Photo courtesy of Indo Aggressor.

One of the great things about scuba diving is the people you meet from all walks of life with a shared passion for the ocean - it brings people together for adventures of a lifetime. A liveaboard trip is an ideal way to get to know some new scuba buddies and explore world class dive sites together. Sometimes though, you don’t want to be diving with people you don’t know and would prefer to be on a boat with just family or friends. This is where chartering a boat comes in.

What is a liveaboard charter trip?

A liveaboard charter is a safari that can be booked entirely by one group, or booked as individual spaces, through a dedicated travel agent and it has some fantastic diving advantages.

Who goes on liveaboard charter trips?

Chartering a liveaboard boat is great for every type of diver and all sorts of people go on liveaboard charter trips. It is a great way to celebrate a milestone event surrounded by family and friends and people choose to charter liveaboard boats to celebrate birthdays, weddings, family milestones, dive club achievements, or just to have fun with a group of friends. It is the perfect way to dive, relax, and sail at the destination of your choice.

What are the advantages of a charter liveaboard?

You can book the whole boat if you want to and enjoy the trip of a lifetime with just your friends onboard. There is no need to share the boat with people you don’t know, though you can do that as well if you prefer. Booking a charter boat is also often cheaper than booking individual spaces and some vessels will offer a discount when chartering the whole boat, making it cheaper for all joining in.

One of the best things about chartering a liveaboard boat though is being able to have more of a say in the trip itinerary, within the limitations of the vessel. It is an ideal way to think outside of the usual ‘4 dives per day’ routine and get creative with your trip itinerary. Most operators will do what they can to accommodate special requests and ensure you have a great time:

• Families can combine diving with snorkelling to meet the needs of non-divers and children in the group
• Those who enjoy trekking and sunbathing can combine diving with visits to idyllic beaches and volcanic paradise islands
• Perhaps you don’t want to go diving? That’s no problem. You can choose to skip the dives and focus entirely on snorkelling, swimming, water sports and beach visits. This is a great option for family celebrations and large groups with differing interests.
• Dive clubs can really make the most of diving when chartering a boat. It gives them the chance to focus on their favourite types of diving and marine life. This might suit dive clubs that enjoy drift diving, manta and shark dives for instance.

Chartering a liveaboard boat sounds great. Where do I sign up?

You can enjoy your ultimate diving experiences, from wrecks in the Red Sea to diving with numerous sharks in the Galapagos. Join a charter with us and you will have a point of contact with a Master Instructor, who is also an Indonesia diving expert. You will also have a dedicated Account Manager and a group of Charter Specialists ready to give you advice and assistance to plan your perfect trip.