SPORTS, “AN ACTIVE VACATION”

A DIVE VACATION, “UNDER THE SEA”

BY CLAY LARROY

Do you feel like it is time for a short vacation? Once you decide to travel, how good you plan the trip will help you feel comfortable and be comfortable at your destination. Not only will you feel less anxiety before the trip, but you can rest assured that once you arrive where you're going you will have a good understanding of what's going on there.  When you need to plan a vacation contact me!

Scuba diving offers travelers seeking an active vacation the opportunity to view parts of our world seen by very few. Divers are part of an exclusive club, sharing experiences normally reserved for marine life. Like few other activities, diving provides an unparalleled reason to travel and one that will leave you searching for your next marine adventure. If the idea of sharing your holiday with angel fish, eels and sharks, watching turtles gliding along the sea bed and exploring shipwrecks appeals to you, read on and learn the basics of dive travel planning.

If you already are an experienced diver, you know the joy of seeing a rare underwater species or one that you have never seen before. Add to that experience the thrill of traveling to a new, perhaps exotic, destination to explore, and you have a real adventure at hand. Setting off on a dive vacation in a distant land may seem daunting, but with the help of your travel agent - who can take care of the planning - diving will add an entirely new dimension to your adventures. If you are new to diving, traveling with a tour company that provides expert guidance is one of the best possible introductions.

A successful dive trip relies on choosing your destination and travel dates wisely, a good travel consultant to assist with the logistics, a little luck, and a lot of coordinated planning. If you currently dive, it’s likely that you have already traveled at some point to pursue your hobby. If you are new to diving, or if this is your first diving holiday, then you may want to consider taking a "learn to dive" holiday offered at many resort locations worldwide. PADI is a certification association for divers and a worldwide source of diving knowledge, advice and instructors. Dive resorts most often require PADI certification to rent equipment to divers or to provide refills for air tanks. PADI offers training through YMCAs and dive supply shops. Basic training can be done in a swimming pool with final certification taking place in "open water". A PADI open water certificate can be gained anywhere from 4 days to 6 weeks, depending on your training time and ability, and you can comfortably go on holiday to learn about and experience diving in the ocean by the end of a week. You’ll need to learn a lot of the theory that goes with this qualification, which means you should be prepared to do some homework during your holiday - but it’s time well spent.

As you begin planning, have a general idea of the amount of time you want to spend diving and the time you want to enjoy other activities. Also prepare your budget for the trip, weighing diving costs against transportation, lodging, food, and entertainment. When you evaluate the type of experience you’d like to have, ask yourself if there are species of marine life you particularly want to see, or if there’s a part of the world you’ve always wanted to visit? Do you want a "live aboard" experience, or are you looking for a resort - and diving is a secondary activity? The more consideration you give these issues, the more efficient the planning process will be, the more you’ll enjoy your vacation, and the quicker you will be on your way.

Your first stop should be a good travel agent experienced with tour operators offering dive trips and dive destinations. Because of the logistics of a diving trip and your investment in both time and money, it is important to have a practiced set of eyes watching out for you. A good travel consultant will know which destinations and tour operators are appropriate (and which to avoid) and can assist in pulling together less obvious components of the trip, often at substantial discounts.

If you are an experienced diver, then the world literally is your playground. Most divers have a long list of where they want to go and wrecks and marine life they want to see. Naturally, your budget will be a key factor when you finally decide where to go. Be sure to let your travel agent know any special preferences or requests at the first opportunity, so every possible detail is taken into account early in the planning process. In South America and the Caribbean, top destinations are Belize, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos and Mexico. In Europe, Italy, Malta and its famous Blue Lagoon, Spain, and Croatia are all popular. The Red Sea is a world famous diving destination that’s accessible from Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. South Africa offers cage diving to see Great White Sharks, and opportunities are endless in Asia and Australasia. Not to be missed are Truk Lagoon in Micronesia, and of course - the Great Barrier Reef. Very few localities require special dive permits; in most cases, a local PADI dive center can obtain a permit in short order. However, in some countries, notably in the Middle East, permit acquisition can take more than a week, so plan well in advance.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

I've always loved scuba diving and the cell-tickling feel of being underwater, though it poses unique frustrations. Alone, but with others, you may share the same sights and feelings, but you can't communicate well.

Diane Ackerman

 Travel to create marvelous memories for you and your family or friends!