Planning a dive trip for 2008?
February 28, 2008 by mj · Leave a Comment
I have just posted two dive trips planned for 2008 by Adventure Sports in Kansas City. For details please look at the links below. These are within this site.
http://www.jepsnet.com/adventure-sports/saba-oct-11th-18th/
-MJ
PRAIRIE DIVER CLUB
February 26, 2008 by Shannon · Leave a Comment
The Prairie Diver Club was originally formed by a group of divers from Kansas City during a fabulous trip to the Bahamas in November, 2002. The number of dives during that trip were many, and the boat captain made reference to this fact. It was at that point one member of the Kansas City divers remarked, ‘yeah… not bad for a bunch of prairie divers’. The ‘Prairie Divers’ name seemed to be the perfect fit for the group. It was quickly adopted, and has been used ever since. A photo of the original members can be seen below.
A twist of fate brought the rest of the group together, as a terrible car wreck brought about an introduction between patient and caregiver. Who knew the patient and the rest of their family were serious divers?!? How convenient!! Since that time the divers have shared many wonderful dive vacations together. Dive destinations with the Prairie Divers include the Bahamas, Exumas, Mexico, Hawaii, Bonaire, and Turks and Caicos. Dominica looks to be in our near future! There are so many more places on the agenda to visit! Additional members can also be seen in a photo below.
The group is quite a variable bunch. It includes everyone from scuba instructors, to teachers, to Coast Guard Officers, to COO’s. Also, as honorable mention, our Prairie Diver friends, Jim and Linda, have gone on to become active members of Lee’s Summit Underwater Rescue. This is a volunteer dive team that donates their time to train for underwater recovery, swift water rescues in times of flood, and for serving as safety divers at planned water sporting events. A big pat on the back for them, as they support our Kansas City area.
Oh… and we can’t forget one of the most important members of our group, our mascot. As seen below, our mascot is a cute little prairie dog we’ve named ‘Presley’. He was named after the boat captain from Paradise Divers from the Bahamas trip mentioned above. Presley was a great guide, a great guy, and kept us safe in the water. We thought it appropriate to name our little prairie dog representative after him.
Other important Prairie Diver Club facts:
The Mission:
To boldly go where no Prairie Dog has been before…
in the pursuit of good friends, good times, safe diving,
and living the life that only dreams are made of..
The Group Song:
“Who Let the Dogs Out” – by the Baha Men
Motto:
If you can’t dive with the Big Dogs, you better stay on the boat!!
PRAIRE DIVER CREED:
A Prairie Diver I am, and will always be,
Those Scuba friends (another group) will not get a hold of me!
I’ll be a good diver, a good buddy, and a good friend.
If there’s a diver in need, a helping hand I’ll lend.
May the gorgeous sunrise start my days,
May the beautiful sunsets never fade away.
May the world be seen in the company of good friends,
May the underwater creatures be captured only by my lens.
May our dive days be many, our maladies be few,
May good times and good fortune be bestowed upon our crew.
I’ll foster good friendships and good divers; I’ll protect the big blue.
I’ll cherish each and every dive day, and to the Prairie Divers be true.
--S. Brenner
Well, that’s the history on our Prairie Divers. The current plan is to take as many more dive trips as is humanly possible! We will keep the website updated with any further news updates on our divers or our dive trips as the information becomes available. Hope you enjoy the read, and safe diving!!
Prairie Diver Charter Members: Back Row: Jim, Linda, Sherry Front Row: Fran, John, Shannon
Back Row From Left to Right: Mike, Sherri, Allyson, Vic, Crystal, Sherry and Shannon David on the front row.
Our Mascot: Presley the Prairie Dog
Scuba Diving in the Cayman Islands
February 13, 2008 by mj · Leave a Comment
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lilah_Tusko]Lilah Tusko
If there's one place that knows scuba diving, it is the Cayman Islands. Known as the birthplace of recreational diving in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands were pioneers in scuba diving as a recreational sport to be enjoyed by the general public in the Caribbean and the rest of the world as well. In 1957, the first dive shop was opened on Grand Cayman. Today, there are more than 40 dive shops in operation offering excursions to more than 200 dive sites.
It is made up of three islands that are actually the exposed top of an underwater mountain. The islands are the Grand Cayman, the Cayman Brac, and the Little Cayman. The mountainous nature of the islands contributes to numerous coral structures and vertical walls directly offshore. In fact, most scuba diving locations here can be reached directly offshore or within a few hundred yards of shore.
Scuba diving in the Cayman Islands is as diverse as the marine life that adds awe and beauty to this great place. There is plenty to see and do for every level of diver no matter if you are a first timer, still learning, looking to improve, or are considered a master. You can dive in as little as 20 feet or plunge to the depths of 350 feet or more. The bottom line is that you can find any type of scuba diving experience that you desire and maybe even a few that you haven't thought of yet.
Here is a brief overview of the three islands and of the scuba diving to be found on each:
Grand Cayman - It is the largest of the 3 islands and offers for main areas for scuba diving: the North Wall, the South Side, the East End, and Seven-Mile Beach. Prevailing Southeasterly winds make scuba diving off of the South Side a rarity but the experience is well worth waiting for favorable conditions.
Little Cayman - It is a sister to the Cayman Brac. It is most famous for the Bloody Bay Wall located in the Bloody Bay Marine Park which starts at a depth of only 20 feet. The best scuba diving on the Little Cayman can be found on the north and south sides but all sites are not accessible year round. Another great attraction of this area is the Jackson Bay Area.
Cayman Brac - It is most famous for being home to the only Russian Shipwreck that can be reached by scuba diving in the Caribbean. It rests at a depth of 330 feet and is an amazing sight to behold.
In addition to sheer vertical drops and shipwrecks, scuba diving in the Cayman Islands will bring you into intimate contact with numerous coral reefs and colorful fish and marine life that you have only imagined existed.
To obtain your 2 FREE Gifts: Special Report "Insider's Guide to Scuba Diving Gear" and Special Report "Top 10 Ways to Make Money while Scuba Diving", go to http://www.thatdivesite.com and sign up for the FREE Gifts. To visit the website, go to http://www.scubadivingsolutions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lilah_Tusko http://EzineArticles.com/?Scuba-Diving-in-the-Cayman-Islands&id=900191
Bonaire 2005, 2006
February 12, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Bonaire has thus far been one of our favorite dive destinations. We actually visited 3 times within a year and a half with a variety of dive buddies because we enjoy it so much. There’s something to be said for returning to places you are familiar and comfortable with. The people are friendly. The system for accessing your tanks for shore diving is very user friendly. It’s also an island that’s very easy to get around. Rent a truck at the airport, and off you go.
The accommodations have been very nice at both facilities we’ve experienced, although the last time we stayed at Plaza Resort, the grounds keeping and rooms appeared to have gone downhill a bit. Rumor had it the place was up for sale, and it appeared they weren’t putting much money into the upkeep. This was disappointing because our first trip to Bonaire, the grounds were BEAUTIFUL, and well kept. Things may have turned around with new owners, but we have not heard anything differently as of yet.
To date, we’ve gone diving with ‘Buddy Dive’ and ‘Toucan Divers’ dive shops. Both Dive Shops were very accommodating as far as staff goes. Toucan Divers had a ‘one-up’, however, as their dive boats are stored in a protected area. You’re able to load your things and get your gear ready prior to leaving the dock in calm waters. The Buddy Dive boats were on a dock adjacent to open ocean, which was a nice view, but the boat is constantly slamming into the dock as you’re trying to board with your heavy gear. You also have to get your stuff ready on the way to, or at the dive site, because you just need to sit down and hang on as the boat bangs away after loading. Another reason I favor Toucan is one dive master in particular. His name is Jackson. He is ever enthusiastic about the sport despite doing it for years, and is always making a point to show divers the cool things, like frog fish, and the air pocket at the 99’ deep Hilma Hooker wreck. If those are the two choices, Toucan has always been my preference.
Bonaire’s marine creatures are plentiful. We started off our first dive with a beautiful floating eagle ray, and saw several more as the week progressed. There were also turtles on several dives. These will always be some of my favorites. Bonaire also has several dive sites where the seahorses tended to gather. These are definitely a creature you don’t see often, but I’ve seen them on every trip to Bonaire. There were also several chances to see the frog fish, which was a new one for me as I came into Bonaire. There were many more which deserve honorable mention, but too many to include them all here! Let’s just say the diving here gets a definite thumbs up!!
Bonaire is well known for its shore diving, and we have tried that several times. Although the freedom of the shore diving is wonderful, the entries at many sites are still quite challenging as they are often rocky and slippery. And watch your fingers because there are little eels everywhere! There are several sites we favor such as "Oil Slick" because you can enter via platform ladder. We also like "Angel City" because that site has never disappointed us. The old coral is a little bit of a tricky entrance, but it’s definitely worth it when you jump in and see all the squid that like to hang out here. I will always like the boat diving best because I like jumping right in to the water without the hazards of spraining an ankle on the way in (which happened to a friend of ours even before she made it to the water)! Also, if shore diving, make sure not to leave anything valuable in the car as we’ve heard of theft issues, but have never experienced them.
Our favorite restaurant is here in Bonaire as well – Casablanca’s. They have the best steaks, and great ambiance at their little establishment. The prices are decent for the food you receive. If you’re really hungry, get their meat platter. It’s a platter piled 6-8 inches high with steak, pork, sausage, etc, etc. It’s definitely something to be shared, and also nice for take home if you want to eat it for lunch the next day. Pasa Bon Pizza is another favorite. They make YUMMY pizza, and although I haven’t tried it yet, they were also famous for their lasagna. It’s so good, they were out of it by the time I got there that night! For cheaper quicker meals, there’s always the KFC and Subway. Our other meals were eaten at our resorts, and I thought all meals were exceptional. No complaints about the food here.
As far as the Nature Park goes…. Don’t cry if you have too much to do and aren’t able to make it out there. The last time we went there were so many deep pot holes, I don’t know how our trucks came out unscathed!! It was a several hour, incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable ride. The highlight was when the wild donkey stuck his nose in the truck to check us out. That was kind of fun! Also, the Flamingo Reserve is an okay drive, but the flamingos are often off at a good distance, not up close and personal. Take your binoculars. And watch out for the iguanas… they’re everywhere when driving. They also like to beg for food by scratching at the back door to your room! They’re fun to watch, but Bonaire might not be the place for you if you have an iguana phobia!! 
The only last bit of information is we strongly recommend you bring your DEET or OFF, as we’ve progressively noticed increased mosquitos with each visit. This, however, could have been due to going at varying times of the year. If you’re armed with your insect repellent, however, they are very tolerable, and won’t serve as a deterrent to spending evenings out and about.
All and all, we highly recommend the overall Bonaire experience. It’s a reasonably priced vacation, provides great food and experiences, and fantastic diving. It’s definitely on our list of places we look forward to returning to.
Honduras 2007
February 11, 2008 by Shannon · Leave a Comment
Utila Aggressor June 16-23, 2007:
by Shannon:
June 16th we arrived at the San Pedro Sula Airport in Honduras. It was a bit hectic and disconcerting! After picking up our luggage off the carousels, the local airport personnel immediately came up to us, picked up our bags and started escorting through the airport. They were a bit forward and in a hurry as they wanted their tips so they could get back to other people’s baggage. I couldn’t find my matching luggage tags immediately and they wouldn’t stop for just a second to allow me to gather my things. It was a bit nuts! Finally I found my tags. Then we had to make sure the way some new strangers were leading us was to our appropriate bus so we could head to our Aggressor. Finally after a couple of phone calls all was squared away and we were in a very comfortable air conditioned bus for the ride through Honduran countryside to make it to our departure area.
It took an hour longer than it was supposed to reach our ship as we got stuck in Honduran traffic as a wreck was blocking the road. We didn’t mind, though, as the ride gave us a chance to observe the countryside. It was very beautiful, although you could see from the housing accommodations it was a very poor nation. We all would have liked to spend some more time in the country to get the ‘lay of the land’, but the boat charter would keep us busy all week. Next time we will have to save extra days to explore some land destinations.
Finally, we arrived at the dock! Hooray! We were ushered onboard and introduced to the crew. Sasha, Jodie, and Nester were are all extremely friendly and accommodating from day one. They were so laid back and did a great job of attending to our needs. It was a very relaxing week. The Live Aboards have always been my favorite dive trips, as you get so much diving with so little work. And I love to be rocked to sleep by the boat every night! The weather that week was a little rough. We encountered rough waters and some current closer to Utila, but the Captain did a great job of rushing us over to Roatan where the reefs were spectacular. We saw eagle ray, blennies, HUGE groupers, eels, turtles, stingray, damsel fish, angels of all types, spotted drum, lobster, tunicates, squid, wrass, and so much more! We didn’t get to see the whale shark we were all hoping to get a glimpse of, but there’s always next year. The food wasn’t as exquisite as the other liveaboards I’ve experienced. It was basic, decent food (although there were a few of us who missed a dive or two because of G.I. problems mid week), but nothing like the more upscale meals served on the Turks & Caicos Aggressor or the AquaCat.
Oh, and the final night on the Aggressor, the owner of our boat water taxied us over to his Laguna Beach Resort for a free meal, and an introduction to his Resort. Our only frustration was that it was dark outside and difficult to see the grounds, but the set up looked great. The whale shark shaped pool was very cool. The food that evening was wonderful. It was a very quaint little place with 13 bungalows, a restaurant, and easy to access dive and fishing boats. It looked like a great place for a land based trip. The owner was very accommodating, and it looked like a very promising place to visit. For more information Google Laguna Beach Resort and see what you think for yourself. I just might have to try it one of these days.
Exiting Honduras the next day was much less pressured. We were a little perturbed that the exit tax however was not just $33 even… it was $33.19. Thing was they would accept American dollars, but not the change. They also gave no change unless it was Honduran currency, so basically you had to give them $34 in American to leave their country. Nice little way to make extra money for Honduras, eh? They have published that in the information they send you from the Aggressor now. I’m not sure if it was there and I missed it before, or they’ve begun adding it to the information. Either way…. Be sure to bring your $34 and your leftover Honduran money to pay the exit toll to get yourself home!
Despite the airport stress, overall I'd recommend the dive destination. I was pleased with the diving, the accommodations and the service. I will definitely keep Honduras in the back of my mind for future vacations, and will continue to pursue live aboards as one of my favorite diving destinations.
