Scuba Travel FAQ's

Faq

Frequently Asked Questions

There is a lot to consider when planning your diving holiday and we try to take the stress out of all these arrangements, however there are always questions. Below is a list of some of the most frequently asked questions broken into 4 sections, we update this regularly to make sure the information is up to date, however if you cant find the answer to your question please contact one of our diving holiday experts.

You can learn to dive in just about all of our destinations! There are a couple of options as to how you breakup your course but learning to dive is easy, safer than ever and can be done by almost anyone. Take a look at our learn to dive section for more information as well as the holidays that will suit you. Whilst many people chose to learn to dive in a resort, consider also liveaboards - the Northern Red Sea liveaboards are great itineraries for anyone needing to complete a referral course.

Once you have that all important Open Water certification, you can take your pick of destinations. Places like Egypt, Malta, Croatia and Tenerife are perfect for new divers and only a short flight away. The Philippines, Indonesia and Canada are also great places if you want to get a bit further away. The most important thing - get in the water and log some bottom time. Experience is the name of the game and you can always add an Advanced course to your booking if you feel ready to take the next step.

The Maldives is an excellent place to head to with some fun drift dives once you have logged a few dives. The Egyptian off shore reef systems, Sudan and South Africa are great adrenalin rides for advanced divers. If you are looking for somewhere really off the beaten track, take a look at the Far East which has several shorebased and liveaboard options for the most adventurous divers. The Pacific is best suited to experienced divers and has mighty diving that will impress.

The sky is the limit when it comes to training! We work with the best and most trusted dive centres and liveaboards to ensure quality is guaranteed. You can nearly always add some training to your booking so do ask for course prices and information. Scuba Travel is staffed by dive instructors so we really do know what we are talking about! So from Discover Scuba Dives right through to technical courses and professional grades, chat to us about advancing your diving and save money when you get there by prebooking.

There is no wrong choice here! Liveaboards offer fantastic value for money as they are full board and include all your diving. Many boats have no single supplements and are very social - ideal if you are traveling alone. Modern liveaboards are spacious and have all mod cons so you don't have to sacrifice your creature comforts. Resort holidays are brilliant if you want a holiday that balances the diving with other activities, especially if you are with non divers or want a bit of night life in the evenings. We can book B&B, half board and all inclusive options at many resorts so ask about upgrade packages.

We understand that many divers do not necessarily have all their own equipment or want to travel with heavy bags. We can pre book equipment for liveaboards. From larger tanks to full kit or rebreather tanks, remember to add any kit extras onto your booking before you travel. Resort based holidays will normally be able to provide rental kit locally at very reasonable costs but do check at the time of booking.

What you will see will vary enormously between destinations and seasons. Take a look at our destination pages to get a flavour of what you can find at each location. Why not subscribe to our weekly Catch of the Week on the Scuba Travel blog to see what has been sighted across our destinations. Call the travel team who will be able to give you more information on what to expect - our staff try the trips out first hand so there is normally someone who can tell you exactly what they saw for themselves!

Wreck divers are spoilt for choice! The Northern Red Sea has a dense concentration of 19th and 20th century wrecks all at diveable depths for recreational and technical divers and can be reached by liveaboard or day boats. Malta's coastline is surrounded by excellent wreck dives for all levels including technical. Canada too has some impressive world war wrecks that are in pristine condition - only 45 minutes by day boat. Truk lagoon is perhaps the holy grail of wrecks dives with its own war remnants waiting underwater and best accessed by liveaboard.

The Red Sea has a huge variety of sharks - white tips, greys, hammerheads, threshers, silkies, tigers and oceanic white tips - so look at Egypt and Sudan. South Africa gets you close to raggies and tigers as well as big land predators. The hammerheads and sharks of Galapagos and Cocos are world famous. Mabul and Indonesia are also excellent options for shark sightings but with plenty of other marine life too if you want a bit of variety. The Maldives is ideal if you are looking for other big fish - manta and whalesharks. If whales are the order, then take a trip to Canada to see minkes and humpbacks.

If you are looking for a special trip that you will always remember then look no further. The Maldives is a classic destination with white sands, awesome diving and both liveaboard and shorebased options. Cebu is a romantic break away from the world or take a look at Kima Bajo for a secluded resort getaway. Likewise, Wakatobi ticks all the boxes. If you fancy a liveaboard, then why not spoil yourself with the Pelagian, Komodo Dancer or Paradise Dancer. These are 5 star boats - and then some - and sail some of the most beautiful and remote locations you will find.

Photographers and videographers are spoilt for choice. If your flavour is wide angle, then there are amazing wreck destinations with clear water so you can get that shot. The concentrations of wrecks in Egypt, Malta and Canada make these good choices. Snap incredible manta shots in the Maldives or schooling hammerheads in Galapagos and Cocos. Macro lovers will be in heaven in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea where critter hunting is the order of the day. We also run specialised photo trips so speak to the travel team for the latest schedule.

Rebreather diving is becoming increasingly popular and we work with a number of dive centres and liveaboards across the globe who understand the needs of rebreather divers. Look at the quick facts for every destination to help narrow down the field. We can also usually help organise tank hire, Online, oxygene and even helium so do ask about all those little extras you will need to make your trip hassle free.

We always have cracking deals for anyone looking to make serious savings. Last minute travel specials are advertised on our special offer page and we mail out regular updates of the up and coming deals. Simply fill in our online form and we will make sure you don't miss a beat. We also post special offers on our facebook page, blog and twitter so you never need miss an incredible bargain again.

Scuba Travel understand that a family holiday is something special and we have several destinations that offer the flexibility you need to make sure everyone has an amazing holiday. Egypt is always a popular family break - take a day trip out on dune bikes, go karting or a trek. The Iberotel Coraya exceeds in catering to families. The beach, pool and sports facilities will keep the kids busy and the dive schedule marries up with the kids club. Tenerife and Croatia are other brilliant choices for families with a flexible dive schedule and bags of activities for the kids. Or why not take the kids diving with you? There are a range of options for getting youngsters underwater, starting as early as 8. Try a dive in the pool or go for the full junior open water course. Diving is a safe and exciting family activity.

There are lots of fabulous options for anyone traveling with a non diver. Egypt, Malta, Croatia and Tenerife are all excellent choices with plenty to keep non divers busy while you are out diving. Non divers are also welcome to join the divers as a snorkeler for a nominal charge. Canada is a great place for non divers with masses of activities from hiking to shopping. The Maldives, Mabul, Cebu and Kima Bajo are other popular choices as the resorts have great spas, sports and beach activities. Non divers are also well taken care of on liveaboards - many boats today even have a jacuzzi so you can switch off your phone and enjoy simply relaxing. The liveaboards in the Maldives, Komodo, Galapagos, Cocos and Papua also include shore excursions are a part of their regular itinerary so no one need feel left out.

Most hotels will charge a single supplement for single room occupancies but these need not break the bank. Most liveaboards do not charge single supplements as long as you are happy to share your cabin with a fellow diver. Cabins are allocated on a same sex sharing basis unless you have specified you are happy otherwise. Single occupancy cabins can be requested but there is a supplement for this.

Groups of 5 or more can save 6% on Egyptian Red Sea holidays and 5% on all other worldwide destinations. So you don't need a massive group to enjoy a discount - just a few friends. For full/half charters on Red Sea liveaboards we are also happy to offer free places, dependant on boat and availability. This can be taken as a free place or divided between everyone as a further discount. Do ask about other worldwide liveaboards if you are considering a full charter and we can give you a precise quote on just how much you can save.

Scuba Travel have teamed up with BSAC to offer current status members a fantastic saving on all of our holidays. If you are traveling to the Egyptian Red Sea you can save 6% on the holiday cost or 5% for all other worldwide destinations. Just remember to quote your BSAC number at the time of booking.

We want to thank each and every person that has traveled with us and to show our appreciation for repeater bookings we operate a repeater discount. If you have traveled with us within the last 24 months we off a 5% discount on Egyptian Red Sea trips and 5% on all other worldwide holidays. This discount is off your whole package including the flights. If you have travelled with us within 12 months we also offer a free upper deck cabin dependant on availability for Egyptian liveaboards only.

Scuba Travel started life in a dive shop in 1995, running trips to the Red Sea. now many years later we are the leading dive travel specialist with destinations all over the globe. Scuba Travel is staffed by divers for divers and we pride ourselves that we really do understand what it takes to make your holiday perfect from beginning to end. Awarded Tour Operator of the Year no less than 5 years in a row, we offer our customers unparalleled customer service for any budget - all with 100% financial protection

Booking has never been easier. You can request your holiday on line and we will call you back to run through the details. Or if you want to have a chat with one of the knowledgeable travel team, call our freephone number on 01483 411590. Our office are open from 9:00 to 5:30, Monday to Saturday but you are welcome to leave a message out of hours and we will return your call at the earliest opportunity.

We are lucky enough to have won Tour Operator of the year 11 times voted by readers of Diver magazine in 2015 and 2016 by readers of Sport Diver as well. We love to hear how your holiday went and testimonials from our customers can be found on the website for each product. Simply click on the testimonials tab to see what others thought.

You will need insurance for your trip and we will ask for insurance information before tickets can be released.

Save yourself pounds on parking and book your space online from our website before you get to the airport. We have teamed up with holiday extras to provide amazing value car parking. See how much you could pocket!

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