That first exhale underwater — it’s everything. It’s the reason we crave the adventure and zen relaxation that dive travel provides. Everything that comes before — all the headaches, challenges and stress that come with planning air travel, accommodations, and endless logistics — melt away as soon as we are on “island time.” Unless, of course, your airline overbooked your flight or you miss a connecting one, derailing or potentially cancelling your entire trip. Or an issue pops up when you land in your dream destination — you don’t have the necessary visitor’s visa, the promised airport transfer is nowhere to be found or the hotel is overbooked and has no room for you. That’s when your dream vacation turns into a nightmare.

There has never been a better time to consider using a dive travel agency to handle the myriad hassles involved in planning a carefree scuba vacation — they know what you want, they know all the tricks for seamless air travel, and they’ll be there for you for every hiccup, bump and aggravation that threatens your time in paradise. In fact, right now, with more and more airlines and hotels overbooking, leaving more and more travelers left scrambling, the need for a pro has never been more urgent.

Caradonna Adventures, dive industry travel leaders since 1985, offer their services free of charge, arranging all trip details — airport transfers, lodging, dive center bookings and land excursions, including flights (ticketing fee may apply) — for their clients. Agents also provide quick solutions when emergencies arise, which is one of the biggest and most stress-relieving perks of working with Caradonna. If a mishap arises with your trip, you can rest easy knowing your dedicated Caradonna agent is taking care of it.

Take something like a hotel overbooking. Make your own lodging accommodations and this news will certainly be a buzzkill to say the least. When Caradonna plans your stay, their guests are better taken care of at every property they book with, thanks to their decades-long relationships with resorts and hotels, as well as the sheer volume of trips they book. In other words, when you book with Caradonna, you travel as a VIP.

Even something seemingly simple like booking airfare can be anything from complicated to a panic situation. Many dive travelers may not realize that Bonaire has 2,987 rooms available island-wide and a daily average of 110 airline seats from the United States. (November 2023). Waiting to book flights 30 days in advance will likely bring grossly inflated rates — if flights are available at all.

Booking airfare in general can be a hugely complex process, especially if you’re needing several connecting flights to reach a place like the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea or Indonesia. Caradonna recommends booking airfare 330 days in advance to get the best availability.

Also consider the Sudoku puzzle that is managing airport connections. If a flight is booked 330 days out, the air reservation will likely undergo many if not dozens of schedule changes prior to travel, that can affect the connecting times for your subsequent flights. For a long-haul trip, it can be a lot for one person to keep track of, but it’s all just part of the everyday travel agent process to constantly monitor your itinerary to ensure travelers always have plenty of time between connections.

Should anything happen, one phone call gets you sorted.

Caradonna’s experts also save their dive travelers hours of research by connecting them with a short list of destinations that match their preferences, skill level and budget. After all, it’s easy to see a few photos of whale sharks or soft coral–covered wrecks and feel ready to pack your bags, but there’s often more to know. On average, a Caradonna agent has 17 years of experience booking dive travel—with some agents committed to your dive vacations for 24, 26 and even 30 years—so they know all the behind-the-scenes details, such as which resorts are best for solo travelers and which destinations aren’t a great fit for those diving with kids. They also factor in a destination’s seasonality, including best times to go and which times of year to avoid. There are countless details to know about one dive destination, and yet the team stays current on more than 40 destinations across the globe, including far-off, exotic escapes such as Tahiti, Palau and the Philippines, as well as close-to-home favorites, including Little Cayman, Mexico, Bonaire and Belize.

When thinking about your next dive trip, consider, too, that Caradonna sells 7,000 dive trips every year. They constantly receive client feedback about everything, from the quality of the breakfast buffet to which destinations are seeing big animals (and the best time of year to see them). This all factors into their recommendations to ensure your scuba trip exceeds your expectations.

Lastly, an added layer of reassurance comes from the fact that Caradonna is the dive industry’s only USTOA accredited travel provider. This means that they are backed by $1 million in security, used to reimburse clients in the event of company dissolution or other disaster. Granted, given the company’s 39 years of good standing, this is highly unlikely, but just one more way Caradonna is committed first and foremost to their clients’ peace of mind.

It’s time to take out the hassle involved in planning your dive vacations. Caradonna will save you money, handle all the details, provide local expertise and troubleshoot any problems. All you have to do is pack your bags and enjoy an unforgettable vacation in paradise.