3rd Annual Adventure Scuba Charity Golf Classic via @constantcontact

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/3rd-Annual-Adventure-Scuba-Charity-Golf-Classic.html?soid=1101191566312&aid=RJ9u2y3FV78

Diving On Tobago

I just got back from a wonderful 7 days diving off Tobago in the West Indies.  Tobago is a beautiful mountainous island located a few miles off the coast of Venezuela.  Interesting place indeed as the culture is a mix of Eastern Indian and African with a distinct British influence.  Trinidad/Tobago gained their independence from Britain in 1962 and an oil boom in the 70's made the islands among the richest in the Caribbean.  Trinidad is the source of the island's economy, but it is Tobago that attracts outdoor adventurists and scuba divers from all over the world.
Our stay at Blue Waters Inn was exceptional.  The view from the oceanfront rooms was stuff postcards are born from.  Perched between the mountain tops and Goat Island, our unobstructed view of the bay was spectacular.  Diving with Aquamarine Divers, we experienced dive sites such as Keleston Drain, Spiny Bay, Cathedrals,  Japanese Gardens (my favorite), BlackJack Hole, Batteaux Bay, the wreck of the Roundtable.  Critters such as seahorses, lobsters, LARGE green moray eels, flamingo tongue nudibranchs, lobsters, octopus and more were plentiful.  We even saw the world's largest brain coral formation, 60 ft across!Enjoy the pics, I will have some video up soon on YouTube on ScubaRasta's channel.  Cozumel and the Texas Clipper are coming in July.  If you want to join me, go to www.adventurescubaonline.com/scuba-travel.htm.
Cheers,
Richard

Diving On Cozumel

There is no easier Caribbean dive trip to take from DFW than Cozumel, Mexico.  It is only a 2 1/2 hour flight.  Leave at 8am, get there at 1030, at Hotel Cozumel by noon.  Drop your bags, head across the street and you are diving by 1 o'clock! 

Adventure Scuba and our merry band of divers did just that last weekend.  We stayed at Hotel Cozumel, where the buffets kept you fed, the bartenders kept you ....(well you know!) and when not at the bar, Dive Paradise kept you on the reefs.  Dive Paradise is one of THE best operators on the island.  With friendly, knowledgable dive staff, spacious clean boats and reefs to die for, you can't go wrong.  I have been diving with them for many years, and many of the same Divemasters are still on the boats. 

Sharks, rays, eels, octopus, parrot fish, sea horses, on and on are the local residents of such reefs as Tormentos, Punta Tunich, Santa Rosa Wall, Paradise Reef (voted best night dive) and many other such sites.  Join us on our next adventure there in July and another one in October.  Go to http://www.adventurescubaonline.com/ and sign up now....we always fill this trip.  All-inclusive prices range from $800 to $1000, depending on what time of year you go.  Price includes RT airfare from DFW, 3 nights at Hotel Cozumel (Fri-Mon), all the food you can eat, all the drinks you can drink, AND unlimited shore diving and 2 days' of 2 dives each day, plus all taxes and service fees.  Hard to beat!

Enjoy these pictures taken by Adventure Scuba Divemaster Laura Grim...for more pictures go to our photo gallery at http://www.adventuerscubaonline.com/.

Adaptive Scuba Diving

When I ask people why they want to learn to scuba dive, one of the most common answers is to experience what it's like to be weightless. Other than astronauts in space, divers are the only other group of people fortunate enough to experience weightlessness.  People less fortunate than most who are confined to wheelchairs are no different.  Scuba diving is a great activity which allows them to leave the confines of gravity in a wheelchair. Contrary to popular belief, scuba diving is available to everyone, including those with physical challenges. Adventure Scuba offers scuba training for anyone with the desire, even if you are confined to a wheelchair. We are North Texas' largest Handicapped Scuba Association Training Center. We certify folks with a wide variety of conditions, from wounded warriors missing limbs to paraplegics and even quadraplegics. We not only train adaptive divers, but we also train able bodied divers to become buddies for those with special conditions so they may actively dive after certification. Working with RISE Adventures, scuba programs are available all summer in the DFW area. As a RISE participant, the cost of the program is FREE, you don't have to pay a thing. Go to www.adventurescubaonline.com/training.htm or to www.riseadventures.org for more information.
Cheers,
Richard

 

Diving In Utila, Bay Islands of Honduras

Some time ago Adventure Scuba trekked off the the island of Utila in the Bay Islands of Honduras.  This tiny, remote island is mostly jungle full of mango trees, but there is some sliver of habitation called East Harbour, a fishing village of about 600 locals.  Utila is much different than mainland Honduras.  The people of Utila are extremely friendly and although they come from Spanish heritage, they speak English whereas the people from mainland Honduras speak Spanish.  There is absolutely no sign of the political turmoil that is mainland Honduras.  The diving is great with beautiful shallow reefs less than 15' to spectacular wall dives with sheer dropoffs to untold depths.  Such was CJ's Dropoff, my favorite dive of the trip.  You will see everything from schools of squid to seahorses to the awesome whale shark. Diving with Utila Dive Center was hassle free and the hospitality at Mango Inn is unmatched.  Juanita kept us swimming in food and drink between boat trips to the reefs!  You must try the local beers, Salva Vida, Port Royal and Imperial. And cheap too, we drank our weight in beer and my bar tab was less than $50 for the week!  I think I'm in love!!!  Enjoy the pics below and make time to take time for a trip to Utila.  Visit www.adventurescubaonline.com/travel, and we'll hook you up.....

Kickin' Off The Summer Bash

AdventureScubaOnline.com has partnered with RISE Adventures to help kick off their Kickin' Off The Summer Bash to promote their summer programs including scuba diving.  RISE Adventures is a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to providing recreational activities of all kinds to the physically challenged.  Their mission statement - "To help persons with physical challenges gain independence through a learning experience in adaptive outdoor adventures and sporting programs" is one that Paul Gray, Founder has a great passion for.  RISE participants experience these activities at no cost to them... otherwise, many physically challenged individuals would never experience activitites such as scuba diving! Please help him help others by making a donation or sponsorship to RISE Adventures.  For more information go to http://www.riseadventures.org/.

The Kickin' Off The Summer Bash event will be held at Meadowmere Park in Grapevine, Texas from 9:00am until 3:00pm.  Come out and participate in the following activities specifically for the physically challenged:  water skiing, jet skis, sailing, golf, fishing, camping, hand cycling, kayaking, quad rugby, sled hockey and much more.  The event is FREE for physically challenged individuals and their families. There will be hot dogs and burgers for everyone.  I'll see you there!    Next time Adventure Diver Log will take you to Utila in the Bay Islands of Honduras....
Cheers,
Richard

Adventure Log...Blackbeard's Bahamas Live-Aboard

Recently, Adventure Scuba ventured to the Bahamas aboard Pirate's Lady of Blackbeard's Cruises fleet.We dived remote reef systems throughout the Out Islands of the Bahamas...Grand Bahama, Berries, Andros, Cay Sal Banks and the Bimini Islands to name a few.  Dive, eat, sleep, dive, eat ,sleep,...what a glorious 7 days it was!  Divers experienced deep wall dives, sharks of many varieties at Bull Run, colorful reef systems that lie in as shallow as 15' all the way down to over 80'.  You don't have to be an advanced diver to dive these reefs, novice divers can enjoy these waters as well.  The western Bahamas were once a hideout for the most famous of pirates...now their crystal clear warm waters are the hideout for millions species of fish and corals.  On this trip, there was no set itinerary, we went where the conditions and weather were the best, promising a good time by all.

Join me and Adventure Scuba for your next exotic dive vacation.  Go to www.adventurescubaonline.com/travel to get the scoop on our dive vacation plans for 2010!  Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures from the reefs of the Bahamas shot by my good friend Rick Garrett...
Cheers,
Richard