Travel: Frequently Asked Questions

Solo travelers are always welcome on any Ocean First adventure. In fact, solo travelers often make up about half of the overall roster! We will do our best to find a suitable roommate or will offer a reasonable single occupancy rate.

Absolutely! Many of our travelers choose to maximize their holiday with a longer stay either at the resort our group trip is booked at or will venture out to explore other options. The travel specialists at Ocean First Travel can offer exciting options and help you with these arrangements.

Yes! All of our group adventures are led by an Ocean First dive instructor who can offer a variety of continuing education courses. Some itineraries are less conducive to conducting training; please speak to the travel department to learn more.

Ocean First has dive adventures for all experience levels. Check with the staff at Ocean First to find a trip that is best suited for your comfort and experience level.

Yes! Non-divers are always welcome and most of our adventures have plenty of activities for a non-diver to enjoy. Check with our staff to see which adventure offers the most options.

Yes! Trip cancellation insurance gives you peace of mind and protects your investment in the unlikely event of needing to cancel your adventure. Ocean First recommends Divers Alert Network (https://www.travelguard.com/) for comprehensive plans.

Yes! Most dive operations are requiring divers to show proof of individual diver insurance for your safety. Ocean First Divers recommends Divers Alert Network for individual insurance plans: http://diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/dive/

Covid entry requirements are different for every country and are always subject to change. You are welcome to contact OFT for assistance in navigating the entry requirements for your destination.

Get the most out of your dive trip by studying up on both your dive skills and your knowledge of the destination.

Take a Continuing Education Course

The best divers are the ones who never stop learning! Whether it's been a while since your last dive or you are working on leveling up your dive rating, we recommend taking a continuing education course before you go. Most con-ed courses require open water dives, which can usually be completed with your leader while on your trip. If you don't know where to start, our most popular course is Nitrox, which can be completed in an evening and allows you to dive on enriched air, meaning your dives can be longer and safer. Talk with your trip leader to see if they recommend any specific courses before you go.

Take a Marine Ecology Course

Become a more educated diver and wow your friends with your reef fish identification skills! No longer will you be the one on the boat asking if anyone else saw that, “Big, green fish with the pink cheeks?!” You’ll be confident that it was a parrotfish, specifically a redlip parrotfish! Learn to identify both the behavioral and morphological characteristics of reef fish that inhabit the Caribbean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Indo-Pacific region. Ocean First Education's fish identification courses will help you to recognize and classify the most common reef fish families. Check out Reef Fish Identification and a collection of other short courses at oceanfirsteducation.com

Learn about the Country and Culture

Take an afternoon to read about the history, the culture, and the local customs of where you are traveling to. It also helps to print out and practice with a short list of common phrases. Even knowing how to say "hello", "thank you", and "beer" in the local language can go a long way! Online resources are endless (including the country's tourism website), and we love Lonely Planet books. Talk to your trip leader for more information.