Switch in travel? (land vs. sea)

[sixboots]

Anyone have this "problem"?
I've been an avid traveller for a while, which is probably what ultimately led me to scuba diving. I've been all over the world: asia, africa, europe, south america, etc., but i hadn't really ever considered scuba until I decided that I wanted a relaxing beach vacation, which turned out to be Roatan, Honduras, where I got OW certified. Now all I can think about is going to Bonaire or Roatan again or Cozumel or Indonesia or Mozambique to dive. Like most people, I have limited opportunities per year to go somewhere else, and now it all seems to be about diving, and that's all. Not that it's a bad thing; actually, it's great and I'm excited, and land and sea can of course be combined to some extent, but a part of me is going to miss the kind of traveling I used to do: all land, culture, historical sites, etc., whatever. Things change when you discover something new and get passionate about, give and take. Not exactly sure what I'm trying to say here, but i'm guessing some of you will get it.

[Shark girl]

It doesn't have to be that way! New hobbies don't have to mean trading off old passions. A fortnight can be amazingly flexible if you choose te right destination... I started off as a cities person then became a cities/ mountain/ tramping person and am now a moutain/ tramping/ diving person who enjoys cities when I get to visit a nice one... I admit that Nepal (my favourite country ever) has the mountains and the culture, but I won't be leaping into any lakes thee , any time soon. However, Mexico, Thailand, New Zealand, Ecuador, Egypt, and many many other places have both diving and culture- some even have beautiful mountains thrown in too! Time might be limited but it is possible to find a balance- one week diving and one visiting cultural highlights, for example. My last trip combined a liveaboard dive trip to the Similans with a week or so exploring the ancient wonders of Cambodia and a couple of days in buzzy Bangkok. It was a spectacular and fulfilling holiday- don't give up, read the brochures/ guidebooks/ thorn tree and find places that will make every aspect of you happy!

[lisacay]

I think you can do both. I go to places to dive, but also to see and experience it. Just do your research ahead of time and figure out what you want to do and see and fit in as much as you can while still enjoying your down time. And if you can't get to it all....Plan another Trip!

[scubasamurai]

i would go down either a day earlier or later for off gasing, but if you really want to see the sites , cut back on the days you dive and on those days hit up to five dives a day if possible.

[DUnder]

I would take the time to see the local sites above the water. Find the right balance between diving and sightseeing.

[gthomas]

When we travel its not all about diving. Diving in the morning and site seeing in the afternoon is a great trade off, or if we dive all day we take the next day off. I think its fun to see how other people live.

[Martin2]

I agree that it is all about balance. We love to dive and take the opportunity to do so as often as possible, but that isn't all travel is about. Take some time to enjoy the culture and history of where you are. I think it helps us enjoy the diving even more.

[longtailbda]

There should always be balance when planning your trips. Try diving some nights and site seeing during the day and visa-versa, if you can try to make your long site seeing day for the final day, a little extra out gassing is not a bad thing.