Scuba Diving

At first glance, this may not look much like adventure travel.

But there lies some of scuba diving's appeal: There's always time to relax. It doesn't matter if you're a type-A personality who could bike or hike or work for 16 hours straight. When you're scuba diving, the laws of human physiology say you've got to limit your time underwater or you'll suffer from decompression. So ... bring a good novel, and be ready to relax.

But dive, too. Under the waves, you'll discover a surreal world of infinite variety: strange corals and stranger fish, giant clams with florescent lips and undulating purple sponges, lazy sharks and gangly sea-turtles.

There are two ways to enjoy a scuba diving vacation. A land-based dive trip generally allows fewer dives (usually 2-3 a day; more if shore diving is available), and more time for other activities. If you're new to this sport, a land-based package gives you the most options.

For serious divers, a live-aboard dive boat offers more time to do what you love best. You can typically dive five times a day from a live-aboard, sometimes even more if you watch your decompression times. Don't worry. You'll still have time for that novel.

Alyson Adventures, sponsor of this site, has created several scuba diving trips that combine superb diving with the camaraderie of a small, friendly gay group. Whether this is a new sport that you've always wanted to try, or you're an experienced scuba diver, we've got a trip you'll enjoy.