We’ve been bunking with mom & dad in VA for the month of October while we awaited Keystone’s driver to pick up our rig. While we did have the space in A. Bay until October 13th, we had a wedding in Lancaster, PA I had a work trip, and then our Jamaican Vacation was scheduled so it was time to pack it up (yet again) and make the moves down south.
The wedding in Lancaster was a hit! And we had been able to repack (for the umpteenth time) the camper into those black & yellow Lowe’s bins that we’ve come to love so much… With items at Mom & Dads, In condo 4 at A. Bay, and leaving one of the trucks parked at Grandma’s house in Syracuse we just about emptied the entire unit!
September 26th Austin flew back into Syracuse and rented a car. We headed to Grandma’s house (I had breakfast with her that morning!) to pull all the stuff out of the Tacoma in her driveway, reload into the rental and start the 6+ hour drive to VA. I had the F-350 loaded down bed to roof with all the last bits & pieces and we caravaned down 81. We passed quite a few accidents on the way down, but came through unscathed.
The driver was supposed to pick up the camper the week of Sept 29th. We waited, and waited, and waited for the driver to let us know he was on his way/there to pick up the camper – and he finally showed up Oct 3rd. Apparently he tried a few excuses with Austin to say he wasn’t sure he could pull it because of a “toolbox in the bed of his truck” and “he couldn’t find the camper” (it’s kind of hard to miss…) and Austin set him very straight. So the camper was picked up and driven the 12 hours across NY and into Indiana where we waited for more updates.
We have no idea what the camper looked like once it made it to Keystone – they didn’t send any photos but we did get an update (finally) while in Jamaica that it had arrived and they were doing their own inspection of all the elements as they don’t rely on Camping World’s reports.
We were hoping to have the camper back by November as we have a space reserved in Hendersonville, NC Nov 7- mid May…. but that was obviously wishful thinking. We are glad they are doing their own full blown inspection and not relying on Camping World, they’ve already noted that they’re replacing pretty much the entire fiberglass exterior sheeting, interior wallpapering/walls that were cracking, the front entertainment center cabinetry, and a new back ladder (apparently it’s bent?!), and they’re adding flex adapters to the front area that will actually allow the unit to flex as it should when on the hitch. We’re hoping we get the update that they’ll be re-welding all the connections that we saw were broken as well once they get that front cap off again for those flex pieces… It sounds to us like there have been MANY issues like ours with this particular model and they’ve had to fix more campers than expected which is why we have not paid a penny out of pocket for fixes past 2 new tires. When it’s all complete which sounds like another 6-ish weeks…. (3-4 weeks before they get it IN to the production line, and another 2 weeks working on it) they’ll then tow it down to Hendersonville’s Camping World for us where we’ll pick it up.
After the Pennsylvania Wedding, I had a trip up to Ohio to cover some events for work where I presented and met with new advisors and got more interest for diving at the resorts! Because it was just a 2 nighter, I packed myself in my backpack and caught a quick flight from Dulles.
It’s been great to be around close family – as it allows us to get to the nibling’s sports games and take advantage still of walking into town for experiences. We celebrated our house sale & the money being deposited – which we then turned around and wiped out some debts, and invested with our financial advisor! We also finally decided on an eBike and it arrived for Dad and I to put together!
Mom also called Dad and I to jump into some Pickleball at the local gym they’re members of as they needed a few extra players. It’s only my 2nd time actually playing games and I’ve got to get my swings under control – I tend to hit it long A LOT. BUT I’m running my butt off getting to stuff and burning ALL the calories haha!
It was just about Jamaica time!! So we packed our suitcase (and Austin’s backpack – because he’s weird) for a 6-night stay at Sandals Negril with friends! It was Austin’s & our friend Sandy’s birthdays, what better way to celebrate!
We were immediately spoiled on arrival in Jamaica – the resort team (who I emailed ahead of time and told them we were coming) put us in a beautiful butler villa (without the butler service) that had it’s own backyard and pool!! We figured out in Antigua back in 2020 that we are definitely room pool people, Austin gets uncomfortable just sitting on the beach in the heat and either has to have something fun to do, or be in the water.
I, on the other hand, am perfectly fine with a book and a beach chair soaking up all the sun…. I finished that book on the 2nd afternoon and had to steal Austin’s book for the next 3 afternoons. Thanks Babe!
We also got some diving in!! I finally talked Austin in to completing his Invasive Species Tracker Certification which “legally” allows him to hunt lionfish!
He’s a natural and got about 5 on the follow up dives we did! We also got to do a super cool dive called the Throne Room where you descend through a crack in the coral formation and come out in a opened coral cavern.
Hangry Austin – Happy Austin!
We had a fabulous time on a worry free vacation in beautiful Jamaica. Did some professional resort photos (our first since our wedding), and I even got to practice my bubble rings on dives 🙂
We had planned to fly back into Syracuse for Punkin Chukin weekend in Clayton, NY but plans changed and we swapped our flights to fly into Charlotte to spend time with Austin’s family instead. It was fun to watch him & his brothers run around like kids again, especially when they caught glimpse of a black bear running across the ridge! (its black bear hunting season and they all SPRINTED off to try to get it).
After stopping by the Tennessee storage unit and seeing if we could cut the locks off (we couldn’t), we headed over to see Mamaw & Papaw and of course Charlie. He’s a happy pup there and has gained probably 15lbs with Mamaw’s cooking.
A 6.5 hour drive from Marshall, NC back to Leesburg had us arriving back at our current home base just around 11pm. Austin was headed out on a flight to Canada for the week Monday and I was back in office to follow up on all the vacay emails that came in. Plus prep for DEMA Show which is the largest trade dive show of the year! This year it’s in Orlando and is only a few weeks away!
Mom & Dad arrived back home from Punkin Chukin to a full house – Meg & the Niblings were riding bikes and it was the perfect fall day to kick the training wheels off Knox’s bike and get him riding like the big kids. He was a little nervous to start but had a whole fan club cheering him on and he GOT IT!
I’m super grateful to be here for moments and memories like these. He was so excited to be a full blown bike rider that we all took our first big family bike ride up to the park across the street!
It’s been a trying year for me and Austin – but we are so lucky to have family support everywhere that is open to helping us. We’ve had so many good moments among the craziness and I wouldn’t want to trade any of them.
One final happy update for me – I finally applied for my Master Scuba Diver Certification with PADI! While this isn’t necessarily a “certification” in the same sense as most – it does have a few requirements:
Complete your Rescue Diver Certification
Complete 50 Dives
Complete 5 Specialties
Submit application with all those elements & receive a new card!
So I did!
Rescue Diver Certification completed 2022
214 Recorded dives to date
Specialties Completed: Deep Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Emergency Oxygen Provider, Digital Underwater Photographer, Boat Diver, Enriched Air Diver, Full Face Mask, Invasive Species Tracker
We are super excited this process is finally OVER!
After months of packing, trips to storage, projects completed, and dealing with a terribly unorganized Law Firm…. We Closed the house sale September 17th and the new owners have a new home!
To say it was a process is an understatement. While the listing was fairly simple, the anxiety of the showings and waiting for feedback and offers was grueling. We were on the market for just over 45 days.
We had a few rude, lowball offers from investment companies that we immediately turned down. But were finally able to get a decent enough offer from a new family. Lower than we’d hoped for, but thats the market these days. We like to think that if we had hit the original project deadlines we would have been in a better spot, but the sale is done.
I dont understand how some people become “law assistants” when they cant even read. We had so much frustration with a non-preferred firm through this whole contract that it made you want to grab that persons shoulders and shake them to see if there was any kind of rattling in their head. We would ask questions that went unanswered, we were given blank paperwork on Law Firm letterhead that wasn’t editable and told to “just sign it, we’ll fill it in later”.
HUGE NO.
And when we told them we couldn’t edit, it was another month (just before the closing date) till they actually updated the form. Still uneditable, still wrong, and when I voiced those concerns about my signature on a blank legal document, I was told “its not actually a legal document”. Now, I’m no lawyer, but Judge Judy would see that as a contract/legal document FOR SURE.
We had to constantly remind the firm that we were doing a mailaway closing and were coming up on that closing dates without receiving any paperwork. Plus, hubby and I were both traveling, so we had minimal time to get things done and return by the deadline. We apparently had to pay an additional $100 for this service that was seriously lacking.
We FINALLY received emailed documents on Sept 11th and had them printed out on the 12th to sign & notarize. We then were told to fax them in before UPS-ing them back to the firm. We faxed at 4:11pm that Friday and emailed asking for confirmation that it went through. No response. So we sent the full paperwork anyway, we couldn’t wait any longer for the Sept 16th closing date.
Get this, we got an email on MONDAY from this assistant saying “our office was already closed when you faxed it, but it looks okay. I see you’ve already mailed it, we should get it soon.”
We told you we were out of the COUNTRY (me this week) and out of town (Austin)… we couldn’t wait
it was 4pm on a Friday…
Good thing we didn’t wait for the actual paperwork to arrive in the mail for signing… that didn’t show up till MONDAY. THE DAY BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE.
Im just glad the whole thing is over and we can tape this project box up and toss it in the memory bank.
Now we’re just repacking the entire camper and waiting for Keystone to tell us what day they’re picking it up!
Dive Week is going GREAT by the way. Super excited that our inaugural event is being met with such enthusiasm!
Keystone Corporate is coming to Cicero, NY to pick up our unit and tow it to their headquarters for fixes.
Does that make me incredibly nervous? YES – MORE SH*T COULD BREAK. But we’re being told anything they break in this tow, they fix – no questions asked. We still haven’t been given any type of figures on cost to us out of pocket for the past 3 weeks, with warranty and insurance, we’re hoping it’s minimal if any. Cicero keeps saying they’ll be fighting for us to not be out of pocket at all.
In the last week we have been back and forth talking to Cicero, and Statesville (finally got a hold of the GM). Cicero says they left a couple messages for Statesville, Statesville says they never got any messages so New York Missy had to be polite but firm that this needs to be dealt with.
After finally getting a hold of Alan Good, Statesville’s GM on July 10th, I was not taking “he’ll call you tomorrow” for an answer. We’re going on Week 3 without our unit, or any information on fixes happening anytime soon. I’m losing my patience. After confirming to Satesville’s team that yes, I know I called North Carolina, that’s where we bought the unit. Yes the camper is in New York…. Alan, upon hearing of our struggles, jumped into action by calling Cicero – sadly, Kim (who we’ve been working with here in NY) had already left for the day. Service guys leave at 6pm, but the front desk workers in service leave at 5 – explain to me how that makes any sense…
Anywho’s…. Alan calls me back at both 5:22p and 5:50p to note that he’s 100% on the issue and calling back to get the full details as soon as Cicero opens the next morning as he’s now playing catch up. He did speak to hubby when all this originally happened but apparently didn’t take any notes about it/couldn’t remember all the details. By 9:25a the next morning (July 11) Allen calls me back saying he’s tried Kim twice with no luck and his Director of Service was also going to connect with Cicero’s DOS for updates. At 10:09a we get a call that Statesville now has all the updates they need about our unit (he’s also pulled our service records from November since he wasn’t the GM there yet – I bet that was fun for him to read about, his new team dropping the ball and all). He’s calling his Keystone contact directly to expedite this process for us now that he understands this is our summer accommodation in a campground… He reiterated that he’s in the office all weekend and is “on it” for us. It’s nice to have some backup. He’s also told Kim that anything warranty or Keystone rejects – to please send him the quote so he can “see what he can do”. As much as I appreciate that, I don’t know if that will happen or what could happen. So it sounds like another weekend of waiting it out for Keystone to respond.
Hubby and I decided to visit our poor, broken down camper that Friday evening after work – take photos of the broken welds, broken wood supports, etc. for our own records and pick up the last few things we absolutely need for an extended outplacement.
No big deal – we’re getting used to quiet weekends with no yardwork. We have not completely become lumps on a log though we helped build a tiki bar/shed at the river this weekend! I also finished another book, that’s 9 for 2025 – how many do I need for a pizza party again?!
We’re also thoroughly enjoying having our Kayak back and an easy launch point in and out to do some evening fishing and a decent workout. We honestly haven’t been in the kayak but twice since we bought it in 2020 during Covid. The Gander Mountain near us in NC was going out of business and we got a helluva deal on it.
It’s so smooth. Plus we’ve been spoiled with friends & family boat access. Bring on the Perch, Bass, Walleye, and Pike!
No news on Monday as I’m sure Keystone had to go over the full report of issues and she’s not just broke. She BROKE broke. I’m no welder (hubby is, surprise surprise), but FOR THE LOVE OF METAL…. WHO WELDED THIS?! Because… they should be fired.
Also, these should not be pinched….
Thankfully hubby is in the area for work this week – so he’s only an hour or so away from CW and was able to chat with the team Tuesday. We got the update that Keystone was coming to GET our Unit and take it back with them. Nothing has been fixed, but the cap has been put back on the front for transport. So it’s in Keystone’s hands now… whatever they break – they fix in that tow. Misty from Keystone HQ connected with hubs on the next step – she has to figure out WHEN they can get the camper in. It could be this week, and in reality – it could be MONTHS from now.
More Waiting. Great, my favorite thing. Hubby is being annoyingly level headed about it. I’m wonky brained because “HELLO – I’VE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAMPER THAT MY WHOLE SUMMER LIFE IS PACKED IN FOR ALMOST A MONTH NOW. I WOULD LIKE IT BACK SO WE CAN ENJOY IT.” And this jerk’s logical brain comes back with “well, we’re not the only ones with a camper in for problems….”
Me:
So we’ll just be here waiting for more updates. Will they get our camper in quickly? Will they offer us a temporary replacement while we wait? Will it be fixed for sure? Will it be returned to us sometime before the end of the summer when we head back to NC?!
The old saying is “no news is good news” but is that really true?
For some instances, like working from home and not hearing from your boss, sure no news is good news – “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. That’s where you don’t want to be the squeaky wheel… But knowing our camper (with the wonky wheel and the cracked leaf spring already) has been at the Camping World in Cicero since June 21st and WE keep having to call in for updates – not so great.
We are in a temporary solution currently – Aunt & Uncle’s old camper (that they sold to their neighbors) needed a place to be stored, and we needed a place to stay here in Alex Bay. Win-Win since we already paid for the whole summer in a permanent RV site up here! We’ll be able to utilize this camper for a few weeks until the owners are ready for their vacation in it.
After we dropped our unit off on that Saturday and waited a few hours – we had no great update. We finally called the following Monday (June 23rd) to be told “we’re going to do a flex test this week” requested by the manufacturer, which in non-mechanics terms is to determine just how much the frame is moving from point A (not being hooked up) to point B (when the hitch is fully attached). And they asked if there was anything we wanted to grab out of the fridge/freezer since they were keeping it hooked up for us (its a residential fridge – the freezer was full). So we came back down the 1.5 hour drive and grabbed a few more things hoping it would only be another week or so.
By June 25th hubby emailed again asking for an update and we were told the flex test would be performed on the 26th (5 days after drop off). So we waited… It worked with our itinerary as we would be headed back into the Syracuse area for Uncle’s retirement party that Friday – we also commandeered a room in their house for that few days.
33 years in the Sheriff’s Department! Well done Uncle Chris! We joined Aunt Becky and the rest of their family to surprise him on his final morning outside the department with cinnamon buns and mimosas before the big party that evening with all family and friends.
We love a celebration! Especially when the WHOLE crew gets together.
Since we had to drive past Camping World on the way back up to the river that Saturday, Hubby and I left early so we could stop to get an update. Mind you, it’s now June 28th and they’ve done the initial diagnostic and a flex test – no fixes. We get a little bit of information that day and start packing up more items from the camper that we need for basic living. They talk a little bit about the flex test and as a non-engineer, I can’t tell you what is “acceptable” frame flex, but when they told us that our frame’s flex was a 1/2 inch change – they didn’t say it with a smile or upbeat attitude.
We grabbed more items out of the fridge and freezer, it’s been “no problem” keeping it plugged in out front for us and we head back up to the river for a weekend of boat lounging and relaxation. Brother, Sister-in-law, Big Sister & the kids were up for the party so EVERYONE got to do some fishing!
Now it’s June 30th, and at 5pm-ish we get a snarky email from Camping World telling us the manufacturer wants additional inspection of our camper and that means they’ll need to move it from the front of the building (could be that day, could be a few days from now). No problem – had we been communicated with about that ahead of time, we would have taken care of everything, but after hubby’s rough Monday travel day (3am alarm, flight delays & cancellations, a 9+ hour drive instead, and luggage that made the plane but not him….) we were in NO mood for the tone perceived within the email – you be the judge and tell us if we were too sensitive –
“You will have to clean out the remaining food that is in the fridge and freezer in the event we have to unplug it for an extended period of time. We technically do not allow customers to keep food in their camper as we have to unplug it and move it from time to time. I was being nice under your circumstances but now that we have to run further inspections, the fridge and freezer will need to be properly cleaned out.”
The first email drafts back were NOT polite. Husband, while usually a teddy bear himself – has no-fluff in his emails – that’s an engineer for you. But we finally came to a seething with sweetness re-write of “no problem, be there tomorrow” response. So I drove down again to remove all the freezer & fridge contents and pack more long-term needs, you know – the cases of wine, a bottle of tequila, my bag of brand new books, work brochures for sales calls, laundry baskets, two right shoe only black sneakers…. essentials 😉 With them being SO nice to keep our camper plugged in this whole time, it was frustrating to open the fridge to see no light on, and walk around the camper to confirm that it was NOT actually plugged in, and that the batteries were most likely dead from the extended power outage.
I clearly didn’t check to make sure I had a full pair… I just grabbed the sneakers that were next to each other in the closet.
A quick stop at WalMart on the way back up set us up for the rest of the work week ahead of the 4th of July holiday. With more friends and family coming to the river, we were able to donate some of the freezer food anyway to the weekends festivities!
So here we are, 16 days after the initial camper drop-off (which we DID have an appointment for, mind you) and no good news. I did happen to ask during our visit “is this going to be a one test a week kind of thing? Because while we do have a temporary solution, if it’s going to take more time we need to find a longer term solution” and was told that they have explained to their manager & techs that we are a “rush” due to our circumstances. We’re only here till September and if I don’t get to be in my OWN, 8-month-new-to-me camper (or a replacement), it’s going to be a frustrating pill to swallow.
They’re telling us (as of Thursday, July 3rd) that they’re going to have to remove the entire front cap of the camper to asses the welds on the frame, how long that’s going to take – another question for the universe. We figured it’d be a skeleton crew for the holiday but we’re about at that stage where we’ll start calling every day or every other day for updates until we get a solution.
Our house is still on the market in NC, so as a worst-case scenario we could always move back in there but we’re VERY much enjoying the freedom we currently have. With the occasional heart rate spikes – everyone’s blood pressure here is pretty relaxed.
Welp – my tunnel visioned creative brain needed a place to go. So now we’re on Etsy at MelMaid24.etsy.com!
Let’s back up a second, we’re starting at the end.
I’ve always been one who wants to create things, and get crafty. You may have noticed that from some of my earlier blogs as a BDM where I’d create the second line umbrellas for an unveiling, or a Business Branded wrestling belt for a party. Well my Husband made the horrible decision to introduce me to epoxy resin about 4 weeks ago, and maaaaan have I made a MESS.
With my passion for the ocean being at the forefront, I decided “If I can’t wear mermaid patterned clothes to work, jewelry will do”! Really it started as a “what can I make as a display for my booth tables at shows” and just kind of flowed into earrings… naturally.
So here we are, I took a few of the first edition items out to the LA Scuba Show at the beginning of June and started wearing them and handing them out to friends to see what the response would be. It was all positive! That gave me the (delusional) confidence to work through setting up an actual Etsy shop, with logos, emails and all!
So come along for the ride! And if you need a custom designed item, hit me up!
Soon to Come – a new desk in the upstairs room with lights, silicone mats and STORAGE. So all this stuff gets off my kitchen island. Hopefully I can eventually get to a point where some of the proceeds get donated to Ocean Conservation groups – but let’s work on the first sale first.
It seems like 2023 is our year to break out of our regular and comfortable travel experiences. Not only were we able to visit the beautiful Country of Africa (South Africa; Johannesburg, Cape Town, Franschhoek, and Hoedspruit – Thanks Live Life Safaris!) but we ALSO just returned from an amazing Maldives Liveaboard with Mujavaz Scuba & Travel!
I’ll have to do a separate post about Africa as this would take you probably an hour to read if I pushed both in here.
Let’s talk about the Maldives for a hot minute – The first image that I’m betting pops into your head are Over Water Bungalows. You know… the $5000.00/day stay that just drips in the luxury of crystal blue waters and your own pool off your deck over the ocean. Spoiler Alert – you don’t have to fly 16+ hours to get all that (selfless plug – Sandals Resorts has those with direct flights and you get every restaurant, beverage, transfers, butlers, room service, the WHOLE kit & caboodle for the same price or less!) – Did you know you still have to pay for meals in a bunglaow in the Maldives? Also, fun fact – most of the time, the island the resorts are on are OWNED by the Resort!
Buuuuttttt…. This was NOT that trip.
THIS trip, is what is called a Liveaboard. That means we join about 18 other people on a 124 ft luxury yacht. I hope you’re now imagining a Below Deck type of montage.
Because that’s EXACTLY how it felt!
While my husband and I arrived a few days earlier than some of the group – we had 2 nights to enjoy on our host & friend’s home island of Guraidhoo. That meant we arrived at Velana International Airport in the capital island of Male, and planned to catch a ferry for $30pp which should have taken about 30 minutes by boat.
Unfortunately, because our flight arrived at 3:27p and we still had to make our way through immigration, baggage claim, and customs – the last ferry to Guraidhoo departed at 4pm. Luckily Mujey met us at the airport and coordinated an alternate ferry to Maafushi Island for the same price, and because he knows EVERYBODY, had a cousin pick us up in a speedboat to head home for the next 2 nights.
My husband and I absolutely LOVED Guraidhoo. It’s a small island with sandy streets and 2 automobiles…. Ambulances actually. The rest of the vehicles are electric scooters and bikes so there’s really no noise pollution or gas smell. Most people walk everywhere and we got so comfortable walking around we actually ended up doing it barefoot a few times (because of rain puddles).
Since our arrival evening transfers took a bit longer than expected thanks to a boat motor moving a little slower than usual, we headed straight to our hotel and crashed.
A 12 hour flight from JFK-DOHA, a layover, and then a 4 hour flight DOHA-Male is a long day with a 9 hour ahead time difference. Our travel also included a 6 hour drive from Charlotte, NC to Northern Virginia to drop the dog off with my sister, and an evening flight from DCA-JFK to overnight ahead of our jump across the pond. Totaling 4 actual days of travel – and that’s just to get there, we still had to come back after 10 days. That might belong in this trip’s liveaboard “cons” list if we’re comparing it to travel from the East Coast to the Caribbean.
Check these faces after 20 + hours of travel
It had been over 12 months since my husband’s last dive (I know, I’m the worst, I haven’t taken him on resort… but in my defense… he used most of his vacation for our honeymoon in May). So we joined the next morning’s dive through the local dive shop on Guraidhoo and met some of our future liveaboard passengers as well!
I did try my full face OceanReef mask on this dive – but I’m still not as comfortable as I’d like to be with it and equalizing, especially not on a deep dive so I swapped to my regular mask and backup for the rest of the dives.
Important things we needed to know ahead of arrival in a new country were the island restrictions, expectations, and rules. Because the Maldives are an Islamic country I wanted to ensure I was respectful of their cultures and traditions which affected what kind of clothing I packed and meant we got used to hearing the call to prayer 5 times a day (our hotel was also right behind the mosque). That also meant I had to do a little shopping as my knees were uncovered in my dresses, and I made sure I wore t-shirts to keep my shoulders covered.
Our hotel for the first 2 nights was called Rosy Villa; a quaint guest house hotel with stairs only to all the rooms, no bikinis in the common areas, a continental breakfast for divers included, and a short walk from the dive shop.
Our host ensured we had a memorable time on his home island and that included a special supper for us and our liveaboard buddies followed by an authentic Maldivian drum and dance performance. It was certainly a core memory created! I also did a little *more* local shopping and picked up a beautiful whale shark pendant, positive manifestation that we might actually see a real one on this trip!
Our liveaboard experience was finally here! Our group packed up and boarded the private boat transfer back to Male to meet the rest of our 19 person group that we’d be living with for the next 10 days. (tack on another $30pp for that transfer)
We were sad to leave our new friends at Manta Divers but excited to see what else the rest of this archipelago of 26 natural atolls had in store for us.
Our “transfer” to the liveaboard was actually the boat we’d be diving off of the rest of our trip. A Dhoney? Dohny? Doney? I never did figure out how to spell it…. About a 200 sq. ft. boat space loaded up with our luggage. The boat included the modern amenities expected for a dive trip and compressors on board (air & nitrox) for easy tank fills along the way.
With all the divers accounted for – we headed out and around the airport into the harbor to meet Carpe Vita and her crew. For this trip, Mujavaz Scuba & Travel had booked space for 14 divers, 2 divers came from the UK and booked on their own, and another 3 came from Germany booking on their own. We all got along well though! With that many people there is sure to be some scuffles – but for the most part I thought we all got along well, language barriers and all.
We were greeted by Captain “Adam”, and the boat crew and then escorted to the main salon lounge for medical questionnaire paperwork, liability waivers, showing our certification cards, and confirming our last logged dive dates. We were also introduced to our dive guide team and had a brief boat orientation to explain what to expect on this trip.
Our schedule for the next 10 days would include:
6am wake up knock on our door
6:30am Dive Briefing in the salon & head to the dive boat
6:45a(ish)-8:30(ish) Morning Dive 1
8:30(ish) Breakfast – indicated by a ringing bell
10:30a Dive Briefing #2 & head to dive boat (bell)
10:45a-12:30p Morning Dive 2
12:45p Lunch bell
3pm Dive Briefing #3 & head to dive boat (bell)
3:15p-5p(ish) Dive #3
7p Dinner Bell
This would be the schedule or variation of such depending on sail time to each of the atolls and dive sites we had planned, We also had 2 night dives for this trip, one was a Manta dive where we knelt on the sea floor just behind the boat, and the other was a night shark dive (again kneeling). You got used to hearing that bell ringing and even now that the trip is over, my ears are still ringing! You could choose to skip dives as well and sleep in or hang out on the boat. But we kept a pretty strict schedule!
This liveaboard included 10 staterooms that could be configured for 1-3 guests per room dependent on the need. Our group had a few single divers which meant they were partnered up as roommates to share a room and bathroom, unless they chose to pay the single supplement for their own room. For this sail, the boat had 19 guests on board with ages ranging from early 30s to late 70s.
My husband and I are spoiled and were booked into one of the VIP suites on the top deck, but that also meant any ocean swells were felt harder by us than the staterooms on the lower levels.
There was a chef on board to create all our buffet meals (differing menus each night), room staff for cleaning & turndown service, and all our dive gear remained on the dive boat the entire time. I really loved the convenience of the crates we had for our dive gear – nothing special, just large plastic milk crates. If you brought your own gear, it was delivered to the dive boat/ if you rented from the liveaboard they would help you get it onto the dive boat. Then you selected your tank and set up your gear one time, this became your “spot” on the dive boat for the rest of the trip. Your BCD remained on that tank for the entirety of the trip, and the rest of your gear (fins, mask, booties, etc.) was in your crate under the bench seating. You could choose to leave your wetsuit hanging on the boat as well! But, you know me and my favorite dive brand suits…. I packed 6 different dive-outfits for this trip. (Hey Spacefish Army ❤ )
Keep in mind – because you’re on a yacht, your dining is all at the same table with the same group of people for the next 10 days. The food I will say, was delicious. We enjoyed everything from fresh pastries, to custom omelets, to juicy tuna steaks, and fresh sashimi… And everything in between! Thankfully we all had the same mindset for meals – nobody kept the same seat, we all kept rotating and connecting with each other.
With all our dive gear remaining on the dive boat, that meant the only thing you needed to carry with you each dive would be your camera equipment, water bottle (reusable, and provided by the boat), and your towel (also provided by the boat). There were also fresh water rinse tanks for cameras and dive computers, along with fresh water shower sprayers (3) to rinse after the dives. The boat and dive team also helped you get between those boats via ladder and handing your stuff back and forth. Thankfully nobody dropped anything into the abyss while crossing over!
For the down time between meals and dives, you were on your own for entertainment. Most of the time for me, that meant reading or napping on the top sundeck if the weather was nice, or clinging to the bed and hoping I wasn’t going to be thrown off of it attempting to nap on the first day of sailing.
We had some rough weather that first 8 hour sail day. A lot of our boatmates really felt the motion of the ocean – and not in the good way. Thankfully we got it out of the way at the beginning of our trip. I had visited my doctor ahead of travel for prescription seasickness medication which helped, plus all the over the counter options and ginger chews…. I read a ton of prep articles for this liveaboard and asked our PADI team for advice of what was a definite need on board. I have control issues!
Packing List at the end!
The amazing thing about a liveaboard is it’s convenience and accessibility to dive sites you may not get from a resort experience.
Because you’re already on a ship in the middle of the ocean, you have the opportunity of visiting sites that are less accessible to resort divers because of the sailing time. Most of our sailing time on the dive boat was 10 minutes or less to the dive site from our liveaboard. That meant more time in the water, less travel time.
This also means you have the opportunity to see different sea life than you might from a resort because not all sea life hangs out on the reef directly next to your resort – especially if the resort island doesn’t have their own “house reef”.
I absolutely loved the way every Dive Briefing was thoroughly detailed of that dive sites plan. You learned the name, the history of the site, what kid of dive it would be (most were drift dives for us – meaning the boat dropped us off in one spot, and picked us up in another), what you could expect to see and where we would start based on the current at the site and maximum depths. You then were told which group was going first (A, B, C) and onto the dive boat you loaded. (Your group was assigned on day 1 and you remained with them the entire time)
Hi Mujey!
I also loved that the dive team on the boat would check the current at each site and give you that information before you were fully suited up – that meant if there was stronger/weaker current, you could choose to adjust your weights and they’d tell you which shoulder to keep to the reef so you were headed the right way. We of course stayed as a group which is how I like to do my dives – I’m still not as confident in reading a compass as I should be – but hey, every day is a school day!
I will say our last dive day we all just had to laugh when the dive guide came up and said “slight to medium current” and when we got down there it was all we could do to kick in one direction to stay in the same spot. We all just ended up making sure our buoyancy was correct and that we didn’t kick any coral as we were pushed the length of the wall. If you wanted to stop – you’d better be sure you had your reef hook ready and had a spot picked out! It was a lot of “look at that! …. there it gooooooooes!”
One of the experiences that took me a minute to wrap my head around was that if one diver was low on air, they’d indicate it to the dive leader (as normal) and the dive leader would pair them with their buddy or take them up to end that divers dive – but the rest of the group would remain on the dive and just be adopted by another group. I guess that’s another plus of the separate dive boat! The captain knows where the divers should end (and he’s watching bubbles) so they can jump to each group for pickups. This happened while my husband was still using a small tank, we upgraded him to a larger tank after day 2 ;). It had been a while since I’d deployed a DSMB so the dive instructor did it for me the first time, and I was able to deploy it the 2nd time. The fact that the dives didn’t end when a diver hit 1000PSI was also a change from my regular resort experiences. Low on air was considered 700PSI for this trip – and we were all on Nitrox. That meant most dives were pushing 1 hour bottom time!
Even though were were on a ship, there were still a few surprises for this trip. The first was that one of the couples (and our new friends) attending with us had planned to partake in a symbolic wedding on one of the islands we stopped on during our beach barbeque! It was beautiful as was the bride!
I was honored to be asked by the Groom to take their phones and document/record the night. It was a huge surprise to the rest of our group on the liveaboard and such an awesome experience to see how the boat team could pull together a beautiful wedding with mostly natural resources. Everything except the tables and chairs it seemed were pulled directly from the island. The team even made the bride a bouquet and flower crown, and they designed a beautiful sand sculpture.
It was also my husband’s birthday during this trip, and there is no way I’ll be able to top this year’s experience. Not only was he treated to TWO happy birthday songs (once on the morning dive, and again at dinner), but an amazing Birthday Cake created by the on board chef AND a night MANTA dive! I seriously encourage you to click that link to watch the YouTube video – it was an INCREDIBLE experience with these majestic, enormous creatures. Luckily this was the SECOND time I got to see them as we also did a Manta Snorkel in the Marine Sanctuary one day but my husband decided that because he sinks like a rock – he wouldn’t have much fun struggling to snorkel at the same time.
The team seriously goes above and beyond to make every divers experience one for the memory books. My husband LOVES to fish, and he was able to get some fishing in with the Captain one morning (he skipped a dive), and another bout of Maldivian style fishing off the back of the boat – until the Dolphin showed up!
manta snorkel!
We logged 27 dives over 10 days along with that separate Manta Snorkel experience and opportunities to jump off the back of the liveaboard to snorkel with the Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, and Nurse Sharks that joined us some evenings.
For our return back to Male – we had a late night/early morning flight – however you look at it. Our sail ended around 8am on October 14th, but our flight didn’t take off until 1am October 15th, so we had almost a whole day to fill in Male.
We were able to get into a guest house hotel in Male near the airport with 3 of the other divers for the day – meaning we could store our luggage in a locked room and have access to a shower!
Our amazing host friends did not stop the experience when the boat trip ended – they escorted us all around the capital city to see the President’s Marina, beautiful parks, Mosque’s, the oldest cemetery, the fish market & farmers market, and a man-made beach!
We also were treated to some of the best home made gelato I’ve ever tasted, at the Seagull Cafe. This happens to be a favorite spot of our hosts – so we all enjoyed some delicious food and sweets.
the King Pineapple – half a pineapple, gelato & fruit!
the Maldivian Surprise – half a coconut, 3 scoops gelato + fruit. Once you finish the inside – they cut up the coconut for you!
This was lunch for us – I also had a side of sweet potato fries to share with the table. WE ARE ADULTS!
It was an incredible trip and we made the long trek back home safely. We are eternally grateful to our friends at Mujavaz Scuba & Travel for pushing us to come on this trip with them – we can’t wait to travel with them again!
Packing List with Amazon Affiliate Links for easy shopping! (I may receive a commission from these items)
Medications: motion sickness/sea sickness, ear drops, nasal spray, prescriptions, first aid kit, etc.
Dive Tools: Save a Dive Kit, wrench/screwdriver, Mask Defog
Towels (the boat did have towels for dives that you used all day & replaced towels in your bathroom – it was nice to have separate quick-dry towels for relaxing on the sundeck or late night snorkels.
With a lot of traveling, comes a carefully curated bag of makeup for all occasions. While I tend to go overboard sometimes, depending on the trip… I do have a few staples that are always within reach.
Sunscreen: There are plenty of different options out there for sunscreen but I BEG of you, please find one that is Reef Friendly. While there is no actual regulatory organization overseeing these “reef friendly” “reef safe” stamps on products – you can be more aware by ensuring you’re reading the ingredients.
PADI has a great blog post about it here. Your basic take-aways are:
Choose a physical sunscreen with non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Nanominerals make the product easier to apply, but ecotoxicology research has determined nanoparticles are not reef-safe.
A sunscreen labeled “biodegradable” does not mean it is reef safe or non-toxic.
Is it more expensive – It might be. Is it better for everyone. YES. Your skin is nothing to mess around with, it’s the largest organ of the human body. Why wouldn’t you want to protect it with the best products?!
Some of my favorite options are listed here. And yes, you’ll find all the affiliate links there for easy shopping (I also may receive commission from it – so, thank you!).
Makeup-wise, my husband HATES watching me pack because I always have so much “crap” shoved in that little makeup bag. BUT I’ve dwindled it down to a few basics that can get me through any trip and I add or subtract based on the events we’re attending. For example; Our recent Girls Trip at Beaches Turks & Caicos; I packed tinted sunscreen, moisturizer, vitamin C serum, and mascara. For this upcoming Liveaboard trip in the Maldives, I have skincare only – no makeup at all (who am I trying to impress? hubby’s there already!).
For our Bridgerton Themed Global Sales Conference earlier this year? You bet I had a full array of makeup and accessories.
So here’s that basic visual, and I’ll go through a few of my favorite brands. Keeping it simple with neutral tones that can work for day or night.
Eyeshadow: This one pictured is Distributed by Jasmine La Belle from Target/Walmart/I don’t remember. And it’s great because it was cheap and I don’t mind if it gets smashed up in transit. For a splurge: Try Tarte’s Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
Foundation-ish, I’ve never really been a foundation girl and only for events – not on island (no use wasting good makeup!) I splurged for this one because I wanted quality; Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua with Broad spectrum spf 15. It’s buildable and doesn’t make my newly bronzed skin look funny color wise. It’s also super light because it’s a sunscreen makeup, not an actual foundation. Another Option I’ve used: Almay Smartshade collection.
Concealer & Powder: both by Physicians Formula; Butter Glow Concealer has an awesome lipstick like applicator PLUS a sponge – two for one! Natural Defense Finishing Powder is light, airy, and doesn’t look caked on. It’s a nice light dusting.
Eyeliner: KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner – this stuff is MAGIC. I’ve worn it in the ocean scuba diving and it doesn’t even budge. Get the Felt Tip if you wear contacts – it’s super easy to use.
Mascara: Benefit Bad Gal Bang Waterproof – again, this has been in pools, the ocean, scuba diving, etc. and it DOES-NOT-RUN.
Lip Oil (can also be used as blush): Jelly pong pong cosmetics – this probably came in an old Ipsy bag to be honest.
Dry Shampoo Options: Target usually has travel sizes of these to test out first, but I do love the Not Your Mother’s Options; Clean Freak, Plump for Joy and Beach Babe. Alternate option: I Dew Care Dry Shampoo – I used this all through our South Africa Honeymoon and it was the bomb.com.
After Bite: for those pesky mosquitoes! Stops the itch pretty quickly and is about the size of a marker so it easily fits in a purse or pocket.
Hair:
Goody invisible hair ties – for your braids, twists, etc. Tip: instead of pulling them out of your hair (and all that hair that breaks/comes with it), try heating up a curling iron or a straightener and tapping while the iron is hot to the hair tie. It should break easily and be removed easily!
Real LIfe Mermaid Hair Tie – I’ve used this multiple times while on a dive and it’s awesome. There are two elastic circles at each end where you pull your hair into a ponytail and then wrap the long piece around the tail/braid you’ve created and secure at the bottom.
Shampoo/Conditioner (if I have to bring it): Scuba Screen – eco friendly and reef safe! 10% off with code: mermaidmel. there’s also an awesome leave in conditioner spray that I use on the boat after dives.
After the last year and 9 months of doing more Dive focused travel – I’ve finally found a way to share all my favorite travel items and Scuba gear with you!
Check out the new pages on the Blog:
Amazon Finds (affiliate links included – commission may be received)
I’m also working on a Page where you can find all my recent trip recaps and share with friends, family, clients, etc.!
And don’t forget to stock up on your reef-safe/ biodegradable sunscreen from Stream 2 Sea for your next trip – use this link and the code divein for 10% off your order!
We are headed to the Maldives in October for our first EVER Liveaboard trip – so get ready for that prep and follow up as to what we packed, what we used, and what was a waste of money so you can pack lighter & smarter for your trips.
You’ll also see a comparison of an all-inclusive resort that has complimentary diving vs. a Liveaboard to help you choose your next dive destination!
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