- There is a limited supply of fresh water on board, so we ask that you kindly conserve water during your trip. The shower heads are fitted with a shut off valve that allows soaping and shampooing without water flowing.
- Towels are changed every two days, bed linens every three.
- Depending on which liveaboard vessel you are on, there may be 1 (MS. Symphony) or 2 (MV. Serenade) gears areas on board. These include an area for storing and putting on your wet suits and booties and a separate area for putting on the remainder of your gear by the dive platform at stern of boat.
- Your BCD, tank, and regulator will be set up for you by the crew members (unless you state otherwise). The crew will assist you with putting on your gear as well as entering the water.
- You should check your gear and as always, perform a buddy check with your buddy.
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- There will be a dive briefing by dive guides - describing the dive orientation, conditions, direction, depth and time limits, currents, types of life you'll see, etc.
- You may be requested to descend more quickly than usual because of surface or shallow currents so please discuss this with the guides if you have concerns or questions.
- Liveaboards have 1 or 2 Zodiac-type rubber boats on board to use for picking up and dropping off the divers: or for trips to shore. Most dives begin by entering from the liveaboard and end being picked up by the rubber boat. (Remember to swim away from shallow reef or shore after you surface it too close.) If you are picked up by the liveaboard-there is a large metal ladder submerged at the back off the boat, you can remove gear and hand it to crew members (weight belt first), or remove fins and climb up ladder.
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- We recommend the use of a dive computer while on the liveaboard because of the varied terrain and depth of attractions, number of dives over short period, and because your dive profile will be much more accurate with a computer. All your guides use computers and we have them available for rental.
- There is a roster system to account for all divers.
- Guides may also review emergency procedures at this time suck as signal to surface (revving of engines 3 times, repeated) and lost buddy procedures (STOP, listen, ascend a few feet, look around for bubbles, retrace previous route for one (1) minute, then surface).
- Many of the dives from the liveaboard are more open ocean or exposed. Because of this, the conditions underwater can be more difficult, especially with currents so you will need to be aware of your buddy and the guide's instructions-sometimes the direction of the dive may need to change because a current has changed depending on depth. Many times there may a strong current at shallower depth on top of the reef but it will be dissipate as you swim through to reach the wall and descend to deeper depth. Inflatable signal tubes (sausages) can be issued to buddy pairs to assist in signaling boat after surfacing in case of larger swells or current.
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