Question Destination recommendations for novice divers + physical limitations?

[lgmontgo]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some recommendations for dive destinations that will work for me and my husband. I'd especially love to hear from other divers with disabilities about specific resorts, dive shops, or liveaboards that did a great job accommodating your needs.

TLDR: We're a young couple from California with ~20-30 dives each. I have an energy and mobility-limiting disability. We'd like ideas for destinations that offer:

• Guided dives that are easy/convenient to access and suitable for relatively inexperienced divers, and offer some assistance with gear transfers
• Comfortable accommodations with some level of accessibility for someone who can't walk long distances and sometimes uses a wheelchair (wheelchair accessibility not necessary for boats)
• Topside activities for outdoorsy people (at the same location as the diving, or somewhere to spend a few days before/after)
• Ideally, travel from SJC or SFO that doesn't require a bunch of layovers/transfers

My husband and I fit well into the "vacation diver" category. I've been certified for 9 yrs, have an AOW cert, and 30 dives. He got his OW in 2021 and has ~20 dives. We don't dive much at home (Monterey, CA) but have been making a point to try to work diving into all of our vacations. We're currently brainstorming for our next trip and would appreciate some ideas for places that will fit our needs. In addition to being relatively inexperienced, our situation became more complicated after I developed some chronic illnesses that impact my energy levels and mobility. I am cleared to dive by my doctors, and we've done several dives since I became disabled. Once I'm underwater things are great for the most part, but there are more constraints on the circumstances surrounding the dive.

Here are the main things I have to take into consideration:

Amount of effort getting to/from:

• Minimal walking/time spent standing before, and more importantly, after gearing up (especially in hot weather).
• Stairs are not great, but I can do some if necessary.
• Some amount of help getting out of the water. Being able to ditch some gear before climbing out is great.
• Boat dives are great because they limit the amount of walking with my gear on, but diving with a group tends to be really rushed. I need to be able to get geared up slowly so that I don't hurt myself or end up starting the dive really stressed and out of breath, and then run through my air super quickly.
  • Assistance with donning/doffing and/or flexibility to get ready at my own pace greatly extend my stamina reduce symptom flare ups!

Conditions:

• Minimal surface swimming
• Casual, easy drift dives are okay, but generally we like to avoid strong currents
• We're most comfortable diving with a guide or experienced buddy

Travel/Accommodations:

• Air travel can be rough. Mostly it's the airport experience, rather than the flying itself, so the fewer layovers/transfers between modes of transport, the better. Shorter travel time overall is a plus, but we're willing to go the distance if the trip will be worth it. We fly out of SJC or SFO, but can get down to LAX if there's a good flight from there.
  • We went to Bali and east coast Australia for our honeymoon and it was 100% worth the amount of time I had to spend resting in hotel rooms so that I had enough energy to dive
• I use a folding wheelchair sometimes because it can be hard for me to walk long distances. I don't need the destination to be completely wheelchair accessible, but more accommodations are always better.
  • Accessible bathrooms are ideal, but I know they're hard to come by in a lot of countries. Mainly the ability to sit down in the shower is important.
  • Staff who are understanding and considerate of my limitations make a huge difference.
• Being able to properly rest and recover between activities is probably the most important factor when it comes to things that limit my ability to participate in any sort of physical exertion.
  • I have heat intolerance, so conditioning is a must for warm climates!
  • Husband is an avid hiker and drone photographer, so destinations with topside opportunities (day trips or a secondary location to stay at for a few days before/after the diving) for a nature enthusiast are ideal so that he can go exploring while I rest. Bonus points for really picturesque landscapes/architecture/ancient ruins/etc.
    • Extra bonus points if you've found accessible-ish tours or guides so that I could participate in some of the exploring!

Other thoughts based on prior experience:

We did 2 days/1 night on a liveaboard in the GBR in 2023. It was incredible, and I really appreciated the flexibility of such a short trip, but I have not seen options like that anywhere else. I'd probably be okay with up to 6 nights depending on how comfortable and accessible the boat is, but the main issue is that I can't dive several days in a row or do 3-4 dives per day anymore.

• Any suggestions for other liveaboards that either offer really short trips or are a good enough value that it wouldn't be a huge waste for 1 of 2 people to not be diving every day?

I hope it's okay that I am intentionally not limiting this discussion to a particular region or time of year. I want as many recommendations as I can get! However, I'm happy to provide more specifics about my needs or our interests. Thanks everybody.

 

[tursiops]

I hope you get some good suggestions!
One thought is that "valet diving" seems to be the code word for getting lots of help on a boat, and in and out of the water. A place like Cayman Brac or many Philippine/Indonesian places specialize in valet diving; you do not need to even touch your tank. It is taken to the stern of the boat, you sit down to get into it and fall forward. On return to the boat your gear is taken from you back to your seat. and you are helped up the ladder if needed. My wife like this!
Easy trips exit from SFO to Fiji, and the boat crews there are very helpful. Some fun things to do on land too, like touring and ziplining.
It might be worth talking to some of he major dive-travel outfits like Caradonna, Maduro, or Bluwater and see if they have any suggestions. Also, Diveheart may have some ideas for you.

 

[lgmontgo]

I hope you get some good suggestions!
One thought is that "valet diving" seems to be the code word for getting lots of help on a boat, and in and out of the water. A place like Cayman Brac or many Philippine/Indonesian places specialize in valet diving; you do not need to even touch your tank. It is taken to the stern of the boat, you sit down to get into it and fall forward. On return to the boat your gear is taken from back to our seat. and you are helped up the ladder if needed. My wife like this!
Easy trips exit from SFO to Fiji, and the boat crews there are very helpful. Some fun things to do on land too, like touring and ziplining.
It might be worth talking to some of he major dive-travel outfits like Caradonna, Maduro, or Bluwater and see if they have any suggestions. Also, Diveheart may have some ideas for you.

Thank you! I will definitely look into those travel agencies.

The "valet diving" would be massively helpful for me. Struggling to get all my gear on and having to stand around in the hot sun with a tank on my back, and then not having the strength to get myself back onto the boat afterwards are pretty much my biggest roadblocks, so the idea of removing that from the equation sounds absolutely lovely.

 

[KenE]

I would highly suggest Explore Kauai Scuba, and Kauai in general. Plenty to do when not diving. Nick and Jessie operate a fantastic diving experience. Nick drives and Jessie guides, small groups, and very adaptive to your needs. Very affordable and feels like diving with friends, you won't be disappointed! They will tailor dive sites based on visibility, water conditions, and diver experience. You can drive vehicle right to the boat so equipment transfer is real easy and they will help! If you are diving multiple days, you can leave the equipment on the boat, they will take care of it. Great folks, best dives of mine in Hawaii have been with Nick and Jessie!

 

[Johnoly]

• Guided dives

One place that meets every single criteria that you listed is :
......BLUE HERON BRIDGE (BHB)

guided dives

Definitely has guided dives for both daytime and night dives. Full equipment/tanks/everything for rent. If you read the BHB reports in the Florida section, you'll see people that come from all over the world just to dive BHB because it has so many unusual fish

sometimes uses a wheelchair

You can park your car just feet from the water. Shops have 'sand/beach' wheel chairs with large tires that can literally roll you from your car and then into the water down the ramp or beach. When you see the zillions of pictures of it's beach you won't find a closer distance.

Topside activities for outdoorsy people

It's West Palm Beach Florida... It would be easier to tell you what's NOT AVAILABLE to do outdoors here. I'd start with snow skiing isn't available

Ideally, travel from SJC or SFO that doesn't require a bunch of layovers/transfers

Direct flights right into southeast florida with multiple major airports including West Palm Beach airport.

I'll add that it will be cheaper than any other destination that requires your passport because >>>>> Blue Heron Bridge is FREE TO DIVE THERE !!!