Scuba Dive Travel in Northern Virginia: Dive Boat Etiquette

Scuba diving on a dive boat is a luxury.  It will get you to an out of the way dive site that you might not be able to reach otherwise.  The captain and crew work very hard to insure your comfort and safety.  A few common sense rules to follow will help make your trip all the better.

1 Always Arrive At The Boat On Time:
Dive boats are often in use multiple times each day.  It is important that they depart and return on time or the subsequent dives will not be on time.  Divers should arrive at the designated loading area a little prior to the announced boarding time.  You need to allow ample time to double check your gear and to allow for any additional paperwork that might be needed that day.  If you are late in arriving you may literally miss the boat!

2 Do Not Board The Boat Until Asked Aboard By The Crew:
Dive boats need to be properly prepared prior to their departure.  Fresh dive cylinders, snacks, first aid supplies and even emergency oxygen need to be loaded on board or checked prior to casing off.  The crew needs adequate time and space to get ready for the days activities.  If you board too early you simply get in the way or even prevent the crew from completing their assigned tasks.  As soon as the boat is ready you will be invited aboard.  Once on board you should quickly and neatly stow your equipment and double check everything prior to departure.

3 Listen To The Boat Safety Briefing:
At the beginning of any dive boat trip a member of the crew will give a boat safety briefing.  Listen carefully.  The safety briefing will include not only important safety instructions in the case of an emergency but some common sense tips on what will work best on the particular boat from which you are diving.  Pay attention and do not distract the attention of others by talking during the briefing. 

4 Stay In Your Allotted Area or Space:
Dive boats with a load of scuba divers and dive gear can be very crowded.  For your comfort and the comfort and safety of everyone on board you need to set up in a confined area and keep you equipment there as well.   Pack you gear in a folding mesh dive bag prior to boarding the boat.  Set your equipment up in your area and stow your bag and any extra gear in the area beneath your bench.  It is not only good manners to maintain you gear in your own space, but it will prevent possible equipment damage or even divers from tripping over your items.

5 Be Safe – Heavy objects on the deck and Cameras on the Camera Table:
Even while at the dock, Dive boats can roll when waves brush up against them.  Heavy objects like weight belts can fall off of benches.  Weight Belts and other heavy objects should be safely stowed where they cannot fall and damage other equipment or even worse a diver’s foot.

6 Set Up Your Gear – Check To Make Sure You Have Everything:
Once your dive gear is on board immediately set up your scuba unit.  Check your air then turn your air off and purge the line.  Secure your unit with the ropes or bungees that the boat has in place.  Make sure you have everything.  Once the boat departs it is too late to replace a forgotten item.

7  Use the Proper Buckets:
Most Dive Boats will have a bucket to rinse masks and a separate bucket to rinse cameras.  Some boats will even have a third bucket for other gear.  Never put your mask in the camera bucket.  The defog that you use on your mask can damage the chemical coating on the camera lenses.  If you need to rinse your mask and their is no mask bucket dip your hand in the camera bucket and scoop some water out to pour into your mask.  Once you rinse your mask do not pour the water back into the camera bucket.  Regulators and wetsuits should never be put in a mask or camera bucket either.

8 Keep The Dry Area Dry:
Many divers will bring a towel, camera and even a log book on board.  These items are usually stowed in a “dry area” of the boat.  Please make sure that you keep this area dry.  Do not place wet gear or towels in this area.  If the boat has an enclosed cabin area it is important not to enter that area while wearing a wetsuit.  Water in that area not only creates a safety hazard for slipping but can cause mildew and odor in what is the living area of the boat.

9 Enter & Exit The Water Properly:
When divers are lined up to enter the water be ready.  Have your equipment appropriately in place and be ready to go when it is your turn.  Use the entry technique recommended in the Dive Briefing.  When returning to the boat wait your turn to use the ladder.  Hold the trail line until it is your turn.  Never get onto the ladder when someone is still climbing out.  If they were to fall they could land on top of you.  When it is your turn quickly move to the ladder and follow the technique recommended in the dive briefing.  Once on board move yourself and your equipment out of the way to make room for the next diver.

10  Remember The Crew: Thank and Tip the Captain and Crew:
The boat crew goes out of their way to make sure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip.  Be sure to thank them.  It is also customary to tip the crew.  If the crew went above and beyond the call of duty in helping you either spot critters, take care of your gear or even help you in or out of the boat it is nice to thank them with an extra gratuity.  Like a waiter or waitress, tips are a major part of their income.

Scuba Diving from a boat offers several advantages in addition to just being fun.  The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, PADI, offers a scuba diving specialty course entitled Boat Diver.  This is a great course to take and will make you not only a better scuba diver but a more courteous one as well.  At Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a PADI 5 Star Dive Center in Alexandria, Virginia the Boat Diver Specialty Course is offered on many of our Scuba Diving Vacation Trips.

Learn to Scuba Dive in Northern Virginia: Shore Diving

Last week we discussed the advantages of scuba diving from a dive boat.  This week we are going to look at scuba diving from shore.  There are many areas in Florida, along the coast line or the Caribbean that offer beach access to the ocean or sea.  Being able to simple wade into the water and scuba dive along the shoreline offers easy access to many dive areas that are often over looked.  Since the water along the beach often has waves and perhaps even some currents it pays to take a few extra steps when shore diving to insure your safety.

Scuba Diving Equipment for Shore Diving: Dive Flags & Floats:
Many dive locations require by law that any scuba diver display a dive flag and float when scuba diving.  This is to warn boats in the area to realize that scuba divers are in the vicinity, and that they should take precautions to prevent running over a diver who may be on the surface or diving just below the surface.  When entering the water from shore, the float and dive flag should be kept between the diver and the shoreline.  If the float where out in front of the diver, waves could throw the float at the divers which could cause injuries.

Back into the Waves:
When wading into the water if there are any waves, place yourself so that your back is against the waves.  When a wave strikes lean into it and the wave action will straighten you.  If you face the waves the pressure from the waves can dislodge your mask causing problems.  It is also easier to be knocked over if you face the waves rather then back into them.

Keep Your Scuba Regulator Ready:
Always have your regulator second stage in your hand.  Should you be knocked down by a wave you will be able to simply put it in your mouth.  Many divers will enter the water with their snorkel in their mouth.  That is fine but you still need to hold on to your regulator in case you trip or fall.  Also make sure that your alternate air source is securely fastened in case you need to reach for it.

Get into the Water Before Donning Your Scuba Fins:
Fins were not designed to walk in, and doing so can cause a diver to trip or stumble.  It is best to walk into the water until it is deep enough to support you and then don your fins.  Usually, between knee and waist deep is an ideal depth.

Be Deep Enough Prior to Diving:
Once you have donned your fins you may need to back a little deeper into the water prior to actually scuba diving.  Follow the rules we listed above and when you can drop down a few feet to be under the waves do so.  It is then far easier to swim out underwater from that point.

Stay Close to Your Dive Buddy:
Scuba divers should always dive in buddy teams.  Waves and undertow can often move divers around.  To maintain your safety, stay together so that you can assist each other if needed.

Be Extra Careful When Exiting a Shore Dive:
Coming back into shore can be challenging if the wave action has increased during your dive.  Often winds or even tides will cause wave action to increase making it very difficult to stand up and remove your fins.  If necessary simply body surface into shore.  If necessary you can crawl out on your hands and knees with the regulator in your mouth.  It does not look very graceful but is far better then being knocked over.

Know When Not To Dive:
If it is very wavy and if the surf seems to be rising it might be better to call the dive off.  Scuba diving is fun.  If the surf action makes it difficult, take a moment to think about your safety.  Some days it is just better to call it a day and try again when the conditions are better suited to scuba diving.  Also you may be an experienced scuba diver but you need to consider the skill level of the other divers.  If they are novices and the weather is creating more challenging conditions  you may want to reconsider for your buddy’s sake.  As we mentioned earlier, scuba diving is fun, if your buddy is over exerting and not enjoying the dive it might be better to dive later, when conditions are better suited to safe scuba diving.

Aquatic Adventures: Scuba Diving Trips and Travel Specialists

Today, more than ever  you have many choices in where to book your travel needs.  The internet makes travel shopping very easy.  However, the internet does not specialize in dive travel and ease is not the only criteria for selecting your travel assistants. Your local dive center can even assist you in selecting a travel location that matches your scuba diving experience and ability.  The staff at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy has personally been to most of the finest dive locations in the world and dive vacations are our specialty!

When you book your vacation you seek a quality dive location, good service from both your resort and travel broker, and last but not least a good price. We have been there, we have seen it and we have done it, and w e can take the worry out of your next vacation.  Whether it is on one of our group trips or one that we book specifically for you we can save you both time and money.

Where to Go on your Scuba Diving Trips to find quality scuba diving?

Finding a great country or island to spend your dive vacation is only part of your search.  You also want to stay at a quality resort.  You want great dive sites and a reputable dive outfit to see to your needs.  A good place to start looking for that next Dive Travel destination is your local dive center.  Since the staff there may have been to most of these places we can help you select just the right resort for your diving and vacationing needs.   A second place to look is on line at one of the major Scuba Certification Agencies.  The Professional Association of Diving Instructors or PADI has its own travel agency that specializes in Dive Travel.  The Staff at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy or at PADI Travel can be invaluable in helping you select a quality destination, whether it be a remote island or a live a board dive boat.

How to Get the Best Price on your Scuba Diving Trips?

When you book your Scuba Diving Vacation Trip through a Dive Center like Aquatic Adventures or directly with PADI Travel you receive the benefit of large volume bookings.  Companies like PADI Travel often have “best price guarantees” from the Dive Resorts that they represent.  This in turn means that you get the best price and that is often a group rate even though you are traveling as an individual.

Your Next Aquatic Adventure

There are so many great travel destinations available.   When you utilize the resources of those who have been there and are familiar with your needs, it is incredibly easy to select and schedule that next great Aquatic Adventure.

Scuba Dive Travel – Live A Board Dive Boat Trip to Galapagos

Live-a-board scuba diving and snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands onboard the Buddy Dive Boat, offers a large variety of dives.  Sharks, penguins, marine iguanas, a vast variety of fish and of course the occasional manta ray or whale shark.

The anticipation of what lies ahead, just below the surface, makes even the most experienced diver quiver. Each site and island has its own flavor, and everyone has their favorites; Isla Los Lobos famous for the sea lions, Wolf and Darwin where many sharks can be seen or Roca Redonda and Vincente Roca  where an encounter with Sun Fish can be expected but regardless of which site you’re on, they’re all exciting.

Our trip to Galapagos in August of 2013 is aboard Buddy Dive’s Galapagos Boat.  Buddy has two dedicated Dive Boats for this fantastic trip.

The two 120 Feet (36 m) long yachts with 4 decks, which form Buddy Dive’s Live-a-board fleet, are custom designed by Buddy Dive and both yachts are equipped with cutting edge equipment that includes a fire control system, life saving appliances, and a state of the art navigation and communication system. Excellent craftsmanship resulted in two yachts that will take care of giving the guests the assurance of enjoying an unforgettable holiday and plenty of memorable dives.

All suites are air conditioned, have their own private bathroom and are serviced multiple times per day. They are equipped with an entertainment system that includes a flat-screen monitor and a DVD player. The comfort of the furnishings makes these suites very inviting after a beautiful day of diving.

This all-inclusive package includes accommodation aboard the yacht, all meals, snacks and beverages (excluding premium brands) on board (all inclusive), diving compressed air tanks, weights and weight belts, nitrox fills, and airport transfers to and from the yacht.

Aquatic Adventures Scuba Dive Travel Specialists

At Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center in Alexandria, Virginia, we have been leading Scuba Diving Trips for for over 25 years.  We have experienced a wide array of diving but nothing has come close to Galapagos for excitement and adventure.

Galapagos is a pristine area that offers an incredible array of diving that is not available elsewhere.

Scuba Diving Vacations: Live-a-board Dive Boats

Scuba Diving Trips or Vacations are the end goal of most scuba divers.  It is when the dedicated scuba diver gets to go scuba diving every day without the worry or cares of work or other distractions that makes Scuba Travel so popular.  For those scuba divers who want the most number of scuba dives that they can pack into a vacation then a trip on a live-a-board dive boat may be the perfect vacation.

The Bahamas Live A Board Dive Boat: Aqua Cat

A very popular Live-A-Board in the Bahamas, the Aqua Cat advertises that they offer a large variety of dives; shark feeding dives, blue holes, high speed drift dives, walls and shallow patch reefs. This week long cruise from Nassau, Bahamas to the remote islands of the Exumas, and especially the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the most pristine area in all the Bahamas.

The Aqua Cat is a 102 foot long catamaran, offering stability and comfort.  This is the ultimate escape aboard your own private luxury yacht. Imagine sinking your toes into sugar sand, snorkeling or diving among the lemon sharks and sting rays, or hiking the trails of pirates and bootleggers of years gone by. No crowds, no set itineraries, nothing to do but sit back, relax and choose from an incredible variety of live-a-board activities including scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, sunbathing, and island exploring.

Caribbean Live A Board Dive Boats: The Aggressor

The Aggressor Fleet offers live a board dive boats in many areas of the Caribbean and the Pacific.  They advertise that many experienced divers feel that live-aboard dive boats offer the best value in diving. In most cases, we are inclined to agree. These vessels have been designed, from the keel up, with the diver in mind.

A good live-aboard trip can provide maximum diving pleasure with a minimum of hassle, and take you to dive sites inaccessible from land-based operations. On a quality live-aboard, the facilities for diving are top-notch, the food is great, and the service effective but also relaxed.

For all of us hard driving “Type A’s,” a live-aboard offers plenty of time for much needed rest and relaxation, reading, videos, improving your photography, dining, and pleasant interaction with fellow divers. Of course, that’s AFTER you knock off your four or five hours a day in the water!

Live A Board Dive Adventures: Galapagos

Live A Board Dive Boats have become so popular that many Dive Resorts, like Buddy’s Dive in Bonaire, have expanded to offer live a board dive adventures in more exotic locations like Galapagos.  They now have two fully equipment luxury boats dedicated to touring and scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands.

Scuba Diving Vacations & Travel: Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy

Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a Dive Center in Northern Virginia, specializes in Dive Travel.  Scuba Diving Trips are offered 4-6 times a year at Aquatic Adventures. Live A Board Dive Trips are very popular and are offered by Aquatic Adventures every year if possible.  Live A Board Dive Vacations offer the ultimate in diving experience and an opportunity to complete up to 5 dives a day.  There are a number of very good and reputable Live A Board Dive Boats to choose from.  They all offer an opportunity to dive to your hearts content.  The slogan for the Aggressor Fleet to describe live a board diving is: Eat – Sleep – Dive.  And that about sums it up, Live A Boards offer a great Aquatic Adventure.

Scuba Dive Travel – Bonaire

There are a few places whose name is synonymous with diving.  One of those is Bonaire.  Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, a Dive Center in Northern Virginia that specializes in Dive Travel has run six scuba diving vacation trips to Bonaire in the past ten years and each one was an over whelming success.  Our next scuba diving trip there is from July 7 – 14, 2012, and promises to be a great mid-summer getaway.

Bonaire is known for its great reefs, crystal clear water, large schools of tropical fish, exotic critters like sea horses and frog fish, and perhaps the best shore diving of any destination in the Caribbean.  In addition to the beautiful beaches, the Dutch influence on the island makes Bonaire a most unusual destination and a fun place to visit.  Bonaire offers a unique combination of some of the best yet easiest diving in the Caribbean.  This is perfect location for individuals, couples and families.

he Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, our host hotel, overlooks a private white sand beach and the turquoise Caribbean Sea, and is surrounded by over 50 spectacular dive sites, all within a 15-minute boat ride.  This first-class resort, recently renovated, and boasts many amenities, including air conditioned rooms, two restaurants and three bars, a casino, two pools, spa, fitness center, sea kayaks, and a dive shop, and is located just three miles from the airport, and a five minute walk from town.

Our trip includes eight days and seven nights accommodations at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, six days of diving with five days of three boat dives daily, an additional day of one boat dive and one checkout dive, plus unlimited shore diving.  More than enough to satisfy even the most ardent diver.  An incredible breakfast buffet each morning will help you start each day.

Scuba Diving Training On Your Scuba Diving Trips

Taking the Scuba Diving Continuing Education Course while on you scuba diving vacation is very easy to do.  All or our trips are lead by an Instructor at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy.  This make completing that scuba course a snap to do.  Such Scuba Specialty Courses as Underwater Photography, Boat Diver, Fish Identification, Night Diver or even Underwater Navigation are perfect scuba courses to complete while on that great scuba diving vacation

Scuba Diving Vacations offer the opportunity to travel to other counties, see many unexplored areas or reefs, and just plain have fun.  Join us on our next Aquatic Adventure!

Scuba Diving Travel – Cane Bay St Croix

On of the most popular activities at my Dive Center in Northern Virginia is our Dive Travel.  Scuba Travel is very popular today and by providing Scuba Diving Trips it gives our former scuba students and current customers an opportunity to stay active as Scuba Divers.  In February of 2013 we are going on a dive trip to St. Croix.

Cane Bay cottages are located directly across the street from the palm tree lined Cane Bay Beach and affords guest unlimited shore diving access to Cane Bay Wall, one of the Virgin Island’s most popular and accessible dive sites.  Although several dive sites are easily dived from shore, most do require boats.  Cane Bay’s Dive Shop is strategically located to allow short boat rides to the heart of the best diving in the area.

The Cane Bay Wall, rated as one of the top dive sites in the entire Caribbean, offers something for every level of diver.  Less then 150 yards from shore, at a depth of only 25-30 feet is the reef terrace.  This beautiful living coral garden is filled with soft and hard corals of every type.  Teeming with tropical fish and aquatic life, this site is truly a diver’s dream.  The Wall begins in 40 feet, plunging to 3,200 feet in areas of vertical drops, or more gradually in slow sloping areas.  Nineteenth century anchors and large deep water sea life can be found along the wall.

We will spend an entire week (February 9 – 16, 2013) at Cane Bay Cottages in St. Croix.   Included in this 8 day, 7 night package is five days of two tank boat dives, and unlimited beach diving.  Cane Bay Cottages are located directly across the street from Cane Bay and is near Cane Bay Wall for convenient shore diving.  The Cottages are also within walking distance to restaurants ranging from barefoot and funky to romantic fine dining.

Airport to hotel transfers when we arrive and depart are also included.  The entire package is incredibly priced at only $1089.00 in the Mountain View and $1199.00 in the Ocean View Superior Cottage.  Prices are per person double occupancy and is based on two divers per room.

This is very good price for the diving and amenities and a vacation that you would not want to miss.  There are only two Cottages in each category so available space is limited.

Join us on this or one of our other Dive Trips.  All of our Scuba Vacation Trips are led by a Scuba Instructor, which makes these trips a great place to complete some of your Scuba Diving Continuing Educations Courses.  We try to offer scuba travel trips throughout the year in many different exciting locations.

Join us for your next great Aquatic Adventure.

Learn to Scuba Dive then enjoy Scuba Diving Travel and Vacation Trips – Cozumel Dive Trip

One of the great lures that encourage people to learn to scuba dive is the attraction of exotic vacations to various places that offer incredible scuba diving.

When you think of diving in the Caribbean the “big three” immediately come to mind, Cayman, Cozumel and Bonaire.  Our trip at Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy this coming October is to our favorite resort in Cozumel, Scuba Club.

Scuba Diving Magazine awarded Cozumel “Top Five Honors” in eight separate scuba diving categories: Best Diving Destination, Best Diving Overall, Best Marine Life, Best Wall Diving, Best Advanced Diving, Best Underwater Photography Dives, Best Underwater Visibility, and Best Value in 2012.

For those of you who have never been to Cozumel, the Island is located just south of the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quinta Roo, Mexico.  It is directly opposite of the city of Cancun.  Cozumel definitely is Mexico’s premier dive location.

Cozumel is truly a dive destination that has something for everyone.  Beautiful drift dives loaded with sea life and corals, and arguably the best visibility in all of the Caribbean.  Large schools of fish, amazing critters like banded coral shrimp and arrow crabs, and even those special sightings, like turtles, sea horses and octopus can be seen on most any dive.  Cozumel is noted for its drift dives and boasts of what many consider to be the best visibility in the entire Caribbean!  What an incredible place to finish that Open Water or Specialty Dive Course?

When not diving spend your time either touring the Mayan ruins (Talum and Chechen Itza) on the nearby mainland of Mexico or walking through the quaint town of San Miguel.  San Miguel is dotted with restaurants and bars and hosts a local bazaar where you can find a myriad of local handicrafts.

Scuba Dive Training – PADI Continuing Education Scuba Courses

Our dive trip vacations are also an excellent place to continue your scuba dive training and education.  Our trips are lead by one of our Scuba Instructors, who is available to offer scuba diving courses and scuba specialty courses while on the trip.  Trips like these are great places  to complete a specialty dive class like underwater photography, the boat diver specialty, fish identification and many other worthwhile scuba classes.

Scuba Diving Vacation Value

We will spend an entire week (October 6 – 13, 2012) at Scuba Club Cozumel.   Included in this 8 day, 7 night package is six days of two tank boat dives, one boat night dive and unlimited beach diving.   Scuba Club is known for its great cuisine, and our trip includes three meals per day at their great restaurant.  Airport to hotel transfers when we arrive and depart are also included.  The entire package is incredibly priced at only $999.00 per person double occupancy and is based on two divers per room.

Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy is a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center and specializes in Scuba Training and Dive Travel.  Join us in October and let us help you enjoy that next great Aquatic Adventure.

Booking My Scuba Diving Vacation Trip in No Va.

I live in Northern Virginia and have always wanted to learn to scuba dive.  Many years ago I took the plunge (no pun intended) and decided to learn to scuba dive in No Va.   Naturally I went to a Northern Virginia Dive Center to do so.  Almost  all of us learned to scuba dive so that we could go on exotic scuba diving vacations and explore the undersea world.  Now that we are certified there is no reason not to plan for that next great aquatic scuba diving vacation or trip.

Where do I want to dive on my Scuba Diving Vacation?

There are many locations that offer excellent Scuba diving vacations.  The most famous are the Cayman Islands, Bonaire and Cozumel in the Caribbean.  The Bahamas Islands also offer some very good diving. The Caribbean is not too far away and not overly expensive to get to.  The Sea of Cortez on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico is another great location that is easy to get to.  In the Pacific, Australia is probably the most well known but it is literally half way around the world.  Fiji is just a far away but is priced much more reasonably priced.  In the middle of the Pacific is Palau and Truk Lagoon, which offer incredibly sea life and some fantastic ship wrecks.  Off the coast of Ecuador are the Galapagos Islands that offers excellent diving with some awesome large creatures like hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.  These are fantastic sounding dive trips so how do I decide which to take?

How do I decide which Scuba Diving Vacation Trip is right for me?

The different resort locations just listed all sound great.  How do I know which one I will like best?  The answer to that is pretty simple.  Find a local Dive Center that you know and trust that specializes in Scuba Dive Travel.  Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy, located in the Alexandria area of Northern Virginia has been leading Scuba Diving Vacation Trips since the 1980′s, and is also a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Center.  Aquatic Adventures is a specialist in Scuba Dive Travel and offers four to six group Dive Trips every year.  In addition Aquatic Adventures also offer individual Scuba Travel for those who are not available for one of their group trips.  When you speak with a Scuba Travel Specialist, like Aquatic Adventures they will take into consideration your scuba diving experience level, the type of diving you like to do, the amount of time that you have to spend on vacation and your travel budget.  They will help you select exactly what is best for you.

Why Book My Dive Travel With  A Dive Center Instead of a Travel Agent?

Travel Agents are very good for booking trips but a Dive Center is a better choice for Scuba Diving Vacations and Scuba Diving Trips.  The travel specialist at the Dive Center knows all about Scuba Diving and what places offer better scuba diving and what places offer the type of scuba diving that you would most enjoy.  The travel agent knows travel but they are not Scuba Specialists.  In addition the experienced Dive Center that specializes in Scuba Training and Scuba Travel will very often be able to save you money.  A good example is a Travel Agent will book you as a diver and will also book your training dives for you.  An experienced Travel Specialist Dive Center, like Aquatic Adventures, will know that the training dives include the boat fees so they will book you as a non diver for the days you are training so that you do not double pay for the boat.

What is the Best Time for a Scuba Diving Vacation?

The Caribbean has seasons just like the rest of the world.  The water in the Caribbean is up to 10 degrees colder in the winter then the summer.  The peak season for the Caribbean is winter when the rest of us are locked in with snow, sleet and cold weather.  A winter Scuba Diving Vacation is a nice escape.  In the summer the rates in the Caribbean are lower then the winter so many people like to take a summer Scuba Diving Vacation Trip.  The Spring and Fall is my favorite since there is a nice balance in the air and water temperature making it the most pleasant time of year to Scuba Dive.

What ever your choice my be you will have a great time.  When you are ready we are ready to help you plan that next great Aquatic Adventure.

The Best SCUBA Diving Equipment in Northern Virginia – Underwater Cameras

One of my favorite aspects of SCUBA diving is being able to take photographs underwater.  I love photography in general and Underwater Photography is just my favorite.  It allows me to relive my SCUBA diving vacations again and again.  In order to become an Underwater Photographer you first have to get certified as a SCUBA Diver.  In this area you would start by finding a Dive Center like Aquatic Adventures Scuba Academy a Dive Center in Northern Virginia. Aquatic Adventures offers both Scuba Classes in Northern Virginia and Scuba Dive Equipment in Northern Virginia.
Once you are Certified as a SCUBA Diver you can start taking underwater photographs right away.  However, some additional Scuba Diving Skills will come in handy.  PADI Specialty Scuba Diver Courses like the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy which will help improve you buoyancy in the water allowing you to take better photographs without stirring up the bottom.  Needless to say other courses like PADI Underwater Digital Photography will also allow you to learn to take underwater photographs safely and to prevent common underwater photography mistakes.

Now that you have obtained your SCUBA Certification and have taken some PADI Specialty Diver Courses you are ready to start taking photographs underwater.  Good underwater photographs start with good underwater cameras.   Selecting your underwater camera or camera system is not overly difficult.  Locally you find a Dive Center in Northern Virginia like Aquatic Adventures that not only carries Dive Equipment but underwater cameras and underwater camera systems but understands them and can help you and answer you questions regarding both the cameras and underwater photography in general, and will be able to pass on some tips enabling you to take better underwater photographs.

You can start with a housed camera like the Sealife DC-1200 underwater camera and housing which will allow you to start taking underwater photographs almost immediately.   Later on you can add an underwater strobe light and or a wide angle lens to allow you to get closer and thus have more color in your underwater photographs.  You can also start off with a complete underwater camera system like the Sealife DC-1200 Elite Camera System, which contains the camera, housing, strobe and wide angle lens in a deluxe carry bag.

Which ever way you choose the next thing to do is go diving and start taking underwater photographs.  The more you take the better underwater photographer you will become.  Some of the best opportunities to take underwater photos is on one of Aquatic Adventures Scuba Diving Trips.  Remember your next Aquatic Adventure starts with Aquatic Adventures.