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Getting The Best Scuba Diving Package Available

April 6th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Family vacations are special times, especially when taking a scuba diving vacation.  More and more, families are planning great adventures such as this and while they realize a scuba diving holiday needs close planning, it is worth all the effort.  The key is to pay attention to detail, especially if planning to venture to another country for scuba diving.

Perhaps most important to a scuba diving vacation is your destination. You obviously want to go somewhere, where you can dive, a place that fits your skill level, budget, time and preferences. You have to achieve a good balance between these factors, and a good travel agent who knows a great deal about diving and dive sites may be able to help you.

In addition, you might consider locating a professional dive shop, asking them for destination recommendations for your upcoming scuba diving holiday.

Since your focal is to go scuba diving, you want to make that your primary focus but you should also consider other adventures you could do while on land.  Typically, destinations for diving are exotic and surrounded by natural beauty, which means you can take in gorgeous views along the way.

To make your planning even easier, you might want to start by creating a list of everything you would need.  This would include items for the diving gear but also what you would need based on your level of certification.  Additionally, if you plan diving outside of the US, then you would have other things to consider such as possible vaccinations, currency exchange, and your Visa.

Do your homework and research on these things. Diving information is fairly easy to obtain these days with the help of the Internet. You need to know everything you can, to make sure you won’t experience problems during your trip.

Here are some other things you should remember for a scuba diving holiday

Determine the date you plan to travel, allowing for some flexibility should flights be limited.  Make sure you select the best scuba diving package available, you will safely enjoy and safe money on your trip.  Be sure any diving equipment you take with you is carefully marked so you know it is yours  Consider the purchase of travel insurance, a policy specific to scuba diving.  Bring any medications needed for the trip, as well as doctor’s orders.  Any important documents for the trip should be copied, keeping one on your person and another with family or friends at home.  Talk to the airline to learn about any restrictions pertaining to taking scuba diving equipment on the plane

Obviously, you want your scuba diving holiday to be something special, a time to remember.  Once a person experiences the wonders under the ocean, there is no turning back.

Liveaboard Diving Komodo – Dive with the Dragon

March 5th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Considered by many the diving destination of a lifetime, the legendary and remote Komodo Islands are approximately 490 kilometers east of the island paradise of Bali, Indonesia. The park which lies in the center of Indonesia, between Flores and Sumbawa Islands, is most easily reached by Komodo Liveaboard Safari. An area of legend from the time of Dutch sailors in the seventeenth century to the present day, the Komodo Islands were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986. Initially, the main purpose of the park was to conserve the habitat of the imposing Komodo dragon, but efforts have now been expanded to include the entire biosphere, aquatic and terrestrial. It is finally understood that this small area of the Indonesian Archipelago is one of the most biologically rich environments on the planet, both above and below the water. Komodo dive sites contain over 1,000 species of fish and 250 species of coral, and great efforts are being made to preserve them.

 

Komodo Liveaboard diving is not new by any stretch of the imagination, but it is only recently that the biological importance of the area has come to the attention of experienced divers and established Komodo as a world class diving destination. The challenging diving conditions of the area and the proliferation of marine life rivals the planets top dive destinations and truly elevates the Komodo Islands National park to another level.  Geologically part of Flores Island, the Komodo and Rinca Islands are separated from Sumbawa Island to the west by the strait of Sape. The sea in the middle of the strait only reaches a maximum of 300 meters. When the higher tidal waters of the Pacific Ocean in the north flow through the shallow strait to the Indian Ocean in the south, the result is raging currents that are unequaled in this hemisphere. In addition, the upwelling’s from the deep surrounding seas bring nutrients and plankton to keep the Komodo waters rich and teeming with life. These remarkable conditions have created a diving environment that is truly magnificent and at times overwhelming.

 

From calm and colorful shallow reefs teeming with thousands of colorful fish and unusual invertebrates, to current swept deep water sea mounts, walls, and  massive pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big pelagic’s Komodo has more than enough for the most experienced of divers.There are few places left on the planet where divers can experience such a bounty of aquatic life and such diversity of diving conditions. Whale sharks, sunfish,  giant mantas, eagle rays, pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, and the blue-ringed octopus are all at home here among a never ending range of dazzling sponges, sea squirts, tunicates, and corals. The Komodo Islands has been declared by many as a macro enthusiast’s paradise found.

One of the highlights of every Liveaboard Indonesia cruise to the Komodo Islands is the rare opportunity to walk with the imposing Komodo dragon. An alert and agile hunter these awesome beasts can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh and an astonishing 125 kilos.  Known to the locals as ‘Ora’ there are about eleven hundred of the world’s largest lizard living on Komodo Island and another five hundred on nearby Rinca Island.  Walking through the bush of Komodo is an experience that should fill you with anticipation and will not soon be forgotten. World Class Diving and a rendezvous with one of the world’s last surviving dinosaur descendants all on one fascinating dive safari, what more can you ask for?

 

When is the best time to dive Komodo? The Komodo Liveaboard diving season is year round, with the best diving from April thru December. It is during these months that the seas are most calm, the visibility is spectacular, and there are unbelievable congregations of large pelagic’s. Diving Komodo is best accomplished on one of our world class Komodo Liveaboards from beautiful Bali or Flores Islands. Be one of the few to explore this legendary and exciting dive location. Macro to massive there are no better scuba adventures anywhere on the planet, Komodo has it all.

Digital Cameras Underwater

February 27th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Essential part of scuba diving equipment is the underwater digital cameras for professional and amateur scuba divers. Opportunities of capturing once in a lifetime photos of the undersea life, vivid colors of coral reefs or a remote shipwreck must not be missed. It is possible to capture these images in a life like picture that can be shared with friends or sold professionally with the underwater digital cameras.

Common Underwater Digital Cameras

Some of the most popular dive cameras are the Canon G10, Sea Life Dc 800, Sony A200 Digital SLR Camera and the Nikon D3. These revolutionary underwater digital cameras give clean and crisp pictures that truly reflect the images of marine and plant life and are diving scuba cameras that can withstand the depths and pressure of many feet underwater.

Excellent Compact Dive Cameras

One of the most advanced compact cameras for under $500 is the Canon G10 and its Canon housing the WP-DC28. With its high resolution images and an excellent LCD that is large and crisp it is a well rounded underwater digital camera that is richly detailed. With a superb wide-angle lens and lots of dedicated controls for even the most serious photographers it gives great performance. The Canon WP DC28 housing can take the Canon G10 Powershot to depths over 130 feet.

With Ikelite #6841.20 housing the Sony A200 Digital Camera is an entry level digital camera that has an auto focus system which captures enough detail for photo quality prints. With large view finder and a wireless flash control the Sony A200 gives good details with low sensitivities. It is a very affordable camera and well constructed. This compact camera is teamed with Ikelite housing to get a compact, clear underwater corrosion free performance of up to 200 feet.

First Grade Performance with First Grade Dive Cameras

With sleek, modern and high tech functionality the SeaLife DC800 is one  camera for scuba divers. Colorful pictures can be taken by using the 5 new dive-specific color correction modes. Before taking pictures underwater the camera is set on Sea Mode, this restores lost colors which can be lost when diving under 200 feet. The rubber within the camera acts as a shock protection for the camera. The SeaLife has a quick shutter for fast action shots and long lasting battery for a full day of photography.

Although pricier than some of its competitors the Nikon D3 digital camera are top in line in technology. With the Sea MDX-D3 housing the Nikon D3 is popular with professional photographers because the auto exposure is dead on perfect, the viewfinder huge and the auto focus fast and accurate. The Sea MDX-D3 is built ergonomically to make taking photography underwater with ease. It is made in such a way that with one finger holding the camera the other finger is shooting pictures. The new Sea underwater dive camera housing is quite impressive.

For cameras to capture your underwater memories two main questions must be asked the type of camera and how much am I willing to pay for an underwater digital camera.  For those who love diving, and are looking for information on good digital cameras that can be used underwater and with suggested housings visit scubasoul.com, ,  the recommended website for any scuba diver looking to purchase scuba equipment or just looking for information on scuba diving.

Scuba diving on South Padre Island For Your Spring Break

February 10th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

South Padre Island lies just off of mainland Texas as a barrier island, accessible from the mainland via a causeway from the small town of Port Isabel. There is only one town on South Padre Island, also called South Padre Island. Although the town took severe damage from Hurricane Dolly in 2008 and, before that, Hurricane Beluah in 1967, both of which have severely affected the tourist trade on the island, it is now slowly rebuilding its reputation as a great place for divers to visit especially during Spring Break. As South Padre Island links to the mainland via a causeway, it is a much more convenient area for diving than many others because it can still be visited by car, without the need for a car.

A tour of the best diving sites around South Padre Island will take you to many interesting places. A good open water diving location accessible from a short boat journey is the Texas artificial reef, formed by a sunken tug. It is host to a huge variety of marine life which is unlikely to be seen anywhere else. Another great wreck dive around South Padre Island is the old World War Two hulk of the Liberty Ship, much further out.
The diving location most strongly recommended by the visitors guides, however is an old abandoned rig, visible both above and below the water like a vast aquatic skyscraper, with every level inhabited by vast amounts of exotic fish.

South Padre Island activities are not limited to just scuba diving, however. Sightseeing in South Padre Island is a must, with some beautiful natural locations and some of the best possible places to take tropical island pictures. It has some of the finest Texas beaches around, and in fact the whole island is surrounded by clean white sand, much of it rarely spoiled by excessive amounts of sunbathing tourists. There is also a great selection of beach houses available for vacation rentals for your Spring Break, so you can step out of your front door and come out right on the beach.

Tropical Islands to Visit

January 14th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

The South Pacific is known for a lot more than just being the name of a Broadway musical. It’s also home to fabulous tropical islands, Polynesian culture, world war two historical sites, coral reefs, volcanoes, and more. There are thousands of tropical islands in the South Pacific that make fabulous tropical destinations for your holiday. Some of the most famous island nations are Fiji, French Polynesia, The Cook Islands, Vanuatu, and Micronesia. The South Pacific has something for everybody here. Many of islands are simply a palm tree, sand, and coral reef. Others are so big they contain volcanoes, lots of wildlife, and even canyons. For the lover of tropical beaches, you have many options if you head to this part of the world. Here is a quick round up of the highlights:

For those seeking adventure, Fiji remains the best island to choose from. Fiji has over 300 islands and only one third of them are inhabited. Most of the action happens on the western islands. Fiji has excellent diving and Kadavu is one of Fiji’s best dive sites. The more energetic can go trekking in the Nausori Highlands overlooking Nadi. Taveuni also offers good hiking in the Bouma National Heritage Parki.

For romantic holidays, French Polynesia is one of the best romantic island destinations in the world. Tahiti is famous for its resorts and its bungalows that sit out over the way, providing an easy way to go swimming- jump from your bed! There are romantic tours specially designed for couples. Be warned though- French Polynesia is not cheap and trips to Tahiti will cost you an arm and a leg.

Islands like Vanuatu and Micronesia are good off the beaten track islands. Vanautu lies just south of the Solomon Islands. The real attraction of Vanuatu is its phenomenal sightseeing. Underwater visibility at its peak hits fifty meters, revealing limitless schools of colorful fish darting around spectacular coral reefs, as well as a formidable array of submerged WWII wreckages. Above sea level, the scenery only gets more amazing.

Visitors to Micronesia can enjoy spectacular diving, for example the many underwater wrecks in Chuuk. The ruins of Nan Madol in Pohnpei are also worth the trip, providing a fascinating view back to the 13th century Saudeleur dynasty who ruled there. Or if all you want to do is wind down, find a nice atoll and bask in the sunlight. It’s the kind of place where you pack your watch away and forget about time for a while. Don’t forget the sunscreen though.

If you want to see traditonal Polynesian culture, The Cook Islands are a good place to visit. The Cook Islands Polynesian culture is famous for a number of things. Woodcarving is a common art form in the Cook Islands. Each island is famous for something unique. Rarotonga is known for its fisherman’s gods and staff-gods, Atiu for its wooden seats, Mitiaro, Mauke and Atiu for mace and slab gods and Mangaia for its ceremonial adzes.

For those looking for amazing tropical islands, you can’t beat the South Pacific islands. They offer some of the best beaches, best diving, best ocean in the world. You will find great food and a rich culture on these islands. Polynesian culture is rich, diverse and has a long history. After a long day in the sun, there is nothing like a little outdoor BBQ and dance to make the perfect day even better. You can see the best islands in this region of the world.

Caribbean Diving - The Treasure of the Isles

January 9th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

The islands of the Caribbean are famed for its many diving experiences. Its reefs offer marvelous sceneries like wrecks, gorgeous plant life and amazing wildlife. Each island in the Caribbean features its own unique diving spots and location that would take a lifetime to fully explore. Caribbean diving is an exciting and rewarding experience that will give any diver a variety of wonders and challenges. The world offers many countries and islands to visit. Notable ones, that should be on the top of your list are Curacao and Bonaire.

Curacao – A must dive site when enjoying Caribbean diving

There are about 40 beaches present on the isle and some of these are home to beach front hotels while others are secluded. Many of the beach resorts in Curacao cater for divers and the country is home to expansive coral reefs making it popular for diving. A prime spot for Caribbean diving is Westpunt, which offers some of the best diving opportunities.

The reef is developed from lava rock which hosted the coral for centuries. The underwater garden of beautiful reeds alone and some of the shores is rivalled by the massive formations that extend into the dark depths of the oceans. These reefs are teaming with the wildlife that makes Caribbean diving an adventure.

The southern coast of Curacao has over 60 named diving spots, able to accommodate for divers of all skill levels, with over 40 dive sites equipped with chains. It offers an unforgettable experience that is unique for diving. Diving Curacao is known as a “must” for most divers.

Bonaire Diving and Scuba – Experience one of the best in Caribbean Diving

Bonaire has been chosen as the best among all of the Caribbean diving locations for seven years in a row. The honor has not been mistaken, because once the diver enters the water, the breath taking aesthetic scenery of aquatic life will put anyone in awe. Bonaire is in fact home to the top ten diving locations with a wide variety of marine species. This includes Bari reef in Den Laman, a prime place for species density, along with Red slave, The Invisibles, Tori’s reef, Something special, Front Porch, Karpata and Green Submarine all close to the shore.

Further to this, Rodale’s Readers Choice Award for top shore diving destination has been awarded to Bonaire for 15 years running. In terms of shore diving, Bonaire also hosts a variety of boat diving operations that service excellent locations.

Dive Caribbean – An experience of a Lifetime

When it comes to diving, the islands of the Caribbean offer countless adventures and amazing wonders for people of all levels of experience. The countries of Bonaire and Curacao offer unique experiences, and if you are to choose any locations in the Caribbean to experience diving, Curacao and Bonaire should top your list. It does not matter how much experience you have, there are plenty of opportunities to take in the expansive coral reef, teeming with all manners of aquatic life.

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