Yes. Reputable liveaboards carry emergency oxygen, a full first-aid kit, an AED on many vessels, and crew trained in oxygen provision and rescue.
Emergency oxygen is the single most important piece of dive-safety equipment on any boat, and every reputable liveaboard carries it — usually multiple units, with enough supply to support a casualty until evacuation. Ask about it when you compare operators; a boat that cannot answer clearly is a boat to avoid.
Standard on-board provision includes: at least one large oxygen cylinder with demand valve and non-rebreather masks, a comprehensive first-aid kit, backup communication by satellite phone or VHF, and crew certified in emergency first response and oxygen administration. An increasing number of vessels also carry an AED, and the better expedition boats carry two oxygen systems so one can stay with a diver in a tender.
What is not on board: a recompression chamber
Chambers are shore-based, and evacuation to one is the plan for any suspected decompression illness. This is exactly why dive insurance with evacuation cover is non-negotiable on remote itineraries — the flight alone can cost tens of thousands.
Before you book a remote trip, it is worth knowing the distance to the nearest chamber and how evacuation would run. We list nearest-chamber information on the vessel pages for expedition destinations, and the crew covers it in the first-day safety briefing.
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