Diving Operators

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	Scuba Travel (Tony Backhurst's Scuba)
The Scuba Centre, Smithbrook Kilns, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8JJ			MAP
tel: 01483 271765 or 0800 0728221

An organisation offering travel, equipment, courses and training. Runs and scuba centre in Surrey to help families start their training in the UK before going out to finish the course on one of the holidays. All staff are diving instructors familiar with the dive sites at the destinations offered. Specialise in Red Sea liveaboards.

Where

Red Sea, plus Malta, Maldives, Thailand, and Kenya.

Recommendations

The Red Sea because closest and easiest is where they see most families travelling to and the hotels offer facilities like Kids Clubs and for example air conditioning if it's very hot. For younger children suggests the Maldives, noting that the sun is very strong but the temperatures are gentler than, say, Malta in the height of summer. For a longer trip notes that Thailand is very child-friendly. Reports that does also offer live-aboard for families so that parents get to see their children all the time apart from the 35 minute when they are in the water. Reports that the guys on the Red Sea Liveaboard boats like children and it might be possible to set up childcare by the crew while the parents dive, or both parents alternative dives with dive time itself just 35 minutes. Reports that has even had babies on boats.
On land recommends Na'ama Bay hotels such as the Sonesta Beach (right in the centre) or Hyatt has a very good kids club and ‘not miles out of town'.

Sample Price

Red Sea liveaboard average price all inclusive for a week would be £750 per person. Children if they share a cabin with parents generally have free accommodation.
In resorts the average price per adult is reported as around £550 per adult, with often child reductions of around 50%.