Tropical destinations are honeymoon favorites because of their romantic ambience, gorgeous beach views, and fun water activities like scuba diving. You could wait and plan those activities when you arrive at your destination, or you can have all the arrangements made before you arrive by working with scuba tour agencies.
Scuba tour agencies have all the tools and tips to make sure your honeymoon or romantic getaway is as full of awe below the surface as it is above water. Keep reading to find out how working with scuba tour agencies can make planning for scuba diving on your vacation easier and more enjoyable.
Why Should You Use Scuba Tour Agencies?
Scuba tour agencies differ from other travel agents. Rather than specializing in regions or countries, they specialize in an activity, namely scuba diving.
Scuba Travel Agencies Have Expertise
Scuba tour agencies have a wide and deep knowledge of everything related to scuba diving, including top scuba destinations and where the best dive sites are. They can be invaluable in making sure you have a successful experience.
For example, weather patterns and other environmental factors can affect dive sites from year to year and even month to month. Bad weather can cause silt to be churned up, resulting in poor visibility and rough, choppy water. If you’ve got your heart set on a particular dive location but the diving conditions aren’t good at that time, scuba tour agencies can help you find somewhere that’s just as good or even better.
They can also help you find the best vacation spot for your skill level. You don’t want to get to your destination and find out that all the sites are for experienced divers only, while you’re a beginner. And conversely, you don’t want to end up among beginner sites if you are an experienced diver.
Scuba Tour Agencies Can Find You Better Deals
Scuba diving is an expensive hobby, there’s no way around that. The average cost of a two-tank scuba dive in the Caribbean or Mexico is around $100 USD. Live-aboards (multi-day excursions where you live on the boat and dive at multiple sites every day) can range between $1000-$2000 USD per trip.
Of course, some countries like Indonesia and Thailand are known for having affordable (yet still stunning) dive sites, but if you want to dive on your honeymoon, be prepared to spend some money.
Scuba tour agencies can save you money through insider deals and exclusive offers that the public doesn’t get. They’re also more likely to be able to find you good deals on flights, airport transfers, and accommodations, leaving you with more money to spend on diving.
Scuba Tour Agencies Can Score Perks
While the chance of getting perks from scuba tour agencies isn’t as good as it is when booking an all-inclusive resort or cruise, a scuba travel agency can sometimes offer you something to sweeten the deal. You’ll just have to ask.
Scuba Tour Agencies Have Expertise and Advice to Share
Scuba tour agencies arguably form a more personal and focused relationship with their clients than regular travel agents. If diving is the focus of your holidays, you’re more likely to use their services again on your next trip.
Scuba tour agencies often keep a database of their clients with their travel history and preferences on file so they can suggest destinations and experiences they might like. Plus, they’re scuba fans, so if you need a little inspiration they have a long list of places they can recommend.
How to Select a Scuba Tour Agency
Working with scuba tour agencies makes planning your adventure honeymoon easy and hassle-free. If you want to enlist the services of a scuba tour agency, here are some tips for finding the right one.
Gauge Their Experience and Knowledge in an Interview
It’s a good idea to interview representatives of different scuba tour agencies before settling on one. Have your diving credentials ready so they can tell you about dive packages that suit your level of ability. Prepare a list of questions before your interview, as well. Some questions to consider include:
- How long a particular agent has been diving for
- How long they have been affiliated with the diving agency
- What their favorite site is and why
- What sites do they visit and what countries do they operate in
You might also ask them if they have their own fleet of dive boats or if they hire private captains. If they hire captains, find out what their vetting process is.
Verify Their Credentials
Verifying credentials is an essential piece of working with scuba tour agencies. Scuba diving is a fun and completely unique experience, but it can be extremely dangerous when equipment isn’t maintained and safety standards aren’t met.
Scuba tour agents should be certified divemasters or instructors themselves. This ensures they know what the safety standards are. Working knowledge of scuba diving equipment and proper conditions can prevent situations that could potentially put you in danger.
When You Don’t Need to Work With Scuba Tour Agencies
Of course, there are some reasons why you might not need to work with any scuba tour agencies. If you’re a pro diver with years of experience below the surface, have connections with locals who own their own boat, or just prefer to travel with no plan in place, a scuba tour agency likely offers more services than you need.
Scuba Tour Agencies We Recommend
Scuba tour agencies can be found all over the world. Some of them are affiliated with resorts that also offer accommodations and dining, as well as other activities. We especially like Sandals adults-only all-inclusive resorts, because scuba for PADI-certified divers is complimentary! This is a great way to save money on your scuba diving vacation!
A Sandals travel agent can help you choose from among the 16 Sandals locations in the Caribbean, including 9 Sandals resorts that have dive centers right on the grounds. The Sandals locations with the best diving options are Sandals Royal Bahamian, Sandals in St. Lucia, Sandals Grenada and Sandals Royal Barbados. PADI-certified guests can scuba dive at Sandal resorts twice per day at no additional cost.
He is an expert travel advisor and enthusiast. He has traveled extensively in the USA, Central America, South America, and Europe. He has visited every Sandals Resort and is one of a select few Diamond Elite members of the Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club.
Dan graduated from Johnson & Wales University with an associate degree in Culinary Arts. Later he graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on people and culture.