Activity Spotlight: Scuba Diving for Beginners
One of our favorite outdoor activities is scuba diving. And our scuba trips are one of our favorite vacations to host. Ideal for beginner, intermediate, and experienced divers, our scuba singles diving vacations are the perfect getaway.
Very often, we hear from guests who are interested in scuba trips, but they are new to the sport. So, we have developed these tips for scuba diving beginners so they can feel confident about joining our amazing adventures.
About Scuba Diving
Why is scuba diving so awesome? You really feel at one with nature. Imagine being able to breathe underwater, supported by the safety of your own air tank. In your sleek wet suit, wearing your fins and mask, you are able to fully explore the underwater reefs, to swim with tropical fish, and to just glide through the warm waters.
And though you will always be within the safety of an instructed group, there is a quiet, wonderful solitude that comes with scuba diving. In fact, many even practice meditation while scuba diving, making the sport ideal for stress relief and maintaining mindfulness.
Know Before You Go
On our trips, we supply BCDs (Buoyancy Compensator Devices), regulators, and diving fins. You’ll need to add these to your pre-trip shopping list: wet suit, mask, booties, and perhaps a diving watch.
Many of our beginner guests opt to take diving lessons before they vacation with us. Most areas have diving schools, and typically the lessons are held in the deep end of a competition-sized swimming pool. Learning in a pool before the first open-water dive really helps many of our guests feel comfortable.
One of the things to always keep in mind when learning to scuba dive is to BREATHE. It sounds like a no-brainer, but our bodies are programmed to hold our breath underwater. Learning how to breathe slowly and properly underwater using the equipment is a skill. You will save air – and it’s also very relaxing.
While Vacationing
On our singles scuba vacations, we only take small groups of guests. For beginners, our package includes a PADI open water course. This course helps our singles learn the art and skill of scuba diving. So even if you have never done an open water dive, you will have plenty of thoughtful and careful instruction on our trip.
We do three dives a day. The time in between is spent relaxing, meeting new friends, eating great meals, and learning about the natural marine environment. For guests that are beginners, we advise to keep the following in mind:
- Stay hydrated. This means drinking plenty of water and avoiding excess alcohol consumption the evening before a dive.
- Listen to your group instructor. They are here to teach, empower, and make you a confident diver.
- Take things slowly. By taking it slow, you reduce air consumption, maintain your confidence, and have more time to enjoy and explore the amazing underwater world.
- Have fun! Vacations are for pleasure, and our scuba trips are filled with it.
At Singles Travel Service, we combine a scuba diving adventure with plenty of above-water relaxation and good times on our own private island. Interested in joining one of our trips? Contact us today.
Destination Spotlight: Dublin
Ireland is one of the most beautiful and historic countries in the world. Its long and storied history dates to 10,500 B.C. – a date not quite fathomable to many. Because of its comparatively small size, it’s easy to see most of the country on one vacation. What’s more, because so many Irish immigrated to the United States, many Americans can trace their family history to Ireland. These factors combined make Ireland – and its popular capital, Dublin – an eternally beloved tourist destination.
Every trip to Dublin should begin with a visit to the Guinness Storehouse. (At least my trip began that way – and it was fabulous.) Here, you will learn all about the history and creation of “the black stuff” while touring the 1904 storehouse. Once your tour ends, head to top-level Gravity Bar for both a pint and panoramic views of Dublin.
The other great Irish libation is Jameson Irish Whiskey, of course. Within the gentrifying Smithfield area of Dublin, you can visit the Old Jameson Distillery. Take a tour or a masterclass in whiskey tasting, then head over to the nearby Cobblestone – my favorite bar in Dublin (or maybe all the world). Featuring live, traditional Irish music each night, the Cobblestone is the quintessential neighborhood Irish pub. You’ll also want to check out The Brazen Head, which dates to 1198. It’s officially Ireland’s oldest pub.
Other nightlight options can be found in the famous (infamous?) Temple Bar area. In addition to namesake Temple Bar pub, there are scores of other bars, restaurants, and shops in this pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. For additional shopping and dining, check out the world-famous Grafton Street. Here, there is really something for everyone.
While eating, drinking, and shopping are certainly excellent pastimes while in Dublin, you’d be remiss not to explore some of its great history and culture as well. Standing on the grounds of an old Viking settlement is the ancient Dublin Castle. For over 700 years, it has been the hub of Ireland’s secular power. It is now used for state dinners, presidential inaugurations, and world summits.
Trinity College is Dublin’s premiere university and a great center of world learning. Stroll the beautiful grounds and be sure to visit its famous Old Library. This breathtaking building is home to Ireland’s largest collection of books – and the Book of Kells, a gorgeously illustrated Christian manuscript dating to the year 800.
Many of the world’s greatest writers have been Irish, and the Dublin Writer’s Museum celebrates this amazing literary tradition. Of all the Irish literati, James Joyce is perhaps the most internationally known. When you visit the James Joyce Centre, you will learn about the writer and his work, including his masterpiece, Ulysses.
While Joyce is Ireland’s most famous writer, my favorite is Oscar Wilde. Visit the house he lived in from 1855 to 1876, and then snap a selfie with the life-size Oscar Wilde statue in Merrion Square Park. Here you will also find a monument containing some of the best quotes from his writing, including my favorite: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Interested in touring Dublin and the rest of Ireland? Contact us.
Trends in Singles Travel During Retirement
Exploring the world during retirement is a dream for many who embark on singles travel vacations. After years spent working or raising families, people long to spend their retirements seeing new places, meeting new friends, and relaxing.
According to an article in Forbes, the number of retired Americans is increasing. And this increase in retirees means the “impact on individual lifestyles, families, and leisure marketplaces, both for-profit and not-for-profit, will be unprecedented.”
In citing a research study by Merrill Lynch, the Forbes report noted that there are more than a million single travelers in the vacation marketplace right now. And more than forty percent of those single travelers choose to embark on guided adventure tours, designed especially for single travelers aged 50 and older.
How Singles Travel Service Delivers on Retirement Travel Trends
There are several notable trends in singles travel after retirement. At Singles Travel Service, we have planned upcoming singles travel vacations based on the preferences of our clients and these retirement travel trends:
- Adventure Travel. We love adventure travel! We often embark on a singles travel vacation to Yellowstone National Park and Big Sky, Montana. Adventure activities on this trip include horseback riding in the mountains, rafting on the Madison River, a full-day tour of Yellowstone National Park, zip lining down Big Sky peak, bungee jumping, and a high ropes challenge (which is just so much fun).
- Nostalgia Travel. What could be more nostalgic than summer camp? Each summer, Singles Travel Service hosts Weekend Summer Camp on a private lake. During this nostalgia-packed weekend, our travelers will go boating and biking; play tennis, golf, basketball, or baseball; and enjoy evenings by the lake with cocktails, delicious dinners, live music, and dancing. And, of course, we will have bonfires and s’mores!
- Educational Travel. One of the great things about traveling is learning about other cultures. At Singles Travel Service, our international vacations are full of exciting educational experiences. In Ecuador, visit the Equatorial Monument (where both hemispheres meet). In Ireland or Scotland, learn about the history and culture of these beautiful nations (and the home of many of our travelers’ ancestors). Our upcoming trip the Canyons of Mexico has been planned and curated specifically for Baby Boomers to learn about amazing culture and landscape of this stunning destination.
Retired and interested in one of our singles travel vacations? Contact us.
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