Liveaboard Diving Is Adventure Diving
Ever since I was a child, I have enjoyed being on boats. My very first long ship journey was from Travemuende to Trelleborg, and I was 8 years old. With that journey started a lifelong love affair with the sea. For quite some time I dreamed about becoming a radio operator on a ship. Every trip an adventure, new places to explore, sailing under a velvet night sky with stars so bright and so close that you think you can touch them.
Well, not all dreams turn to reality. I became a travel agent and scuba diver instead, and with my hobby being my job (or is it the other way around - I am never quite sure), I have been able to do my fair share of exploring, as well as diving off some of the best liveaboard boats in Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea.
My first "liveaboard" was during my PADI Open Water course. Two nights onboard 'Scubapro' out of Cairns. Sitting on the open deck after dark, chatting with new found friends, admiring the Southern Cross, watching shooting stars make their journey across the night sky, from the unknown into the unknown - absolutely glorious!
Since that first liveaboard experience I have been on many different liveaboards, in many different parts of the world. The quality of the boats differed, but one thing all these trips had in common was the sense of adventure, the anticipation of the incredible diving on the days (and nights) ahead.
Being an early morning person, I absolutely love early morning dives. The underwater world seems even more mysterious before daylight illuminates every nook and cranny. You can watch a shift change, where the daytime fish start arriving, but the night shift is still lurking around, not wanting to leave just yet. There is always a lot of activity underwater early in the morning, have a look, experience the magic. After diving for about an hour, your stomach starts reminding you that you have not had breakfast yet, and you begin to imagine the smell of crispy fried bacon, and the taste of fresh fruit. Time to head back, but don't forget your safety stop!
Indonesia is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands. Although there is a lot of land based diving on offer, some of the best dive destinations can only be reached by liveaboard. Whether you dive in Northern Sulawesi, Raja Ampat, the Malukus, or Komodo Marine Park, one thing is for sure - there will be more fish than divers in the water. One of the highlights for me was seeing a dugong (manatee) when diving around the Banda Islands. I was on a trip which started in Sorong, West Papua, well-known to divers as the starting point to some amazing diving in Raja Ampat, finishing in Ambon. On another trip, diving in Komodo Marine Park, and we took a few hours out from diving, hiking on Komodo Island, the home of the Komodo dragon. Enjoying a cocktail hour and a BBQ on an uninhabited island, watching the sun set in a stunning display of colour, there was not a place where I would have rather been - a perfect end to a perfect day.
Liveaboard scuba diving is all about adventure, exploring the unknown, diving at places which can not be reached by day trippers, meeting new people, or catching up with old friends. Dive, eat, dive, eat, dive eat - have a shower. Finally collapsing on your comfortable bed, falling asleep to the gentle sound of waves lapping against the hull.
Are you ready yet - is your dive gear packed?
Sybille Conrad is an experienced international travel agent, and a specialist dive travel agent. She is a PADI Rescue Diver and TDI Solo Diver, and holds a Grad. Dip. in Recreation Management. She usually lives in Cairns, Australia, but has been living and working in Indonesia for the last couple of years. For information about diving and traveling in Indonesia have a look at her website http://www.divetravelindonesia.com