Unbelievable. It’s March! I really wish time doesn’t fly so fast but having said that, I also cannot wait for this Friday, March 5, 2010.  This is when we board our boat, Pacific Explorer 2, to Tubbataha for our much anticipated live aboard diving trip! Here let me share with you my excitement as well as my packing list for live aboard dive trip.

This is a 6 dive days liveaboard trip, meaning, daily life here for a week will be: eat; dive; sleep; repeat. My longest streak was last year’s 3 dive days in Dumaguete. I enjoyed the repetitive dive and got confident with drift diving, my greatest fear before. Now it’s leaky masks. Well, their advert says “just add water”. Didn’t know it was literal.

Needless to say I’m extremely excited, and for several reasons. Let’s take out the fact that this is Tubbataha, one of the world’s most prolific dive site. Scuba divers all over the world come (or dream) to dive in this enchanted underwater world. I feel very lucky that it’s just outside my doorstep.

This is a 6 dive days liveaboard trip, meaning, daily life here for a week will be: eat; dive; sleep; repeat. My longest streak was last year’s 3 dive days in Dumaguete. I enjoyed the repetitive dive and got confident with drift diving, my greatest fear before. Now it’s leaky masks. Well, their advert says “just add water”. Didn’t know it was literal.

While I’m not as addicted (diving) as some of my friends, who logged over 100 dives on their first year, I do already have 71 in 2 years. Yes, so far, all my dives are counted. And with 71 dives in the Philippines, I have never encountered shark! Not in Mainit during crazy current. Not even if the site is called Shark Avenue in Sumilon, Cebu. I’m beginning to believe that I have shark repellant. Truly. So this trip is sort of a challenge: Tubbataha shark habitat vs. wanderlass shark repellant. Stay tuned! ;-)

Let me know what you think i missed!

packing for diving liveaboard

Packing List for Live Aboard Dive Trip
 
  1. Dive Equipments
  • BCD
  • Regulator + gauges
  • Spare mouth piece
  • Dive Computer
  • Mask + spare mask
  • Wetsuit
  • Booties
  • Fins
  • Gloves
  • Hood
  • Camera + battery + charger + SD
  • Underwater casing + silicon + desiccant 
  • Light + backup light + extra batteries
  • Knife
  • Compass
  • Balloon
  • Logbook
  • Scuba Certification Card
  • Tank banger or whistle
  • Slate
  • Reef hook
  • Dry bag
  1. Non Diving Stuff
  • Rash guards
  • Swimwear
  • Shorts
  • Jacket/windbreaker
  • T-Shirts 
  • Hair tie (lots of them)
  • Undies
  • Towels
  • Flip-flops
  • Sunglasses
  • Sun screen
  • Toiletries
  • Books
  • Insect repellant
  • Money 
  • Secret food stash
  1. Electronics (flashpacker alert)
  • Cameras (dslr, uw, p&s)
  • Macbook
  • iPod touch
  • Batteries
  • Chargers
  • SD cards
underwater camera and go pro
  1. Medications
  • Vitamin C
  • Meclizine HCl (anti-vertigo)
  • Paracetamol (analgesic)
  • Phenylephrine HCl (decongestants)
  • Ibuprofen (headache)
  • Mefenamic acid (pain killer)
  1. Travel documents
  • Passport (if overseas trip)
  • Plane tickets
  • Travel insurance
  • Diving insurance