The Complete Packing List for a Liveaboard Dive Trip
SiteSee founder Kelsey recently embarked on a freediving liveaboard adventure in the Red Sea. (BTW, you can stay up-to-date with her around-the-world travels by subscribing to the SiteSee newsletter.) And although she’s a long-time digital nomad with plenty of experience in packing for long-term adventure travel, she still picked up a few new packing tips along the way.
Spoiler: Don’t overdo it. Whether you’re headed out on a liveaboard dive trip, a freediving trip, or a scuba diving trip, you’ll just need your diving bag and a small duffel bag. (Psst—we like this duffel from North Face because it’s durable, sustainable, and comfy to carry.)
But what goes inside? Here’s your ultimate packing list for a liveaboard dive trip:
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Diving gear
2 wetsuits
Duh! Don’t forget to bring your wetsuit on your diving trip. For extra comfort, Kelsey recommends a thin wetsuit, like the Luna Long Sleeve from Makara. But in case you want a little more coverage, it’s a good idea to pack another normal Neoprene wetsuit. Oceaner Freediving has a dozen or so options—and they’re all handmade and made to order.
Fins
Fins are a no-brainer for any kind of diving trip. If you’re new to the diving world and don’t want to drop three figures on a pair of fins, try out the Divetek Stealth Freediving Fin. They’re soft, flexible, and—importantly—affordable. But if you’re ready to commit to higher quality (albeit at a higher price tag), carbon fiber fins are your best bet for getting lightweight comfort without sacrificing durability. Kelsey likes the Leaderfins Pure Carbon Ocean Fins from Freediver Shop.
Socks for your fins
Surprise! You’ve got to wear socks under your fins when diving. And no—your regular gym socks won’t do. Instead, make sure to pack these special neoprene socks, like the OMGear Water Socks to help protect your feet from abrasions and cold water.
Weight belt and weights
A weight belt and weights are important things to remember on your liveaboard dive trip packing list. But they’re a huge pain in the you-know-what-to pack. Pro tip: Remember to ask your tour operator beforehand if they have weights on board so you won’t have to pack them.
If you’re on the hook for providing your own weights, pack 2-3 scratch-resistant weights, like this pick from Sea Pearls. And don’t forget a silicone weight belt to keep your weights securely in place during ascent and descent.
Snorkeling mask
If wearing a snorkel makes you flashback to cringe-worthy family vacations, upgrade your water gear with a fun-colored snorkeling mask, like the Oceanic Mini Shadow Mask—available in Black, Yellow, Ice, Pink, Sea Blue, and White. It’ll work with any snorkel you have. Plus, it folds up easily to fit in your travel bag.
Diving bag
Can’t miss this! The best diving bag for a diving trip is one that doubles as a backpack—in our humble opinion. The Cressi Freediving Waterproof Backpack is big enough to hold all your diving gear (including your fins), and it even features a secondary cooler-type compartment for storing cold drinks to help you hydrate and refresh during your trip.
Clothes
2-3 swimsuits
You gotta have something to wear under that wetsuit, girl! So don’t forget your swimsuit. And even if you’re only going for a short diving trip, it’s always good to pack extras. (Mom was right.) We like the BMJJL High-Waisted Sporty Two-Piece Swimsuit. It’s colorful, comfy, and certainly well loved according to Amazon’s 639+ five-star reviewers. Meanwhile, for a one-piece option, you can’t go wrong with the Women’s Swimsuit Super Pro from good, old Speedo.
Sarong
Sure, you can wrap your towel around your waist. But for a more elegant way to cover up (and one that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a male locker room), consider packing a sarong on your diving trip. The Bikini Swimsuit Cover-Up from Mandala Life ART is made out of 100% cotton, available in 21 colorful prints, and guaranteed to give you that laidback beach vibe.
1 flowy dress
Sarongs are a great bathing suit coverup—but what about when you’re dried off and ready for dinner? That’s when a great flowy dress comes through in the clutch. The ANRABESS Women’s Sleeveless Swing Dress is uber comfortable and the perfect combination of comfy and girlie, making it hard to pick just one among the 16 colors to pack for your diving trip.
2 tank tops + shorts
Flowy dresses and flirty sarongs make us feel island chic, laidback, and glamorous. That said, you still need to pack a few basics for your diving trip. Above all, a good travel tank top is a must—like the Pact Women’s Organic Cotton Camisole, which has already racked up 3,426+ five-star Amazon ratings, by the way. On days we want a looser fit, we also like the Casual Loose Tank Top from rosemia. Shorts are easy to wear and always comfy. Make sure you get a flowy pair, like these ones from FireSwan or a pair of simple biker shorts, like these.
Sweatshirt and joggers
No matter how hot it is during the day, be prepared for a little chill at night. For us, that means cozying up in our Fleece Crewneck from THE GYM PEOPLE. If you’re feeling fancy, you can sport it with the brand’s matching joggers. Or, if you tend to get cold at night, bring out the big guns with these fleece-lined joggers from Libin.
Pajamas
Let’s be honest—life is more fun when you wear a matching pajama set to bed instead of your old workout sweats. We’re unabashed fans of the classic flannel pajama look, like the PajamaGram 100% Cotton Pajama Set (coming for you Burgundy Polka Dot print!). But if you’d rather keep button-up shirts out of the bedroom, try this cute Satin Short Pajama Set from Ekouaer in Champagne, Caramel, or 16 other elegant color options.
Toiletries
Even the most minimalist gals in the group still need to end up packing quite a hefty bag of toiletries, like deodorant, toothpaste, sunscreen, etc. Refer to our Complete Toiletries Packing Guide to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
But beyond the basics, there are a few more toiletries you’ll need to pack for your diving trip.
Reefsafe shampoo and conditioner
What makes shampoo and conditioner reef-safe? It means it doesn’t include any reef-harming chemicals, like Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, and OD-PABA. For your upcoming diving trip, pack a one-two punch with this 3-in-1 reef-safe shampoo, conditioner, and soap from STREAM 2 SEA. (Or is that a one-three punch … ?)
Tangle Teezer brush
Curly, straight, fine, or thick. It doesn’t matter what kind of hair you have—be prepared for some serious knots after spending the day diving at sea. To help get your precious mane back to its normal state, make sure you pack the OG Tangle Teezer Detangling Brush, famed among beauty gurus for its ability to get the knots (gently!) out of your wet hair.
Hair oil or hair mask
It may be good for the soul, but all that deep-sea diving is rough on your hair. While a Tangle Teezer brush may be able to get the knots out, your strands will also need some help recovering from the salt water.
Straight-up argan oil is an effective, affordable way to nourish your hair back to life. If you’d rather go the salon route, try the John Freida Miraculous Recovery Intensive Deep Conditioner Hair Mask. It is, indeed, miraculous.
Baby shampoo
Turns out, baby shampoo is actually a great anti-fog for your mask. Because it’s a mild surfactant, baby shampoo will help prevent any fog from clouding up your goggles while you’re diving. If you really want to lighten your packing load, just pack this travel-sized pick and use it as your shampoo, body wash, and anti-fog.
Effective face sunscreen
Travel sunscreen should be on your packing list no matter where you go. But especially when you’re spending the whole day outside during a diving trip, you’ve got to protect your face! Look for a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s made with zinc oxide and no fragrance for ultimate protection without any irritation. We like the BLUE LIZARD Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Stick, whose stick format makes it a breeze to apply and reapply throughout the day.
Accessories
Two quick-dry towels
Two is, indeed, better than one—at least when it comes to travel towels and diving trips. This is one of Kelsey’s most important pro tips: Pack one quick-dry towel for drying off when you come out of the ocean and another quick-dry towel for showers. (After all, you don’t want to use your salty diving towel to dry your freshly cleaned, post-shower body.)
Nomadix calls their quick-dry towel “The Only Towel You Need.” And we agree—except we want two.
A good book
When you’re on a dive trip, you’ll most likely be spending some time off the grid. (This can be hard at first, but trust us—the blissful feeling of being disconnected is definitely worth pushing through the first couple of days!)
For some reading inspo to keep yourself occupied, check out our list of the 12 Best Travel Books.
Towel poncho
Sure, the sarong is sexy and feminine, but trust us—you’ll most likely end up wanting to sport a towel poncho in between dives. And we’re here for it. The COR Surf Poncho is made out of quick-dry microfiber with a special kangaroo pocket for warming up and drying off your hands. It’s soft, uber cozy, and available in 17 bright prints. (Is it wrong if we start wearing this on the reg?)
Underwater camera
Going on a diving trip will give you a close-up look at an underwater world that only a fraction of the planet is lucky enough to see. Memories last a lifetime—but it’s hard to share that feeling with friends and family! Make sure you pack an underwater camera like the DJI Osmo Action 3 or the Insta360 to bring your memories to life.
Nice-to-haves (but aren’t necessary)
Dry-bag
Even when you’re disconnected from the world, let’s be honest—you probably still pack your phone. Your wallet, ID, and other valuables also need some extra protection during a dive trip, which is why we recommend packing a dry bag, like this one from Sea to Summit. Their Lightweight Dry Bag is made out of high-performance waterproof fabric (but you should still be careful about completely submerging it in water).
Hydration
A liveaboard dive trip is an action-packed experience, making it all too easy to lose track of time and forget to hydrate. While we do not recommend this as a replacement for good, old water, consider packing some Liquid I.V. Hydration Powder Packets to help you stay hydrated during your trip.
Small carabiners
An underrated accessory, but really, carabiners should be every location-independent girl’s best friend. Just keep these little guys attached to your backpack and we promise they’ll come in handy. For example, with the Coleman Deluxe Carabiner Links, you can clip on your hat, your water bottle, or any other small items you need to carry with you and keep secure.
Small hair ties
Where, oh, where do hair ties go? No matter how many you pack, they always seem to disappear somewhere along the way—so make sure you keep plenty of these mini hair elastics stashed in your diving bag. Here’s Kelsey’s pro tip: Put your hair in a classic ponytail and then place several of these mini elastics throughout to create a Jasmine-inspired hairdo. (IYKYK.) Besides helping you channel your inner Disney princess, this hairstyle will also help keep your hair from getting tangled underwater.
Wrapping up
Even if you consider yourself a master-packer, going on a dive trip is another story. If you’re planning a liveaboard dive trip, a scuba diving trip, or a freediving trip for 2024, keep this post bookmarked so you can refer back to it later and make sure you don’t miss a thing.
