How Dive Travel Makes You a Better Diver
(Especially if you want to go Pro)
Looking for another reason to justify that dive trip you want to take? Then hold on, because I’ve got a whale of a good one! Here it is: traveling makes you a better diver in almost every way.
And on the flip side, one of the greatest disservices you can do to yourself is get all your diving experience in the same place, especially if you plan to become a dive pro.
Think that’s a bold claim? I’ve got six solid points here to back it up. Let’s get into it!
Experience Different Conditions
Diving in different places means diving in different conditions, and this is a very good thing. Learning and fundiving in exclusively one set of conditions will leave you at best, unprepared for other conditions, and at worse, creates a false sense of competence that can be dangerous when you do finally venture out somewhere new.
You don’t have to travel far or take exotic trips to experience different diving conditions, because conditions change from one place to another even within the same region. Cozumel, for example, is known for its drift diving, but if you head just an hour or so south on an airplane to Roatan (where I live), you will scarcely ever encounter a current.
Colombia is a great example of wildly different diving conditions all within the same country. On the Pacific side of the country, you have two of the most prized dive destinations in the world: Isla Gorgona and Malpelo. These sites are known for their pelagics - whales, hammerheads, whalesharks, and also for their low visibility, extreme currents, cold water, and high waves.
On the other side of the country, you have Caribbean dive destinations like Taganga, Cartagena, Isla Fuerte, San Andres, and Providencia, known for their warm, calm waters and crazy amounts of fish, but with zero "big stuff." Short distances can still bring big change.
See Different Standards and Styles
One of the biggest benefits of dive travel is seeing the different ways that things are done, while still being safe and within standards. There are so many ways that skills can be presented, that courses can be arranged, and the dives can be planned and executed. It is a fatal flaw of “single-shop divers” to believe that the way they learned is the only way. This stifles creativity as a dive professional and limits your ability to come up with solutions when “non-standard” situations arise.
Seeing the different ways that things are done is also a great way to spot poor practices. You might find that your shop is exceptional and the right standard to hold others against. You might also realize that your shop is the one doing something sketchy, but you’d never know because it’s all you know! I have experienced this first hand, but that’s a story for another day.
Experience With Different Kinds of Gear
So much gear, so little time! If you already own your own kit, this isn’t as important, but few new divers own their own gear. It’s awesome to see a variety of gear styles before deciding what to buy for yourself, as scuba gear lasts years and is expensive AF, so you probably don’t want to change your mind about your purchase too terribly often.
If you’re planning on going pro, this is vital. I learned to dive in two different countries, Ecuador and Colombia, but the gear was all the same and almost none of the visiting divers had their own kits. Neither region was hugely known for diving by North American tourists, and the average diver was more likely to be a backpacker getting their Open Water than a hardcore diver with tons of experience.
As a result, I had very little exposure to different types of gear when I arrived in Roatan to do my IDC. I’d never even seen a weight-integrated BCD before, let alone a DIN regulator! This put me at a huge disadvantage and was honestly pretty embarrassing.
Different Boats and Resources
I always laugh a little bit when I talk about not peeing in your wetsuit, or share stories of divers who have gotten the runs on a dive and had to make the ocean their toilet, because someone will inevitably comment “why didn’t they just use the bathroom on the boat?” To someone who learned to dive in what are essentially little skiffs, often with tanks rolling around underneath our feet, this assumption is laughable!
But imagine coming at this situation from the other side. You’ve only ever been diving in places like Egypt or Hawaii where there are not only bathrooms onboard, but showers and tank compressors. Will you be prepared to enjoy the majesty of the dives, be present in the moment, and enjoy the experience for what it is the first time you dive from a small, crowded, and uncomfortable boat somewhere new?
So many of the most magical places in the world simply aren’t accessible with the level of luxury that many divers become accustomed to when they dive in only one place.
Exposure to Different Kinds of Divers
People dive for so many different reasons, and they dive in totally different ways. In my experience, certain regions tend to attract a specific type of diver. This is often because of price-points, conditions, marine life, or other factors.
Some of the most common types of divers are: luxury divers, backpackers, what I call “adventure” divers, tec divers, “I’m doing it for the ‘gram” divers (these are usually DSDs), and underwater photographers. If you’re going to work in diving, identifying and understanding the expectations and needs of different types of divers will help you provide great experiences and earn better tips.
As a recreational fundiver, diving with different types of divers will help you see skills and practices you want to incorporate into your dive repertoire. You will get the chance to see techniques, gear, ideologies, and attitudes that might be totally new or different. You’ll also get the chance to see practices and attitudes that you want to avoid as a diver, which is an invaluable educational experience.
Not to mention, the relationships you make with those divers will last a lifetime. The diving community remains relatively small, and you might be surprised at how much you will stay connected to and meet with these divers again along the way. One of the coolest things about dive travel is being able to say “I’ve got a friend in xxx, let me connect you with them!”
A Well-Rounded Diving Background Will Make You a Better Pro
In short, you will have seen, experienced, and practiced more kinds of diving, you will understand the industry better as a whole, be on par with clients who have traveled and be able to relate to them, and be better able to prepare new divers for the wider range of diving experiences.
Plus, when has travel ever made you worse?! If you've never packed for a dive trip, I've got some helpful info in this blog.
Looking for Your Next Dive Trip?
I design and lead bespoke dive trips to awesome locations around the world! Our next trip is coming up in June, and will double as my birthday celebration!
Isla Fuerte, Colombia (nearest airport: MTR Montería, Colombia)
June 14-22, 2024
Max. 8 Divers
Advanced Open Water Required
Nitrox Certification Required
Never heard of Isla Fuerte? That's exactly why you have to go!
Isla Fuerte is an undiscovered diver’s paradise. This is adventure diving at its finest; this is not your Gram’s dive trip! You’ll dive amongst some of the healthiest corals left in the Caribbean, then spend 3 whole days exploring the pristine Bushnell Seamounts, 16mi/20km out with no land in sight. It is no exaggeration to say that few divers in the world have ever entered these waters.
Above the waterline, Isla Fuerte remains an authentic Colombian gem, unscathed by the "corporatization" that has ruined other popular Caribbean diving islands. No Señor Frog's here. Check out La Playita, our dive resort to see what it's all about.
What You’ll Find:
Blacktip and nurse sharks, eagle rays, schools of barracuda, schools of groupers, lionfish (which we will hunt and eat!), large and healthy star, boulder, brain, lettuce, and soft corals, an underwater museum, sweet drift dives, a shallow wreck, natural gas vents (shown in the video here), amazing food, hammocks, dancing and nightlife, and of course, my birthday bash!
Space is extremely limited. Read the full details here, then reserve your spot via email with a 50% non-refundable deposit. Don’t forget to include your diving certification!
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