Certification gives the diver the ability to go off paired with a buddy to plan dives at depths appropriate to their skills. Diving is a worldwide hobby. Australia, South Africa and Japan are all diving centers. In the United States, divers head for California, Florida, Hawaii, the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico. The Caribbean also is popular.
Dive shops arrange tours and travel agents offer package deals.
Delta and American are the two major U.S. airlines serving the Caribbean. Grand Cayman, with more than 500 banks, may be best known as a financial center, but it ranks with Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles and Tortola in the British Virgin Islands as world-class diving spots. Red Sail Sports, affiliated with Hyatt, is one of the major diving operations in Grand Cayman. Its morning and afternoon boats pull up to the Marriott Grand Cayman Resort or the Hyatt. It's best to sign up in advance and to be at the dive shop for the 8 a.m. launch to the dive boat.