Live-aboards: Endless Diving

The night sky was filled with stars that reflected off the black waters of the Caribbean, seeming to erase the horizon entirely. The scene made me feel like I was floating in a void between two endless galaxies. I remember the moment exactly because I was trying to decide if I should make my fifth dive that day or not. It was that moment that defined for me the beauty of the live-aboard experience.While the boats and services vary widely, from plush to spartan and massive to miniature, it is the experience that is universal. No other diving venue brings together site variety, intimate social bonding and copious numbers of dives the way that live-aboards do.While boat diving from a land-based operation can get you to many different sites around an island, live-aboard diving will give you the same variety of sites at a variety of different islands. It's difficult to match the thrill of emerging from your cabin each morning to discover not only a new dive site but an entirely new island.Since they do move to numerous islands, most live-aboards also work in time for some terrestrial exploration. The appeal is similar to cruise vacations, but without guys wearing black socks and sandals.Social interaction is another benefit to ship-based diving. I always meet nice people when I'm in the islands and day boats. But a spending a week or so with passionate divers often forms the groundwork for life-long friendships. And almost every boat includes social events to bolster interaction among even the shyest passengers.While these things are all good, undoubtedly the biggest benefit to live-aboards is the quantity of diving that's available. Depending on the situation, it's entirely possible to do five or six dives in one day. It's a great way for new divers to vastly improve their skills. It's also a great time to formally improve your diving through a continuing education course without even interrupting your vacation.And if you're not a diving junkie but just a diving enthusiast, you can always make your one or two dives and then spend your evening just staring at the stars. For information on live-aboard diving trips, click onto Aggressor's home page below.