An article looking at scuba diving, enjoying the sport whilst on holiday, how beginners can start and how experienced divers can develop.

Many people enjoy an adventure and at some point most of us will travel for a holiday   whether it's abroad or in our own country, we like to see new things, take in new sights, explore new destinations. But there is a whole world out there that many of us never even think about, let alone visit. The world under the sea.

When you've been on holiday you've probably enjoyed taking a dip in the sea. There's nothing like the warm waters of the Mediterranean or the Caribbean for helping to float your cares away. Perhaps you've also tried snorkelling and seen some of the beautiful wildlife beneath the surface of the water. But to really get an idea of marine life below the sea then you need to give scuba diving a try.

Under the sea
If the thought of being under water without access to air is frightening, then that's a very understandable but unnecessary fear. For most people, the first time they go scuba diving can be a little unsettling and learning how to breathe from an oxygen tank can seem peculiar to say the least. Whether it's a one-off experience or you are taking a course of lessons, make sure you are with a reputable diving school. When you're underwater there are other considerations than just breathing to think about too! You will be weighted to make sure you're not rolling about all over the place underwater   so you need to give your correct weight to the instructor. It can be tempting to knock off a few pounds when you're telling someone your weight, but this won't do you any favours as you won't be weighted properly and could end up in some discomfort.

You will also be taught how to equalise properly. This will help you counter the effects of the water pressure, otherwise you could end up with an uncomfortable sensation in your head and sinuses. Again, a reputable school will tackle all this.

If you are an experienced diver, then you might want to book a specific diving holiday. Destinations like the Red Sea in Egypt, the Maldives and the Philippines are very popular with divers. There are some fantastic hotels in these regions which act as a great base during your break. Some hotels also offer lessons in their own swimming pools, which are great if you have never tried diving before, or perhaps if you are travelling with more seasoned divers and would like some practise in a pool before you move onto diving in the sea.

Once you have started to dive you're sure to become addicted. Being up close to the wonderful marine life is life changing and you will be amazed to discover the world under the sea. Whether you learn to dive in a swimming pool in the UK or the Mediterranean Sea, it is an experience not to be missed.

Baloon Tours Caribbean

The Caribbean Islands are amazing places and they are worth exploring from all angles. Floating over picturesque Caribbean islands offers an amazing perspective.

If you are looking for a unique, special experience for your next holiday, why not try a ride in a hot air balloon. Whether a fan of photography, nature, architecture or adventure, hot air balloon flights have lots to offer. Imagine passing over ancient ruins, tranquil jungles, or beautiful beaches, seeing an entire island from the sky.

If you don't feel like taking to the skies for balloon rides, consider visiting during the Caribbean Hot Air Balloon Festival, which takes place each year on Antigua during the last week of November and the first week of December. This festival is amazing to watch, even from the ground, as you see hundreds of brightly coloured balloons flying by, filling the sky with a rainbow of colours.

The Caribbean is a delightful location – a selection of white sand beaches; palm trees; holiday resorts; and nature reserves. It's islands vary in size and makeup, but the laid-back attitude is common to all. It’s where you go when you want to get the benefit of sun, sea and sand without the crowds or the overt tourism.

Clearly there is tourism in the Caribbean, of course – it’s just of a slightly different order. Where mainstream package tourism is often crowded and not very relaxing, the price mark-up on a Caribbean tour ensures that a higher level of service and experience is usually achieved.

If you’ve never been on a Caribbean cruise before, you’ll need some packing tips. You’ve got a smart luggage set; you’ve got the guide book – now, apart from that guide book of course, what do you put in your cases?

Packing for the Caribbean

Let’s start with the basics. Sun cream (sun tan lotion), after sun cream, and mosquito and insect repellent. Don’t underestimate the power of the tropical sun, which can have you blistered in less than an hour. If you’re British, you’re not used to it for sure. Take sun cream with a factor around 25% stronger than you think you need. SPF50 and above should do the trick. You can start to reduce to 30 and 15, don't risk just 30 initially.

There are many romantic places on earth, but it seems that their concentration is highest in the Caribbean region. It comes as no surprise that the travel destinations there are among the most sought after by couples in love, newly-weds and families. So, let us check the places that all those in a romantic mood want to visit. The first spot on our list is the island of Barbados, which has an interesting British atmosphere. Thus, one can expect afternoon tea and garden parties, left car driving and games of cricket. One of the most pleasant places here is the Bathsheba Beach, which must be visited for a great romantic walk. Expect nice places for dining out and luxurious accommodation spots with spa procedures. 

The second romantic spot on our list is the French island of St. Barthelemy. This trendy place is preferred by the rich people and one can find famous faces here. The beaches here are fabulous, the cafes are trendy, the restaurants are fantastic and the hotels are exclusive, luxurious and expensive. Thus, if the couple is on a budget, this is not the place to go to.The third place that deserves to be mentioned is the island of Saint Martin, which is one third Dutch and two-thirds French, so the couple can experience both atmospheres. The beaches here are incredible, the best of them being Dawn Beach, Grand Case, Longue Beach and Orient Beach.  

If the idea of the couple is to have a romantic, but also a relaxed holiday, then Jamaica is the place to go. The reggae music, the dances, the options for diving are just ideal if you dream about real recreation. Another fantastic place with reasonably priced resorts is the Dominican Republic. This destination is perfect for those who love adventures, as there is plenty to be done here. The couple can go hiking and scuba diving, snorkeling and windsurfing. In addition, one can try sailing with humpback whales. Among the finest spots to be checked here is the Cabarete bay, which is great place for windsurfing. For those couples in love that secluded beaches and beautiful scenery, the place to go is the island of Anguilla, which is appreciated by many famous artists and singers. This is a fantastic spot for those who love snorkeling and also for the food connoisseurs, as there are plenty of restaurants with various types of cuisine. 

If the idea of the holiday is to lay on the beach and get great skin complexion, then the couple should head towards Antigua. It is famous for its long sandy beaches, many small and secluded beach zones and great options for watersports. The place though is not very suitable for kids. In case you want an active holiday with parties, shopping, and watersports, then the place to go is Aruba. The island is great for kite surfing, scuba diving and also wind surfing. If diving is the passion of the couple, another great destination for that are the Cayman Islands, which are famous for the crystal water, the great diversity of fish and the tales for the Sunken City of Atlantis.

So you've got your PADI, you've checked out a few of the world's regular diving hotspots but now you've really caught the diving bug. If you're keen to plunge ocean depths in style, there are some great ways to do this with a luxury edge.

Resort Diving

There are many exclusive five star resorts across the world that count among their offering scuba diving courses and facilities. You can choose your destination based on the kind of diving you are interested in. Grenada for example is one of the key locations for wreck diving, so if you fancy exploring sunken treasures this could be the place for you. If you're looking for sea life on a large scale, Mozambique could be a good choice. It's famed for year round sightings of stunning Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. Whatever your choice, diving breaks with a base in a luxury resort offer the comfort of a five star hotel by night and the freedom of the waves by day. Some would certainly consider this the best of both worlds.

On another subject, the most number of people injured by one single shark was in

Madagascar, Feb. 1997, 500 injured and 98 dead!

What happened was that a fisherman caught a shark, cut it up for sale in the market,

500 people who ate the shark meat ended up in the hospital with ciguatera fish poisoning

and 98 of those died!

This is the kind of thing you can expect when learning to dive in Jamaica, the line allows for a safe descent and the dive is shallow - you will have been taught a lot in the pool or confined safe water area at this point and you will never go outside your comfort zone !

Learning to Dive in Jamaica at Sandals !

From the underwater artist Jason De Caires Taylor himself we present some recent updates for you to share.

Why Choose the Sandals Difference?

Are you vacationing to the Caribbean? Experience the Sandals Difference – our hassle-free Luxury Included® vacations include an unparalleled array of amenities for you to enjoy during your tropical getaway. Whether you’re vacationing in Jamaica, St. Lucia, the Bahamas or Antigua, our luxury all inclusive Caribbean resorts offer a variety of quality amenities, superb service and lavish accommodations – we offer more inclusions than any other resort in the world.

Top-Notch Dining

Sandals Resorts are renowned for offering their guests an array of gourmet dining choices to enjoy during an all inclusive Caribbean vacation – we provide up to 15 unforgettable restaurants per resort, including at least one authentic island dining experience. Sandals offers over 50 specialty restaurants, with fine dining selections from all over the world, including authentic Japanese sushi, fresh seafood, brick-oven pizza, classic French, British pub fare, Thai, contemporary Caribbean, Bahamian, Italian and light and healthy choices for health-conscious diners.

The ambiance is as varied as our dining selections – enjoy romantic dinners by candlelight, dine on the beach, or enjoy a hearty meal at a pub – it’s your choice!

Top-Shelf Drinks

What would an all inclusive Caribbean vacation be without premium top-shelf drinks? Sandals all inclusive luxury vacations provide unlimited top-shelf drinks at no extra cost – our Luxury Included® vacations offer drinks 24/7, served throughout the resort. There are as many as 12 bars to choose from per resort, each staffed by friendly, experienced bartenders.

Don’t want to leave the pool? Sandals’ signature swim-up pool bars are innovative, convenient and fun! Want to enjoy top-shelf drinks in style? Our Caribbean luxury resorts offer chic piano bars and unique themed bars, depending on your location – and if you don’t want to leave the white, soft sand of the Caribbean beach behind, enjoy unlimited premium-brand drinks and fine Beringer wines at our beachfront bars. There’s something for everyone at Sandals all inclusive Caribbean resorts.

Luxurious Accommodations

Sandals provides the finest, most luxurious rooms and suites at our all inclusive Caribbean resorts – we offer an array of accommodations to appease any type of traveler. Do you want to swim to your room? The swim-up suites of Sandals Negril makes it easy to go from the pool to your private sanctuary in no time. Each of our Caribbean luxury resorts offers something unique and special - enjoy a cliff-top sanctuary with a 180-degree view of the Caribbean sea in St. Lucia, enjoy enchanting seaside villas at Emerald Bay, relax in the privacy of our Mediterranean Plunge Pool Villa suites at Sandals Grande Antigua and more.

No matter which accommodations you choose, Sandals’ all inclusive Caribbean rooms and suites include a variety of extravagant amenities to make your stay as luxurious and relaxing as possible, including daily turndown service, satellite TV, pillow menus, Egyptian cotton linens, plush robes and even iPod docking stations – just ask us to see what your accommodations will include. Upgrade to our top-tier all inclusive Caribbean suites and experience premium personal butler service from a butler who is trained in accordance to the standards of the Guild of Professional English Butlers.

Entertainment

You’ll never be bored at our all inclusive Caribbean resorts – there are endless activities to enjoy, day or night. Whether you’re in the mood for a live show, an extravagant beach party, a costume party, karaoke or talent shows, we’ve got an array of entertainment for you to choose from.

Dress up and sip a top-shelf cocktail at one of our elegant piano bars, or enjoy the delicious food and drinks at one of our weekly beach parties while watching exciting fire eaters and limbo dancers. Sway to the steel drum band under the stars or dance the night away in one of our discos or nightclubs – you’ll never run out of things to do at our Caribbean beach resorts.

Beautiful Wedding Themes

When you book a honeymoon at one of our all inclusive Caribbean resorts for six nights or longer, we’ll provide you with a free Beautiful Beginnings wedding, ensuring that your special day is entirely hassle-free. Our wedding themes are known for elegance and simplicity, featuring a charming white fondant cake, a personal pre-wedding planner, a dedicated resort wedding team, assistance with marriage document preparation, pre-recorded music, sparkling wine and a hors d’oeuvres cocktail reception, and even a mimosa breakfast in bed – we’ve got it all!

And if the Beautiful Beginnings wedding isn’t your style, you can apply the value of this wedding towards a theme of your choice – Sandals Luxury Included® Resorts offer six exclusive pre-designed themes to meet the needs of any bride. What’s more, brides-to-be can use our Sandals Destination Wedding Designer tool to completely customize a dream wedding from scratch – no other resorts in the world provide you with so much!

Sandals Luxury Included® Caribbean Resorts

One could spend an endless amount of time explaining the top-notch amenities, services and accommodations available at Sandals all inclusive Caribbean resorts – including an unlimited scuba diving program, access to the award-winning, world-class Red Lane spa, or trips to Sandals exclusive offshore islands, just minutes away from the main resort. But talk is cheap – experience for yourselves why Sandals Luxury Included® vacations represent unparalleled relaxation, perfection and elegance – you’ll get more for less.

You may be based in Europe and fancy doing a diving holiday. I am in such a position and have the valuable hindsight to help me out. I have dived Sharm El Sheikh and various places in the Caribbean.

And I can help you decide which is the better option for you.

We need to clarify that value for money is not meaning the cheapest here. Without doubt flying from European Gateways such as London Gatwick Stanstead or Luton for example or from France Italy or Germany etc then without doubt and ALL INCLUSIVE SHARM EL SHEIKH diving holiday will be cheaper.

The problem I have with Egypt diving vacations is multifaceted. SO lets jump right in in and go there:

The problems with diving in Sharm El Sheikh

The Dive Operators are real factories and have largely lost sight of the customer as an individual diver. I'm not going to name any individual operator they are all pretty alike in that they are there for the money. You will see this in the low prices initially rising with addons such as afternoon dives or excursions to best dive sites such as the Thistlegorm. There is nothing wrong in this IF this is clearly stated and simple to understand. In the larger operations you will not find the divemasters and instructors hanging out after the day is out unlike in the Caribbean, that's fair enough as well - I'm not complaining just trying to get across the fact that diving is different here. You will get buses to the dock and have to wait while getting processed to the boats passing the metal detector. This gets fatiguing and after the diving day you might have to walk back the last 75m to the shop after the bus doesn't go all the way back.

If you are part of a group the above isn't really that much of a deal - but for the lone traveller you will find the dive shops largely lonesome places. And this continues into the evening. Thank god I met some students going  for their IDC and their Instructor in my hotel to make things more interesting. I have travelled the world alone and some countries are more for the lone traveller than others. If you are part of a group then you will enjoy what is good about Sharm El Sheikh..

The restaurants and Nightlfe in Sharm is disappointing. Hassle from the locals to be expected and really not too bad if you accept where you are

November 18th saw Jason De Caires Taylor add three new sculptures to MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte) in Mexico.
Please comment on the photos and what they mean to you.

Time Bomb (Mine):Depth 4m, Size 1.5 x 1.5m 

Time Bomb (fuse) : Depth 4m, Size 2.5 x 3.5m

Here is an absolutely wonderful series of videos that will help you prepare for your PADI open water diver course ! Use this if you like as an additional primer to your course.

Here are the links (if you have any comments or questions please leave them at the end of the relevant video)

Episode 1. Introduction to Scuba Diving

Episode 2. About a SCUBA Certification Course

Episode 3. SCUBA Gear Intro

Episode 4. SCUBA Gear Assembly and Notes

Episode 5. Underwater Skills and First Lessons

The Lionfish now inhabit all of the Caribbean and are present on the wreck of the Aeroplane at Nari Nari. But did you know that this dive site got its new wreck for the film Jaws 4 The Revenge !

Image thanks to Laszlo