Sea Base High Adventure

(Official List Plus Hints from Other Troop Blogs)

Equipment List & Info Regarding Your Adventure

Being Physically Fit

Every participant in the Florida Sea Base High Adventure program needs to be physically fit for the strenuous demands that will be placed on their body. You will be in the water a great deal, so go swimming often with your crew at your local pool. Do some light exercises to increase your stamina. You will be frequently lifting your body in and out of the water onto boats and docks. Get in shape! Stay in shape! People weighing over 300 pounds are not eligible to participate in Sea Base Adventures.

Gear Storage

There are two categories of storage areas for your Stuff when you arrive at Sea Base. Stuff that goes on the boat and stuff that will be stored in the Sea Base storage lockers. It is best to Be Prepared by packing your gear separately so that when you arrive at Sea Base, you will not need to spend extra time sorting through "what goes where". When the boarding process begins, things move very quickly. Being prepared will cause less confusion and ensure that the boarding prep time moves quickly (especially for adult leaders that brought too much stuff)

Personal Boat Gear - All of your personal gear (stuff), except pad and sleeping bag, must fit in a bag the size of a pillowcase. If you can't stuff it in a pillow sized bag, you have too much stuff! At check-in, your group will be directed to an area where each crew member will load there Sea Base bag. The bag is a "mesh" zipped style bag with one small pocket on the end for a billfold or other small personal items.

Sea Base Storage - The Sea Base has lockable storage for those items you won't actually need on the boat like uniforms, extra travel clothing, suitcases, etc. Bring only what you need. Due to space limitations a soft duffel bag works best.

The storage lockers at Sea Base are bigger than you might imagine from their description. We got a "double" because we had so much gear (we'd been scuba diving before getting to Sea Base, so we had a bunch of stuff). Ours was 4'x4'x6' and held everything with ease. We didn't know they had double lockers and were more than a little worried about how we were going to stuff everything into the 2'x2'x4' space their literature refers to. Remember that 'doubles' aren't guaranteed, however.

WHAT TO BRING

• NOTE: Make sure you can successfully pass the BSA Swim Test.
• NOTE: Make sure your name is on the crew roster your leader is going to send us.
• NOTE: Don't forget to bring a photocopy of front and back of your Health insurance card (Signed).
• NOTE: Proof of age/photo ID

Other Important Items:

• 1 Class A and 1 Class B Shirt or uniform.  If traveling by plane, it is customary for Crews to wear there First Class Uniform. To and From your destination.

For the Boat

• 3 t-shirts (one for in the water if you are really sunburned, 1 dry shirt for on the boat, and 1 to wear at night)
• A lightweight rain jacket. The type that fold up into a small pouch (no pants)
• Sunglasses with strap (Polarized are best)
• 1 pair of deck shoes or sandals (non marking soles. Do Not bring Flip Flops)
• 16 oz Non-Oily waterproof sunscreen lotion SPF 30+ No Aerosol Products or Sprays. Lip Balm.
• 1 pair of lightweight shorts. for when you are not in a swim suit (late afternoons & evenings)...
• 1 lightweight Columbia swamp hat with 3" brim
• 2 pair of socks
• Large-mouth water bottle with plastic clip, (If you like coffee, a mug in addition is good)
• One sheet and warm blanket or a summer sleeping bag (most used there beach towel as a blanket)
• Sleeping pad. A self-inflating pad (like a ThermaRest) is worth the money on some boats
• 2 or 3 swimsuits with liners (one wet, one drying, one dry) The poly type drys fast and will not chap your skin
• 2 towels. Keep one clean & dry towel in a zip-lock bag until you get to Key West where there are fresh water showers
• Bring clips, strings/rope and/or clothes pins to clip water bottles and wet clothes to the boat
• Key West Clothes
  • 1 pair of shorts, pullover lightweight polo shirt; 1 pair underwear, 1 pair socks, comfortable walking shoes (deck shoes can double as walking shoes).
• Prescription Medication
• Copy of Medical Insurance information
• Proof of age/photo ID

Optional Items

• Hawaiian style shirt (Luau)
• Camera (waterproof if possible)
• Extra money ($75-$100)
• Personal snorkel gear (really not needed-Sea Base snorkels are pretty good)
• Bonnie (for sea sickness)
• A bottle of Aloe lotion or gel
• Crew photo - $6.00 per copy (2008)

Do Not Bring on the Boat

• MP3 player
• Fireworks
• Skateboards
• Flip Flops

Spending Money

Crews often ask about spending money. $100.00 per person is adequate unless you want to buy a lot of souvenirs or eat lunch and/or dinner off the boat. Expect to pay more for food and snacks at Key West than you would normally. Fishing licenses are included for all participants on Coral Reef vessels.

Crew Kit

The Crew Kit is basically a First Aid kit. Each crew should have there own Crew Kit which should included the following items.

Aloe-vera cream, extra pack of Bonine, emergency sunscreen and Lip Balm, Insect repellent, Polysporine, Hydrocortizone cream, Medicated powder, Vinegar & Rubbing Alcohol mixture (for ear wash & stings), Benadryl (itching), "No tears" shampoo (see D-Fog), Waterproof medical tape, Gauze pads, Assorted band aids, Bottle distilled water (to wash out wounds), Tylenol, Immodium, Alcohol prep pads, Smelling salts.

EARDROPS - Make your own with a small saline bottle with isopropyl alcohol in it, labeled 'EARS'.

DEFOG - Make your own snorkel defogger solution. Mix no tear shampoo with 50% Water in a bottle marked DEFOG) A small saline bottle marked DEFOG works well.

The crew chief should probably kept the DEFOG and EARDROPS bottles in his dive bag in the boats Cock Pit for convenience of use. Ask the captain. None of our crew, except me, used the DEFOG. While I did not have any trouble with fog in my mask, I used the DEFOG once and found that one small drop cleared the mask lense even more. Be sure to use a small bottle for EarDrops and DEFOG.

Sun Screen Protection

SPF 30 was just about right for 85% of the time and everyone should have their own 16-32oz bottle. One bottle of SPF 30 in the crew kit for everyone to share on those afternoons when folks are starting to burn would be a good idea. Pay close attention to the crew on the first day out and have the crew chief make them keep putting on the lotion. Every time they get wet, have a lotion party. Remind them to take care of each other's backs! And remind them again and again. Unless you already have a good tan, you'll find that about 3 PM, you should either be putting on shirts or a stronger sun block lotion. The other days aren't as critical.

Motion Sickness

Bring lots of Bonnie, but don't bring a bunch of other products. You should plan on 1 table per person, per day, just in case you run into nasty weather and everyone needs it. Although I have good sea legs and knew I wouldn't need anything to prevent seasickness, I took Bonnie along with everyone else the first doses so the Scouts didn't feel they needed to be 'macho'. The BEST way to use Bonnie is to start the night before getting on the boat. Have the entire crew take ½ tablet before going to bed. The crew takes another ½ tablet first thing next morning, before breakfast. That dosage should be good for 12-24 hours. I then chose to not re-dose anyone until those that were going to have a problem started showing symptoms. If someone starts to get queasy, get them dosed right away. Those individuals then received ½ tablet dosages right away and then each night and each morning for the remainder of the trip. As it turned out, only two Scouts needed the medication on a daily basis. But then, the Atlantic was ridiculously calm during our trip. The biggest swell we saw, once, was when we were 10 miles out into the blue water and they were only 3 feet high.

Water Canteens

You'll be drinking LOTS of water or a water based mix. Several of us bought 1-liter bottles with the Sea Base logo on them at the ship's store, but we could have just as easily brought canteens from home. Those that brought unbreakable mugs did just fine; they just made more trips to the water jug.

Self-Inflating Pad

A self-inflating pad (like a ThermaRest) is worth the money. Do not come to Sea Base with the assumption that you will be able to sleep in the Gallo. Some of the boats can accomodate a younger crew underneath but in general the Scouts should be prepared to sleep on the boat deck. Where a self-inflating pad will soften a hinge or other deck irregularity, the foam pads didn't do a very good job.

Towels - Drying gear

I took a swimmer's squee-gee on the trip to dry off after snorkeling. This small 1' X 2' cloth work well, dried fast and took up much less room in my Sea Base bag. Regular towels worked well also. Most of the boys on our trip used a dry towel beach as a blanket for overnight sleeping. If you take regular cotton towels, take two and keep one clean & dry in a zip-lock bag until you get to Key West and the fresh water showers.

Crew Chief Scout

Your crew chief needs to be the Scout best capable of delegating authority and following up on assignments and we strongly encourage you to play a major role in who is selected as crew chief. Your crew chief will make a huge difference in how much you all enjoy the trip, and it is worth it to have one who is focused. He shouldn't be timid in giving adults direction, either.

Make sure your crew is aware that they may need to stand anchor watch one, two or maybe every night while you're aboard. You'll be anchoring in somewhat protected waters, but an anchor watch may be necessary depending on weather, tides and anchorage. Anchor watch is divided into 2-hour periods (10-12 MN, 12-2, 2-4 & 4-6am). Have a strong flashlight available for the watch crew for signaling, and be sure a wristwatch is handy so each team can wake the next (do not bring you cell phone on the boat. There is no service).

Read Up On Coral Reef and Fish

You can further enlighten your crew if you'll learn about the state of the U.S. coral reefs before you go. From our first scuba dive outside Islamorada all the way down to Key West, we paid attention to the state of the coral. If you learn what to look for in living coral, you'll see the degradation that's happening and it is a very personal way to communicate a conservation message to the Scouts. If you don't have the time or opportunity to learn about it before you go, ask your captain to educate you while on board.

Fishing Details

All our vessels carry a fishing license that will cover you during your week aboard. Generally, the fishing tackle aboard Coral Reef sailboats is two heavy-duty trolling rods and reels with 40 to 50 pound test line. These are supplied as well as a small tackle box with several large saltwater lures and a variety of hooks and weights. This should be more than adequate to catch any of the large saltwater fish. If you are an extreme fisherman, you might want to bring a medium weight freshwater rig - no more than 2 per crew are allowed. This tackle can be used while at anchor in several locations.

The fishing tackle aboard Coral Reef sailboats is two heavy-duty trolling rods and reels with 40 to 50 pound test line. These are supplied as well as a small tackle box with several large saltwater lures and a variety of hooks and weights. This should be more than adequate to catch any of the large saltwater fish. If you have freshwater fishing gear, you may bring a maximum of two medium weight freshwater casting rigs and tackle, however, these can ONLY be used at anchor."

Your vessel has limited fresh water, so you will typically take "Joy" baths. A "Joy" bath consists of bathing in the saltwater with Joy dish soap and then having a friend pour a bit of fresh water over your head.

Upon your return to Sea Base, you will clean your boat, return your snorkeling gear and prepare for the evening program (patch presentation and reflection). Some crews like to bring Hawaiian type shirts for this...be prepared to do the "Limbo".

First Aid Items

Rashes & Blistering

This is the stuff that hopefully we will not learn about. Rashes, bumps and blistering - some algae and larvae are irritants to human flesh. After exposure, a rash develops. We had plenty of guys with open skin areas affected, like the forearms and elbows. It can take a couple days for the bumps to form. We didn't know what it was or how to treat it until we got home. It looks like poison ivy, but doesn't itch as badly. These are most prevalent during summer months.

So you'll have the information up front, here are the facts straight from the Diver's Alert Network with suggestions on treatment that could affect your crew first aid kit:

"Seaweed dermatitis: There are more than 3,000 species of algae, which range in size from 1 micron to 100 meters in length. The blue-green algae, Micro coleus lyngbyaceus, is a fine, hairlike plant that gets inside the bathing suit of the unwary aquanaut in Hawaii and Florida waters, particularly during the summer months. (SCOUTERS NOTE: IT WILL ALSO ATTACK OTHER AREAS). Usually, skin under the suit remains in moist contact with the algae (the other skin dries or is rinsed off), and becomes red and itchy, with occasional blistering and / or weeping. The reaction may start a few minutes to a few hours after the victim leaves the water.

Treatment consists of a vigorous soap-and-water scrub, followed by a rinse with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Apply 1 percent hydrocortisone lotion twice a day. If the reaction is severe, oral prednisone may be administered.

Sea bather's eruption, often misnamed "sea lice" (which are true crustacean parasites of fish, and which inflict minuscule bites), occurs in sea water and involves predominately bathing suit-covered areas of the skin, rather than exposed areas. The skin rash distribution is very similar to that from seaweed dermatitis, but no seaweed is found on the skin. The cause is stings from the nematocysts (stinging cells) of the larval forms of certain anemones, such as Linuche unguiculata, and thimble jellyfishes. The injured person may notice a tingling sensation under the bathing suit (breasts, groin, cuffs of wetsuits) while still in the water, which is made much worse if he/she takes a freshwater rinse (shower) while still wearing the suit. The rash usually consists of red bumps, which may become dense and confluent (i.e., run together in a mass). Itching is severe and may become painful.

Treatment consists of immediate (for decontamination) application of vinegar or rubbing alcohol, followed by hydrocortisone lotion 1 percent twice a day. Topical calamine lotion with 1 percent menthol may be soothing."

These items will be in the first aid kit along with medicated powder and other medication and treatments for rashes.