Finally! So you have saved a whole year
for your diving holiday, finally... time off from work. And you want it to be
worth it, right! It can be hard nowadays to find the right holiday, especially
when you get all these offers on your table. If you haven't been on a diving
holiday before, than use these tips to get you on the right track.
So, how do you know where to look? If you don't know
where to look for diving holidays then a search engine like Google can get you
started. Type in keywords like "diving holiday red sea" and you
probably find what you are looking for. However...
It is probably a wise idea to look for independent
websites that provide you with information about diving destinations. Most
of the time those sites have reviews about dive centres and resorts. That's
what you are looking for: reviews from customers. It is a good idea to look for
diving forums and ask around about dive centres and resorts in certain areas.
Make sure that the reply doesn't come from the owner of the dive centre himself
:). Be careful with reading through guestbooks because site owners are likely to
have removed all the negative feedback.
A good site, for example, is the site from padi.com. PADI
stands for Professional Association for Diving Instructors and is the market
leader for diving education. On their website, you can find dive centres listed
by regions. You can be sure that those dive centres are checked by PADI which
means that they will have to stand up to certain standards. PADI also has the
PADI travel network which is quite a good tour operator.
Where to go?
It depends on what you are looking for! There are many aspects that make a
diving holiday your perfect diving holiday. The first thing that you probably
will have to decide is whether to do a live-aboard or not. Live-aboard diving
means a lot of dives, and usually not much activity on land. They usually offer
the best diving and can be a bit more expensive than traditional boat/shore
diving.
Also, think about boat diving or shore diving. Both types
have their ups and downs. Shore diving can be more adventurous with exciting
entries and exits. It can be a little bit more work than on a boat though.
Boat dives can be very relaxing but for some people, the
surface interval is too boring. Renting a whole boat with a dive club could be
great fun!!
If you are looking for more eccentric holidays then think
about camel dive safaris, yoga diving holidays, freediving and diving holidays
etc. There are companies out there that combine land excursions with scuba
diving, offering a more complete package.
What to look for at offers. The best offers are usually the
ones with flights, transfers and tax included. Make sure that you are aware of
any additional costs. What you are looking for are offers that provide you with
as much information as possible.
Don't forget your
research... Make sure that before you book your holiday, you have done the
necessary research. Give the dive centre a call, send a few emails. If you want
to do a course, then talk to your instructor if possible. Get reviews from
other customers. Simply get to know as much as possible and follow your
instinct.
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