Why You Should Consider Getting Scuba Certified on a Liveaboard Boat

Although you can get scuba certified pretty much any place that has deep water, from pools to quarries and reefs, there’s one particularly awesome place to learn to dive. And that’s getting scuba certified on a liveaboard.

Scuba diver and a turtle.
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Summer Paradive

What Is a Liveaboard?

First off, if you’re not too familiar with the scuba diving world, you might wonder what exactly a liveaboard is. It’s pretty straightforward.

Liveaboard trips are boat excursions that last more than one day and up to a week. Typically, these are multiday outings where you don’t leave the boat. You’re in the company of often no more than twenty other scuba divers, people with the same mindset who are there because of the many advantages of such a trip.

Liveaboard ships are generally pretty well equipped. They’re somewhat like mini-cruises with a focus on scuba diving. Many companies organizing these kind of trips offer the chance to get scuba certified as well.

A boat on the water
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Paul Vinten

5 Reasons for Getting Scuba Certified on a Liveaboard

Getting scuba certified on a liveaboard arguably the best, most fun and most effective way to actually get your PADI license, for several reasons, as you’ll see below.

1. Multiple Dives per Day

The absolute number one reason why getting scuba certified on a liveaboard is worth it is the chance to go on multiple dives per day, often in different locations. Because these trips last several days, you’ll have the opportunity to visit remote dive sites as well, something that is simply impossible on day excursions. Some trips even offer to opportunity to scuba dive with whale sharks.

You can jump in the water pretty much whenever you choose and if you’d rather relax and hang out, you can do that as well. The world’s your oyster on this kind of trip.

2. Awesome Company

Couple scuba diving.
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Dudarev Mikhail

Good company makes or breaks any holiday. This is exactly why liveaboard diving trips provide amazing value for money. You’re guaranteed to be among likeminded people the entire time. Meeting people and making lifelong friends has never been this easy.

3. Experienced Instructors

As liveaboard trips focus on scuba diving, there is always a team of experienced instructors on board. Combined with the sheer number of possible dives, this will speed up your learning process tremendously. Just because of those constantly amazing diving opportunities with skilled instructors, you’ll get scuba certified in no time. Liveaboard trips are basically world-class crash courses in scuba diving.

The other staff as well as captain are all experienced, too. They’re able to get you to all the greatest dive sites quickly, while providing essentials such as area information and diving tips. The wealth of knowledge aboard the ship ensures that you’ll get the absolute most out of your scuba diving holiday.

4. Food is Included

It’s not because you’re on a boat for multiple days on end that there’s a lack of great food. Rather to the contrary, in fact; these trips usually feature superb cuisine cooked by local chefs who know how to use regional ingredients in the best possible way. In addition to world-class diving, you can also indulge in the exotic tastes of your destination. The beauty of it all is that the price includes food as well.

5. No Distractions

Scuba Divers in front of a boat
Image Credit: Shutterstock / san4ezz

On a liveaboard diving trip, the main and sole focus is scuba diving itself. Exploring the underwater world is the priority of everyone on board the ship. There are basically no other distractions or attractions on this kind of outing, except maybe for the abovementioned food. Diving is what you’re there for and diving is what you’ll be doing—all day every day if you want.

What’s Included in a Scuba Diving liveaboard trip

Typically, what’s included in the price of a liveaboard diving trip are:

  • Accommodation
  • Transfers to and from the ship
  • Food
  • All scuba diving gear
  • (Sometimes) diving insurance
  • PADI Certification
Scuba Diver with fish
Image Credit: Shutterstock / Rich Carey

What’s Not Included in a Scuba Diving liveaboard trip

While all basic necessities are included in the price, there are some extra things you might want to bring on board with you. These include:

  • Clothes, swimwear, toiletries, travel documents, and other typical travel stuffSpecialized personal diving equipment, such as gloves, log books, whistle, reef hooks, your certifications, and so on
  • Underwater photography gear

So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t yet have your PADI license, getting scuba certified on a liveaboard is to way to go. So, go ahead and book yourself a multiday liveaboard scuba diving boat trip!

Bram Reusen

Author: Bram Reusen

Bio:

Bram Reusen is fluent in both English & Dutch, and his writings include news articles, equipment manuals, and more.

Leave a Comment