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Surviving Vacation Bloopers

© Linda Gettmann

We wait all year for the treasured (and all too short) dive vacation only to have things go wrong. How does this happen and how can you deal with those bumps in the road to salvage your well-deserved holiday?

1. Two days before you leave you catch a cold . . .
Drink lots of water, get extra rest and take an over-the-counter cold medication (Sudafed is good for divers) designed to relieve congestion. If you think it's more than a cold, visit your doctor and get some additional help with drugs.

2. Two days before you leave a hurricane revs up near your destination . . .
Make sure airlines are flying and call the hotel or dive resort to see what's going on from their perspective. Plan for it with clothing choices and alternate activities. If it's a bad one, cancel and fight out your refunds. Know when to go: hurricane and typhoon seasons are predictable, do your research before you book a trip.

3. The flight is late/oversold/cancelled . . .
Have an alternate plan, look at the airline schedules on the internet and see what your options are ahead of time in the event you don't leave as planned. Enlist the help of your dive travel agent if necessary. Don't let the airlines off easy; keep on them until they book you on another flight.

4. They lose your luggage . . .
You can buy a T-shirt and shorts to wear for a couple days. Better yet, pack them and a swimsuit in your carryon along with toiletries, mask, sunscreen, and prescriptions. You can rent enough dive gear to get you by. Misplaced luggage usually shows up within two days.

5. Your hotel/dive resort looks nothing like the brochure . . .
This is where pre-trip planning and using a good dive travel agent come in very handy. This is a surprise that you don't need and can certainly be avoided with a little effort. Check out where you're going with other divers and get recommendations.

6. The hurricane/tropical storm/cold front hits . . .
Have a light, waterproof jacket packed and a sweatshirt. Hopefully you won't have more than 1-2 days of cloudy, rainy weather. Rent a car or take a bus and see the local sites, read a good book, do some exploring, see a movie and relax. Unless the storm has a name, you're probably OK.

7. The rental dive gear resembles tinkertoys . . .

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