Tired of Local Diving? Opt for a New 'Away' Adventure
When you took up diving, you probably subscribed to one of the major dive publications. They're fun to look at but can also be confusing because of all the interesting locations they feature. Most of them require you to hop on a plane to experience what they have to offer. The further away they are, the more expensive the overall cost of your new experience.
Because a plane ride is part of your new adventure, now a decision has to be made about how much of your dive gear will accompany you on your journey. If you own all the necessary equipment for diving, you will have to purchase a sturdy dive bag to contain everything you need. A number of them are offered from various dive equipment suppliers, but here are a few tips from one who has made many away dives.
First, make sure the dive bag will hold all of your dive equipment, including your wet or dry suit, boots, etc. Make certain to pack your mask so it won't be subject to breakage if the bag is dropped or comes in contact with another piece of luggage. To give you as much room as possible, you might wrap your regulator around the bulk of luggage placed in the bag. In other words, put the regulator portion of the unit in one end of the bag and split the hoses down each side of the bulky BCD and suit in the middle. Some divers will carry their regulator and mask on the plane with them, so if their luggage is postponed or lost, they will have the main components to use along with rental equipment. Personally, I never have!
One final suggestion for selecting a dive bag — make certain it has wheels. It can be a long way to the check-in as well as to the bus on arrival.
Speaking of rental equipment, that's always an option, especially if you want to travel as light as possible. I have never felt comfortable using rental equipment. Still, the benefit would be if the diver were planning to continue to another location where diving was not available, and having the extra baggage would be annoying.
Camera Gear
Here is another item to contend with when traveling. It all depends on just how much camera gear you have and how much you intend to haul with you. A professional will have a separate padded case that they can check with their luggage. Just make sure your insurance covers the contents if it's damaged or lost.
For those of us that have the basics, such as a good camera and one of two flash attachments, to carry a waterproof padded case on the plane would be one answer, or you could pack them in a roll away along with some of your other personal items. Of course, if you also have non-breakable photo items such as strobe arms, camera tray, or tool kit, these can be stored in your dive bag or other checked luggage.
Where are we going?
You have two main choices:
A resort that offers diving from their premises or contracts with another dive operation close by. The resort will usually offer a certain number of dives during the length of your stay as a package deal with an option of additional dives for an add-on fee. This appeals to many divers, especially groups that want to experience a dive resort together. It also may offer additional sightseeing or tours of what the location has to offer, possibly a hike to a cave, a turtle farm, a zip line, or some other attraction to vary the time spent in this location.
Live-aboard diving. You still have to travel to the specific location, but instead of a resort, you go to the dock area where a large boat is waiting for you to board. After boarding, you meet the crew and receive a brief lecture about what to do and not to do while on board. Following this, everyone is assigned to a cabin where you will bunk for anywhere from six to 10 days.
On board, you will be served three meals a day. There are usually two dives in the morning, two in the afternoon, and possibly one at night. In most cases, the boat will be parked near or directly over the dive spot. This is the daily routine for the entire week, with a new location visited for each dive.
So let's make the comparison. In one case, you have the resort and the surrounding activities to explore and usually two to three dives per day in the resort's general area. On the other type of diving, you have your sleeping accommodations, meals, and effortless diving to a lot of areas that can't be reached from shore.
The type of diving you choose could depend on the cost, although I've found little difference when you make the comparison. If you want a bare-bones week, you can find this on either type you choose. You need to decide if you want to explore the surrounding flora and fauna or if you want to get in as much diving as possible in one week.
Your choice!