A liveaboard in the Maldives can be a thrilling and immersive experience into nature, adventure, and friendship. We picked out 20 ingredients that will turn it into a flavorful, tropical cocktail.

1. Ocean, ocean and more ocean, as far as the eye can see

2. Everything is easier, from planning your dives to choosing your equipment, and it is less tiring than typical local dives

3. You get to do a lot of dives, and not just that: you also have lots of free time

4. The incredible variety of dives: from the unmissable reef passes to the thilas, from searching for whale sharks to various manta points…

5. You get to discover a wider geographic area, much bigger than a tiny island with its resort

6. The price: compared with a resort, you usually pay less, and you can do up to 3 dives per day

7. Can you beat an evening barbecue, on a deserted island?

8. Fresh fish, every day

9. You finally have the time to get to know the ocean and get playful with it

10. Being on a liveaboard means living on the ocean. Yes, I’m talking to you, who during the rest of the year don’t get to see much of it cooped up in your office

11. Unexpected encounters: you get to meet different people who share your passion. You can make lots of great friends

12. Small spaces often help to widen our perspective and improve interpersonal relationships

13. On a liveaboard we’re all on the same boat, literally. Sharing, community, and solidarity become keywords

14. You get to discover the beauty of living on a boat: waking up at dawn, and going to sleep gently rocked by the ocean

15. There’s never a dull moment

16. On board, you will find a staff of people from many countries, who speak different languages, and were raised in different cultures. You can learn a lot from them

17. Life on a boat is for everyone, from singles to couples, to families with children

18. By checking weather conditions, you can (almost) always sail where the sun is shining

19. As a diver, dive after dive you can improve your skills, ability, and experience

20. Breathtaking sunsets on the ocean, starlit skies… Here you can experience nature from a privileged vantage point

Did we convince you? OK, before leaving make sure your DAN membership is still active. If it isn’t, join DAN or renew your membership at www.daneurope.org.

Your DAN membership ensures the services of the biggest international network for assisting divers anywhere, during any emergency.