Chartering
a crewed yacht which specializes in diving is an ideal,
yet relatively unknown vacation option for experienced dive
travellers. After years of being funneled into large group
trips to resorts or to liveaboard dive "cattleboats",
many divers are looking for an alternative. A dive vacation
aboard a crewed charter yacht offers privacy, custom-tailored
schedules, one-on-one service, personal instruction if necessary,
and the ability to choose dive sites to your interests.
A dive charter is also an excellent choice for novices.
Beginners especially benefit from the individualized attention,
pressure-free training schedules, patience, personal guides,
and the one-on-one service that characterize dive charter
yachts.
All members of the charter party do not need to be
divers to have an enjoyable vacation aboard a dive charter
yacht. Non-divers should not become bored while their diving
counterparts are diving as there are many other things to
do (or not do... just hang out in the hammock and read,
or relax in the cockpit listening to your favorite music).
Most dive charter yachts also have other activities such
as kayaking, kneeboarding, and snorkeling, for example.
There are three basic ways we recommend
that you can choose to mix scuba diving with a crewed charter
yacht vacation.
- Dive-dedicated yachts.
These are yachts, small or large, that are completely
equipped to fulfill the needs of avid divers. These
yachts are for experienced or novice divers who want
to make diving the focal point of their charter vacation.
They have sufficient tanks for two dives per day, scuba
equipment; and an insured, experienced dive professional.
If you, or a member of your party needs any kind of
training, from Discover Scuba (Resort course) or Openwater
checkouts (Referral course), to Advanced or Specialty
certifications, then one of the crew must be a dive
instructor. Most of the dive-dedicated yachts have an
onboard dive compressor or an efficient plant for ensuring
a regular supply of airfills for the desired number
of dives your party requires.
- Dive-oriented yachts.
These are yachts who are seriously interested
in having divers aboard, but who have not made the full
commitment that the dive-dedicated yachts have in one
or more of the important areas of equipment, airfills,
or instruction. There must, however, still be an insured
diving professional (dive master or dive instructor)
aboard, and if any training is to take place then the
dive professional must be an instructor.
- Rendezvous diving.
Any yacht in the fleet can coordinate with shore-based
operations throughout the US or British Virgin Islands
to take interested members of your party for a morning
or afternoon of diving activities, subject to availability.
Most dive centers are willing to drop off the divers
at a different destination than where they picked up,
thus allowing the non-divers to sail to a different
anchorage if desired, while the others are diving.
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There are many options for a non-certified diver aboard a dive
charter yacht from those who want to experience diving (testing
the water, so to speak!) to those who desire to take a full Openwater
Diver Course and become certified on their vacation.
Discover Scuba (Resort course).
This course is designed to introduce the dive experience. It consists
of an orientation, teaching of fundamental skills in calm water
shallow enough to stand up in, and a controlled dive under the
supervision of the instructor to a maximum depth of 40 feet.
Open Water Diver Course.
This is the basic scuba diving certification level. The course
consists of three parts: 1) Academic training by textbook, lecture,
and video, with accompanying quizzes and tests; 2) Water skill
training in calm, pool-like conditions, and 3) the Open Water
Checkout Dives which are four to five dives with prescribed exercises
to be accomplished in each dive.
Referral Course (Open Water
Checkout Dives). This is the ideal and most popular
way to become a certified diver. The student diver takes the academic
and pool sessions at home with their local dive shop or YMCA,
for example, and completes the Open Water Checkout Dives in the
warm, clear water of the Caribbean. This allows more time for
diving and other activities rather than bookwork.
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