Living the Dream: Surviving a live-aboard job
Posted By Vladimir Soto on 27 December 2005
And that new ipod will definitely not get much use at those times, either. Boat life is characterized by moments of intense activity, lulls of intense dullness and long working hours. Good thing stimulating beverages are usually available in a nice assortment of colors and quite plentiful. The customer is always right. Most operations will pay a basic monthly salary plus tips. Tips are really what you're striving for. So whenever you get to a point where you feel like screaming quadrumvirate-lettered obscenities, don't. And there will be a time, believe me, when you'll want to throw a guest into the deep. One of the most surprising occurrences I encountered while working on a live-aboard was meeting people who despite the great, sunny weather, the gorgeous diving, scrumptious food and of course, very pleasant assistance from the crew, would still have an excuse to pout, be miserable and insist everyone joins their mood club. Research (my own) has yielded the sad revelation that some people are genetically indisposed to happiness, no matter how pleasantly narked they could get. And although you might more often meet wonderful people, just remember the social skills as an extreme sport bit. Also that no matter how long the charters might seem, they always end.
Remembering this kept me not only sane and smiling but probably prevented me from criminal activity in a third world country. The Diving. Oh, yeah, you might want to know about the diving. Right. The diving...don't think you could ever tire of diving? Do you wear sunglasses under your mask because you just can't wait for the earth to rotate fast enough so you could enjoy a much loved night dive? Well, my friend, work on a live-aboard and you'll cure yourself of such obsessions. Unless you're new at this, this will not be a huge revelation, but the Caribbean, generally speaking, is inferior in terms of the kind of diving experience the South Pacific/Asia rim can provide. Even if you do get a job in the Far East though, after a month or two not only will you have made the acquaintance, on a first name basis, of every fish on the reef and their close relatives, the initial excitement of being paid to dive every day will seem as distant as that childhood dream of leading your own mission to Mars. As hard to believe as this notion is, you will come across a few instances when you would probably choose a visit to a mean dentist rather than gear up and dive. Leaving your warm, comfy clothes and post-dinner semi-comatose trance behind to put on a cold, wet suit and jump into sea-wasp infested dark waters will surely test your love for night dives. But, hey, you're a professional and there are a myriad of
unlucky souls who'd give anything to be in your fins.
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