September is almost here… and it can feel like there is no escaping the oncoming autumn months. But whilst the long summer nights might be starting to fade here in Blighty, at Scuba Travel we know plenty of perfect places where the evenings are still warm and the days filled with breath taking diving. You don’t have to hang up your fins this month – we still have some cracking last minute offers and brilliant bargains can be found.

We might not have had the promised BBQ season, but Egypt is having one of the best summer’s diving any of the local guides can remember. Nor do you need to be on a liveaboard to get in on the action. Many of the ray, shark, dolphin and turtle sightings have been on local dive sites, accessible from day boats in Marsa Alam or Sharm el Sheikh! Splash into these world famous dive sites for an experience you will treasure. We also have some unbeatable offers on Maldives liveaboards this autumn. Manta are the stars here but the huge schools of fish will also impress as will the luxurious standard of our boats.

Call the experienced team of dive instructors and enthusiasts today to escape to another world.

Our latest special offers

Marina Lodge
Marsa Alam Go Diving – £495 p/p
Trip Details: Return flights from Gatwick, 7 nights half board basis, 5 days diving , based on 2 sharing, upgrades available.
From 2nd Sep – 9th Sep 2009
BOOK THIS TRIP >

Camel Hotel & Dive Club
Sharm Go Diving – £595 p/p
Trip Details: Return flights from Gatwick, 7 nights B&B basis, 5 days diving , based on 2 sharing, upgrades available.
From 12th Sep – 19th Sep 2009
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Whirlwind
Escorted Get Wrecked – £895 p/p
Trip Details: Return flights from Gatwick, 7 nights onboard Whirlwind, Marine park fees, plus hire of tank and weights. Escorted by Mike Ward.
From 19th Sep – 26th Sep 2009
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Grand Sea Serpent
Simply The Best – £995 p/p
Trip Details: Return flights from Gatwick , 6 nights onboard the boat, 1 night in a hotel, marine park fees, plus hire of tank and weights.
From 30th Sep – 7th Oct 2009
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Orion
Maldives Discovery – £1450 p/p
Trip Details: Return flights from Gatwick , 7 nights onboard the boat, Free Nitrox plus a 12ltr tank and weights.
From 25th Oct – 2nd Nov 2009
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Monsoon
Northern Atolls – £1615 p/p
Trip Details: Return flights from Gatwick , Seaplane transfers, 7 nights onboard the boat plus a 12ltr tank and weights.
From 1st Nov – 9th Nov 2009
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Facebook Photo Competition – win 50 quid !

Here at Scuba Travel we love to see your diving pics and so are really excited to welcome back our ever popular photo competition. To enter all you need to do is load up your pic to our Photo Competition event on Facebook. It could not be simpler and you will have a chance to win a £50 Scuba Travel voucher. The winner will be announced at the end of each month. Become a Fan of Scuba Travel to keep up to date and check out the competition.

This month we are asking for your shark pics to celebrate an excellent summer of shark sightings worldwide. Remember to tell us where you were when you got that shot and what kind of shark it was you saw. The competition is open to everyone no matter where in the world you have travelled. We have uploaded a hammerhead for inspiration but any kind of shark pics will be considered. So be inspired and start sharing today!

POST YOUR PICTURES HERE >

How to dive with … STYLE

Diving is often seen as a glamourous sport. We get to jet set around the world to some of the most exclusive destinations and see sights that many tourists could never even imagine. But how do you make sure you do it with style? Diving style is not about having the latest matching luggage or season summer outfit…. its about what kind of diver you are underneath the water.

The hallmarks of a stylish diver are easy to sum up. Nailing your buoyancy control is the one skill you can hone that will take your dive kudos through the roof. No one wants to be that diver that see saws their way along a reef. Beyond the fact it would not be advised by your doctor, it says to other divers that you have yet to experience that wonderful weightless floating sensation. Weighting is a big part of buoyancy too so having a chance to try out different weighting configurations will reap the rewards. If your buoyancy needs some fine tuning help is at hand. The Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty is the ideal way to iron out any crinkles. All of our liveaboards and resort based holidays can help out with this so do have a chat with your instructor or dive guide. Unlikely as it sounds, how you fin too will determine your star status. Avoid pedaling away as if on the exercise bike and try out frog kicks or sculling. It will help your air consumption as well as making you look cool, calm and collected in the water.

Nor is stylish diving necessarily only about having all the swankiest gadgets although this is certain to be a conversation starter on the back dive deck! Dive kit ultimately should always serve purpose and be in good working order. You might love your battered old BCD but take a moment to consider if it will give you the lift when you really need it. Bubbling equipment is never in season. Modern fabrics and technology mean you can save kilos in your baggage as well as benefit from the latest innovations – investing in some new dive kit can make you a smarter diver as well as more stylish. Once you have that sorted you can worry about your colour scheme and splash out on the fun toys we all really love. Be it camera, torch or dive computer… the odd underwater accessory can finish the look in a way that even Trinny & Suzannah would approve of!

CHECK OUT SHOP.SCUBA FOR ALL EQUIPMENT NEEDS >

Dive the Pacific

The Pacific is a vast blue expanse of sea peppered with tiny islands. We have long been running trips to the Galapagos and Cocos but have you ever thought about what diving awaits on the other side of the Pacific? Well look no further – Scuba Travel have teamed up with the creme de la creme of dive liveaboards to offer 3 new tantalizing destinations for 2009 and 2010. Look further for your next dive trip and find some of diving’s best kept secrets!

Papua New Guinea is a remote and massively undiscovered paradise and with the Peter Hughes Star Dancer, you can experience adventure without sacrificing your creature comforts. Fiji is an exotic island heaven where the pace of life is relaxed but the diving awesome and inspiring. From Island Dancer II you can explore the reefs and drop offs and encounters creatures big and small. Last but not least is Truk Lagoon. This is the wreck diving mecca and thanks to the sumptuous Odyssey you can see for yourself the stunning and completely unique sunken fleet of Truk Lagoon.

So take a closer look at the Pacific – now with the peace of mind that booking with Scuba Travel brings.

CHECK OUT OUR PACIFIC DESTINATIONS HERE >

Mike Ward Gets Wrecked

Whirlwind is Diver magazine’s current Liveaboard of the Year, and it’s easy to see why. Her skipper, Mohammed Rageb, and his crew have been together and essentially unchanged for more than four years, so everyone knows their job and can get on with it with the minimum of fuss or discussion, and that means things just happen very smoothly. Add in a pair of very experienced and capable dive-guides like Wolfgang and Ulli and you’re set for a week that delivers the very most from a Red Sea trip.

The check dive came as a bit of a surprise to some as we pitched up at Mahmoudat, close by Dunraven. Our Gatwick outbound flight had been delayed a couple of hours so we had arrived aboard Whirlwind at around 3am local, so even a 9am breakfast felt much too early, and the prospect of kitting up to dive didn’t hold great appeal as the general dive-brief rolled through. Once we were all on the dive deck things were much more lively, though, and twenty-eight degree water woke up even the most sleep-deprived.

READ THE FULL TRIP REPORT HERE >

Support Project AWARE – update

Thanks to everyone that has sponsored us so far ! With your help we have smashed our £1000 target and are hoping to keep up this momentum.

George completed the Worthing Triathlon in 2 hours 40 minutes despite getting a puncture on the cycle section. Caroline is up next and will be taking part in the Great Big Open Water Swim at Dorney lake on the 12th September. We would really appreciate any additional sponsorship to help Caroline get round and support our Project AWARE campaign.

By becoming a Project AWARE Patron you will help to confront the very serious threats of global warming, pollution and over fishing that plague our disappearing reefs. This is an important cause and even the smallest donation can help make a difference.

SPONSOR CAROLINE HERE >