In a day and age where vacations are frequently built around sporting hobbies of every kind, it stands to reason that there would be the opportunity to design a scuba diving trip. For scuba enthusiasts, the chance to dive in exotic locations can not be missed. It’s no wonder that the scuba diving trip is one of the most popular themed vacations of recent years.

Building the perfect scuba diving trip begins with your level of experience. If you are a beginner it is essential that you first receive comprehensive scuba instruction so that you can become certified for diving. While you can complete this training before you leave home, you also have the opportunity to participate in instruction during your vacation. However, keep in mind that instruction and certification can be a lengthy process, and if you are looking to dive right away during your scuba diving trip, you will be required to wait.

If you’ve already received your certification – or are an experienced scuba diver – planning a scuba diving trip is only limited by your imagination. Plan your trip around a particular location that you’ve always wanted to explore and reserve accordingly. There are places worldwide that are conducive to scuba diving year round and easily accommodate a longer scuba diving trip. Most of these locations offer such amenities as scuba professionals who will guide you through particular dives, equipment rental when needed, and a variety of accommodations and leisure activities.

The style of your scuba diving trip really comes down to your personal preferences including length of time you are visiting, amount of instruction – if any – you need, traveling companions that may need special scuba accommodations, other amenities you require, and price. The Internet can quickly and efficiently give you comparisons and reviews so that you can best determine the trip that’s right for you.

Planning a scuba diving trip can be the realization of a scuba enthusiast’s dream. What you make of it is completely up to you and the reward will be memories you will have for a lifetime.

Michelle Bery
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/planning-a-scuba-diving-trip-114409.html

I want to be able to ride my horse under water for an art project. Also, how long can a horse hold its breath for?

……wow. That is supposed to be a joke right?

There are people who are closer to the mountains and then there are people who feel closer to the ocean or the sea. For those who love the mountains there is rock climbing and for those who love the oceans, there is scuba diving. Most of the beach towns in the world have scuba diving on their menu and offer some of the most exotic views of the ocean world. If you are traveling to Australia, you will get to see the almost stunning eco system under the ocean, which is more famous as the Great Barrier Reef. It supports thousands of marine life and scuba diving is the only way to reach there. Scuba diving allows you to see a completely different world separate from the one you live in.

Just because there is an ocean doesn’t mean that scuba diving is easy. You need to gather as much information possible on scuba diving and regarding the hot spots. You also need to know swimming. And remember, for starters a shark infested colony would be the worst place to scuba dive. Scuba diving will open your eyes to a world that you can only dream of. You can get to see thousands of varieties of fishes, planktons, corals and many others. Some of the best diving sites are in the Bahamas, Australia, Florida, and Mexico, although you can find your own new scuba diving site almost anywhere in the world except Antarctica. There you will end up freezing!

Without proper knowledge and training, diving can be a very dangerous sport. Therefore all commercial diving companies require certification that their customers have completed at least some sort of basic diving course. These courses are available in most of the same areas (and even from the same companies) that offer the actual scuba diving trips. As a trainee, you will head out with professional divers who will take you on multiple training dives. This way, you will become familiar with equipment and techniques, and eventually earn a certificate that will allow you to go on for the more serious dives.

Once you have a diving certificate, the opportunities will be endless. If you want to focus on a particular area, such as ocean life, you can pick a particular spot which is rich in marine life. In some of the scuba diving ventures, you can even swim along with dolphins or other fishes and or get surrounded by schools of fishes. This can be quite exciting and adventurous and probably be the best way to spend your vacation. Alternatively, if you are more interested in exploring, you can go scuba dive around reefs or caves that will provide amazing and unspoiled underwater landscapes for you to enjoy.

There are several risks associated with scuba diving, but with proper training and with good equipment you are not likely to encounter them. You need to pay close attention to water pressure during the descent and ascent. You have to time the changes in pressure accordingly in order to avoid injuries. Injuries can include damage to the ears and sinuses. Other problems include hypothermia, which happens in freezing waters as well as problems with pressurized gas. If you take a diving course, you will learn how to handle these issues, as well as how you can prevent them from affecting your dive.

Scuba diving is an immense opportunity and should be enjoyed by everyone at some point in their life. However, it is not something that you can simply go out to the ocean and do. It takes time and preparation to understand the working of the equipment and the basic diving knowledge to keep you safe. Ultimately it is worth the effort, and allows for an ocean experience that you will never forget.

JB Mills
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/risks-and-rewards-of-scuba-diving-110819.html

Are there any airlines out there that realize that scuba divers travel to exotic locations with their heavy gear and have added dive equipment into the free luggage allowance? Golf equipment and surfboards already are common so why not dive gear?

Scuba equipment is like anything else you check in as baggage. It is subject to the same rules and regs as checked baggage. I am an instructor, own a PADI Dive Center, and I have trucked my gear to all parts of the world (including bringing my own soft weights!). If my bag was overweight, I wore my weight belt and carried the regulator in my carry-on. Pack light. What else do you need if you’re a real diver? Shorts and T-shirts, and maybe one good set of clothes–IF–and that’s a big if–want to go out to party. (Remember, if you stay out late, you’ll miss the dive boat in the morning!) Just make friends with other divers, and get together with them, and don’t worry about your clothes. Incidentally, keep that dive knife in the gear bag and check it into luggage. By the way, my gear weighs about 40 lbs., and most airlines allow 50 lbs.

That said, I have had a negative experience in a well known dive destination: Cozumel. Coming in with dive gear, I checked in my luggage and paid nothing extra–I was within the airline luggage rate regulations. Leaving, I had the same luggage, same airline, same flight-and they told me my bags were over the allowed limit, and I’d have to pay a $100 fee. After arguing for a half hour, causing a scene, and backing up the line, they finally let me through without an additional charge. If it happens again, I will contact the airline and file a formal complaint. I doubt that it would do any good, but you never know. However, it would be a good idea to arm yourself with airline documentation that states poundage allowed, and other regulations, so you can be prepared, just in case. I have also met a lot of surfers and golfers (I live in a resort location–Manzanillo, Colima–in Mexico). To my knowledge, they exchange a surfboard or a golf bag for the equivalent of one piece of luggage.

In today’s world, where ordinary citizens and adrenalin-junkies alike are equally capable of chasing adventure, we turn to lessons to make sure we have the appropriate skills. We have lessons for golf, tennis, dance, and any other activity or hobby that can summoned to mind. But for those activities that come with risk, lessons become even more important. Subsequently, those who are interested in scuba diving should always begin with comprehensive scuba diving lessons.

If you are in good health, you can scuba dive. And with proper scuba diving lessons you can do so safely to ensure you get the most enjoyment out of your experience as possible. Finding scuba diving lessons is relatively easy, as scuba diving continues to rise in popularity. Luckily, the availability of lessons does not in any way depend on your proximity to the ocean. Scuba diving lessons are taught in indoor pools which gives the instructor maximum control and eliminates the variables that can easily arise in open water. For students, scuba diving lessons should be confidence building and the best way to achieve this confidence is by mastering your technique in a confined and controlled environment.

In most cases, however, scuba diving lessons actually begin with comprehensive classroom instruction where students are given the basics of the scuba diving technique. Only when the instructor is comfortable that all students completely understand scuba techniques – and the reasons behind them – will you enter the pool. In some cases, equipment can also be rented for scuba diving lessons – an enormous benefit for those who are delaying the purchase of pricey equipment until they receive scuba certification.

Pool instruction during scuba diving lessons offer students the opportunity to put those classroom lessons into use, practicing techniques over and over until they are comfortable. It is essential that these systems are mastered; scuba diving can be dangerous if not done properly and with full respect of the equipment and the water.

There are scuba diving lessons that are offered for children and adults separately. Be sure to research any instructors or instruction facilities to ensure that they are reputable and experienced in training.

Upon successful completion of your scuba diving lessons you will be certified for scuba diving; and you will be well on your way to enjoying a lifetime of adventure and exploration.

Michelle Bery
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/preparing-for-scuba-with-scuba-diving-lessons-103170.html