Where do I charge camera batteries?

Cabins have 1-2 outlets for personal charging. The camera table area has additional outlets for strobes and battery banks. Bring extension cords and a power strip.

Charging on a liveaboard requires planning because most cabins have only 1-2 power outlets and you'll have multiple batteries to juggle: dive computer, phone, camera body, camera lens (some), strobes, video lights, dive lights, drone batteries, and laptop. The boat's electrical system is reliable but the outlets are scarce.

Standard setup: cabin outlets handle phone, dive computer, and camera body charging overnight. The dedicated camera table area on the dive deck has additional outlets for strobes and large battery packs that need to charge between dives during the day. Some boats have a separate 'photo charging area' in the salon for laptop charging and editing.

Bring: a multi-port power strip rated for international voltage (110-240V), at least one universal travel adapter, USB charging hub for small devices, multiple charging cables in case one fails, and a small dry bag for keeping charged batteries separate from used ones.

Voltage considerations: most boats are 110V (Caribbean, Mexico, US-flagged vessels) or 220V (Maldives, Indonesia, Egypt, Europe). Premium boats often have both. Always check your charger's voltage rating before plugging in — modern Li-ion chargers handle 110-240V automatically, but older battery chargers can fry on the wrong voltage.

Lithium battery rules: large camera batteries (over 100Wh) cannot be checked on flights — they must travel in your carry-on. Most camera batteries (NP-FZ100, EN-EL15, LP-E6) are well under 100Wh. Strobe batteries (Sea & Sea, Inon, Retra) are typically 50-90Wh and also carry-on legal. Always print your battery watt-hour ratings and bring them with you for airport security.