Millions of people organise their single trip travel insurance and flock to the sun each year to take a break from the stress and strain of every day life. Whilst many people are more than content to relax on glorious beaches and take a dip in the warm waters of the sea, others delve further into the underwater paradise that scuba diving uncovers. Scuba diving has grown in popularity in recent years. It is no longer the preserve of police divers, the rich and the privileged. The activity is now open to those from all walks of life who want to discover more about life under the ocean's surface. Scuba diving opens up a whole new world full of stunning marine life and beautiful coral reefs. However, diving does carry with it some inherent risks. Beginners need to be correctly trained, supervised and must exercise sensible precautions in order to minimise these risks and enjoy diving safely.

Firstly, it is absolutely essential that you begin diving with a reputable diving school or instructor. You should make sure that whoever you dive with is accredited by one of the main scuba diving organisations. This will ensure that you have a safe dive that is memorable for all the right reasons. Most dive sites will insist that you have an appropriate qualification before you dive. You can have a beginners introduction to scuba diving that only takes a day, or complete an entire beginners course whilst you are away.

Although there are a few from which to choose, PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the most popular and is recognised across the world in close to 6000 locations. Taking a course with an accredited instructor will ensure that you know how to protect yourself under the water and dive with safety in mind. In addition to ensuring that your single trip travel insurance provides diving cover, the policy is likely to require that you dive with an accredited instructor unless you are certified to a specified level.

Before you leave the country, you should also check with your doctor to ensure you are fit for scuba diving, particularly if you have any long standing health conditions that may affect your circulatory or respiratory system. This will help to minimise the risks and will also determine whether there are any additional precautions you need to take when diving. Some single trip travel insurance may also require that you confirm your fitness to dive, in providing you with diving cover.

You should also ensure that as a beginner you first dive into shallow, still and safe waters. Many of the top diving destinations are not suitable for beginners and will pose a major risk to the inexperienced. Many areas of the Red Sea offer fantastic diving destinations for beginners. The region has warm waters, helping you to feel comfortable under the sea and there are plenty of shallow reefs for you to begin with. In addition to this, visibility is good and there is an abundance of interesting marine life making your trip underwater a fascinating experience. There are many diving schools along the coast of the Red Sea, however most are situated in the popular tourist resort of Sharm el Sheikh, a destination easily reached from locations throughout Europe.

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is a divers paradise. It is the best known Coral Reef in the world and offers some extraordinary sights. Although many associate this reef with experienced divers there is something available for everyone, including beginners. The diversity of marine life in the Great Barrier Reef is fascinating and there are some shallow waters for beginners to test their skills. Although Australia is a long trip for a beginner's diving holiday, it is certainly worth incorporating diving into a once in a lifetime trip down under.

The Maldives are another much loved diving location. They are also an excellent option for beginners. The area has plenty of shallow lagoons that are ideal for the inexperienced. The Maldives are known for their high standard of tuition and reputable dive centres. Most resorts on the islands have a diving school meaning you will never have to travel far to find one. However, make sure you find a scuba diving site that is ideal for beginners as some are better suited to experienced divers. In some cases, single trip travel insurance may only insure beginners for a maximum depth of diving. You need to ensure that you do not break this limit.

As your diving skills develop, you may decide to progress through various stages of PADI certification, which may ultimately culminate in you becoming a certified PADI instructor yourself. The organisation also offers a range of specialist courses designed for specific diving scenarios including wreck diving, many of which require specialist skills and may, again, require special provisions on your single trip travel insurance.