I have always loved water and Mike recommended we go to our local dive shop to obtain our diving certification before we were married so we could do REAL diving (vs. shallow resort dives) during our honeymoon. We received our Open Water (OW) certification back in 1994. I have since obtained my Advanced, Nitrox, and Altitude certifications. When I started this hobby, I had NO idea it would take me to so many unique and exciting places around the world.
Except for tanks and weights, I travel with my own gear. This way I know the wetsuits fit, the gear serviced and is working, and I am familiar with my equipment. This last one is critical if I am in an emergency situation; I do not want to be fumbling with my dive gear in 80 feet of water because of a lack of familiarity.
Underwater Worlds I have Explored
Caribbean:
- Belize – with the number of islands to see, I did this via a live-aboard.
- Bonaire – I have been here 13 times!
- Grand Cayman
- Little Cayman – To reach this destination, I had to travel on a little Otter prop plane and if the red peg hits the ground, the airline starts unloading luggage!
Indian Ocean:
Diving Attire
When on a dive trip, my attire falls into 2 categories – what I wear when diving and what I wear when I am not. When diving, I am wearing a bathing suit, bandana, wetsuit, fins, BC (buoyance compensator), regulator, boots, and mask. When I am not diving, it is just normal, quick dry clothes; however, I don’t need much since I am spending most of the time in the water.
When I am flying to a dive destination, I carry on my dive computer and mask; everything else is checked luggage. To protect my regulator, I pack my clothes around my regulator in my regulator bag. This is then put into a checked suitcase for further protection. I have done this many times and so far, I have not had an issue.
I know I am on a dive vacation when my days are living in a bathing suit and a wet suit, and the rest of my clothes are minimal.
Here are the clothes Mike and I normally travel with
| Garment | Lori | Mike |
|---|---|---|
| Bathing Suit | 4 Bathing Suits (assumes 4 dives/ day) 4 Cotton Bandana (one for each dive/ day) | 4 Bathing Suits (assumes 4 dives/ day) 4 Skin tops (one for each dive/ day) |
| Under Garments | 4 Underwear (Knowyou) 1 Bra | 4 Uniqlo Briefs |
| Shirts | 2 Quick Dry diving t-shirts 3 Quick Dry evening t-shirts 1 Long Sleeve Shirt | 1 Short sleeve button shirt 1 Long sleeve shirt 3 Quick dry T-shirts |
| Pants | 1 Pant (converts to capris) 1 Short 2 RipSkirts (Length 2, Length 3) | 1 Pant (zip off) 2 Long swim trunks |
| Dressy | 1 Quick Dry Dress (Toad&Co) 1 Scarf (if bringing something sleeveless) | 1 Pant (dressy) |
| Socks | 1 Compression socks 1 Ankle socks | 1 Compression socks 2 Smartwool socks 1 Ankle socks |
| Shoes | 1 Slip On (Olukai) 1 Pair Sandals | 1 Pair Sandals (Tevas) 1 Pair Slip Flops (Olukai) |
| Coat | 1 Fleece Jacket (Columbia) 1 Windbreaker/Rain Jacket (Columbia) | 1 Fleece Sweater/Jacket 1 Windbreaker/Rain Jacket (Columbia) |
| Other | 1 Sarong (if traveling to Asia) | 1 Smartwool Beanie (for plane) |
Camera Gear
Mike and I capture our memories through photos and video and share them with our friends and family. Both of us dive with a photo and/or video camera, and our rigs have changed significantly from when we were shooting film in the 1990’s.
Here is our camera set up including pictures of our gear
Lori (2014-Present)
Nominal Setup
- Sony RX100 (Mark 1) Camera
- Nauticam NA-RX100 Aluminum Housing
- Sea & Sea YS-D2J Strobes (2ea)
- Light & Motion Sola 3800 Video Light
- Light & Motion Sola 1200 Photo Light
- Nauticam Flip in Lens Holder
- Subsee +5/+10 Diopter (Macro) Wet Lens
- GoPro Hero11
Additional Items (As desired)
- Custom Fiber Optic Snoot
Mike (2018-Present)
Base Camera Setup
- Sony a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera
- Nauticam NA-A6500 Aluminum Housing
- Nauticam 45 degree viewfinder
- Vivid Leak Sentinel V5 Vacuum System
- Nauticam Battery Pack for NA-6500 Housing
- Sea & Sea YS-D2J Strobes (2ea)
- Light & Motion Sola 1200 Photo Light
- GoPro Hero11
General Purpose Photography Lens Setup
- Sony PZ16-50mm (Kit) Lens
- Nauticam Macro Port 45 and Zoom Gear for Sony 16-50mm PZ Lens
- Nauticam Flip in Lens Holder
- Subsee +5/+10 Diopter (Macro) Wet Lens
Macro Photography Lens Setup
- Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens
- Metabones Canon EF Lens to Sony NEX Smart Adapter
- Nauticam Macro Port and Focus Gear Set for Canon EF-S 60mm with Metabones Adapter
Super Macro Photography Lens Setup
- Sony 90mm f/2.8-22 Macro G OSS
- Nauticam N85 to N100 Port Adapter, 65mm
- Nauticam N100 Macro Port 55
Additional Items (As desired)
- Custom Fiber Optic Snoot
My “bucket list” of places in the queue:
- Places I have not been to:
- Banda Sea – Near Raja Ampat and known for Hammerheads
- Komodo – It would be an experience to see a komodo dragon swimming underwater.
- Raja Ampat – Everyone that has gone here has raved about the diving, healthy marine life, and diversity.
- Sea of Cortez – when I dove Socorro, the crew and some of the passengers could not stop talking about the diverse marine life the Sea of Cortez.
- Solomon Islands – this one is probably farther down on the list because it is a lot of traveling just to arrive here.
- I would love to return to the following places:
- Great Barrier Reef/Coral Sea – when I went it was overcast, and I would love to see the colors.
- Maldives – I have been to southern Maldives and now I want to visit Northern and Central.
- Yap and Palau – I had a great time last time I was there and would love to go back again. I have been exploring staying on land next time to Palau vs. a live-aboard.
I hope you enjoyed reminiscing with me about my previous diving adventures, and you have added some additional destinations to your travel bucket list.
One final note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my website! – Lori