#i had a whole response about food typed before i ultimately deleted it all

[lenakluthor]

18, 19, 27, 38 for supercorp!!💙

18. What are they like when they're drunk? How do they act together? & when 1 is drunk, while the other one's sober? okay we've seen both of them drunk before, and i feel like that rings true for me. kara is a silly and giggly and probably very touchy feely (with lena only) and lena strikes me as a depressed drunk, especially since we've really only seen her get truly drunk was when she thought she poisoned the city's children with lead. however, i think if she gets drunk with kara she is also probably a little bolder, maybe drops her filter more. she's flirty and much more suggestive. if only one of them is drunk, i think sober lena would be exasperated but also extremely enamored by drunk kara. she'd be so SOFT with her and have a smile on her face the entire time, even when she drags her home to get some rest. and if kara is the sober one, it depends on what mood lena is in. if she's being suggestive, kara would be a blushing, stammering mess until she can get them home where she can actually act on what she wants to do in response. and if drunk lena is depressed, she'd instantly switch to protector mode, adamantly reminding lena of her goodness and threatening to throw anyone who hurts her into space.

19. What do they fight about most often? (Alternative: what was their biggest fight?) i mean, their biggest fight will always be the fallout after kara's identity reveal. and honestly, i think it probably remains the thing they fight about the most for a long time. wounds like that don't just go away, even if you've talked and reconciled and moved past it. sometimes it just hits you (also i'm a SLUT for angst). if we're going with a version of events where kara tells lena in 2x15 (which is when i think kara had the perfect opportunity), i genuinely don't know what they'd fight most about. i've been sitting here thinking about different possibilities, but honestly it feels like they wouldn't really argue over small stuff more than a few times. after that, they just learn to compromise and move forward. (if you're curious, my top choices in that department were food and tactical strategies, but it just felt weird thinking they'd continuously fight over either of those things)

27. Craziest place they had sex? oh, hands down in the air. maybe in space.

38. If/when they have kids, what is their parenting style (or pets-who does what)? hmmm i think i'm gonna go against what i think most people expect and say, in terms of like a "good cop, bad cop" scenario, lena is good cop and kara is bad cop. kara is a fierce protector and it's something she never got to do with kal. and this is their child. she is going to make sure that kid is safe above all else. meanwhile, lena came from a family that never showed love or affection. she'd absolutely be the one to say yes to everything. she'd be more inclined to let their kid have fun and be a kid without the burden of any sort of expectation. not that i think kara wouldn't also shower the kid with copious amounts of love, but she just usually has to be the one to put her foot down.

send me a ship + questions!

[nattikay]

.

Just trying to sort out some thoughts, came here cuz not sure where else to do it. Might delete later.

So we’ve had Maisie for almost a week now an honestly, it’s...caused me a lot more stress than I’d expected it to. Don’t get me wrong, I like her, and I don’t plan to give her back to the shelter or anything, good gracious, no--but tbh I feel a little guilty for not being ~euphoric~ over the whole scenario, and I’m just trying to work out why.

Don’t worry she is being well taken care of! This is an emotional issue, not an ability-to-care-for issue.

I think some of it may have its roots in our old cat, Harry Pawter. We got Harry when I was around 9 years old and I loved him. However, being a child when we got him, I was never really super good at taking care of him; most of the animal care wound up falling on my parents. 

Harry, for the most part, was a pretty good cat most of his life, but he started developing health problems around his last two years or so. By this point I was in high school, and for all intents and purposes should’ve been old enough and responsible enough to step in and help take proper care of him. But by that point, I hadn’t really formed those habits and...I never really did. Not as much as I should have. And looking back...tbh I feel really bad about it, and wonder if I didn’t love him as much as I should have, or as much as I thought I did. My dad would certainly imply at much when he got frustrated with the cat, and that...kinda sunk its way into my brain, I guess.

I’ve mentioned before that we lost Harry my freshman year of college, my very first semester. But I haven’t told the whole story, because well...I feel really bad about it. But maybe it’ll be good to get it off my chest.

See, Harry’s health had been declining for a while at that point (he was now 9 years old btw). He was struggling to keep himself clean and having more and more accidents outside the litterbox. My dad took him to the vet, and the vet suspected he may have had a brain tumor. All this was happening recently after I started my first semester of college, so I wasn’t home at the time, only getting this info via phone calls. 

My dad didn’t want to pay for expensive tests and surgeries for a cat, so was considering putting him down. I was obviously not in favor of that idea, so we decided that we’d wait until I came home for Christmas and then discuss what to do about the Harry situation.

But we never got the chance. Around November, there was some sort of leak under the fridge or something (I don’t remember the details; again I wasn’t home at the time) and we had to get a lot of work done in there to fix it, which included having all the tiles completely removed and huge fans placed in the kitchen to blow away the ensuing dust. In order to keep Harry out of the way of the construction, we wound up regulating him to the screened-in back patio (and for further context: Harry had always been an indoor-only cat, and never showed much interest in going outside). Needless to say, on top of his health concerns, this construction and jarring change in environment was probably really stressful for him. One day, he found his way out of the patio...and never came back. 

We...don’t really know for sure what happened to him after that. I like to say that he passed away rather than ran away, partly because he didn’t really have great survival skills and between that and his already-present health issues, well...I don’t think he would’ve survived long as a stray, and I prefer to imagine that his suffering ended as quickly and painlessly as possible. Even if he did manage to survive for a while then, he’s almost certainly gone now, given that he’d be nearly 15 by this point...but I digress.

All that said...idk, I guess I never really got any proper closure with Harry. And the more I learn about how to properly care for a cat, especially doing all the research I’ve been doing for Maisie...well, the worse I feel for him.

It’s not that we were bad owners, per se, and we certainly weren’t malicious in any way...but man, we could’ve done so much better. Harry was definitely overfed and undergroomed and we didn’t really know how to deal with his issues later in life...again, we weren’t malicious, but I think we were ignorant. I can’t really blame myself in the early years given that I was a literal child but by the time I reached high school and the like...idk I just feel like I could have and should have done so much better. I wonder how many issues could’ve been resolved if we’d been more attentive, more vigilant. Had been willing to put in more effort than just “meh fill up his food bowl twice a day and have Dad change the litter once in a while”.

And with all that considered, well...let’s just say I have doubts as to my prowess as a cat guardian. I want to make sure what went wrong with Harry goes right with Maisie and I just...idk. It’s just been a lot more emotional pressure than I expected it to be, even more so considering I haven’t yet quite formed the emotional bond with Maisie that I felt with Harry (not that I necessarily should have expected to at this point, given that we’ve only had Maisie for less than a week whereas we had Harry for nine years). But still.

And I mean, it’s not like taking care of Maisie has been difficult from an objective standpoint. It boils down to just feeding her (and making sure it’s the right amount of food), cleaning her litterbox, and playing with her, all of which are pretty simple and straightforward (well actually trying to figure out the right amount of food for her age and size has been a bit of a chore but I digress). 

Again, it’s not the tasks themselves that are an issue...it’s, I guess, the emotional baggage, or something. Knowing that as my cat the responsibility rests squarely on my shoulders (as opposed to having Harry where my parents took up most of the tasks) probably contributes as well.

Probably doesn’t help that this was a rather sudden development as well. It was only a week ago that we even seriously entertained the possibility of getting a new cat, and now here we are. It all happened so fast, it...almost doesn’t seem real.

Then again, not much has been feeling “real” to me lately. But that’s a separate issue and one for my therapist. :P

I also, despite all objective evidence to the contrary, feel almost like I’m being a burden my bringing Maisie into the house. I know that I shouldn’t...it wasn’t even my idea. My brother made the suggestion, my mom endorsed it, my dad ultimately agreed. The whole family seems to like her, even my dad who is by far the least of a cat-person out of all of us has pet her and talked soft to her (I expected him to mostly ignore her).

But...well, ok, another (shorter) storytime. My parents, while they don’t dislike pets, have had enough of them to last their lives, especially after Harry’s troubled final years, which we kids (regrettably) did not do much to help with despite being older by then. About a year or two after we lost Harry, a family in our church was giving away a bunny for adoption after their two dogs didn’t take well to it. My sister, who has always loved bunnies, begged and begged and begged to adopt it, and after promising and promising to take care of it, my parents finally relented. Alas, the bunny did not wind up being as friendly and cuddly as my sister expected, and after a few weeks she lost interest in it, leaving the bulk of the care responsibilities to our youngest brother (who, to his credit, did pretty well...honestly he’s just pretty good with animals in general, of all types...dogs are his top preference but he’ll happily work with just about anything). Not long later, the poor bunny injured itself, and upon doing some research my parents found that bunnies rarely heal properly from that type of injury (I forget what it was exactly, again I was away in college at the time so don’t recall all the details) and that the most humane option was to put it down. We only had that bunny for a few months.

After that, my dad was (understandably) hesitant to bring another pet into the house, however hard we promise to care for it, cuz last time he relented he got burned and a poor bunny had to suffer. When he agreed to let us get a new cat, he included the (reasonable) stipulation that if it ever seems like we’re not taking proper care of kitty, he’s allowed to make the call to give her up back to the shelter.

Now, I have absolutely zero intentions of pulling a sister-and-the-bunny on Maisie, and I very much plan to take as good care of her as possible. But...you can see how there’s some emotional pressure there, yeah? ^^; 

I feel like I have to be an absolutely flawless owner else I’ve let everyone down and proven that my promises to care for her were just talk. I’m afraid people will get mad at Maisie for doing Cat Things and I’ll take the fall and it’ll be assumed I’m not taking proper care of her because I can’t train her well enough. I’m afraid any inconvenience that naturally comes from owning and animal will by default get pinned on me, that I’ll be at fault because I’m the one who technically owns her, I brought her into the house, were it not for me we wouldn’t be dealing with Animal Inconvenience. 

And yes I know that’s irrational...I know my brain is exaggerating and none of them really expect an 8 month old kitten to have flawless behavior or blame me for it and as long as I’m keeping her happy and healthy it’s fine...and yet...

I don't know.

Pressure, I guess. A big life change that happened pretty suddenly and it’s gonna take a little while for it to become the new normal...I’ve just gotta hang on until it does, I guess...

anyways...

R.I.P. Harry Pawter, 2005-2014

(last picture we ever got of him)

Maisie, I will do my best ;_;

(first picture I ever got of her...which, I am just now realizing, is similar to the last pic of Harry ;n;)

[sage-nebula]

RinShi, for the OTP meme, if you're still doing that. :)

Who made the first move

Canonically, Rin! Though this was mostly because he thought Shiemi was confessing to him, first, and therefore (in his mind) he was just returning her feelings. Of course, that was a clumsy and awkward conversation, and ultimately Shiemi did end up rejecting him openly (though not because she wanted to---rather, because she wants to improve herself first), but that’s how it went down nonetheless.

With that said, Rin is absolutely respectful of Shiemi’s feelings and wishes, and so outside of things like asking her to dance with him, I can’t see him making another move now that she’s turned him down once, because he wouldn’t want to pressure her or make her uncomfortable. So it when it comes to the two of them getting together, I think she would have to make the first move, and Rin would no doubt jump at the chance.

Who said ‘I love you’ first

Again, technically this is Rin, though he said “I like you” (suki), rather than “I love you” (daisuki)---and again, this was due to him misunderstanding what Shiemi meant when she used the word love (daisuki) in reference to his flames, rather than him as a person. (Not that she doesn’t care deeply for him as a person, because she obviously does, but that’s just not what she was talking about at the time.)

Like with the misunderstanding and then respect above, I think that Rin is going to wait before saying anything about this again. Aside from the hurt of being turned down, Rin respects and cares about Shiemi a lot, and he wouldn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. So I think that, when the time comes, Shiemi will be the one to speak up again. And this time, she’ll make sure it’s abundantly clear that she’s talking about him, not just his flames. ♥

How often they fight

Not very often! Even in the event that they disagree, Rin and Shiemi are more prone to just that---disagreements rather than actual fights. The only time they really fight---and we see this in canon, too, from both sides---is when it comes to matters of their own safety and self-worth. Rin will yell at Shiemi if she’s endangering herself, hurting herself, pushing herself too far, but otherwise he won’t even if he disagrees with her choices (see: he yelled at her when she insisted on staying in the garden in her introductory episode, but he merely expressed his disapproval and distaste when she was letting Izumo use her a few episodes later). Likewise, Shiemi is more the type to calmly but firmly (as she gains confidence) express her disapproval, but she can and will yell if she hears Rin, say, talking about how maybe he should just die after all, because he’s a monster who hurts everyone around him (and we saw this in S2E7). They care about each other to the level that they will fight over each other’s safety and well-being, if the situation comes to that, but otherwise they also respect each other to keep their tempers under check and not resort to outright fighting---and certainly never to insults of truly hurtful words.

So I can’t see them fighting very often, particularly as they grow and gain confidence/self-worth in themselves (Rin needs so much more of it, though, poor baby). When they learn to start valuing themselves more, that will help smooth out any big potential fights that they could have.

Whose big spoon/little spoon

Rin is one of the cuddliest people you will ever meet, however much his delinquent appearance might make you think otherwise, so he’s the big spoon most of the time. He absolutely loves cuddling Shiemi, and is no stranger to just randomly hugging her from behind once they start dating (albeit usually not in public, because he can still get flustered and embarrassed about PDA). That said, Shiemi will sometimes hug Rin from behind as well, so she does sometimes act as the big spoon before he turns the tables on her (and, let’s be honest, probably just starts tickling her).

What their nicknames are for each other

They don’t really have any! When they start dating, Rin tries using some pet names (that he likely picked up from shoujo manga), like “sweetheart” and “baby,” all in English, but they fall flat. Shiemi just stares at him, completely unsure of how to react, before asking, “What does that mean?” And Rin, now suitably flustered, tries to explain that they’re cute nicknames, you know, pet names, but Shiemi just starts to feel a bit flustered and embarrassed herself (for not knowing), and asks why he’s giving her a pet name, and shouldn’t a nickname be based off her name? Like how she calls Yukio “Yuki-chan?”

“That’s not the same thing!” Rin says.

“Why not?!” Shiemi cries.

“B-Because it’s---it’s just not!!”

This isn’t really a suitable explanation, though, so the whole thing was just one big disaster, and Rin resolves to just call her Shiemi. That said, Shiemi has had her interest piqued in this, so she starts doing some research on her own (and ofc asks Izumo, who is disgusted), and ultimately tries to call Rin a pet name, since apparently that’s a thing couples do . . . and she settles on “honeybun,” also in English. Rin is so flabbergasted he doesn’t even know how to respond or feel, except for the sense that he doesn’t really like it---that it sounds weird having Shiemi call him that.

“How about we just stick with our names?” he says.

Shiemi nods fervently. “Yes, that’s what I said from the beginning!”

(That said, when they’re married, Shiemi will occasionally call him anata, which translates roughly to “dear” or “darling” and is something Japanese wives do often call their husbands---but even then, it’s rather sparing. They’re much more comfortable just using each other’s names.)

Whose the better cook

RIN, is this even a question? Rin is a masterful chef, and the deliciousness of his food is apparently legendary. This isn’t to say that Shiemi is a bad cook---I think she’d actually be quite good with a bit of training, because her experience with various herbs and things would probably give her at least some working knowledge of spices!---but I feel like there’s no one in the Blue Exorcist universe who could top Rin. He’s too good. Never challenge him in the kitchen.

Their song

I don’t really have one for them at the moment! I’d have to look through some songs to make a mix, and I just haven’t done that yet, heh. Sorry. ^^;

Who remembers their anniversaries

I think they both would! Rin is the type to get really into holidays and the like, particularly if he has someone to celebrate with, and I think the idea that he and Shiemi have an anniversary to celebrate would really thrill him. He’d probably go all-out cooking delicious food and deserts, and yet still trying to find a good present on top of it. Shiemi, I think, would likewise be excited, but also nervous that she’s maybe not doing enough, especially if Rin’s going all out---but Rin would assure her that she shouldn’t worry, because it’s not a contest or competition. He’s just happy to celebrate.

Their favorite thing to do together

They really like to travel! Particularly after high school, I could see them traveling across Japan, and maybe even the world. Shiemi has always had a thirst for travel in her---she’s always had a desire to see and experience things, to experience the garden that is the world with her own eyes, and her grandmother encouraged this. Rin, too, I think would want to see all kinds of different places. We know that he gets super excited just going to Kyoto, so imagine how he would be going outside of Japan. I think that they’d both want to travel as much as possible, and they’d love seeing new sights together. They’d definitely be the type to take tons of cheesy couple/tourist photos all over the place. Their respective social media feeds would be flooded. Their friends would be beyond annoyed. Yukio would no doubt leave a message on Rin’s Facebook wall like, “Brother, you don’t need to upload the same picture ten times.”

“It’s not the same! Those pictures were all taken several seconds apart from different angles.”

“IT’S CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SAME AND YOU KNOW IT.”

“omfg yukio no need 4 caps jeez”

“Shura-san, please type like an adult. I know you know how.”

“wut u gna do 2 make me”

And thus it continues until Rin gets irritated, deletes all of their comments, and warns that he’ll unfriend them both if they don’t behave. Jeez, since when did HE have to be the responsible one, here?

How they would get engaged

Rin tries to pull the cliché of hiding the engagement ring in food, but this backfires miserably when Shiemi nearly eats it. Fortunately she doesn’t choke, but she does have to spit the ring out into her hand . . . and then they both realize that an engagement ring covered in spit and chocolate sauce is not nearly as romantic as one that, well, isn’t. But it is the thought that counts, and they rinse off the ring in warm water, and Rin is stammering and stumbling and blushing as he tries to express how he feels and what he wants (but only if she wants it, too, and it’s cool if she doesn’t), and Shiemi gets the marriage and kisses him, quick and chaste on the lips. That’s a good enough “yes” in Rin’s book.

What their wedding would be like

Of course they’re going to follow tradition and have a Shinto ceremony at a shrine, and what better Shinto shrine to have their ceremony at than the one in Kyoto, hm? (Well, actually, I don’t know if the Myoda Sect is exactly Shinto? I admit I’m far from an expert on this, but I think it is, or it’s close enough.) Since Bon is now the master, they have him officiate it. Of course he is very serious about being very professional about this, because he takes his work super seriously and this is important besides, but he does cry a little in the midst of the ceremony even as he insists that he is not so Okumura can just shut up or get out.

“You can’t kick me out in the middle of my own wedding!”

“WATCH ME.”

Family-wise, Rin of course has both Yukio and Shura present, and he invites all of the priests from the monastery too, even though Bon tries to tell him that he can’t have that many people. (“It’s immediate family only!” / “They’re immediate enough!!”) In truth, it’s really a sort of . . . Rin wishes that Shiro was there. He wants his dad at his wedding. And he can’t have him, and he knows this, and so he tries to bring in everyone from the monastery because they’re basically family to him, and he hopes that will soothe the ache a little. It doesn’t, not really, but he tries.

Shiemi, meanwhile, has her mom, but she also brings in Izumo and Paku, because they were her first friends and she insists they’re as good as family. Rin says that Bon should bring in Shiima and Konekomaru for his family, and Bon reminds him that the only people who are supposed to have immediate family present are the bride and groom---but Rin sneaks in Shiima and Konekomaru anyway because he wants them there. (Well, Rin sneaks in Shiima, and Shiima drags Konekomaru along for the ride, because Konekomaru was trying to follow tradition.)

Yukio sighs and massages his temples and wonders why his own brother’s wedding has to give him such a headache.

So the shrine is absolutely packed, and yet it’s still somehow not as packed as the reception that is held after, which is filled to the brim with people (and demons? Possibly. Mephisto is there at the very least, because of course he is, you think he’s missing this?). Rin turns to Bon and says, “See? I told you we didn’t have everyone in the shrine.”

Bon just scowls at him, sighs, and then thumps him good-naturedly on the head.

How many kids they’ll have

I think they would have at least two, because Rin would really, really want any kid of his to have a sibling, given how much he absolutely adores Yukio (despite the conflicts they sometimes have). Shiemi, too, would want her child to have a sibling, I think, because I think that she feels that being an only child is lonely. Good news is that twins tend to be genetic (well, some sources say that twins run in families, anyway), so it’s possible (but not certain) that they could end up having twins. Rin would be ecstatic about that, and Shiemi would be pretty happy, too . . . and Rin would be especially amused on days when Uncle Yukio got to take the two little ones to babysit. >)

[alittlenomadchristina]

Liveaboard Diving – Ultimate Guide For First-Timers

Are you thinking about going on your first liveaboard diving trip or have you booked one already? Congratulations! To make sure you have a fantastic experience, I’ve put together a few things you should know before embarking on your first safari diving adventure!

  Should you book a liveaboard or dive from land?

If you’re a beginner to diving and you’ve only recently completed your Open Water course, a dive safari might not be the best choice for you. Many liveaboards require an Advanced Open Water certification and a certain number of dives, usually ranging from 25-50.

Diving in open water comes with its own challenges and often strong currents, which can be a bit overwhelming if you’ve just started scuba diving.

Reminder: Don’t forget to bring your log book on your first scuba diving safari.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] Ras Mohammed, South Sinai[/caption]

Do you feel comfortable diving already? Then a liveaboard might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The main advantage of liveaboard diving is that you can reach more remote and therefore less visited dive sites that boast rich marine life which often can’t be compared to spots close to the shore.

But there’s also the amazing feeling of being on the sea day and night. You won’t have a care in the world and you’ll feel free like a bird. In addition to that, most of the time there is a strong sense of community on board and you easily make new friends and dive buddies for life.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="766"] Me during a beautiful sunset on a liveaboard[/caption]

  13 Tips for a great first liveaboard diving experience:

Pack light!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] A typical cabin on a liveaboard boat[/caption]

Space on a boat is very limited, so expect your cabin to be really small. You won’t need any shoes as soon as you hop on board, and towels are usually provided.

Bring travel-sized toiletries and travel with a backpack instead of a suitcase, or anything that can easily be folded away and not take up unnecessary space.

2. Bring motion sickness pills!

Especially if you’re prone to sea (and/or car) sickness, these are absolutely essential. Even when you’re usually not too much affected by waves, being on open water for several days is a completely different story and you never know how the weather will turn out.

Often, the organizers will provide this type of medicine, but you rather want to be safe than sorry, right?!

3. Act environmentally responsive!

Spend a little bit of extra money on reef-friendly shampoo, body wash, and sunscreen - it’s worth it. After you use the toilet, clean yourself with the douche-house next to it. Since the wastewater is expelled into the sea, it’s important you put toilet paper into the bin and don’t flush it.

4. Don’t forget to tip!

On every liveaboard, there is quite a big crew whose only job it is to make your dive safari a great experience - dive guides, captain, chef and many more.

Their work is physically challenging and involves very long hours, so a tip is customary. You can use a rough guideline of 10% of the cost of your liveaboard.

5. Consider diving with enriched air!

Since you’ll be spending a lot of time underwater, upgrading to Enriched Air Diving (Nitrox) may be very beneficial. It will extend your allowable bottom time and no-decompression limits over repetitive dives and generally makes you feel less tired than diving with regular air.

Often, you will have the opportunity to do the nitrox certification on board, it’s a quick and easy half-day dry course. Make sure you ask before!

6. Be prepared for weather changes!

It often gets pretty hot during the day (depending on where you’re diving of course) and the ocean’s reflections intensify UV rays, so you want to bring enough (reef-friendly!) sunscreen.

Once the sun sets though, temperatures drop and sometimes winds can pick up. Bring at least one warm sweater for chilly nights.

7. Remember no-flight times!

If you book your liveaboard and your flight separately, make sure you don’t forget to plan for a no-dive-time/surface interval of at least 18 hours.

8. Be considerate!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] Food is always a big part of a liveaboard experience, especially in the Middle East![/caption]

You’re sharing a small space with a lot of people and you all depend on each other. Treat your dive buddies with respect. Don’t be late for dive briefings (just as meals, they’re usually announced by ringing a bell).

9. Bring spare equipment!

Not only is there no dive shop where you could get replacements for any missing or broken gear, there are also usually only one or two power outlets per cabin. You want to make sure to bring as many extra batteries you can for your cameras, dive torch, phone and any other electrical devices.

10. Wash your equipment in the end only!

There is very limited fresh water supply on a liveaboard, so don’t wash all your dive equipment after each dive, as you might have been used to doing before.

The only exception is sensitive equipment like your dive computer or your camera, there’s usually a dedicated tank for those.

11. Get up early!

It’s usually worth it not to sleep in because sunrise dives offer amazing marine sightings and photo shots. Preferences under divers vary - some love to party, others come for maximum diving possibilities.

Since safari diving is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience because it’s on the pricier side of hobbies, I usually recommend to make the most of your dive time and don’t waste energy on drinking and hangovers.

12. Freshen up your skills!

If you haven’t dived in a while, don’t worry. There will always be a check dive for everyone. It may be useful though to refresh or learn some new skills before your liveaboard diving trip. Practicing entries and exits for large boats and small RIBs/zodiacs could be one of those.

13. Plan in some downtime after the safari!

Living on a boat for a couple of days messes with your brain’s balance system, so it’s normal to feel like you’re still moving once you’re back on solid ground. It’s quite intense and makes some activities pretty hard.

For me, it lasted the same amount of days that I was on the liveaboard itself (4 days) and it was really difficult for me to get any work done (I work online) during this time because I felt so dizzy.

  Where can you book liveaboard diving?

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] A typical liveaboard in the Red Sea, Egypt[/caption]

Besides looking up individual liveaboard safaris in the destination you’re wishing to dive in, you may also have a look at a site such as divebooker.com. If you’re flexible and spontaneous, you might get a really good last-minute deal if the operator is trying to fill the last remaining spots. My first liveaboard in Egypt only cost me 300€ for four days for that reason, including full board and unlimited dives.

You can check here for liveaboard diving around the world:

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  Do you need dive insurance for safari diving?

Check with your operator if dive insurance is obligatory or not. Even if it isn’t, it makes sense to get one for the duration of your liveaboard. Divebooker.com, for example, offers free DAN insurance with their trips. Travel insurance is required for liveaboards.

Again, better safe than sorry! Diving isn’t necessarily a dangerous sport, but it does come with some risks. Additionally, travel insurance is often required on boat safaris.

  What does a liveaboard boat look like?

Every boat is different, of course. This is an example of a liveaboard in the Red Sea in Egypt, my first safari diving experience:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] Yes, we had a jacuzzi on board![/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] Dining Area[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] Sea view cabin on a liveaboard[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1120"] Typical bathroom on a liveaboard[/caption]

On my Instagram a.litte.nomad you can watch my whole boat trip live - look out for "Liveaboard Sharm" in my Highlight stories!

If you're interested in diving in Egypt, check out my scuba guide for Dahab and some of the things to do in Hurghada that are also dive-related! I've been living in Egypt for almost 3 years now, so I know the Red Sea pretty well!

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  See Full, Original Article Here: Liveaboard Diving – Ultimate Guide For First-Timers