Visiting new locations and ticking off a bucket list of must-see dive sites is hands down one of the best things you’ll ever experience as a diver. Whether you’re already Open Water certified or looking to learn to dive for the very first time, a scuba diving holiday allows you to start this process of dipping your fins in new waters.
However, if you’ve never been on a diving holiday before, knowing where to start can be a little tricky. You’ll need to pick a suitable destination, pack (or hire) the right gear, and feel confident that your travel arrangements will run smoothly. It’s safe to say that preparation is key, which is why we’ve put together this short guide to scuba diving holidays for beginners. Read on to plan your perfect trip.
Starting Your Planning
As we’ve briefly touched upon already, scuba diving holidays for beginners typically fall into one of two camps: you’re either heading away to learn to dive from scratch and obtain your Open Water certification, or you’re already qualified but keen to get more dive experience in a new setting. Understanding why you’re keen to go on a diving holiday will help you to narrow down where to go and what you need to take with you!
If you do fall under the total newbie category, it’s important that your chosen holiday destination is one with a reputable dive centre, experienced instructors and beginner-friendly conditions. Even if you are already certified, it’s worth considering whether you’d like to use your diving holiday as a route towards additional qualifications like your Advanced Open Water, or whether you just want a chilled out time putting your initial training into practice in a new and probably exotic environment.
Beginner Diving Holiday Destinations
Aside from choosing a destination with the right training provisions, there are a few key things to look out for when selecting your beginner diving holiday. Ideally, warm and clear water is best, and your destination should also have a range of shallow dive sites, although there’s no reason why you can’t build up to something more challenging to finish off your trip.
You’ll almost certainly get these beginner-friendly conditions in some of the world’s best scuba diving locations, such as the Maldives or the Red Sea. However, you can just as easily find the right spots closer to the UK in European destinations like Gozo and the Azores.
Recommendations from fellow divers go a long way, too. Ask your dive buddies where they started and if there’s anywhere they think would be suitable for you. You can ask us for suggestions as well! Some of our favourite scuba diving holidays for beginners include:
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Gozo - offers great visibility and diving infrastructure, with the added bonus of being easily accessible from the UK.
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Egyptian Red Sea - a truly exotic diving holiday, with a great mixture of dive sites and trusted dive centres.
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Great Barrier Reef, Australia - further afield, but undeniably a bucket-list destination with plenty of beginner-friendly dive options.
What To Take With You
With your diving holiday destination locked in, it’s onto the packing. We know first-hand that this part of the holiday process can be the most overwhelming and daunting, but we’ve done it enough times to be able to impart some wisdom on beginners! The first thing to bear in mind is that you probably don’t need to take your entire dive setup with you. A good diving holiday destination will have a solid infrastructure, allowing you to hire a lot of bulky kit like your tank and wetsuit when you arrive.
Having said that, we’d still strongly recommend taking some of your own kit with you. PADI’s packing list is a solid starting point and covers all of the more personal items where fit and configuration really matter. For example, we’d suggest that you take your own mask, snorkel and fins with you as comfort is key here (not to mention hygiene). We would also always take our own BCD and regulator with us on a diving holiday and there are some great, lightweight and travel-friendly options out there like the Cressi Travelight.
Beginner Diving Holiday Packing Tips
Once everything is together and you’re almost ready to jet off, take the time to pack your gear properly. You’ll be well aware of just how much you’ve invested in your diving equipment, and arriving to find something damaged could really hamper your holiday.
Fortunately, there are some clever tactics you can deploy to safely pack your kit for a scuba diving holiday for beginners. These include:
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Using clothing and softer items to wrap more fragile items like your BCD and regulator
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Keeping essentials and valuables in your hand luggage
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Wrapping items individually and using gaps in your bag strategically to stow unusually shaped equipment, such as your mask or snorkel
Final Tips
As you head off on holiday, our final tip is a simple one: enjoy it! We hope that this guidance has been helpful to you as you plan your adventure, but we’re always on hand if you have any further questions. Simply get in touch with our expert team of divers and we’ll be able to provide advice - whether that’s further destination recommendations or suggestions of the kit you need to take with you.