Gear and Nitrox on a Raja Ampat Liveaboard

"All diving included" doesn't tell you enough.

It may include tanks, weights and guiding while leaving nitrox and every rental item outside the fare. Another boat may include nitrox for certified users but charge for a larger tank. A third may list equipment rental without carrying your size on the assigned departure.

Our market review found genuine variation. Four operator records included nitrox while three charged for it. Rental terms were inconsistent. The practical answer is a line-by-line equipment confirmation, tied to the actual boat.

Start with what you own

Bring equipment you know fits and works when baggage and maintenance allow. A familiar mask is especially valuable because fit is personal and a leaking rental mask can consume an entire dive. Exposure protection is another item where size and comfort matter.

Inspect serviced equipment before travel. Do not use the first dive of an expensive cruise to discover that a battery compartment, inflator or regulator has been neglected. Pack manuals or model details for less common components.

Label equipment discreetly. Similar black masks, fins and computers accumulate on a dive deck, and a name prevents confusion without turning the deck into a luggage carousel.

What is usually part of the dive operation

A liveaboard dive package commonly supplies tanks, weights, guiding and tender support. "Commonly" isn't a booking promise. Ask for tank material, capacity, valve type and whether a requested larger tank is available.

Weights need the same thought. Tell the team what exposure suit and cylinder you normally use, then verify weighting on the check dive. Do not copy a number from a previous trip with different equipment.

Ask whether surface marker buoys, reef hooks or other route-specific items are supplied or expected as personal gear. The guide's procedure controls their use. Carrying an item does not mean deploying it without instruction.

Our eleven-night Misool and Dampier liveaboard lists tanks, weights and guiding as included, with nitrox and rental equipment outside the fare. Read the basis, not just the headline range.

Nitrox has three separate questions

First, can the assigned boat produce or carry it consistently? Second, is it included or charged? Third, are you qualified and prepared to analyse and log your own mix under the boat's procedure?

A yes to one doesn't answer the others. "Nitrox available" may describe a paid option. "Nitrox included" may still require proof of certification. A compressor issue can also change availability during a remote trip, so the operating team needs a fallback plan.

Nitrox is not a promise of more dives. Surface intervals, route movements, conditions and personal limits remain. Our guide to daily Raja Ampat dive numbers explains why the itinerary, not the gas label, sets the trip total.

Do not use a mix you haven't personally analysed according to the boat's procedure. Record the result and set the computer correctly. The crew can organise the system, but each diver remains responsible for the gas they accept and the limits they follow.

Rental gear needs a reservation

"Available for rent" can mean a small shared inventory. Send sizes and requirements during booking, then put the confirmed list into the final documents.

Specify regulator configuration, buoyancy-device size, suit thickness and size, fin style and computer needs. If you require prescription lenses, unusual sizing or a particular connection, assume it is unavailable until confirmed.

Ask what happens if a reserved item fails. A spare of the right category is useful only if it fits. For critical personal needs, bringing a known item may be more reliable than depending on the boat's general spares.

Try rental equipment during the check dive. Fix fit and weighting then, rather than carrying discomfort into a current-sensitive site.

Computers and charging

Bring the computer you understand, with its battery or charging system checked. Know how to set the gas, read ascent information and review a log without learning menus on the tender.

If renting a computer, ask for the model early enough to read its instructions. Never swap computers casually between divers or dives. Follow the operator's procedure after missed dives, warnings or a replacement unit.

Charging capacity varies. Bring the correct cables and one sensible adapter, not a chain of unverified plugs. Follow the crew's charging hours and battery rules. Keep wet equipment away from outlets.

The guide to packing for compact phinisi cabins keeps chargers and compact spares in the cabin-specific list without duplicating a full equipment inventory.

Camera equipment is its own system

A camera table, rinse tank and charging area are not guaranteed by the word liveaboard. Confirm them if photography drives the trip. Ask whether camera and general equipment rinse separately and how housings travel in the tender.

Bring housing seals, lubricant specified by the manufacturer, batteries, cards and the tools you are allowed to travel with. Do not perform rushed housing work on a wet deck.

Large camera rigs also affect tender space and entry technique. Tell the operator what you carry so the guide can plan handoffs rather than discovering the setup at the first negative entry.

The compact spare kit

Bring only spares that solve likely problems on your equipment: mask and fin straps, mouthpiece and ties, appropriate seals, computer battery if user-changeable, small approved tools, charging leads and any proprietary clip or buckle that would otherwise end your diving.

Do not pack cylinders, restricted chemicals or improvised repair materials without checking transport rules. Airlines and the boat may treat batteries and tools differently, so verify before travel.

A boat workshop supports an operation. It isn't a warehouse for every model sold worldwide.

Hygiene and drying

Rinse according to the boat's system. Separate camera, regulator and suit areas when instructed. Do not occupy a communal rinse tank as personal storage.

Hang equipment only where the crew permits. Loose suits and clips become hazards when the boat moves. Mark items and collect them before a passage.

Keep the cabin dry. Wet equipment encourages slips, odour and damage to timber or soft furnishings. The dive deck exists to handle it.

Insurance and equipment loss

Travel and dive cover are different from equipment cover. A policy that pays for treatment may not cover a flooded housing, delayed baggage or rental gear. Read the terms rather than assuming a dive label includes every loss.

Our liveaboard dive insurance guide explains the questions without recommending an insurer. Record serial numbers and carry proof of ownership when your policy requires it.

The written checklist

Before final payment, confirm tanks, weights, gas options, certification rules, every rental item and size, computer provision, camera facilities, charging limits and the price basis for each extra. Repeat the check when the vessel is assigned.

That may feel excessive for ordinary dive gear.