Scuba diving as a sport is relatively safe. Over the years scuba diving experts have developed new equipment and techniques to make it safer for everyone to get into the sport of scuba diving. Here are some guidelines to help you avoid mishaps while scuba diving.

Before you get certified, consult your family doctor first if you can take up scuba diving, people who have a heart problem, over weight or had recent surgery might be at risk of having breathing problems while underwater. Make sure you have proper scuba diving lessons from accredited organizations. Always scuba dive with a partner. Check all of your equipment before you go scuba diving. Before diving in, make time to review hand signals and dive plan. Update your scuba diving log book, this will help dive centers to monitor your skills and progress in scuba diving. Keep an eye on your air supply while scuba diving. Try to stick to your dive plan, unnecessary changes in the plan will put you at risk while scuba diving. Make scuba dives on a no-decompression schedule. Plan each dive and maximum depth and set time limits prior to the dive. Come up slowly to reduce the chances of experiencing decompression sickness upon ascent. The standard rate for recreational scuba diving is 60-feet per minute.

The Maldives is the best place to leave it all behind. Leave your keyboards and mouse alone for a minute and take time to read this. Are you tired of working 40 hours a week? Do you often talk to your computer monitor and have coffee with your keyboard? If your answer to all these questions is yes, then it is time to pack your bags and go for a vacation. What better place to get away from it all than the Maldives? Each resort occupies a whole island, private white sand beaches and blue lagoons call you to its shores. The Maldives is known for ultra chic hotels with the comforts of home, modern interiors are merged with the lush tropical setting that surrounds each island. Each resort in the Maldives made it a point that privacy and seclusion where provided to every guest.

The Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean right smack in the middle of the earth, this gives its guest year round sunshine and warm waters. Because of its warm waters, the Maldives is an ideal place for people who are into water sports, fishing is also a very popular sport in the Maldives, people come here to try their luck, explore the underwater world with snorkeling, there is no better way to discover the hidden treasure of the Maldives.

Each resort in the Maldives has a restaurant that serves tasty cuisines that defy your gastronomical norms. Sample different cuisines from all over the world without having to leave your table.

A vacation is never complete without a spa treatment, this treatments can be done by the sea or in the privacy of your own villa. The Maldives is known for merging old techniques with modern spa technology. A spa treatment is here is worth every penny.

Click on that link and start planning your dream vacation.

Scuba diving as a sport is relatively new not a lot of people know when it started or who invented it, they don’t know that the word scuba is actually an acronym. Well before we get into the details of scuba diving, let us first know how the sport of scuba diving started. Scuba diving as we know it today started when the first diving bell was invented during the 1500’s, as certain needs arose developments were made with scuba diving equipment.  The word scuba came about during the WWII, Navy’s oxygen rebreathers carried out attacks using this device. Scuba stands for self contained underwater breathing apparatus, it’s not a word but an acronym. The invention of modern scuba diving equipment is credited to Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. Their invention allowed scuba divers to breath from a tank of air and exhale back to the water. The max depth on can go while scuba diving is 130 ft, unless you want to risk nitrogen narcosis then you better stick to that depth.  There are 11 to 18 scuba diving related deaths each year per 100,000 member.

Scuba diving as a sport is still young, there is still room for improvement. Scuba diving experts are finding ways to make this a safe sport for everyone.

Maldives Dive Sites

The following is our definitive guide to the five best Maldives Dive Sites. At these Maldives Dive Sites, you can expect to see some of the finest marine life in the world.

Maldives Dive Site #1 – Fotteyo Kandu

Many scuba divers consider Fotteyo Kandu to be the best Maldives dive site and it is also rated among the top 5 dive sites in the world. The mouth of the channel is exposed to the ocean and during north east monsoon when the currents are incoming, a good variety of fish species gather at the entrance to the channel.  Animals commonly spotted at Fotteyo Kandu include Gray Reef Shark patrolling the channel mouth, Jack and Tuna in the deeper water, schools of Midnight Snappers and Red Snapper form in huge groups. The wall features caves, overhangs and swim-thoughs at different depths. These caves and overhangs are filled with colourful yellow color like soft coral, deeper caves and overhangs are filled with huge bushes of black corals. The Thila in the middle of the channel entrance is the best place to do the safety stop.  A surface balloon is a must at Fotteyo Kandu.

Maldives Dive Site Fotteyo Kandu

Maldives Dive Site #2 – Maaya Thila

Maaya Thila is one of the best Maldives dive sites for a night dive. The dive boat is usually fixed to the mooring and a line is used for the ascent and descent for safety reasons.  A strobe light is attached to the rope at 5 meters to identify the rope underwater.

On the Maaya Thila night dive, divers get to experience swimming close to White Tip Reef Sharks. Turtles rest inside caves / overhangs, while Moray Eels and White Tip Sharks hunt the vulnerable Fusiliers. Octopus and Stone Fish can be found around the top reef. The caves where the crevices are found are the ideal place for people who are interested in macro photography. Here you will find Cleaner Shrimps, Ghost Pipe Fish and many more seldom-seen species.

Maldives Dive Site Maaya Thila is a Reef Shark Hotspot

The Maaya Thila night dive is a must for all scuba divers visiting the Maldives and is a one-of-a-kind dive.

Maldives Dive Site #3 – Rangali Madivaru

Madi in the local language of the Maldives, means “Ray”, hence the name Madivaru for this Maldives dive site, which is also known as Hukrueli Faru.  During the North East Monsoon, Madivaru is a superb Manta Ray cleaning station. The coral reef slopes down gently from its highest point at 8 meters to the Atoll floor at about 30 meters.

There are many cleaning stations along this 1 km reef, but the point where the Manta Rays are most active is halfway along the northern side. Current at Madivaru can be strong at times and can create a funnel effect due to the coral reef formation.  Divers should be prepared to make a safety stop in open water at Madivaru and a safety balloon is necessary.

Manta Rays Gather at Maldives Dive Sites

Maldives Dive Site #4 – HP Reef

If you were asked to choose the best Maldives dive site between HP Reef and Nassimo Thila, the wise thing to do would be vote for both and rank them both equally as they are two of the most spectacular sites in the Maldives. Both HP Reef and display excellent soft coral growth and an abundant fish life. The best diving at HP Reef is found on the southern side of the reef and when the current is flowing into the Atoll (East to West). During mild current, you should swim slowly, while observing the coral blocks, caves and overhangs. The coral blocks and the caves at HP Reef are filled with multicolored soft coral and you should keep your eyes open for the many invertebrates, including nudibranchs, leaf fish and many more. Eagle Rays, schooling Silver Jacks and Batfish are common at HP Reef.  Strong currents are sometimes found at this Maldives dive site and a surface balloon is necessary.

Maldives Dive Site #5 – Nassimo Thila

Nassimo Thila is an oval-shaped Thila displaying a good variety of colourful, soft corals. The most interesting aspect of this Maldives Dive Site is the randomly scattered pinnacles. Spend as much time as possible around the scattered pinnacles but limit your depth to maximize bottom time as the scattered pinnacles go down to more than 30 meters.

Currents at Nassimo Thila are usually strong, so it is only recommended for advanced divers.  Depending on the strength of the currents, many pelagics can be seen near the coral reef at Nassimo Thila or in the deeper water just off the reefs, including Giant Trevallies, Jacks, Dogtooth Tuna and many more. A surface balloon is a must as this Maldives dive site is subjected to heavy boat traffic from the nearby resort island

Click here for a complete guide to Maldives Dive Sites.

Nassimo Thila is an oval-shaped Thila displaying a good variety of colourful, soft corals. The most interesting aspect of Nassimo Thila is the randomly scattered pinnacles. Spend as much time as possible around the scattered pinnacles but limit your depth to maximize bottom time as the scattered pinnacles go down to more than 30 meters.

Currents at Nassimo Thila are usually strong, so it is only recommended for advanced divers.  Depending on the strength of the currents, many pelagics can be seen near the coral reef at Nassimo Thila or in the deeper water just off the reefs, including Giant Trevallies, Jacks, Dogtooth Tuna and many more. A surface balloon is a must as the dive site is subjected to heavy boat traffic from the nearby resort island.

Imagery ©2009 DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, U.S. Geological Survey – Terms of Use

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Some women issues regarding scuba diving.

A lot of woman scuba diving have questions regarding some issues that are uniquely theirs. The sport of scuba diving is enjoying a sudden surge of interests from women, with this there are some questions that need to be answered, cause as we all know women are special. Scuba diving as a sport is safe for women as long as certain measures are taken for everyone to be safe.

Here are some of the more important issues that needed to be tackled.

Scuba diving while pregnant is not recommended. The real score is there is no conclusive evidence that scuba diving while pregnant can be harmful, then again who would want to participate in such study. The problem with this is the baby gets their blood oxygenated by the placenta, they don’t have the lungs to filter the nitrogen, when the mother gets decompression sickness from scuba diving and pass it on to her baby, the baby does not have any way to expel the bubbles that may form. The bubble might move around and cause harm to the baby’s spine, brains and other vital organs.

Many women are concerned about sharks smelling blood while scuba diving with menstruation. Women fear that while scuba diving there is an increased risk of attack by sharks, there is no conclusive evidence that will support this, but the sharks definitely will smell the blood but to put this to end, sharks are not attracted to this kind of blood. So scuba diving while menstruating is safe, just be conservative with your dives.

Can women with breast implants go scuba diving? The answer to this is yes. But of course you have to first recover from the surgery first before going scuba diving. While there has not been a lot of scientific research on this, a study at Duke University yielded results that some air bubbles might form in the implant but will eventually dissipate over time.

Win a 2-Week Holiday in the Maldives Every Year for the Rest of Your Life!!!!!

From: www.themovechannel.com

We would all love to take the holiday of a lifetime – but how about the holiday for a lifetime – that is exactly what one of the world’s top luxury resorts is offering one lucky winner, so read on to find out how to win two weeks in the Maldives every year until you reach 65…

Win a 2-Week Holiday at Coco Palm Every Year for the Rest of Your Life

Now, those 65 year old amongst us may be slightly disgruntled to hear that 65 is deemed as ‘a full lifetime’ for the purposes of this competition, but none the less, it’s still a fabulous prize. (Especially in these credit crunched times).

Coco Palm Bodu Hithi in the Maldives, is running an global online competition to win a two-week holiday every year ‘for life.’ The competition is being run alongside the resort’s brand new website.

The “Pack your suitcase” competition will require participants to search the website for hidden suitcases. Each day a new suitcase will be hidden somewhere within the English language section on the website.

Every suitcase will contain a travel item and participants will have to make a list of the items until 12th February.

Every item equals one Coco Coin, and the more Coco Coins collected, the higher the chance to win the fabulous prize.

The winner gets two weeks for two at the resort every year until he or she turns 65. The holiday can be taken at any time, subject to availability and also includes two meals a day and return speedboat transfers from the airport to the island.

It doesn’t however include air fares to the Maldives, which could be a slight issue for most of us. And if we could afford two return flights to the Maldives each year, would our wallets be in need of this competition atall? Still, let’s look at what a holiday at the resort would normally cost us.

The resort’s entry-level island villas cost £9,600 for two weeks – and that is just for bed and breakfast. The most expensive accommodation is the escape water residence, which is £22,700 for a fortnight.

Located on its own island, a 40-minute speedboat ride from Male International Airport, Coco Palm Bodu Hithi was named the leading luxury hotel in the World Luxury Hotel Awards last year.

Better get your skates on if you want to enter – the competition closes on February 12^th 2010. The winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day.

To enter, visit Coco Palm’s website.

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Catch a glimpse a sea creatures that only come out at night.

Scuba diving is already exciting an exciting as a sport but doing it at night takes this sport into a different level of adventure. Night scuba diving is only for those who are already experienced divers, beginners are not allowed to participate in this type of scuba diving because it takes more than basic know how to survive a night dive. Scuba diving at night lets you see a different side of the underwater world, some sea creatures only come out at night, this makes scuba diving at night special. Before you carry on with this, here are some tips you should take note of before plunging into pitch black darkness underwater.

Things you should remember when scuba diving at night.

Almost all dives boats will leave at sunset for a night dive, the reason behind this is for the divers to be able to check their equipment while there is still some light. Remember to check your scuba diving equipment, any malfunction may cause a life or death situation.

Dive a familiar site. Most dive boats in the Maldives will dive the site in the morning then come back to the same sight in the evening. This will make you feel comfortable with the site and make you feel more relaxed which is to enjoy scuba diving.

Don’t go in to deep. The max depth you should attempt is 60 ft, the norm is 35-40 ft. When scuba diving it’s not only you and water, there are some sea creatures and corals that may cause you harm.

It’s going to be dark underneath so make sure you got some light and make sure it’s attached to you so it won’t get lost, scuba diving at night without a light is not an option.

Put some reflective tape on your equipment, just in case you drop it, you can find it when the light shines on it.

When scuba diving in darkness, take it slow, don’t rush things also dive in with your feet first also dive with your feet first and use your light so you don’t hit the corals below.

Keep an eye on your buddy, one way to find your scuba diving buddy is to turn off your own light and look for his light, he must not be that far from you, make sure you don’t point the light directly into someone’s eye, this may cause temporary blindness that may cause the person to panic and endanger himself.

Scuba diving as a sport is growing at a fast pace all over the world. Adults the world over has been enjoying the beauty of the underwater world, scuba diving has brought them a sense of respect for the sea. Parents who are scuba diving enthusiasts want to share the experience with their children, an on going debate is tackling this issue head on, should kids as young as 8-10 be allowed to take scuba diving lessons and into the water?  Some people might say that they are too young and won’t be able to make sound decisions when it comes to a life or death situation when scuba diving, others argue since they are young their body parts can easily recuperate, a deeper look into these arguments should be able to clarify if they should or should not be allowed scuba diving.

A child’s organism is said to be strong, but compared to an adult’s it is underdeveloped, as we know scuba diving may entail some health risks, organisms change when put under a lot of pressure, this may lead to health problems for the child. Another argument against this is how children will react under extreme circumstances when scuba diving, as you know panic is the worst enemy of any scuba diver.

As we all know, children can change their moods with a snap of a finger, sharp changes in environment when scuba diving may trigger this, he may get rattled if he sees a creature that he fear thus putting the whole group in danger.

Stress is a factor when considering scuba diving lessons for your kids, there have been reports in which a kid dies because of cardiac arrest while having scuba diving lessons in a pool, the death was related to stress factors.

Before you enroll your child in anything, explain to him clearly what he is getting into, make sure he understands them and is able to repeat what you said back to you.

Special Galileo Diving Safari

Maldives Dive Travel is organising a once-in-a-lifetime, 11-night safari begins with a 50-minute flight from Male to Kaadhdhedhoo in the Huvadhoo Atoll (also called Suvadiva Atoll), the largest atoll in the world.  This is a particularly untouched part of the Maldives with only a handful of exclusive resorts operating here and very few dive boats exploring the area, meaning that there are many dive sites just waiting to be explored.  Guests on this safari will have the opportunity to dive at many undiscovered dive sites and visit many pristine islands – some inhabited and others completely secluded.

Galileo Explorer Tour of the Southern Maldives

Depending on weather conditions, the safari will travel around several of the southernmost atolls of the Maldives, ending at Huvadhoo airport in Kaadhdhedhoo, from where a flight will return to Male.  This is the perfect scuba safari for divers looking to explore the unknown treasures of the Indian Ocean.

Galileo Mar 11-22 Southern Atoll Explorer Tour
Take advantage of this amazing opportunity at the unbeatable price of
only EUR 1,386 per person for 11 nights

Galileo is one of the most well-equipped safari ships in the Maldives, perfect for a true expedition-style adventure.

What’s Included in the Galileo Scuba Diving Cruise?

- Accommodation in air-conditioned cabins with window, en-suite shower (hot water) and WC. Daily cleaning. Towels provided.
- Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Tea and coffee are available free of charge at all times plus one bottle of water per person per day.
- 27 dives
- Tanks with DIN/INT 12 lts, lead belts, extra diving boat
- Guidance by a PADI-qualified and highly experienced English-speaking dive instructor
- Use of fishing gear – local style, including hook, fishing line, weight and baits.
- Island-hopping, snorkelling service
- Picnic on an uninhabited island (depending on weather and route).
- On the last day a trip to the capital city Male will be offered
- Pick-up & drop-off at Male’ International Airport to connect with international flights on first and last day of the cruise, before noon.

Price does not include:

- International or Domestic air fares ( Male-Kaadhdhedhoo is 217 return flight)
- Airport taxes
- Dive/snorkel equipment rental
- Beverages, except those mentioned above
- Bed Tax: 8 per person per night is charged on board
- Dive and travel insurance
- Transfer supplements for arrivals/departures on days other than scheduled boat arrival/departure
- Fuel surcharge: in the event that crude oil reaches USD $100 per barrel on the international market, a EUR 6 fee will be charged per person per night
- Nitrox is available for EUR 5 per filling
- Additional dives will be charged at EUR 34 each

A few places are still available; to reserve yours,  contact Maldives Dive Travel today!

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Palm Beach Island Resort

Lush vegetation, azure waters and white sandy beaches all under the bright blue sky, that’s what you can expect from the Palm Beach Island Resort. Welcome to the pride of the Maldives, where your holiday dreams become a reality, a scenic 40 minute journey from the Hulule International Airport via seaplane will take you to this island designed for merry making and where holiday fantasies become real.

Palm Beach Island Resort

Palm Beach Island Resort Amenities

As you arrive at the Palm Beach Island Resort, you will be welcomed by a warm staff, take in the architectural mastery that brought about the design and concept of the island. Built amidst luscious vegetation without disturbing the natural lines of nature, this island is truly luxury at its finest. Accommodations are divided into 5 categories, 90 junior suites with a choice of sunrise or sunset side, 16 villas that has a living room and balcony that has an arresting view of the ocean and beach, 6 suites that has an open air bathroom and private patio, 6 presidential suites that are located over the waters, it has 2 large bedrooms, a private patio and your very own butler at your disposal.

Palm Beach Island Resort Dining

Dining in the island is nothing but extraordinary.  You can dine at a variety of restaurants  -  DANDEHELU and IHI GHE are the two main restaurants in the island, they offer buffet lunches and dinners, with dishes from all over the world, from Asian flavors to Western favorites this restaurant will never fail you gastronomically. Dinners in the sand or in the jetty, with just a waiter and a musician, utmost privacy provides newlyweds a time for themselves, Candle night dinner and Romantic Restaurant provides the perfect backdrop to do just that.

Palm Beach Island Resort Activities

To make the most of the waters of the Maldives, the Palm Beach Island Resort offers some non motorized water activities like catamaran sailing, wind surfing and canoeing. Half day excursions and snorkeling trips are also available for free. For a deeper experience of the waters, take up scuba diving, our well trained instructors will give you lessons on how to conduct yourself underwater, so grab those fins and get ready to explore the world beneath us. The Palm Beach spa is the largest in the Maldives, where your senses will be rejuventated and staff will tend to your tired body and spirit.  Well trained pool of therapists apply their signature touches and take you away to that special place, of peace and tranquility.

Palm Beach Island Resort Contact Information

For more information about the Palm Beach Island Resort, visit www.palmbeachmaldives.com or email palmbech@sportingholiday.com.mv.

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