I get asked this question by our guests a lot, which is a question every diver should be asking. “Which destination is right for my skill and comfort level?” Recreational scuba diving is all about the enjoyment of the dives. Not asking about skill or comfort level could get you to a destination that ends up being a safety risk for you and others or a disappointment and waste of your hard-earned dollars.

I have met plenty of divers who have been certified for years and have over 200 dives. Just looking at this data, you would think they could dive just about anywhere in the world and be OK. However, after speaking with them about their diving history, they have only been in warm, clear water with shallow reefs and no current. Recommending a destination with strong currents, cold water and limited visibility, no matter how great the reef and marine life is, would be a disservice to them and potentially end their love of scuba diving. Suggesting a destination where they can ease into wall diving, slow currents or limited visibility will improve their skill and comfort level simultaneously. You should also note that I used the word ‘or’. Introducing multiple new environments is not recommended. Let them experience one at a time and their enjoyment of why we dive will continue.

Skill level is extremely subjective. Most divers will fall on either side of either exaggerating their skill level, which can lead to getting in over your head, or understating their skill level and never increasing their diving abilities. We have a couple of destinations where you can ‘hook in’ onto the rocks at various points so you can relax and enjoy the marine life that thrives in the currents. This has and will probably always be a concern for divers that have not experienced either stronger than normal currents or hooked in. Like a lot of diving in new environments, once a diver has tried this method, they quickly realize how over sensitive they were to their ability to complete this skill with minimal effort and how much it led to the enjoyment of the dive.

Every diver should be looking to increase their skill level, which in turn increases their comfort level. That said, take small steps and add one new environmental condition at a time if possible. You'll not only enjoy every dive but open new dive areas that can be added to your ever-growing list of places in the world to scuba dive!