Cheap Places to Learn How to Scuba Dive
By Jennifer Adams
If you’re thinking about getting into scuba diving and have just dropped your jaw at the prices your local dive school is charging, why not consider learning abroad? Scuba diving holidays are a fantastic way to pick up the Professional Association of Divers Instruction (PADI) qualification – allowing you to dive just about anywhere in the world – enjoy a holiday and get some practice diving in more exotic surroundings than your local swimming pool might offer.
Thai Adventures
Flights from your currently location to these places will influence just how cheap they really are, however the following hand-picked worldwide locations should give an indication of just how much cheaper you can learn to dive around the world.
One of the most popular of all these destinations is Thailand. Koh Tao is a popular destination to learn to dive. Prices are cheaper than at home (if you are coming from Europe or the States) and the surrounding scenery is beautiful. A full PADI course including certification will take around 4 days to complete and can cost as little as a couple of hundred euros.
Some courses are obviously cheaper than this, however it’s worthwhile making sure that you will earn a PADI qualification at the end of the course and that the trainers come with recommendations from other divers. A quick browse through some of the many diving forums online will give you an indication of which schools are worth spending your money with, and more importantly, which ones aren’t.
Egyptian Resorts
Although not quite as cheap as Thailand, Egypt is another popular destination to learn the art of scuba. It’s proximity to Europe – and the growing number of cheap and ‘no frills’ flights than can be found going here – mean it’s definitely worth a consideration. Visitors should also factor in accommodation costs into their overall budget as well – while Thailand has plenty to offer shoestring travellers and backpackers, a Sharm El Sheikh holiday, for example, is typically more resort-based and accommodation is generally in the hotels along the strip. Of course this isn’t to say that the whole trip can’t be done on the cheap – of course it can – but visitors should bear in mind all of the costs – the PADI course, accommodation, flights and food – when thinking about learning where to scuba.
South America, and in particular Colombia has some of the cheapest diving opportunities for North Americans. One popular destination is Tananga. Once a small little fishing village, Tananga is now one of South America’s most popular scuba diving locations, particularly around the small island of Aguka which is a part of the Tayrona National Park. While Tananga is one of the cheaper destinations to learn to dive, Wikitravel recommends paying careful attention to safety – some schools use very old equipment and are pretty relaxed when it comes to safety. A little research will go a long way here.
From Thailand to Colombia and everywhere in between, there are plenty of fantastic places to learn to scuba dive that offer more scenic sights than your local swimming pool.
Author Information
Jennifer Adams is a part of the digital blogging team at digitalcrosstalk.com who work with brands like British Airways. Check out Jennifer’s latest travel news and her posts at digitalcrosstalk.com or visit her Twitter account, @dcrosstalk, to follow her updates.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Matt Keegan, Jet Venue. Jet Venue said: Cheap Places to Learn How to Scuba Dive http://bit.ly/hUPwME #thailand #egypt #colombia [...]