Newly Single - Diving Locations

[cephalopod2]

Hi maat,
I have done many solo trips both on liveaboards and land-based since 2003 and continue to do at least 1 solo trip per year. I am also female. I find people take solo dive trips for all sorts of different reasons, often independent of relationship status.

I second all the suggestions to join a local dive club to find out about club trips and also potentially meet local divers who might have similar travel schedules and interests.

Overseas, since very few dive boats take divers out alone, there is always instant company as soon as you start boarding the boat, whether you are diving liveaboard or land-based. With all the dive- and photography-related opportunities to strike up a conversation, plus the shared passion, I've never had trouble making friends on dive boats and, as others have suggested, I have met some wonderful people that way whom I have stayed in touch with for years.

To me the big difference between liveaboard and land-based solo travel is company for meals. For liveaboards you have built-in meal company since there are always fewer tables than there are family units and everyone is on the same meal schedule. Land based, as Musicgirl suggested, it's harder when the dive op is a stand-alone entity, without an on-site lodge or restaurant.

But dedicated dive resorts are another good option which haven't received much attention in this thread - i.e. smaller lodges with on-site dive ops and restaurants whose sole focus is diving. Even though people may be diving different schedules, many people are eating together at the same time (e.g. lunch after the 2 tank morning dive, or dinner after the night dive). I have often found divers happy to have company or sometimes solo travellers form their own groups and eat together.

I've even seen resorts that have tables set up to include solo-travelling guests. Lembeh Resort has the best I have seen. You can of course eat anywhere you please (all meals are on site as you can only access the resort by boat) but the conversation at that table is so lively and interesting you'll often find guests who are not travelling solo eating there. There are also land-based resorts in Indonesia and the Philippines that serve meals "family style" (i.e. all food served at the same time, often around 1 or 2 large tables). There you also end up with built-in company for meals, as on liveaboards.

For liveaboards and for lots of locations land-based there are no single surcharges. So apart from the costs of transfers (which would otherwise be split), you often aren't paying more travelling solo.

As for hassles, taxi drivers have often asked why my "husband or boyfriend" is not travelling with me. But that's a question easily dispatched with any answer you please.

Culturally I have been happiest travelling solo in SE Asia and the South Pacific. I have never felt worried walking alone, found the bartering for e.g. taxis reasonable, not had to deal with people trying to tell me the hotel I made a reservation at was closed or bad and that I should go to the taxi driver's recommendation, etc. There are touts and potential scams everywhere but I have very very rarely felt unsafe anywhere I have travelled to dive (there's a list of countries in my profile). If you do your homework, you'll generally learn where it may be unsafe to e.g. walk alone at night, hail taxis from the street, etc.

May you have many years of wonderful dives!

 

[tamas970]

Tofo ?

Yepp, Mozambique. Haven't seen a Manta or a Whaleshark before, that must be fixed

Btw, Mozambique resorts (not the bigger towns!) are also told to be safe, but I'll report back if I survive. )

 

[FinnMom]

It's really nice going on a liveaboard to share a cabin and diving with a buddy you already know. I have spent very little time on land, but the Egyptians working on the boats have always been very nice and complete professionals with both me and my daughter. I like to dive with and talk to the local guides and DMs, nothing personal against the others, but I can talk to Americans and Europeans at home, someone from somewhere else is just a bit more interesting.

 

[Land Fish]

I may be a tad late but I definitely second the suggestion of liveaboard. I went on trips to Maldives and Phuket, Thailand by myself, and it was really easy to make friends once you board a boat

Also, when I was doing research before the trips, I found that most boats could accommodate solo divers and they'd arrange a roommate of same sex for you, or you'd get a room to yourself without additional charge.

Most operators would offer hotel pick-up and drop-off, some do it from/to airport. Asia is all about services

 

[Wingy]

While I agree with most if the great advice here there are a few places where solo dive travel whether male or female can require a little more research and contacts before you go.

Other than the cattleboat op in French Polynesia you may find a dive op reluctant to take out just one diver - email first and let them know you will be alone. This happened to me in FP so when I went to French Controlled Reunion I took a female friend I'd met on LOBs along as we were diving in cyclone season when most dive shops are closed..particularly the case in Madagascar. Without a companion no one would've gone out for just one diver.

By the same token I've more than once been the only guest of either gender at dive resorts in Sulawesi but still able to dive on demand just by myself and a guide ... more for me to see!

I see more women travelling on their own on LOBS than I do men lately so go for it...pick a destination and start researching and if somewhere catches your eye have a look and see if you can get an idea of the dive quality.

I probably wouldn't go and do a Red Sea trip at the moment but that is only because I'm not a fan of the Egyptian way of thinking at the moment.

When you are a diver you are never alone

 

[Adalin]

I am a woman, single and was certified in Egypt in 2013 when I was 46. I have continued to go to Egypt to dive. To this date, I have been on five diving holidays (77 logged dives). Four of these holidays, I have had company but only twice of diving friends. So I have been diving 'alone' when I was certified and on three of my journeys after that. Most of the times I have ended up diving with the guide as buddy, which was excellent back when I was a beginner and needed tips and support. I have also met very nice people to dive with.

I always use the same dive centre. They have a branch in Hurghada and one in Port Ghalib. No problem being a woman travelling on my own with them. They are very helpful.

My next trip will be to Hurghada Dec 26th - Jan 5th. I have also put myself on a list for a liveaboard to the Southern Red Sea in October 2017. Mabye that would be something for you?

 

[MelasLithos]

I am a woman and single. I haven't been diving for long (only one year), but I have been to quite a few places this last year. Almost half of my dives were done as a single traveller. I had never had a issue with that, wherever I have been.

I haven't been on a liveaboard yet, but even without that, I have always met interesting people on the dive boats, and more often than not, we also met after the dives (for dinner, drinks, etc.).

Since you also ask about Asia, I have traveled extensively in the area, not only for diving. I actually find it one of the nicest and safest place to travel around as a single woman (much more than Europe for example).

 

[chillyinCanada]

I've just returned from a Red Sea liveaboard trip. There were two different groups of Canadians aboard, 5 Americans, a British couple and one single German woman. Though I wasn't traveling strictly alone on this trip, I easily could have been. I've been on 5 other liveaboards as a solo and a 6th, where I roomed with a friend I'd made on one of the earlier liveaboard trips.

Over the years, 4 women that I've met through dive trips have become very good friends and dive buddies.

Even so, I still do the majority of my dive trips as a single. I often prefer this way of travel and diving. As the others have said, it's easy to meet people along the way, especially at dedicated dive resorts and liveaboards.

Maat, I read you've found your way to a dive club and that's grand. But in my opinion, don't let that stop you from venturing out on your own solo trips.

 

[Dianee]

I too am a single diver, husband just doesn't like the water, so I either go on my own or not at all. I'm a fair weather diver though, so have only ever dived abroad. I went on a Maldives liveaboard last year, of the 16 divers, 6 were singles, three of us girls. I agree with the other liveaboard fans here, everyone is the same, couples and singles all mix in together. A big advantage for me was having the same buddy for every dive, rather than a different one every day which you might get in a resort based holiday. It would be good to go with a known buddy though, so like you Maat I'm thinking about doing Rescue Diver to meet one or more UK based divers to plan a trip with ( as well as improving my own skills obviously!) Did you get round to it?