CYBER DIVER ADVISOR :: LiveaboardsIf you're into unlimited diving, excellent food and all of the creature comforts of a first-class hotel, liveaboards offer EXCELLENT value. The trade-off is that you're confined to a boat with the same people for a week or more, not necessarily a problem especially if you book the entire boat. If you're looking for a more varied traveling experience which includes non-diving adventures, a land-based diving facility may better reflect your adventure travel style. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Live-aboards have evolved over the years from basic hard-bunk, canned food expedition platforms to luxurious, air-conditioned cruising vessels that offer first-class comfort, gourmet food and exceptional opportunities to dive some of the world's most pristine marine ecosystems. Usually, trips last a week to 10 days and diving is unlimited. Most boats comfortably accommodate 12 to 20 divers. If the maximum limit exceeds 20, look for another live-aboard unless you happen to like diving with crowds. More and more divers are getting into underwater photography and if you're one of them, make sure the boat has on-board film processing equipment. If you're interested in specific types of diving such as wreck diving or drift diving, check with your dive travel specialist or directly with the live-aboard operator to confirm that such diving will be available. For a special dietary request such as vegetarian cuisine, again, ask your dive travel agent or the live-aboard operator to confirm that the boat chef will be able to prepare such meals for you. If you're nitrox certified and prefer to dive on nitrox, make sure it will be available. IGNORE AD HYPE CDNN has reported extensively about safety issues with well-funded but unreliable and mismanaged live-aboard operators. The Wave Dancer tragedy in which 20 people died, and the Galapagos Aggressor incident in which an irresponsible boat operator left port without required emergency safety equipment, illustrate the problem. The best way to avoid nightmares when you drain your bank account on an expensive live-aboard trip halfway around the world is to look past the glossy brochures, the slick web site and the ad slogans. The most important rule is to learn as much as you can about how the company actually operates, how it treats the customer when things go wrong such as cancellations due to bad weather or equipment malfunction. Check the booking form carefully especially the fine print. Is the contract fair and balanced or does it contain the kind of "attorney speak" that results in boat owners like Hasson saying, "HEY, YOU DON'T LIKE IT?--SUE ME." Does it provide for refunds in the event the boat owner cancels or does it force you to waive all of your rights (in the fine print) and urge you to buy trip insurance (IN BIG BLOCK LETTERS)? REMEMBER: From the small independents to the big franchise operators with the full-page color ads, no boat is operated in the same manner. Some operators are honest, fair and reliable. They bend over backwards to satisfy the customer in order to generate good word of mouth advertising. Others, such as Wayne Hasson's Aggressor Fleet and the Peter Hughes Dancer boats, rely on huge magazine advertising budgets and waiver releases written by hired legal guns that penalize customers for boat operator cancellations and negligence. Their policy is NO REFUNDS PERIOD and their favorite two words are TRIP INSURANCE. Far too many dive travelers look at the ads, pay their money and take a chance. BUT WHY TAKE CHANCES? There are many good live-aboards around the world and you won't necessarily find them in the big ads. Check around. Read the fine print. Choose an honest, fair and reliable operator. Once you're out in the middle of the ocean on a small boat, it's too late to change your mind. HOW TO SAVE MONEY Here's a discount tip: When arranging a trip on behalf of a dive group, book directly with the liveaboard operator and look for a liveaboard that offers group discounts. Some will give group leaders a free trip when the total number of divers reaches a specified minimum which can be as few as six divers. Also confirm that the live-aboard operator offers unlimited diving. Multiple dives per day will substantially reduce the cost of your trip on a cost per dive basis. COST COMPARISON $1,500 5-Day Economy Dive Trip (land-based facility) - You'll probably get three days diving, two dives per day for a total of six dives. Cost per dive = $250 $3,000 7-Day Live-Aboard Trip - You'll probably get 6 days of unlimited diving, and four to five dives per day for a total of 30 dives. Cost per dive = $100 - $125 HOW TO BOOK A LIVE-ABOARD TRIP You can book directly with the live-aboard operator and purchase your own air tickets from a discount travel agent. Or you can book a complete dive travel package through a dive travel agent. Your subscription to IN-DEPTH will give you the latest updates on the best available live-aboard deals as well as dive operators you should avoid due to overcharging, unfair waiver releases and booking policies that penalize the customer for cancellations caused by the live-aboard operator. Go to ScubaLinx Liveaboards for complete listings and independent diver evaluations of live-aboards around the world. | 
