Usually 20–80 nautical miles overnight at 8–10 knots. Long crossings to remote sites like Darwin or Cocos can take 14–36 hours.
Most liveaboards cruise at 8 to 10 knots and reposition while guests are asleep, covering somewhere between 20 and 80 nautical miles between the last dive of one day and the first dive of the next. That is deliberate: the crossing happens during the hours nobody wants to be diving anyway, so no dive time is lost.
Some itineraries include a longer crossing
The run from the Galápagos central islands north to Wolf and Darwin takes roughly 14 hours. Cocos Island is a 30 to 36 hour crossing from Puntarenas in Costa Rica. Egypt's Deep South itineraries out of Port Ghalib include a long steam to St. John's. On these legs the boat may be moving for a full day, and the crew usually programme lectures, gear workshops or simply a rest day.
Comfort during crossings depends on the vessel and the season
Steel-hulled boats with stabilisers ride open water far better than lightweight wooden phinisi. If you are prone to motion sickness, choose a lower, mid-ship cabin and start your medication the evening before the crossing rather than when it has already begun.
Itineraries are always weather-dependent
A captain who shortens a crossing or swaps a site is protecting your safety and comfort, not cutting corners — and any decent operator will explain the reason at the briefing.
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