1. Research The Destination

• Get a rough idea on flight schedules, connections, possible stopover locations and airlines that can be used (FF programs).
• Check on health concerns. A number of tropical dive destinations do carry risks for certain diseases like malaria. Make sure you understand the risks and then decide if you are confident to manage them or rather choose a different destination.
• What else, besides diving, can be done at the destination?
• Research the diving options. Try to find out all the options offered at the destination of your choice. In many cases there are one or two very well known operations and a bigger number of not so well advertised options. Sometimes, the advertised option is not the one that necessarily suits you best. Some operations simply cannot afford to advertise heavily. The fact that they are not widely known does not necessarily mean the operation is inferior.
• Travel guides and special dive guides are useful for basic research. When it comes down to decision-making, verify the information, as printed information can be dated. Web based information like on this page is more up to date and interactive as you can double check quickly by e-mail.

2. Based on this initial research, determine the rough time frame for your trip

• Tropical destinations usually have very different weather patterns from what you might be used to. Throughout the Pacific you find references to "rainy season", "dry season" or "cyclone season". These words do have different meanings for different locations. The "dry" or "rainy" component can be more or less pronounced and hence interfere with your vacation. In general, resort based dive operations are more affected from this than the live-aboards. Many live-aboards do move around to operate in the best possible conditions all year round.
• If you want to visit more than the one destination, make sure that you get there at the right time of the year. E.g. if you visit Sydney or Melbourne and Cairns, be aware that we have real winter in Melbourne during June/July, whereas the weather in Cairns is very pleasant that time of year.

3. Set yourself a realistic budget, then determine your own priorities and rank them

• For live aboard dive boats, there is a rule of thumb. The cost for the trip increases with the number of passengers going down, the standard of accommodation increasing (en-suites), the busy time of year and the remoteness of the dive location.
• Cost can be saved if you clearly prioritize among those factors.
• If you are flexible with your travel time you might be able to take advantage of special offers, which sometimes become available on short notice. To stay up to date, subscribe to our newsletter.

4. Decide if you want to book direct with many different operators, or use an experienced dive travel agent as one-stop shop.

• All major operators these days do have their own internet presence, provide a lot of information on their trips and allow you to book directly with them. Although this might be warranted in some instances, there are a couple of considerations which make it more attractive to arrange all or part of your trip through an experienced dive travel agency, like us, Diversion Dive Travel.
• No matter which operator you talk to directly - they will all tell you that they are the best in their field. They cannot give you unbiased advise on other options available. In contrast a dive travel agency that is specialized on a small number of destinations only does have the first hand knowledge and experience to help you finding out the best option for you.
• Some operators do offer discounts for return clients, etc. You will find that a good dive travel agency will be able to offer those discounts as well and they usually do have very good deals on airfares, special deals on check-in luggage for divers, accommodation and other activities as well.
• If your travel plans are affected by unforeseen schedule changes and delays of aircraft, a dive travel agency who knows the ropes of the destination can in many cases salvage what otherwise would be spoiled vacation.
• And finally unless you enjoy spending a big part of your spare time to do your own research and negotiations, it is convenient to leave all the details to people who do this professionally.

5. Get a reservation first for the dive resort or live-aboard you are after

• Now the next step is to reserve the cabin of your choice on the dive cruise or resort. Especially with the limited number of guest on dive cruises, this is very important to avoid disappointment.
• With us you can usually get a reservation for a week to 10 days before you have to finally commit with a deposit.

6. Then arrange for flights, accommodation, and other activities on your trip.

• Once the core time of travel is secured, it's time to book your flights. Make sure you leave enough time between your last dive and the departure of your plane!
• For live-aboard cruises it is always advisable to plan to arrive at least a day earlier at your destination. This gives you time to acclimatize to the tropics and the new time zone. (It also gives you a buffer in case luggage arrives delayed).

7. Check your health, your travel documents, your dive gear, cameras, etc

• Get a full check up with your physician, discuss immunization requirements
• Make sure your passport will be valid at least 6 month when you start your trip, check on special entry requirements for some countries
• If you bring your own gear, get it serviced before the trip, make sure you carry spare parts for unusual designs and brands - bring adapters for INT connectors.