The Ultimate Liveaboard Packing List

What to Pack for a Liveaboard Trip

Packing for a liveaboard is different from packing for a resort holiday. You're living on a boat for 5-14 days with limited storage space, no shops, and specific gear requirements. This list covers everything you need — and flags what most boats provide so you don't overpack.

Dive Gear

Bring Your Own

Mask and snorkel — the single most important piece of personal gear. A mask that fits your face perfectly makes every dive better. Don't gamble with rental masks.

Dive computer — your safety device. Even if you're diving with a guide, you should track your own profile. Wrist-mounted is more practical than console on a liveaboard where you're doing 3-4 dives a day.

Wetsuit — 3mm for tropical (Red Sea summer, Maldives, Caribbean), 5mm for warm-temperate (Red Sea winter, Indonesia), 7mm or semi-dry for cold water (Galápagos, deep south Maldives). Check the destination before you go.

SMB (surface marker buoy) and reel — essential safety equipment for drift diving, which is standard on most liveaboard destinations. Many boats require you to carry one.

Torch/dive light — useful for night dives, peering into crevices, and restoring colour at depth. A compact primary light plus a small backup is ideal.

Usually Provided by the Boat

BCD, regulator, tanks, weights, and weight belts are provided on virtually all liveaboards. If you own your own BCD and reg and prefer using them, bring them — but check with the operator first, as some boats have space constraints on personal gear storage.

Nitrox is available on most boats for an additional charge ($50-150 for the trip). If you dive nitrox, bring your nitrox certification card.

Personal Items

Reef-safe sunscreen — non-negotiable. Regular sunscreen damages coral. Brands labelled "reef-safe" avoid oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Seasickness medication — even if you don't usually get seasick, bring it. Long open-water crossings (Brothers, Darwin, Banda Sea) can affect anyone. Scopolamine patches or antihistamine tablets — take them before you feel sick, not after.

Quick-dry towel — most boats provide towels, but a compact quick-dry towel for the dive deck is handy.

Soft bag (not a hard suitcase) — storage on boats is tight. A soft duffel fits into cabin lockers; a rigid suitcase often doesn't.

Casual clothes — you'll live in swimwear and a cover-up. Pack 2-3 changes of light clothing for evenings. Nobody dresses up on a liveaboard.

Motion sickness wristbands — some divers swear by acupressure bands as a non-pharmaceutical option.

Electronics and Photography

Underwater camera (if applicable) — liveaboards are the best environment for underwater photography: multiple dives per day, varied sites, and time between dives to review and adjust settings. If you bring a camera, bring spare batteries, memory cards, and a lens cloth.

Power adaptor — check which plug type the boat uses. Many boats have European or UK plugs. A universal travel adaptor covers you.

Dry bag — for your phone, passport, and electronics during tender transfers. Waterproof phone pouches are useful but not a substitute for a proper dry bag.

Headlamp or small torch — handy for pre-dawn wake-ups, night dives, and reading in your cabin.

Documents

Dive certification card (or app proof) — the boat will check. Bring it.

Dive insurance proof — most liveaboard operators require proof of dive accident insurance. DAN (Divers Alert Network) is the most widely accepted.

Passport — required for international liveaboard trips. Some destinations (Egypt, Maldives) process your visa on arrival.

Booking confirmation — your MyDivePod booking reference and any operator-specific confirmation.

Travel insurance documents — separate from dive insurance. Covers trip cancellation, medical evacuation, and lost luggage.

What NOT to Pack

Hard suitcases (won't fit in cabins), heavy books (use a Kindle), too many clothes (you won't wear them), and anything you'd be devastated to lose — boats are not responsible for personal valuables.

MyDivePod is a marketplace. We connect you with independent liveaboard operators but do not own, operate, or crew any vessel. The operator is responsible for the boat, crew, safety, and the diving operation.