Scuba Vacation Travel Information
If you are new to Scuba diving, you may be excited to get out there and dive, but don't know where to go. Or you may be an experienced diver looking for a new favorite spot. This page and related pages will provide information and resources to plan your next dive vacation. This will provide information for some of the greatest scuba destinations in the world.
Planning your vacation:
The first thing you need to do when planning your vacation is determine the time of year you want to go. This will affect your vacation in many ways including weather, price, and crowds. Most Scuba destinations have a high and low season. These times can affect your prices by up to 40% and at peak times, lodging is almost unavailable. Weather is also a seasonal factor that must be accounted for in a Scuba vacation as the air temp, water temp, and storm seasons all effect how much fun you'll have.
Click the following links to go to planning information regarding specific destinations:
Gulf Coast Mexico
Pacific Coast Mexico
Central America
How to Find Scuba Vacation Packages
While some people prefer to plan and book their Scuba vacations themselves, important details can sometimes be forgotten or overlooked until it is too late. Unless you are experienced at planning full vacations, the help of a travel agent or other resources are helpful.
Many travel agencies can book your entire package at once, and often they recieve special packages or discounts that are not available elsewhere. Check with your local agency for details, and remember to ask for a SCUBA VACATION, or they may not book a boat or dive shop to help you. The downside to travel agencies is that they often have a surcharge for using their services which will add to the overall cost of your vacation.
Another alternative is to use an online travel agency, such as Travelocity, Expedia, or Orbitz. While these sites allow you to make your own plans, and offer packages of air, hotel, and rental car, they probably won't offer any type of dive trip packages. The ebenfit is that they will often get you the best available prices, and there is no extra charge for the service. If you do decide to go this route, make sure to contact a local dive shop at your destination prior to getting there. If you wait until you get there to book an excursion, you may find higher prices or no available boats, which would obviously ruin your Scuba vacation.
Another great way to get a full Scuba vacation package is to visit your hometown diveshop. While the package prices can sometimes be higher than if you planned it yourself, you can be assured that a dive shop package will include everything needed for a Scuba Vacation. They will often charter with a destination dive company and will include the boat, equipment, and often airfare and lodging as well.
Check out our Scuba Vacation Resources page for more help on planning your vacation.
Types of Scuba Vacations
There are a couple different ways to experience scuba diving on a vacation. You will want to decide which suits your needs best before planning your trip.
If you want to experience the local atmosphere of the destination, you may want to stay on the mainland and book daytrips on dive charters. This way you can get in some great two tank dives during the day, then hit the local restaurants and nightlife in the evening. Also, you can do other things than just Scuba dive. You may want to take a day to expplore Incan ruins in Cozumel, or just lay on the beack in Hawaii for a couple of days between dives. These types of vacations are best if you are visiting a dstination you have never been before as it allows you to exerience all it has to offer both above and below the water.
The other way to do a Scuba vacation is a live aboard dive boat. This type of trip is centered around scuba diving, and generally will not provide anything else than diving. The downside is you won't experience much of the local culture. The upside is you will be able to dive many more locations, and most dive spots will be accessible only by live aboard. Because you will be living on the boat, you are able to go much further away from the shore or a hotel, allowing you to get to hard to reach dive spots. This type of diving will give you more spectacular dives, as well as better locations because they are less visited.
Both types of vacation can be booked through a dive shop or travel agent, however, a live aboard will not be available on Orbitz or other online agencies.
Now that you know how to plan your Scuba vacation, make sure you have the right equipment. You can find great deals on a Scuba regulator, or other Scuba equipment here.