Scuba diving travel

How do I choose a dive destination?

Short answer: match the diving to your experience, then check the season, water temperature and how you will get to the dive sites.

Start with your certification and comfort. Calm, warm water with good visibility and easy boat or shore dives is ideal for new divers, and many Caribbean and Red Sea destinations offer exactly that. Strong currents, deep walls, cold water and remote sites are better left until you have more dives logged. Then think about what you want to see (reefs, wrecks, big animals, small critters), how long you can travel and how many dives you want per day.

Ask the dive operators you are considering what conditions to expect at that time of year, what experience they recommend for their sites, and how many divers they put with each guide.

When is the best time of year to go?

Every destination has its own pattern of water temperature, visibility, rain, wind and wildlife seasons. Some marine life appears only in certain months, and storm seasons can close dive sites for days. In the Caribbean and the western Atlantic, for example, the official hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with most storms from August to October. Travelling just outside peak season can mean quieter boats, but check what that means for conditions first.

Should I choose a dive resort or a liveaboard?

A dive resort or a hotel near a dive center gives you a fixed base, one to three dives a day and time for non-diving partners and other activities. It suits new divers and mixed groups.

A liveaboard is a boat you live on for several days, moving between sites and diving three to five times a day. It reaches remote sites that day boats cannot, and it is the best way to fit in a lot of diving. Most liveaboards ask for a minimum number of logged dives or an advanced certification, and you need to be comfortable doing repetitive dives and managing your own nitrogen loading with a dive computer.

What should I pack for a dive trip?

• Your certification card (or digital card) and logbook; dive centers will ask for proof of training and recent experience.
• Proof of dive insurance and your emergency contact details.
• Mask, snorkel, fins and dive computer, plus a spare mask strap and computer battery.
• An exposure suit suited to the water temperature (see the wetsuit guide on the scuba gear for beginners page).
• Reef-friendly sunscreen and a rash guard or hat for long surface intervals.
• Seasickness tablets if you are prone to motion sickness, tested before the trip.
• A small save-a-dive kit: spare O-rings, a mouthpiece, cable ties and a mask defog.

Check your airline's baggage allowance before packing a full set of gear; many divers travel with only their personal items and rent the rest.

Do I need to do a refresher before my trip?

If you have not dived for about a year, most operators will ask for one, and it is worth doing anyway. You can book a refresher at a local dive shop before you travel, or with the dive center at your destination on the first morning. If you are still uncertified and want to finish your course on holiday, read how referrals work in learning to scuba dive.

Do I need special insurance for diving trips?

Check the small print of your travel insurance. Many standard policies exclude scuba diving, limit the depth covered or do not pay for hyperbaric treatment and evacuation. Dive-specific insurance covers those costs. Keep the policy number and emergency phone number with you on the boat.

How do I protect the reef while I dive?

Good buoyancy is the best thing you can do for the reef: hover, keep your fins off the bottom, tuck in loose hoses and gauges, and never touch, chase or feed marine life. Choose mineral sunscreens; Hawaii, for example, bans the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate to protect its reefs. Follow local marine park rules and the briefing your dive guide gives at each site.

When should I schedule my last dive before flying home?

Plan the last dive at least 18 hours before your flight if you have been diving for several days, which in practice usually means a full day off before you fly. The scuba diving safety guide explains the flying-after-diving guidelines from Divers Alert Network.