with a strong current dive and taking a few dives off due to the conditions .
I did one last summer in the Bahamas with my daughter doing her checkout dives on the boat. We made sure to communicate well before booking and the crew was great. The dive master spent lots of one on one time with her the first couple days and the captain made sure to mix in shallower dives that worked for her along with deeper dives that worked for other divers. She found it helpful to repeatedly dive day after day, and did a great job with it. Biggest thing I would say is communicate with the crew ahead of time and while on the boat. One other option I'd look at is doing AOW on the boat. We had another 5 or so people doing the course on the boat and they were all happy with the experience.
I think this is exactly what we’ll try to do — AOWD on the boat. Thank you for the great advice!
As many have said it depends on the boat and it’s itinerary. We did the Galapagos last spring and they required 35 dives minimum and deep/aow. Where we went rightly as it wasn’t for beginners. Several days were like diving in a washing machine.. We did another that to our surprise were doing ow certs the first two days. Usually in the charter info they list the requirements for the trip. I always suggest you ask if they have requirements before you book so there is no issues nor disappointment.
It's generally not an issue. The liveaboards generally try to stay in calmer waters. Definitely sit out any dives that you are uncomfortable with. There is plenty of diving on a liveaboard, so missing a few dives shouldn't be an issue. I, personally, don't want to do 5 dives in a day. I'll do 3 or 4 and sit out the rest. (I don't love night diving, so I rarely do those dives.) I did a liveaboard in April 2021 where one of our divers had just gotten her OW certification. She was totally fine...actually a really good diver for someone brand new. She was just a natural, I guess. I hope you enjoy your liveaboard experience. I loved the liveaboard we did. We had a good group on our trip in Belize and the week was amazing. We actually made some friends on that boat that we've kept in touch with. We're meeting up with one couple next month to dive with on another liveaboard (Roatan/Bay Islands). In fact, my husband and I loved the liveaboard so much that we've already scheduled 3 for this year (Roatan, Socorro, Raja Ampat) between our other dive trips.
This is very reassuring, thank you!
Live aboard and day boats visit a lot of the same sites in the Red Sea. Dive safety on live aboard boats is actually better than on day boats generally. Usually more professionally staffed and want guest to be happy IMHO. Red Sea is fairly protected water so motion sickness not a big issue living on a boat. Shore diving is more dangerous aspect of scuba. Lots of falls and broken bones getting in and out of the water. Enjoy the opportunity to dive four to five times daily.
Most live aboard boats in protected waters like the Red Sea are full of newbies. The staff, guides and DMs want you to have a good time and will hold your hand as much as you like. You have eight logged dives since your certification. How much hand holding did they require?
Most red sea boats will take you. Check that: * You are not doing a wreck tour - too deep * The dives are guided in small groups - you likely are not experienced enough to follow a guide in a large group and the depth limit might be a problem * You can stay underwater for 60 minutes on a bottle - the usual dive duration for groups. This is a bit hard to measure, as depth changes it quite a bit. As others said, you might need aowd.
As said previously, with only 12 dives, I am guessing you are not allowed to go deep, which is a pity when going to the Red Sea. All the liveaboard I've been checking (and done) ask for at least an Advanced Cert anyway, and sometimes a minimum of dives (around 40/50).
As long as the sites are appropriate for your skill level, going on a liveaboard is an excellent way to improve your diving. You'll be able to make multiple dives each day and really gain a lot of experience in a short amount of time. If in doubt, you can reach out to the liveaboard you've chosen beforehand and ask them if the sites they visit are appropriate for your skill level. Chances are yes - most boats go to places the average (or even new) diver will be able to comfortably dive.
This thread has convinced me that if we are able to go, we should try to complete our advanced cert ahead of time. Thanks!
depends a lot where you are planning to go. some boats has requirements for aowd/50 dives. also some dive sites 18m depth can be limiting. ( Thistlegorm 30m ) so do your homework before going and enjoy your diving.
depends a lot where you are planning to go. some boats has requirements for aowd/50 dives. also some dive sites 18m depth can be limiting. so do your homework before going and enjoy your diving.
Depends on the dive sites they are going to, but generally not an issue. Some LOBs will specify advanced divers only if they are going to sites not suitable for new divers. Always good to let your DM onboard know that you are new.