Forget the 20-item checklists. After enough island weekends, these seven things are what actually make or break the trip.
The ferry is small, the jetty is long, and you'll carry everything twice. Pack light, pack smart — this is the short list that survives real island trips.
- 1
A dry bag that actually seals
Spray on the ferry, rain on the boat, a wet jetty — your phone and dry clothes live or die by one good roll-top dry bag. 10–20L is plenty.
- 2
Reef-safe sunscreen + a rash guard
Oxybenzone bleaches coral. A long-sleeve rash guard means less sunscreen, less burn, and fewer stings from anything that brushes past.
- 3
Motion-sickness tablets — taken early
Take them the night before and the morning of, not when you already feel green. The small boats to the dive sites bounce.
- 4
A save-a-dive kit
One snapped mask strap can end a dive day. A tiny kit — spare strap, o-rings, a fin clip, cable ties — is the cheapest insurance you'll ever pack.
- 5
Cash, in small notes
Island ATMs are a rumour. Bring enough ringgit in small notes for the ferry, meals, tips and that post-dive coconut.
- 6
A microfibre towel + a warm layer
You get cold between dives even in the tropics. A quick-dry towel and a light fleece for the boat make surface intervals human again.
- 7
Your logbook and cert card
Dive centres will ask for your certification card and want to see recent dives. No card, no dive — don't let admin end your weekend.
Part of the Beginner guides collection.
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