If your idea of an ideal vacation involves diving into the deep blue sea, there’s finally a service that can help you book that dream trip. Meet Planet Deepblu, a new booking platform for divers that calls itself “the Airbnb for diving.”
It’s the latest offering from James Tsuei’s startup Deepblu — as the entrepreneur told TechCrunch, after Tsuei experienced firsthand the inconvenience associated with booking a dive in Indonesia, he decided he needed to create a more efficient process.
Since 2015, Tsuei has been working to make diving something that more people can explore. The company was initially founded to provide diving resources, like a Bluetooth-enabled dive computer and a system that allows users to share their dive logs. This system now boasts more than 40,000 members, and some 300,000 dive logs have been recorded using Deeblu’s wearable dive computers.
But now, rather than catering to an audience that is already familiar with diving, Deepblu is looking to bring potential novices into the fold. Using Planet Deepblu, folks interested in diving can communicate with dive operators directly, rather than going through a third party or a travel agent. This means that they can not only save time on booking a trip, but also up to 25 percent of the cost. And by making diving more accessible — both from a time and money perspective — Tsuei hopes to show that it is a hobby more people can afford to take up.
“It’s like golfing,” says Tsuei. “There’s a higher barrier to entry because it takes time and money, but it also becomes part of your lifestyle.”
Using Planet Deepblu is quite straightforward. Indeed, the interface closely resembles that of Airbnb’s, and you can either enter a destination to look for diving excursions in particular parts of the world, or simply check out featured diving experiences. Experiences range from a snorkeling trip to advanced open water options, and Planet Deepblu also offers listings from dive shops, diving resorts, and more. You can also find accommodations from the platform.
Moving forward, Planet Deepblu says that it wants to create a sort of “LinkedIn for Divers,” which should help freelance professional divers reach more potential clients. So if you’re looking for a watery adventure, Planet Deepblu may just be a+ one-stop shop for your next vacation.
