SCUBA News 313
(ISSN 1476-8011)
August 2026

Welcome to SCUBA News, the scuba diving e-newsletter. Planning a holiday that includes both divers and non-divers? We've tips to keep everybody happy. Plus we have exclusive liveaboard deals (including one perfect for non-diving companions) and the latest news from around the underwater world.

What's New at SCUBA Travel?

Best Dives in the Philippines Discover the Philippines' top dive sites, from spectacular reefs and wrecks to encounters with whale sharks, thresher sharks, turtles and abundant tropical marine life. READ MORE Malta: A Diver's Mediterranean Favourite From historic shipwrecks to vibrant marine caverns, explore Malta's crystal-clear waters. DIVE MALTA GUIDE

Liveaboard Deals and Destinations

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4. Gypsy, Philippines. Just 8 divers will be on the Gypsy, giving quiet diving at Dauin, Moalboal, Malapascua and Bohol. No diver soup on this trip. Book now, this sells out fast.



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5. Nautilus Gallant Lady, Baja California, Mexico. This luxury boat has all the amenities to make your diving trip special. Her 6 rooms equipped with convertible beds that can be either a king-sized double bed or two twin beds. Each trip can be easily combined to Socorro or Guadalupe adventure.



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6. Yachtiano, Red Sea. SAVE 30%. Combining diving, snorkelling, kite surfing, spa facilities, morning yoga, pilates sessions and high-comfort accommodation in one vessel. Ideal for divers travelling with non-divers.



Lots to do for non-divers

See more liveaboard deals to some of the best diving in the world - Micronesia, Philippines, Galapagos, Indonesia, Socorro, Cocos Islands...

When a diver travels with a non diver - how to please everyone

by Michel Wouterse

A dive holiday sounds simple when everyone in the group dives. The planning becomes more interesting when one traveller is counting down to a morning underwater and the other is wondering what they will do for the next several hours.

That mixed-group problem appears constantly in Caribbean travel. Couples, families and friends often arrive with different experience levels, different appetites for adventure and different ideas of what makes a good day. The answer is not to pressure the non-diver into scuba or ask the diver to abandon the water. It is to plan a day with a shared centre and enough flexibility around it for both people to enjoy the island on their own terms.

Start with the real question

The most useful question is not, 'How do I convince my partner to dive?' It is, 'What does each of us want from this day?' One person may want depth, marine life and time below the surface. The other may want warm water, an easy pace, a beach, a boat ride or simply the reassurance that participation is optional.

Once those preferences are stated honestly, the planning becomes easier. A certified diver might choose a separate dive while the companion enjoys the shore, then meet for lunch. On another day, both might choose snorkelling. A third option is a guided shallow-water experience that lets the curious non-diver breathe underwater without pretending that they have suddenly become a scuba diver.

Build the day around one location

Travel friction is usually the enemy of a good mixed-group day. If the diver departs from one end of the island while the non-diver waits somewhere else, transport and timing can consume the experience. A better plan keeps the water activity, beach time and meeting point close together whenever possible.

Before booking, ask where check-in happens, how long the full activity takes, whether companions can remain nearby and what happens if sea conditions change. Those questions matter more than a glossy list of inclusions. They tell you whether the outing works as a shared day or only as an individual activity.

Do not turn curiosity into obligation

Many non-divers are interested in the underwater world but not interested in certification, heavy equipment or a deep descent. That is a valid position. Comfort grows when people are given accurate information, time to ask questions and permission to stop.

For travellers who want to look rather than descend, snorkelling may be the right answer. For those who want to breathe underwater while remaining in a guided shallow-water setting, SNUBA can be another option. It uses a surface-supported air supply, so participants do not carry a scuba tank. Eligible beginners age eight and older may participate without scuba certification, subject to current medical, swimming and guide requirements.

Snuba family underwater. Photo: SNUBA SXM

Plan for the least confident person

In a mixed group, the most confident participant often sets the pace without noticing. Reverse that habit. Choose timing, entry conditions and activity length around the person who needs the clearest explanation and the most breathing room.

That approach does not reduce the quality of the experience. It often improves it. When nobody is rushed, the group pays more attention to the water, the guide and each other. The experienced diver also gets something valuable: the chance to watch a companion discover an underwater environment for the first time.

A simple mixed-group checklist

Before committing to a Caribbean water day, confirm five things: the meeting location, the full door-to-door time, the current participation requirements, the alternative for someone who chooses not to enter the water, and the direct contact point if conditions or timing change.

Then make the booking decision separately for each person. The diver should choose the dive they genuinely want. The non-diver should choose the level of water involvement they genuinely want. A shared lunch, beach or island stop can reconnect the two parts of the day.

About the Author

Michel Wouterse is the owner of SNUBA SXM in Sint Maarten and a Regional SNUBA Program Coordinator in the Caribbean. He has lived on St Maarten for more than 17 years and has conducted SNUBA programs there for 15 years. A PADI Course Director with experience from first-time programs through instructor and technical-diving education, Michel has taught more than 1,800 diving programs.

Read the full article here

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Diving news from around the World

Dive into the Ocean Film Festival world tour The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is bringing a new collection of captivating ocean-themed films to the UK and beyond.

Nudibranch is invertebrate of the year The leaf sheep, a neon green solar-powered nudibranch, triumphs in global ballot

Art and science must come together for coral reef conservation, biologists argue Coral reefs are among Earth's most threatened ecosystems amid climate change, coral bleaching and threats from mining. Artists can help shine a light on coral fragility and the resilience of nature.

Shipwrecks from WWI and WWII are polluting the North Sea During both world wars, fierce naval battles took place in the North Sea, and many ships sank. The wrecks remain there today, leaking toxic chemicals that local flora and fauna absorb.

Spain proposes 23 new marine protected areas in the Canary Islands and Mediterranean The proposal represents Spain's latest effort to advance protection of 30% of its waters by 2030.

Adding iron to the ocean can remove CO2 - but at what cost to nature? Adding iron to the ocean can cause plankton to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. However, the effect depends on where in the world the method is used, and it can have far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems and food chains.

Marine protected areas fail to safeguard most sharks and rays Marine protected areas around the world cover less than 10% of the ranges of most species of sharks and rays, with significant shortfalls for threatened and critically endangered species.

Can Florida's 'coastal corridor' project safeguard wildlife and boost economy? From disappearing manatees to bleached coral reefs, gender-changing turtles and oyster beds destroyed by hurricanes, no other state's marine life faces the magnitude of climate-related challenges that Florida's does.

How social media and parrotfish poo are protecting the Maldives A grassroots social media campaign in the Maldives raised awareness about the importance of parrotfish, building public support and making the Maldives one of the first countries to enact national parrotfish protection based largely on community advocacy.

The world's most powerful clickbait? Male sperm whales produce the loudest communication sounds ever measured in any mammal. These clicks that the whales emit in a slow rhythm can potentially be heard up to 70 km away.

Sperm whales change vowel sounds when boats are nearby Researchers listening off the Caribbean island of Dominica found variations in the mammals' audible clicks when marine traffic was close.

How a Whale's Dive shapes Its Song Biologists connect humpback whale song structure to diving behaviour for the first time, a breakthrough that could allow researchers to infer whale behavior from acoustic recordings and better monitor the effects of human activity in the ocean.

Family ties shape social lives of bull sharks Bull sharks prefer to spend time with their relatives. So say scientists at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve in Fiji, where adult bull sharks regularly gather.

New shrimpgoby species named for the Sunrise of Java From the coastal waters off Banyuwangi, East Java, its name pays tribute to both its fiery colouration and its birthplace.

Why Sharks Matter for a Healthy Ocean Sharks, big and small, help keep the ocean healthy. Their presence shapes food webs, supports biodiversity, and protects habitats. They help kelp forests thrive and act like sheepdogs in seagrass meadows.

5 Underrated Summer Dive Destination you will Love Discover 5 underrated summer dive destinations, from Iceland's Silfra Fissure to the Azores. Explore clear waters, unique marine life and the top cold and warm-water sites.

Five ways to save our ocean, according to leading conservationists Turn setbacks into opportunities. Support local efforts. Protect entire ecosystems - not just coral...

From Fiji to French Polynesia: Best Pacific Dive Adventures Rather than asking which destination is "best", think about the diving you want to remember after the trip. It might be the beauty of a reef, a close whale or shark encounter, the pull of a fast pass or a wartime wreck set against volcanic island landscapes.

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SCUBA News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. This means we are happy for you to reuse our material for both commercial and non-commercial use as long as you: credit the name of the author, link back to the SCUBA Travel website and say if you have made any changes. Most photos though, are copyright the photographer. Please get in touch for details.

Photo credits: Tim Nicholson, Jill Studholme, Kelly Wong Johnson, Pete McGee/CC BY-NC 4.0, DepositPhotos, divebooker.com

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CONTACTING THE EDITOR
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SCUBA News
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SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)

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