Da Gama evidently expected trouble — he went equipped with cannons plus many crossbows, pikes, and spears. Da Gama decided to avoid the unfavorable winds and currents that Dias had encountered ten years earlier.
Gama acīmredzot gatavojās arī sadursmēm — ekspedīcija bija apbruņota ar lielgabaliem un daudziem stopiem, pīķiem un šķēpiem.