Travel

Bonaire - March or August
I remember when, not too many years ago, few people knew where Bonaire was located. Now it seems that everyone wants to go there. That is why we are running two trips there this year. I will be leading one departing on March 20th and returning on the 27th. That is when you are just about sick of winter and hoping to finally get warm again. Well, this would be a good start. Bonaire offers some of the easiest and best diving in the Caribbean and definitely the best beach diving. We will be staying at Lion’s Dive and have a package that includes 6 boat dives and unlimited beach diving. In addition, we have rented pickups with king cabs for every 4 people. Add to that breakfast, airfare, and condos, and you have a great trip. We have only reserved 12 spaces. Our August trip is our “family trip”. On this trip, kids can stay for free. But even if you don’t have kids, you can still come along. Only about half our travelers bring their children. If you are bringing your children, there are programs available so you can unload them and go diving. (I guess that is not very pc.) There is also quite a bit of swapping that goes on. (That is swapping baby-sitting services.) That allows you and your spouse to get a date night or two during you vacation. This trip does tend to get pretty full, so let us know as soon as possible.

Truk, Palau, & Yap
This is the trip of a lifetime. (Actually, I have several trips of a lifetime in my repertoire.) But this was my first one, and it is still my favorite. Between the Japanese shipwrecks of Truk, the stunning beauty of Palau, and the manta rays of Yap, there is something for everybody. We will visit Truk Lagoon first. We stay at the Blue Lagoon Hotel built on the site of a former Japanese air base. There are old bunkers on the water’s edge and there are a variety of other WWII sites to visit on the island as well as on some of the other islands in the Lagoon. Underwater, there are over 50 sunken Japanese vessels, from a submarine to an oil tanker that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is diving into history. Then it is on to Palau which I consider the prettiest place I have ever been, above or below the water. Dives like Blue Hole Corner and Jellyfish Lake will dazzle you. And the boat rides through the 200 Rock Islands that make up Palau are an e-ticket ride. (If you don’t know what an e-ticket ride is, you are too young to go.) After Palau, we will have an optional stop in Yap. Yap is known for its manta rays. Having a 12 foot manta ray hover 2 feet away from you while it is being cleaned, is a religious experience. When you watch a huge manta ray watch you, you really feel the connection. Finally, there is are some of us stopping in Hawaii for a few days on the way home, if you would like to join us. We can give you three options to choose from - April with Rich Mampe, July with me (Mike), or November with Jeff Smith. Each trip is slightly different so call us for a brochure. (We are working on the DVD).

Bahamas – Weekends in Paradise
We have two Bahamas trips planned in the coming months. Bob Miracle is going to lead one March 11 - 14 and Jeff Smith will lead one May 13 - 16. We will leave on Friday and return on Monday. That will give you two days of diving with as many as ten dives available (if you want to spend the whole weekend underwater.) You can even do your certification dives on these trips if you are just getting certified. As the trips draw closer, we will look at the possibility of both Advanced and Nitrox courses during the trip as well. These trips have been running about $895. We are not holding any space on these weekends but make the reservations as people sign up. Sign up early and get the best price.

North Carolina
We will return again to North Carolina in July this year. We have chartered Olympus Dive Center’s boat for the weekend of July 8 - 10. We have the whole boat available for Saturday and Sunday and half the boat available for Friday. It is even possible to dive on Thursday as well. We will be staying at the Best Western, (not in the dorm-like dive lodge) which is close to the dive boat. At that time of year the Gulf Stream has started to mover closer to shore giving us warmer water and good visibility. It is early enough in the season to lessen the chance of big storms messing with our trip. The cost of the trip is $425 including two days of diving and two night at the Hampton Inn. Add Friday for an additional $175.

Great White Sharks
If you really need an adrenaline rush, there is nothing like an 18-foot Great White Shark three feet away and swimming towards you. It will make you thank Andrew Carnegie (He was a steel magnet.) You will be in cages and glad about it. We will be diving in the Guadalupe Islands off San Diego aboard the MV Searcher. We are holding only 5 more spaces and when they are gone, you are out of luck. This is the time of year you want to be there if you want to see Great Whites. The cost of this trip is $2995 plus airfare. (I just paid $180 round-trip.) Be one of the few people in the world who have ever experienced being in the water with these incredible creatures. Call us now.

Coming up
If you like to plan a little further ahead, here are our plans. We are looking at returning to the Sea of Cortez in September, 2005. Great place to dive with the sea lions and a couple of manta rays. Of course, we will return to Cozumel again in October for our annual jaunt and we are in the planning stages for a trip to Roatan next Thanksgiving. We will stay at the Bay Island Beach Resort. This is a lovely resort with a great dive operation. Locally (somewhat), we are looking at a return trip to Tobermory on Lake Huron as well as the Saint Lawrence Seaway and possibly Lake George. Pencil these into your calendar and we will fill in the details in the near future.

Travel Notes
It is important to remember that all prices are based on double occupancy and on current airfares. Unfortunately airfares can change up until we actually purchase the tickets. (Then, after that, of course, the airlines charge a penalty for any changes, if they allow changes at all). This is usually not a problem, but it can happen. Remember that on most trips you can supply your own airfare. Many people today think that they can find cheaper airfares on the web. That works fine for us, however, if you fail to get the air, you may still be responsible for the ground package that we purchases for you. This is especially true with live aboards. Also please note that if you are signing up alone, we will try to line up a roommate for you, however, if we cannot there will be an additional charge for a single supplement. Again, this is not something under our control and we must pass this charge along. We also recommend trip cancellation insurance. If you do need to cancel the trip, there may be penalties that are not under our control.

Courses

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Advanced Diver Course
The Advanced Courses are a great way to make a competent diver into a confident diver. We will be offering them over the winter months during most of our trips and will start them again here in May. click here for dates

SPECIALITY COURSES

Winter is a great time to do some of the Specialty Courses that we run. It keeps you thinking about diving and in many cases gets you back into the pool during a cold dry winter. And when Spring arrives, you will be ready to put your new skills to use. Look below at some of the choices we have for you. There are also details on these courses on our website.

First Aid / CPR -- November 22
Not just for diving. If it has been a long time (or never) since you took a first aid/cpr course, you have no excuse. We make it easy for you. It also allows you to get it out of the way so whenfinished up if you take our Rescue Course in August. Size of the class is limited so sign up now.

Equipment Specialist -- November 23
What makes your equipment tick? Or maybe a better question is what is that ticking sound my equipment is making. Take the Equipment Specialist Course and you will be the expert. Okay, maybe not an expert, but you will be able to diagnose the problem and determine whether it is something that you can repair in the field or if it has to come back to us. This is a fun course and it can be very helpful the next rime you make the mistake of traveling without us.

Nitrox -- November 29
Another way to get some learnin’ done over that winter months is to take our Nitrox Course. Two nights at the shop are all you need to make you a Nitrox Diver. If you are not familiar with Nitrox, it is a great way to improve the safety of your dives, allowing more bottom time and a greater margin of safety. If you plan on doing a live-aboard or just doing multiple dives on consecutive days, this could be for you. And it is only $75 plus books. If you check around, you will see that is half the price most places charge.

Underwater Photography -- February 9
The world of u/w photography is really changing. The Nikonos is no longer made and digital cameras are rapidly taking hold. Of course, many of the techniques are still apply and that is one of the things that we will be covering in this 5 night course. Our goal is to make you a better u/w photographer. We want you to be able to impress your friends and your mother (so she stops bugging you about doing dangerous things). We will discuss the changing equipment as well as the nitty-gritty of composing and producing a good photograph. It is a good way to hone your skills and to get back in the water during the winter. It also makes a great gift for your dive buddy.

Rebreather Course -- February 23
Take the opportunity to try this intriguing technoloogy that will allow you up to 3 1/2 hours of diving on a 40 cubic foot tank. That is the equivalant of two sets of double 95’s. And it is really fascinating. It is amazing how we have become accustomed to the sounds and feeling of air being fed to us. With a rebreather, we are breathing warm, moist air with almost no sound. Check it out. Two nights, two days diving.

Divemaster Course -- March 9
For those of you who want to become diving leaders, this is the course that you need to take. As a Divemaster you will be able to run dives for certified divers or assist an instructor with courses. You may be helping with courses now, but there is a huge difference between helpers and assistants. As a Divemaster, you are a true assistant. Call me for details.

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