Oh dear - I made a post replying to about eight of you and it seems to have disappeared. Sorry about that!
To answer some frequent questions:
I did mean to request destinations external to Australia, but local suggestions were appreciated too. My reasons for wanting my first dive trip to be outside Australia are two-fold:
1. Decent accommodation in Australia can be VERY expensive, as opposed to places like SE Asia, to the point where it's much more expensive to fly and stay interstate than it is to spend a couple weeks on an international island, and
2. I love to travel to different countries - I don't think culture is Australia's strong-point - so I figured I'd use this excuse to travel overseas on my birthday (in November)
I'm aware of drysuit diving and it's something I'm very, very interested in trying, so that I can dive locally (which is something I definitely want to do), but I think it'll be a pleasant experience learning to dive in a beautiful, cheap, warm-watered country where I'm fully relaxed because hey, I'm on vacation!
Basically, I'll take any chance to get away from Australia that I can get! Haha.
And to those of you who say I should be fine in coldish water - I won't argue with you, but I figure I should mention I weigh 90lbs/barely 40kgs, and my lips often turn blue when I'm in an indoor pool that isn't well-heated. I'm prone to shivering when the temperature is under 20 degrees celsius (outside of the water) and I live with a heater blasting and an electric blanket in my bed. I'm not just a person who 'gets cold easily' - I am a teeth-chattering, full body-shivering, lips-turning-blue kind of 'hate the cold' person. I've only worn a wetsuit a few times, and it was probably too big for me, so perhaps I'd be fine in coldish water and I plan to find out, but it's VERY important to me that I be absolutely comfortable in the water when I'm learning to dive, and not just hoping the water isn't cold enough to make me convulse for the next couple of hours. That's fatiguing under the best of circumstances!
Anyway, to reply to the individuals...
Fiji meets all your requirements, and from Australia I think air fare is reasonable. There are many fine dive destination resorts there. Check them all out on line. I have only been to Beqa Lagoon, , but it was fantastic.
DivemasterDennis
Thanks for your reply, Dennis! Fiji hadn't even occurred to me, and you're right, it certainly fits all my requirements.
If you want the cheapest international travel (from Oz) then the cheapest place will always be SE Asia. It does have a reputation for gap-year f'idiots but you can find some quiet areas if you look.
Get a copy of Lonely Planet. If the area is listed, don't go there.
For one place a little bit off the beaten track, I will always love the Philippines. Certain areas are Sin-City, but with over 7000 islands, it's pretty easy to remove yourself from the sleaze.
If you want a quiet place, go down to Dauin or Malatapay Beach (25mins south of Dumaguete) on Negros Island. Google is your friend. Inland there are waterfalls as well. Dauin has a range of resorts. Dumaguete has a bit of nightlife due to the university, but it's a pretty cool place I feel. Great diving from the shore and Apo Island offshore is a real treat.
That said, I also operate a diving center in the Maldives. It's on a budget local island with no alcohol... and I am one super instructor! There is not much else to do but dive though.
Thanks for the information! Your Lonely Planet advice is sound for all travelers
The Philippines has actually been at the forefront of my list for a while, so I'm glad you've put a vote it for it, and given me some extra information to go on. I'd love to go to the Maldives but I think it's a little out of my beginner's budget right now - however, if you wouldn't mind giving me information about your island and perhaps a link to your shop website, if you have one, that would be great! I like to keep my options open.
Well, Thailand, of course! It ticks all the boxes for you. Warm water, great culture, November is a great time to come, the price is right with budget airlines linking Australia and Thailand, and you can get your pick of instructors. There's me, for example
Thanks for your reply, Quero. I absolutely agree with you - Thailand really is perfect for me. The only reason I haven't been dead-set on it from the start is because I've been there before and I try to travel to places I've never been before with each trip I make. That said, I did love Thailand and I do think it would be the perfect place to learn to dive, so maybe I should just go somewhere I already feel comfortable. Additionally, I've seen you post around the forums and you really seem to know your stuff - I'm not making it up when I say that I've previously read a post of yours and thought, "I'd use that dive instructor if I had the opportunity!". I've written your shop and location down on my list : )
I'd suggest finding a shop near you that teaches in drysuits and learning to dive locally. You'll have a great time and get to dive whenever you want instead of once or twice a year on vacation.
flots.
Thanks for your post, flots! I'm in definite agreement that learning drysuit-diving would be ideal for me. I'd love to be able to dive locally and year-round, but I'd like to take things slowly and make sure I'm really cut out for diving before I start getting into more expensive diving pursuits (I read that drysuit rental/purchase can become quite pricey?). Plus I'll grab at any chance I get to go to a tropical paradise I've never been to before! But certainly, drysuit diving is on the agenda and thanks for bringing it up.
Why not stay in Oz and just go north to Brissy or Cairns and dive the Great Barrier Reef!
I'd love to dive the Great Barrier Reef, and it's certainly a great suggestion. I figured I'd save that one for when I have less time to vacation - a four day holiday diving the GBR sounds heavenly to me.
Do the online e-learning and then go to Niagani Island Resort in Fiji to complete your certification. By doing the e-learning avoid having to do the bookwork while at your dive destination and can spend more time enjoying the diving. I repressent Naigani in the USA but can still hook you up with a killer deal even though you are in Australia. A package that includes boat dives as well as unlimited shore dives on our house reef where you have a good chance of seeing black tip sharks and eagle rays
Small family friendly resort on a very small island with no loud night life or any of that stuff but good food and great diving. If you could move your dates up a bit, I will be there myself in Sept and Oct. Shoot me a PM if you are interested at all.
Thanks so much for your kind offer, CBM
Your house reef sounds incredible, and the resort sounds lovely - I'm about to take a look at your website. I'll talk to my partner
Hi Kaielle,
As both Divemaster Dennis and cbm32 mentioned Fiji is a very nice place to travel. Thailand is also a nice destination but you can't ask for more of a contrast in local cultures and atmosphere. Thailand is a very traveled destination and at their better known dive sites it's common to find 20+ boats full of divers. Compared to Fiji where most destinations you choose you will be hard pressed to find more than a couple dive boats in the area. The biggest difference is the topside scene. When I visited Thailand I stayed in Kata (Phuket area) and Phi Phi. These are very busy, party atmosphere areas. I know there are a lot of other areas in Thailand that are not as touristy but the country is known as a big backpacker party area with their plethora of full moon parties and such. Not a bad atmosphere is you're looking for a destination with great night life. I was when I was there and had a ball.
Fiji on the other hand has very limited night life in the main cities of Nadi and Suva and next to no nightlife outside of the cities, so people don't come to Fiji for the party. There are many great areas for diving with some great dive resorts. As cbm32 suggested Naigani is one, so is our Dive Resort at Wananavu as well as others in Taveuni and Kadavu. No matter where you choose in Fiji it's the people that really make Fiji just an awesome place to visit. Their genuine friendliness almost seems unreal, but it is very real, it's just how they approach life. Every visitor to Fiji is a new friend and not just another person to take a dollar from which is kind of how I felt in Thailand with very pushy street vendors (it's the culture).
If you have any questions or need any help please feel free to ask. Both my wife and I have been teaching full-time at different destinations around the world for nearly 17 years combined and have a lot of insight. We both still currently teach in Fiji and because of the people and amazing diving are not leaving anytime soon.
Good luck with your search.
Chris and Vicky
Hi Chris and Vicky, thank you so much for all the information! It's very kind of you to offer me your help! I've sent a PM
