DIVE TRAVEL CULTURE
Divers travel the world seeking new underwater adventures, often booking with specialized tour operators that combine challenging logistics, comfort, and safety into perfect vacation packages. Scuba diving is an activity of new experiences.
But there’s more to these trips than just what lies below the surface. Johnson Outdoors knows this, with a long history of living the lifestyle that inspires each and every product.
Scuba diving trips take us to foreign lands, where we frequently interact with people who may know very little about our language or customs. We have the choice of approaching these interactions as a closed ephemeral encounter or to build friendships and learn about another person, their culture, and community.
There is much to be said about the rewards of building friendships abroad and sharing perspectives, but there are also some very concrete benefits to your dive trip when you spend a few minutes getting to know your host staff.
Get to Know the Crew
While diving, your guide will be more likely to keep showing you cool critters when they know you like the animals and appreciate their efforts. Keep letting them know. Ask them what the name of the animal is that they pointed out if you don’t know it. If you did your research and know the local marine life, ask your guide if it’s possible to find one. They might happen to know exactly where it lives.
Surface intervals are always more fun with friends, and by including your guides and crew in conversations you’re sure to quickly build rapport and develop the inside jokes that become fond memories of every trip.
At the dive resort, you’ll be amazed how quickly staff will remember your name after you spend a few minutes establishing a relationship. You’ll feel like a VIP at the next meal when they mention your name when approaching the table. In fact, the staff at many dive resorts take great pride in service like this. It’s no surprise that divers go back to favorite resorts year after year feeling like family.
On the live-a-board, pop your head into the kitchen and thank the chef for his or her work. Their job is one of the hardest on the ship and often goes without thanks from the guests. You’ll be happy to have a friend in the kitchen when the time comes to make a modification to one of your meals.
A perfect dive trip is one where the hours on land are just as special as the hours underwater. Building friendships and experiencing culture around the world is a key part of dive travel, and an important value that we live by at Johnson Outdoors. Check out our new Outdoor Adventure Blog to read up on how our entire family of brands participate in inclusive activities everywhere we operate.
Tagged Diving