cubbiegirlem
Contributor
I am thinking of taking a solo dive trip, and I thought a liveaboard would be a good option to ensure I'll meet people and have people to talk to. (Thinking fall of 2014.) However, I am overwhelmed with the number of options. So many places to go and things to see. I've been looking at Australia/Cairns, as I could pair it with a trip to New Zealand, where a family friend is currently living. (I know it's a long flight between the two, but I figure I could do both in a 2 week trip.) However, I'm not married to that, so if there's something else you LOVE, I'm all ears.
My dive experience: I am AOW certified and will have my 50th dive on Saturday. I've only been diving a year. By the time I do this trip, I will probably have about 75+ dives, if I have the same pace this summer I did last summer. I've dove in Belize, Florida, Turks & Caicos, and Fiji. I have not done a ton of diving in strong currents, so I'll probably be more comfortable in somewhat calmer waters. I'm working on building up my leg strength, so fingers crossed I will be stronger by then!
What I'm looking for: I'll be on my own, so I'm looking for an operation that will be cool with that and pair me with a buddy. (It sounds like that's the case with most of them, but I wanted to be explicit.) My favorite diving I've ever done was in Fiji, because I love beautiful corals and interesting/diverse sealife. Don't get me wrong, I love to see sharks, but I'm not someone who will be disappointed if I go a whole dive trip without seeing one. Some of my favorite dives have been in shallower waters because the colors are so vibrant, but that's not to say I don't like deep dives. I'd like an operation that gives the option to dive with a divemaster, as I enjoy myself more when I don't have to worry about navigating on my own. (I can use a compass, but my biggest diving fear is not being able to find the boat, so I feel more comfortable with a DM.)
Anyway, I know this is opening things up to a broad array of answers, but I figure it will help me narrow things down more than google. Any advice is much appreciated!
My dive experience: I am AOW certified and will have my 50th dive on Saturday. I've only been diving a year. By the time I do this trip, I will probably have about 75+ dives, if I have the same pace this summer I did last summer. I've dove in Belize, Florida, Turks & Caicos, and Fiji. I have not done a ton of diving in strong currents, so I'll probably be more comfortable in somewhat calmer waters. I'm working on building up my leg strength, so fingers crossed I will be stronger by then!
What I'm looking for: I'll be on my own, so I'm looking for an operation that will be cool with that and pair me with a buddy. (It sounds like that's the case with most of them, but I wanted to be explicit.) My favorite diving I've ever done was in Fiji, because I love beautiful corals and interesting/diverse sealife. Don't get me wrong, I love to see sharks, but I'm not someone who will be disappointed if I go a whole dive trip without seeing one. Some of my favorite dives have been in shallower waters because the colors are so vibrant, but that's not to say I don't like deep dives. I'd like an operation that gives the option to dive with a divemaster, as I enjoy myself more when I don't have to worry about navigating on my own. (I can use a compass, but my biggest diving fear is not being able to find the boat, so I feel more comfortable with a DM.)
Anyway, I know this is opening things up to a broad array of answers, but I figure it will help me narrow things down more than google. Any advice is much appreciated!