For boat-based crew
Liveaboard jobs worldwide
Liveaboard jobs are some of the most rewarding contract roles in the dive industry. Crews spend a week, sometimes longer, on the same boat with paying guests — running multiple dives a day, briefing groups, managing equipment, navigating remote sites and keeping the trip running smoothly. The pace is intense; the diving is often unmatched.
Live roles on DiveGigs include cruise directors, instructors, divemasters, dive guides, deck crew and support staff (chefs, engineers, hospitality). Most positions are contract-based — a season, a string of trips or a block of months — and many include accommodation aboard the boat as standard. Browse current listings below, or build a free profile to be notified when matching roles open.
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What liveaboard operators usually look for
Liveaboard work is multiple dives a day for week-long blocks, with no shore leave. Operators look for staff who thrive on that rhythm rather than burning out by day three.
Active instructor or divemaster ratings in good standing. For deck crew and captain roles, current STCW and any required local boat licences.
Nitrox is near-mandatory on liveaboards. Deep, Sidemount, Wreck and Boat Diver instructor ratings significantly increase appeal.
English minimum. Liveaboards run multilingual guest groups; second languages (German, Russian, Mandarin, Spanish, French) materially widen role options.
Calm guest manner during long trips, clean record on safety and student outcomes, and willingness to muck in with non-diving boat duties when needed.
Liveaboard CVs need to show endurance, not just credentials
Liveaboard hiring managers want to see two things on a CV: recent multi-trip charter experience (or transferable equivalent) and ratings that match how their boat operates — Nitrox at minimum, often Sidemount, Deep and Wreck instructor ratings. They also look for languages and references from operators they recognise. Generic CVs miss those signals. Our free CV builder is built for the dive industry — work history fields capture trip length, route and role, and the layout puts dive operators' priorities on top.
Career notes
Many liveaboard staff progress from divemaster or instructor on land-based operations to dive guide on a boat, then to senior instructor or cruise director. Cruise director is the senior dive role on most liveaboards — responsible for the trip schedule, guest experience and dive briefings. Some staff branch into captain or engineer roles after additional maritime certifications. Liveaboard work tends to be feast-or-famine: intense contracts for several months, then time off, then another contract. Many crew structure life around that rhythm.
Common questions
Most liveaboard contracts are season-based — three to seven months — with some shorter trip-by-trip arrangements. Cruise director and senior crew positions sometimes run year-round on operators that work multiple destinations.
Almost always. Crew sleep aboard the boat in dedicated crew cabins, with meals included. The trade-off is that you live and work in the same enclosed space for the entire trip.
Often, especially when accommodation, meals and tips are factored in. Tips can vary substantially by region and trip — some Red Sea liveaboards generate strong tip pools, while others rely entirely on base pay.
Cruise directors are responsible for the entire dive programme — trip schedule, dive site selection, group briefings, guest experience and crew coordination. Instructors and divemasters report to the cruise director and run their assigned dive groups.
For dive instructor and divemaster roles, no — your dive certifications are the requirement. For deck crew, captain or engineer roles, STCW and any country-specific licences are usually mandatory.
The biggest concentrations are in the Red Sea (Egypt), Indonesia (Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda Sea), the Maldives, Galápagos, Cocos Island, Cuba, the Bahamas and parts of the Pacific. Regional seasons vary — Indonesia liveaboards run October through April; Caribbean liveaboards mostly run November through May.
Often, since crew embark and disembark in port countries. Each listing spells out whether the employer arranges visas or expects you to handle your own.
Build a free profile and turn on email alerts. Liveaboard hiring is concentrated around season changes — being subscribed when those roles drop matters. DiveGigs emails you the same day a matching role goes live.
Related dive jobs
Land-based instructor roles, often a path to liveaboard work.
Divemaster roles on land and at sea — many pathway to liveaboard.
PADI-specific instructor roles, including liveaboard postings.
Land-based seasonal teaching at coastal and island resorts.
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