Online shopping keeps businesses competitive, but there’s a knack to finding discounts. It starts with knowing where to look, when to travel, and how to manipulate search tools. These shopping hacks will help you take that dive trip without emptying your wallet.

Where to Find Dive Deals

Begin your search by signing up for newsletters from shops and resorts in the specific destination you aim to dive. Their offers will come right to your inbox, saving you time and money.

If price is the overriding factor because you’re on a budget or booking last-minute, visit PADI’s Last Minute Dive Deals for exclusive offers. You can narrow your search to find a preferred destination or resort. Alternatively, you can set the search fields as ‘no preference’ to browse for the biggest savings. With more than 70 offers on world-class locations at any given time, you won't be disappointed.

Unbeatable offers are also available on Scuba Diving magazine’s Dive Deals. Here you’ll find a collection of inclusive resorts, dive centers, liveaboards, and more. Saving money is as easy as selecting a destination in the dropdown bar and pressing go. These discounts are regularly updated, so bookmark the page. You might just find that liveaboard holiday you’ve been dreaming of, but for much less.

Where to Find Flight Deals

True vacation bargains must be paired with low-priced flights, which are found with a little patience, flexibility and time shopping around.

Start by using travel tools like Airfare Watchdog. It will scour the internet then email you with prime offers. Next, when browsing search engines like Google Flights or Skyscanner, don't enter specific travel dates. Instead, search the whole month. With 30 days’ worth of results in one view, it’s much easier to find great prices. Do this by entering your departure cities and clicking on ‘entire month.' The calendar will show the lowest cost days in green, with red days being a no-go for budget travelers. You can also set alerts to track fares, should they drop.

If you have flexibility before or after your planned diving holiday, try searching travel packages that combine flights and accommodation. The airfare can be monumentally cheaper, even if it’s only one night at a hotel.

Other tricks include redeeming credit card reward points, booking connecting flights yourself, or flying with local airlines. When traveling in the Caribbean, for instance, fly with regional carriers like Air Caraïbes. Many search engines do not show smaller domestic airlines, so you need to search on the regional carrier sites directly. Traveling this way can save you money while further supporting the destination’s local economy.

When to Look and Book

Another important factor for saving cash are the days you shop and travel. Industry lore has long held that Tuesday is the best day to buy a ticket, but recent research has found that may be outdated advice. New airline studies show the optimal time to buy a ticket is 127 to 12 days before your trip, with higher prices bookending that window.

If you are flexible what time of year to go, the cheapest time to holiday is usually the least popular time to travel. For instance, a destination’s rainy or in shoulder seasons — the period between high and low season when families tend to stay home, like between Christmas and New Year’s — can see prices slump. Traveling during these off-peak times can mean lower rates, less crowds, and more flight and hotel availability. You will be able to dive the same amazing sites and avoid paying top dollar.

Lastly, planning ahead for seasonal flash-sales is a big money saver. Organize your scuba calendar in November for the following year to capitalize on Thanksgiving and Christmas discounts. During the holiday season demand for travel typically slows, so business offer incredible incentives to compel travelers t¬o buy. Determine your budget, timeframe, and a couple of desirable destinations or operators. Then sign up for their associated mailers. Be ready to hit the buy button when the offers go live. You don’t want to miss the biggest sales of the year by humming and hawing over where to go.

Bonus Hacks

Have you ever noticed that each time you return to search for airline tickets, the fare has increased? This is from cookies tracking your search in your internet browser. These can track how many times you look at flights and hike up the cost for repeat searches, which indicate a high level of interest.

Avoid premium prices by shopping in your browser’s incognito mode, which stops your searches from being logged overtime. An alternative is deleting your cookies and browsing history often. Do this by clicking the internet toolbar setting on the top right. Then select ‘clear browsing data.’ You’ll be able to shop without being tracked.

Another trick is avoiding hidden extras. It may not seem like a hack, but it can save you a massive amount of money and hassle in the long run. When calculating your dive trip expenses, figure out all the extras that could be tacked onto your bill. Research baggage allowance (especially weight allowance for dive gear), transfers, port, and marine park fees. Plus, all taxes. Then see which trip is really cheaper. Especially for airlines. Some companies display airfare including taxes and baggage, but many do not. One trip may look like the bigger steal until you hit the checkout button.

Well, there you have it. Now you know where to look and when to book to save yourself some serious cash, leaving room in the budget for a few extra tank fills!

Related