The biggest mistake I made after getting certified was to not go on a dive trip. I was certified for over 10 years before I discovered the joy of dive trips. Not a trip, where you dive, but a trip centered around diving. There is a big difference. Dive trips are typically taken to locations where you can certainly enjoy the resort, go swimming and enjoy the pool, but you are there to dive. Diving is the focus.
My wife is a non-diver but there are lots of locations we can travel to where I can dive two or three times per day and we can still enjoy a great vacation together. We can both have what we want. I can check out some amazing wrecks or beautiful reefs, while my wife enjoys relaxing on the beach or reading a book. If you live in North America, you know how fortunate we are to have the Carribean islands so close to us. Some of the best diving in the world is just a short flight away.
Your Local Dive Shop
Check with your local dive shop and ask them if they are running any dive trips. The best dive shops have lots of trips to choose from. If your shop doesn’t, you might want to find another dive shop. My local dive shop, Seaventures, runs 60+ trips a year to various destinations, making it easy for you to dive with people you already know or who live in the area.
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys is Seaventures’ signature trip. The team runs typically runs two trips per month to the Florida Keys where we dive with Rainbow Reef, one of the best dive operators in the area.
Because this is a bus trip, we are typically able to complete three days of boat diving (6 dives total) and sometimes we are able to do an additional night dive for those who are interested. The bus leaves Atlanta about 5pm in the afternoon, arriving at Rainbow Reef at 7am. Because everyone has a bunk, you arrive rested and ready to dive. The bus then leaves about 10am on the last day and drives back to Atlanta arriving at 2am.
Depending on the season, Seaventures will also do trips to Florida Springs (Williston FL) and Loch Low-Minn (AL)
Travel Vacations
Travel vacations are the best way to see the world and go diving. There is nothing more exciting that visiting a new country in search of great diving. Diving already taken me to the Cayman Islands, Roatan, Turks & Caicos and Iceland – and I can’t wait to see where I’ll go next. Some of the places on my list are Fiji, the Red Sea, Kokos Island and the Bahamas, just the name a few.
In the comments below, please tell me about your favorite dive destinations.
My Favorite Kind of Dive Trip – Liveaboards
Dive vacations are great and I always love a good resort, but for me as a diving addict, the Aggressor Liveaboard experience is my guilty pleasure. Each time I go on a liveaboard, I have a great experience. Wayne Brown, the owner and CEO is absolutely committed to delivering the best dive experience on the planet and in my mind they are succeeding. Why?
Here are the top 10 Reasons Why I Love Aggressor Trips:
- You are able to visit dives sites not available to most recreational divers
- The crew loves to pamper you with hot towels and yummy snacks
- The crew will provide you anything you need.
- The onboard video and photo pros document your experience
- You meet people all over the world and all walks of life
- The food is plentiful and delicious.
- You will make 15 new friends
- You can dive 5 times a day
- The diving is always amazing!
- All you do is: Eat. Dive. Sleep.
Summary
Regardless of the type of dive experience you are looking for, you can find it. If you aren’t sure what you are looking for and you don’t have a local dive shop to talk to, I recommend you reach out to a dive travel specialist. I’ve booked several dive vacations through Madura Dive and they’ve always done a great job.
If I missed anything mention it in the comments below and thanks for reading…
Now, let’s go diving!
D&W