1. Choose the season first
On a small island the weather decides whether boats go out, how clear the water is and which animals are around. Pick the season before you pick the dates. These are rough guides, so always check with local operators (see how we write our guides).
| Region | Usually best | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Caribbean | December to April is driest; diving is good all year | Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30 |
| South Pacific (Fiji, Tahiti, Vanuatu) | About May to October | Cyclone season, about November to April |
| Micronesia (Palau, Yap, Chuuk) | Dived all year; often calmest about December to April | Typhoons, most likely about June to November |
| Thailand's Andaman islands | About November to April | The Similans close about mid-May to mid-October |
| Tubbataha, Philippines | About mid-March to mid-June only | Liveaboard only; trips sell out early |
| Maldives | About December to April for calm seas and visibility | Wetter southwest monsoon, about May to November, but more mantas |
| Azores | About June to October | Rough seas outside summer |
| Canary Islands | All year; warmest water late summer and autumn | Cooler water than the tropics |
2. Resort, island-hopping or liveaboard?
There are three main ways to build an island dive trip.
- One island, one base. Stay in a hotel or dive resort and dive with a local center, usually two boat dives a morning. It is flexible, works well for non-diving partners and lets you take days off.
- Island-hopping. Combine two or three islands, such as Bonaire and Curaçao, Palau and Yap, or Bali and Komodo. You see more variety, but each move costs a day and needs careful timing around flights.
- Liveaboard. Live on a dive boat for a week or more and dive three or four times a day. Liveaboards reach remote sites that day boats cannot, such as Tubbataha, Darwin and Wolf in the Galápagos, or the outer atolls of the Maldives. They suit keen divers and need a few days at the end before flying.
Remote islands often depend on small planes or a few flights a week. Small aircraft can have strict baggage limits, sometimes much lower than international flights, so check the weight allowance before you pack heavy dive gear.
3. Paperwork and insurance
- Certification card, or the digital version in your agency's app. Dive centers will ask to see it.
- Logbook. Some sites and liveaboards ask for a minimum number of logged dives or an advanced certification.
- Dive insurance. Ordinary travel insurance may not cover scuba diving or the cost of treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. Divers Alert Network (DAN) and other providers sell dive-specific cover.
- Medical form. Most centers ask you to complete a medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to any question, bring a doctor's sign-off.
- Park fees and permits. Many marine parks charge a fee, for example in Bonaire and Raja Ampat, and some sites, such as Sipadan, have daily permit limits.
4. What to pack
Most island dive centers rent full sets of gear, but many divers bring their own mask, fins, computer and exposure suit for comfort and fit. Match the suit to the region: a 3 mm wetsuit is normal in the Caribbean and much of the tropics, while the Canaries and the Azores call for 5 mm or 7 mm for much of the year.
- Mask and spare strap
- Dive computer
- Wetsuit or rash guard
- Surface marker buoy
- Reef hook for current sites
- Mineral (reef-safe) sunscreen
- Seasickness tablets
- Ear drops and a small first-aid kit
- Dry bag for the boat
Several island governments limit sunscreen ingredients that harm coral. Hawaii's ban on sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate took effect on January 1, 2021, and Palau restricted reef-toxic sunscreens from 2020. A mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide, plus a rash guard and hat, keeps you on the right side of the rules everywhere.
5. Leave time before your flight
Flying soon after diving raises the risk of decompression sickness. Divers Alert Network guidance is a minimum surface interval of 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after multiple dives a day or several days of diving. Many divers simply keep the last full day of the trip dive-free. The same rule applies to flights between islands, and to driving up to high ground, such as a volcano road, after diving.
New to all of this? Start with our guide to the best islands for beginner divers, then come back here once you have picked an island. For a big-picture view of every region, go back to the island scuba diving home page.
Questions
Island dive trip planning FAQ
How many dives can I do in a week on an island?
A typical resort week with two boat dives a day gives 10 to 12 dives. On a liveaboard with three or four dives a day, a week can give 20 or more.
Should I bring my own scuba gear?
Rental gear is widely available and fine for most trips. A personal mask, computer and wetsuit are worth bringing for fit and comfort. Check the baggage allowance on any small inter-island flights first.
Do I need special insurance for scuba diving?
Many standard travel policies exclude scuba diving or limit the depth they cover. Dive-specific insurance, such as from Divers Alert Network, covers diving accidents and hyperbaric treatment.