Since I will be shortly going on a liveaboard trip, I wanted to be sure I was prepared for both the positive and negative experiences that may occur, so I did some research to find out more about liveaboards and I`d like to share some of these findings in this blog. Pros for liveaboards are: You will not be transporting your dive gear back and forth from car or room to boat or dive site. It`s there where you`ll need it for the duration of the trip. Most crews will be overly helpful (of course, they`re all looking for that big tip at the end of the cruise!), but to their credit, you will not have to pick up a thing. You`re tank will normally be refilled right at your spot and it need never leave your BC for the entire trip. You will not have to be waiting for transportation to the boat or for the boat to depart each day. If you really like night dives, but seldom can arrange them, they are offered most nights on a liveaboard. If you enjoy learning more, most boats now provide some educational training, whether certifications or just enrichment. Liveaboards are most likely going to be able to provide you with both air or EAN gas mixes for your tank refills. Liveaboards are not crowded like cattleboats...you will have space and time to make your trip enjoyable and at your pace. Now here`s the big one, in my opinion, you will be able to reach places not accessible by shore-based operations. Since you do not return to port, you will access more remote destinations, less traveled by the diving public. Since you wake up at the first dive site of the day, you can enjoy early access on even those sites reachable by shore-based operations. Now all liveaboards offer free food and drinks for the entire trip...(but remember nothing is free, you`ve already paid your fare!) Since liveaboards typically move about alot you will have about several days with as many as six to ten stops a day, from which you select which ones you want to dive. Since you are most likely far out to sea in more remote areas there is a much better chance of encountering large marine animals. Since you, personally, are most likely out of touch with the rest of the world, you can relax and not be concerned with the day to day pace and habits of the rat race back at work or home. Of course there is always the opposite side of any investigation, here are the Cons of liveaboards: Since you don`t return to port this is little or no night life. You have to make your own fun or pass your time in a more docile manner. Your berths or cabins may or may not be private and not completely insulated from noise from other passengers and of the operating noises of the boat. If you are aboard a boat that offers private cabins, expect limited space in cabins. These boats are not floating hotels. The duration of the trip may be too long for you. Few live-aboard boats offer trips shorter than one week. (But you can find them if you try--of course there are always things you can`t have on short trips, which you can have on longer trips!) There are very limited activities other than diving. So be prepared with things to do to pass your time...books, magazines, playing cards, games. You wil most likely be out of contact with the rest of the world, no creature addicted habits for those who must have daily emails, cell phones use, etc. For those who may want shore excursions, these may be limited or nonexistent. Depending upon your boat and/or itinerary, you may not set foot on "terra firma" for the entire week. And now for the big one, if you get sick, you may have a long trip! Prepare accordingly if you are prone to motion sickness, bring on those special ingredients which will prevent your misery. Well if you are still not sure? My best advice is, give it a try. Most divers who sample live-aboard diving become live-aboarders for life. I`m sure that there are other points, on both side of the issue that may not have been brought out, but, as is the case in many things in life, you prepare as best you can, and then experience will be the best teacher. Enjoy your trips, I know I will.