DIVING Plan an Adventure
Upcoming Local Adventures
Dive with the Whale Sharks
Swim the world’s largest fish, the whale shark! This 30-minute scuba dive in the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager (6,300,000 gallons) puts you in the middles of manta rays, schooling jacks, stingrays, giant grouper and several species of sharks. All equipment is provided including wetsuit, booties, mask, fins, regulators, cylinder and BCD. Just bring your bathing suit, a bag for wet clothing and your certification card. Divers may bring prescription masks; the Aquarium staff with disinfect it prior to immersion.
When: 2024 Schedule
- Apr 20
- May 25
- Jul 20
Where: Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker St. Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30313
Duration: 1 tank dive for approximately 30 minutes.
Cost: $365.00
Certification Requirement: Open Water Diver
Special Considerations: No cameras allowed. Friends and family may pay for general admission to the aquarium and watch their divers from the large observation window.
Upcoming National Adventures
AWARE Fish ID – Panama City Beach
“What was that fish?” is a common question heard after a dive. If you want to be the scuba diver with the answers instead of the one asking the questions, then take the Fish Identification Specialty course. You’ll enjoy your dives even more when you recognize the creatures you see and identify the main fish families and their characteristics. This class will focus on the common fish species encountered near Panama City Beach, FL. However, once you learn to recognize what types of fish you see, you’ll find it easier to reference the exact species no matter where you happen to be diving. For example, a four-eye butterfly fish in the Caribbean has a similar shape to a spotfin butterfly fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Recognizing the fish family makes looking up and identifying a newly encountered species easier. At the very least, you will know how to ask the local scuba instructor intelligently what type of fish you saw.
Marine Biology Professor Mark Fairbrass will deliver the PADI knowledge development as a classroom presentation. The class includes identifying characteristics of local fish families and species, the common fish of the Panama City Beach area, and fish survey techniques and strategies. You will also learn about PADI AWARE activities that can help protect aquatic life. Then it’s off to Panama City for a total of 6 dives where students will apply their newfound knowledge.
When and Where: There are two parts to this adventure.
Classroom Time: March 31, from 9:00 to 4:00 at Bubbles or Not
In the Water: April 5 – 7, Panama City Beach, Florida. Friday is a travel on your own day. Saturday includes 2 dives in the morning and 2 days in the afternoon. Sunday morning completes the weekend with 2 morning dives.
Cost: $799 includes Double Occupancy lodging for two nights at the Hilton Garden, 6 dives and the class.
Certification Requirement: Open Water Diver
Special Considerations: For first time boat divers, consider packing your favorite anti-nausia medication. An SMB is mandatory. Please remember to tip your boat crew appropriately.
*All payments and deposits are non-refundable.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Once again we will be heading to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center for some fun and exploration with an underwater astronaut trainer. This is a unique trip where you get to spend the day bonding with friends and family, playing underwater basketball, shooting rockets, and diving through obstacles.
When: More dates to be announced soon
Where: Huntsville, Alabama
Cost: More information to come
Certification Requirement: Open Water Diver
Special Considerations: Bring your inner child who always wanted to be an astronaut.
Diving with Manatees
Bubbles or Not is excited to announce that we will be diving with the manatees. You’ve heard legends of enchanting mermaids who lure sailors to veer off course. It’s believed that these 2000 Lb, hairy sea cows were the culprits. Come visit these docile, seagrass munchers with us.
When: More dates to be announced soon
Where: Rainbow River and Blue Grotto, Florida
Itinerary:
- Depart for Florida Friday
- Saturday Morning, snorkel with manatees
- Saturday afternoon and evening, dive Blue Grotto
- Sunday morning, drift dive Rainbow River.
- Sunday afternoon, return home
Cost: $220.00 ($80 additional for Bubbles or not rental of BCD, regulator, dive computer, wetsuit and two tanks.)
Certification Requirement: Open Water Diver
Special Considerations: Recommend hood, gloves and a camera. Also bring a jacket to stay warm on the boat.
Upcoming International Adventures
Fiji
Paradise Taveuni is located in the southwest of Taveuni Island, one of the island’s most beautiful areas. Set on 5 acres of elevated oceanfront, Paradise offers impressive sea and sunset views and many strategically placed hammocks and sun lounges from which to enjoy them. Paradise offers 16 air-conditioned accommodation choices.
With the world-famous Rainbow Reef just a short boat ride away, Paradise offers some of the best diving in the world. Fiji is known as “The Soft Coral Capital of the World,” and Paradise is at the heart of it. Here, you will experience some of the most memorable dives of your life.
Explore astounding soft corals and diverse marine life with the Paradise Dive Team. With over 40 sites, you could dive ‘The Great White Wall’ – noted as one of the Top 10 Dives in the World, The Zoo, Fish Factory, Cabbage Patch, and many more.
When: April 6-13, 2024
Where: Paradise Taveuni Resort, Fiji
Dive Package Includes: International Airfare from LAX, 7 nights AC Ocean Front Vale accommodations, all taxes, inter-island air transfers, round-trip land transfers, Free upgrade to Divers Meal plan (full cooked breakfast, 2-course lunch, and 3-course dinner), 5 days of 2-tank boat dives plus shore diving daily, free Wi-Fi, welcome foot rub and Fijian sulu.
Not Included: Gratuities, rental gear, personal expenses, and Nitrox ($150).
Cost: $3499 per person
Certification Requirement: Open Water Diver
*A minimum, non-refundable $500 deposit is required. Cancellation refunds are dependent on the ability to sell your space. Balance due Feb 6, 2024. Trip insurance, both dive accident and trip cancellation, is highly recommended.*
Bonaire
Bubbles or Not is off again on another dive adventure. Join us and our dive travelers as we retreat to warm and cozy Bonaire. There’s no better place for fantastic diving and the comforts of home. Sign up fast; this trip will sell out.
Buddy Dive has spacious one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, a full-service dive center, an activity desk, three swimming pools, a restaurant, a pool bar, vehicle rentals, and the famous drive-thru air and Nitrox fill station.
Ranked as one of the Caribbean’s top dive destinations, marine life abounds in this scuba diving paradise, with more than 470 fish species found in Bonaire’s water. Great boat dives only complement your ability to access many dive sites right from shore. Because Bonaire is an arid island, you can also explore its desert landscape and visit protected wildlife areas to see iguanas and pink flamingos.
When: Oct 12-19, 2024
Where: Buddy Dive Resort, Bonaire
Dive Package Includes: 7-night accommodations in Studio or 2 bedroom, taxes and surcharges, round-trip airport transfers, daily breakfast, 6 days of 1 tank boat dives, unlimited shore diving, plus one truck rental per room.
Not Included: Airfare, gratuities, CDW insurance for truck, Bonaire Marine Park Fee
Cost: Starting at $1607 per person
Certification Requirement: Open Water Diver
*A minimum, non-refundable $350 deposit is required. Cancellation refunds are dependent on the ability to sell your space. Balance due Aug 12, 2024. Trip insurance, both dive accident and trip cancellation, is highly recommended.*
