Underwater World Newsletter

November, 2002

Travel

Los Roques -- February 15 - 22
Lush reefs, huge schools of pelagics, several species endemic only to Los Roques. This is good stuff. Add to that the usual amenities aboard a Peter Hughes liveaboard and you have one great trip. Los Roques is located off the coast of Venezuela. It’s 300 islands are visited by only one livaboard, the Anteres Dancer. With 12 divers on about 40 trips annually, you can see that this is an area that has very little pressure from humans. The result is that you will see creatures that exist no where else in the Caribbean. The trip is only $2395 and includes airfare, the boat, your diving, all meals and drinks. It is deal you can’t beat for this kind of liveaboard diving. Time is short. Make your reservation now.

Weekend in the Bahamas -- February 21- 24
f you desperately need to get away, here is the perfect chance. Four days in Nassau. Two days of diving with Stuart Cove. Bob Miracle to entertain you along the way. And it is only $850. Apple has dropped its Bahamas charters from Philadelphia, so we will be using scheduled air. The trips include air, hotel, diving, and transfers. Bob is planning on running an Advanced Course so you can up your certification level and get some great diving in at the same time. You also have the option of doing additional dives including a night dive, shark dive, or wall-flying with scooters.

St. Vincent -- April 12 - 19
Every so often someone tells us about a destination that we haven’t tried yet. That is the case with St. Vincent. Stories of sea horses, frog fish, waterfalls and rainforests remind me of Dominica. We are really looking forward to exploring St. Vincent. You should join us. The trip is $1650. We are only planning on bringing 12 people so sign up soon.

Sea of Cortez -- July 12 - 19
I love the Sea of Cortez !! There is nowhere you can go and interact with the Sea Lions like the Sea of Cortez. They are the friendliest, most curious sea lions that I have ever encountered. It is one of the ten best dives you will ever make. And I’ll throw in a dive with the manta rays as well. When we were there last year, we dove a new site where several mantas rays hang around most of the day. It is a great dive as well. We are looking for about 8 to 10 people to join us on this adventure. It is coming up soon, so you have to act quickly. The trip should cost about $1750 but we keep trying for some better airfare prices. Let us know right away if you can join us.

Bonaire - August 16 - 23
It is family month in Bonaire and we are heading back. We will be staying at Lion’s Dive again this year. It is right on the beach with good diving right off the dock. To get your heart racing, try a night dive right there. A couple of big tarpon will trail along behind you while you are diving. The flash of silver as your light hits them will get your attention. We stay in condos with a full living room, dining room and kitchen. It is a great way to do a trip. Diving includes 6 boat dives and unlimited beach diving. Kids 12 and under can stay free in your condo with 4 paying people. Call and ask me for details. The trip includes air, condos, diving, and rental cars. We already have 10 spots sold. Don’t delay in making your reservation. The price of the trip is $1395. This is the same price we charged 3 years ago and without the car.

Cozumel -- October 11 - 18
Our infamous Cozumel trip is scheduled again for October, 2003. We will once again be staying at the Reef Club with all meals, drinks, accommodations, and 5 days of diving included. Airfare will be included as well. We are not able to get airfares for about another 45 days. At that point we will have a firm price for you. (See Travel Notes below.) But put it on your schedule now and let us know if you are interested and we will notify you when we get a firm airfare.

Dive with the Whales -- August, 2004
Some of the best diving that I have ever done is in Papau New Guinea. And, of course, Al will vouch for the great diving in Northern PNG. Now add on top of that, diving with minke whales off Australia and you have one fabulous trip. And the countries we are traveling in as about as safe as we could hope for. We are also planning a little touring while in Australia. Here is how it works. Arriving in Australia, we pick up Mike Ball’s Supersport and head out into the Coral Sea. Traveling along Great Barrier Reef, we should run into the migrating minke whales. After two days at sea, we wind up at the Cod Hole where you will have the opportunity to hand feed giant 300-pound potato cod. It is a blast. We will then sail over to Lizard Island and catch a flight to Cairns. After spending two days touring that area we head to PNG where we will pick up the Paradise Sport. This is the finest liveaboard that I have ever been on. A week of diving here will knock your socks off. Follow this with a little more touring in Australia and a flight back home. There are only 22 spaces on the boat , so talk to me.

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, of course, the airlines charge a penalty for any changes, if they allow changes). 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, and that works fine for us. (See the following article). 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.

Diving And The Web
I was recently reviewing some sales statistics compiled from several sources. We found some interesting facts. Many people believe that they can find cheaper airfares on the web. Studies show something different. For instance, Topaz International did a study from January to June, 2002. It studied over 19,000 itineraries on various internet sites including Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, and the airline sites. They found that the average travel agency booked fare was $116 lower than the average internet fare. That’s not what the internet companies want you to believe, is it? Topaz is an auditing firm so is not prejudiced one way or the other.
In a different vein, I recently had a customer tell me that he could get a Scubapro regulator off the web cheaper than we were selling it for. We explained to him that the regulator he was purchasing did not come from an authorized dealer and did not come with a Scubapro warranty. Although he was told it came with a warranty, a little further research showed it was not the manufacturer’s warranty. It came with a warranty by the on-line company. Instead of a limited lifetime warranty, you get a 14-day satisfaction warranty which reads in part "Equipment must be returned in brand-new condition, with no wear at all (if it is used even once, we can’t take it back.)" So you can’t try it before you decide if you want to keep it. It further states that returned items "must be in original factory condition, including all packaging materials, inserts, and manuals, warranty cards (not filled-out) and all accessories with a shipping carton. Do not write anything on the item or box. We will charge for replacement of damaged, altered, missing, written on, or taped contents. We reserve the right to refuse and such returns. Equipment that has been assembled will incur a $25 disassembly fee. " Are these the people you want to buy your life-support equipment from? It is a little different if you buy from Underwater World. If you are not happy with it, we will take care of you. And you will have a manufacturer’s warranty. This will save you real money when you have your equipment overhauled. For instance, a warranted Scubapro computer has a lifetime battery replacement policy. If it is not covered, it can cost you big time. We just got back a computer the cost us $88 for the battery replacement. Then we had to add on our charge. These are the deals that the web has to offer. We do an outstanding business with thousands of customers who have figured this out. You don’t want to spend too much money on something, but if saving a few bucks today cost you more in the long run, then you haven’t saved anything. If it sounds too good to be true........

Courses

Advanced Openwater
It has gotten a little too chilly to continue our Advanced Courses at Dutch for the time being. However, if you would like to complete the Advanced Course before we start them up again in the Spring, consider signing up for one of our trips. On most trips, we can do your Advanced Course during the trip. I actually enjoy doing it that way as we can get some real boat diving and some real beach diving in as part of the course.

Dive Rescue
Another course that we will holding come Spring is the Rescue Course. Remember as a prerequisite to the Rescue Certification, you will need First Aid / CPR (as well as O2 Provider, for Advanced Certification). You can take these courses over the winter months and be ready to take the Rescue Course in June.

Master Diver
This is the premier course for diving knowledge. With 6 - 7 class sessions and 5 days of diving, you will complete this course and feel really knowledgeable about diving. We will even take a trip to the recompression chamber at the University of Pennsylvania. The cost of this course is $250 and is one of the courses that you need on your way to becoming a Divemaster (or as an end in itself). This too will start again in June.

SPECIALITY COURSES

First Aid / CPR
Not just because it is a prerequisite for Dive Rescue certification, this course should be taken by everyone, whether a diver or not. It is two nights long and may save the life of a loved one someday. You never want to be in a position where you wish you had taken it . Sign up now. Only $75.00. Starts January 21st.

Equipment Specialist
This is a great course to take over the winter when you can’t drag your sorry butt out there to dive in that cold water. (Of course, if you took our dry suit course below....). This course is three nights long and will teach you how to make field repairs to some of your equipment. You will have a better idea how things work and will feel more comfortable with you equipment. The cost is only $95.00. Starts January 14th.

Dry Suit
This is a great way to extend your diving season or just make yourself more comfortable any time of year. We will spend a night in the classroom, a night in the pool, and then go diving. the cost of the course is $125.00 and we will credit that towards the purchase of a drysuit if you purchase one within 60 days. That makes it a free course. We will be starting the next one on December 3rd.

Nitrox
Looking for more bottom time. Nitrox will change the way you look at no decompression limits. You will find that in some cases you can double those limits. Many people believe that nitrox is used for deep diving, but the truth is that it is used to extend diving at tbe depts that we normally dive, 70 -120 feet. We run the course about every 6 weeks. Check our web site or give us a call for starting dates. $75.00.

Underwater Photography
Share the excitement. Take great pictures to decorate your home or office or show your friends. We will be looking at digital photography as well as film photography. And we can also offer you the opportunity to dive with the sharks at the New Jersey State Aquarium. Call for details. Course starts February 17. Only $125.00

Buddy Teams

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