Experience underwater wonders in luxury

Many of us are old enough to remember the white knuckle, underwater exploits of Lloyd Bridges as he fought off bad-guy frogmen in the seminal B/W TV series, Sea Hunt.

But now, a half century later, scuba diving is an industry. Not just for superhuman salvage divers and fearless mine clearance specialists, it's a solid ingredient in many luxury travel offerings the world over.

Tufi Resort, PNG

With the latest technology equipment providing a safer-than-ever opportunity for novices and first-timers to enjoy the wonders of the underwater world, PADI (the peak recreational dive certification organisation) now issues in the order of one million new certifications annually.*

Australia and the Asia-Pacific region are over represented in statistics, with more than one quarter of global certifications from our region alone. Many of these new divers are a result of programs offered at 5-star resorts and luxury hotels, especially in the key aquatic territories like French Polynesia and the vast South Pacific.

We go in search of the ultimate in premium dive experiences where you can cavort with wonderful sea creatures during the day and relax at five (and six) star resorts by night.

* Source: PADI.com. Median age for men is 30 and 27 for women.