The most important what's included in the price of a Maldives liveaboard trip

1. It should almost go without saying; what's usually included in a Maldives dive liveaboard trip is the diving. What is normally always included in the 'free' diving package will be a tank with air (Sometimes nitrox is also included for free - but check this on the liveaboard's own page - click the "Read Full Review" for more details). You can also use the filter on the left under "Diving" and filter using "Free Nitrox" if this is important to you. Your weight belt is also provided for each dive too, plus a free dive guide and up to 3-4 dives per day. But you'll need to either bring your own dive gear, or rent this onboard. Most Maldives dive liveaboards offer dive gear rental, where the cost of which can be checked on the page for that Maldives liveaboard (Click the Check Availability for details), or again using the filter under "Diving" and use the "Gear rental" filter.
2. A meal plan is usually also included on most Maldives liveaboards, which is similar to an all-inclusive hotel, but in this case you're on a floating Maldives' hotel in the middle of the Indian Ocean that surrounds the Maldives Atolls. Once you've chosen what looks like the perfect Maldives liveaboard for you, you'll be able to see which ones offer an all-inclusive meal package. But even better, use the filters down the left hand side and filter under "Food & Drinks" and "Full-board option", as this will give you all those Maldives liveaboards that include meals in the price shown.
3. There are many other things that are also included in the price of your Maldives liveaboard trip, and the best way to filter this Maldives Liveaboard Comparison Chart list to your chosen "what's important to you" is to use the "Included" filter on the left and tick each item you would like to be included on your Maldives liveaboard trip. The Liveaboard chart will update with each selection you make, to narrow down the list of Maldives Liveaboards that are perfect for your dive liveaboard trip.

The experience and certification requirements of Maldives liveaboards

Minimum logged dives: The number of logged dives required for a Maldives liveaboard depends on the chosen trip itinerary and the types of diving on that trip. Dive itineraries vary widely from one Maldives Liveaboard trip to the next, and this will largely depend on the dive depths and expected currents on the dives. Those dives that have strong currents and include depths of more than 20+ metres will likely have mandatory 50 to 100+ logged dive requirements. But trips where the dives are shallower and up to 20 metres deep, with little to no currents, the number of logged dives will be less than 50. When you select your chosen Maldives liveaboard, make sure to choose the right itinerary that is suitable for your diver certification level and number of logged dives.

Required certifications: The required certification level for Maldives dive liveaboards ranges from Open Water Diver (or equivalent) to Advanced Open Water (or equivalent). The best way to filter this Maldives Liveaboard Comparison Chart is to use the filters on the left hand side and choose "Dive Certification Level Required" and select your certification level. Also, bear in mind that many Maldives liveaboards offer scuba diving courses, where you can improve your diver certification level. For this search use the "Optional Extras (Not included in the price)" to filter for those Maldives liveaboards that offer scuba diving courses onboard.

Proof of certifications: To dive from a Maldives Liveaboard you will need to prove your certification level before you can dive. So make sure to bring your certification card or have access to the app provided by your scuba diving body. You will also need proof of Nitrox certification if you want to take advantage of nitrox onboard, or deep-dive certification if there are deeper dives on the itinerary you choose.

The number of dive and daily schedules offered on Maldives liveaboards

Daily dive count: Most standard Maldive liveaboards include up to 3 to 4 dives per day, where many include a night dive option too. On some Maldives liveaboards you can pay for additional dives too, but 3-4 dives per day is more than enough. The first dive of the day is often early in the morning before breakfast, and then the other 2-3 dives are done throughout the day, with the last one when it's starting to go dark or once it is dark. To filter the max number of dives per trip, you can use the left hand side filter using the "Max Dive Number" to filter by the total number of dives over the whole trip.

Rest and relaxation: When you are diving up to 4 times per day, this can get very tiring, especially if you're not using nitrox to dive. So you don't have to do every dive, but I always recommend you do the early morning dive, as this is the time I've always seen the most interesting things, especially shark activity (if you love sharks like I do!).

Pacing the dives and crossings: The great thing about diving The Maldives from a liveaboard is that most of the long distance travel is done over night, whilst you're eating dinner or sleeping. This means you wake up on the next dive site ready to go. But this also means there are no 'day-boat trips' to reach the dive site beforehand - you just need to get kitting up and dive. Diving The Maldives from a liveaboard also means you're there on the dive site before any day boats arrive. This is another good reason to always do the early morning dive, as you're less likely to encounter divers who are staying on land (i.e. on an Atoll), who use day boats to dive. Also, the number of dives per day on the trip as a whole is dependent on the number of transit days, and the distances between dive sites, where the boat moves between sites during the day.