About Us
Everything you need to know before booking a dive trip — honest season guides, wetsuit advice, price tips, and real insights from people who actually dive.
The Person Behind Blue Rides
Hi, I'm Erol Buchholz.
Blue Rides wasn't created because I wanted to build another travel booking website.
It started after a dive trip that didn't go as planned. We had booked through a large travel platform, and when things went wrong, we found ourselves stranded with no real support. At the exact moment we needed help most, there was no one there.
On the flight home, I couldn't stop thinking about it.
There had to be a better way.
As both a passionate diver and a lifelong entrepreneur, I knew a great dive travel platform should be much more than a place to book a trip. It should help you make the right choice, provide honest information, and be there for you before, during, and after your adventure.
That's why I created Blue Rides — by divers, for divers.
Here you'll find more than just liveaboards. We've built detailed destination guides, seasonal wildlife calendars, marine life information, and practical insights that I wish I'd had on my own trips. Everything is designed to help you spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying unforgettable experiences beneath the surface.
I spend a large part of the year traveling and diving on liveaboards around the world. If our paths cross somewhere along the way, please come and say hello. I almost always carry a small gift for fellow divers — just a little thank-you for being part of this amazing community.
I hope we'll meet somewhere out there, above or below the surface.
Erol Buchholz, Founder of bluerides.com
We set out to build the website we always wished existed — a place with all the information you actually need before booking a dive trip. From wetsuit thickness guides and real season breakdowns to honest price advice, we want you to get the absolute best experience for your money.
If it is not the right season for a destination, we tell you straight up. No sugarcoating, no hidden surprises. Our goal is simple: help every diver have the best possible trip.
Along the way, we are creating thousands of free guides answering the most important questions about diving, dive regions, countries, liveaboards, and cruise trips in general. Everything here is made by people who actually dive, because we believe that makes all the difference.