Joyce Huber - Best Dives of Hawaii

As the dive population grows, so does the diversity of vacation and destination choices. Yet, deciding which tropical picture to put yourself in can become a tough job.

Travel and dive magazines dazzle us with glorious color photos taken on the best reefs and under the best weather and sea conditions. TV commercials promise sunny skies and smiling islanders waiting with luscious, frosty drinks. And, through the magic of technology, we see fish dancing and singing beneath cruise ships. Let's face it, they all look good. Of course, if you're in a northern climate during February the fish look even friendlier, and you don't care if they can't really dance, you just want to get there. But, where?

Helping you decide where to go and what to see is what Best Dives of the Western Hemisphere is intended to do. We've included a wider variety of resorts, inns and even a few campgrounds. The Resource and Travel Tip chapter covers the certification agencies, top dive-travel tour companies, dive-travel insurance plans and tidbits that are good to consider before traveling.

And, we have the lowdown on vacation surprises... what they say and what they don't say: "The dive site is just off the beach" [if you don't mind swimming two miles over a reef shallow enough to shred your skin]; "Good for beginning divers" [on the third Wednesday of the first month with two full moons]; "Luxury resort special for a fraction of the normal rate" [per-person, sharing the room with three strangers plus a hefty room tax and resort levy]; "money-saving dive package" [unless it rains every day, then we keep your money and offer you a rain check for the next time you travel thousands of miles and spend the money to get here]. If you've taken a few dive vacations, you probably have some "vacation surprise" stories too.

Our favorite was our third weathered-out trip to the Florida Keys many years ago. The tourist board posted signs that read "Always good weather in the Keys," and in the pictures they sent us there always was. We happened to arrive during a tropical depression. Black clouds rolled across the horizon. High winds bent the palms low enough to beat the sand. Furious winds churned the normally flat bays into a froth of whitecaps. And everyone there looked us in the eye and said, "You should have been here last week." So we made it a point to find out when "last week" happens. Be sure to note the "best time to go" in each chapter.

Have a great trip, and when you get home let us know the highs and lows of your vacation. We'll pick some to run in our next edition. Write to us care of the publisher's address listed on the copyright page or e-mail us at jonhuber@worldnet.att.net or bestdives@juno.com.