Newsletter

2010

Hello fellow scuba divers!! As 2009 comes to a close I think back on the various locations around the world where we partnered with our scuba clients to ensure that a safe journey was had by all. Groups and singles traveled to Bali and Wakatobi, Sabah and Sipadan, and Palau and Yap. Some divers continued to Thailand for shore diving as well as an enduro motorcycle trip through mid to northern Thailand. If you are a biker as well as a diver this is a trip you would not want to miss. The diving is great, the culture is wonderful, and we have excellent contracts with the suppliers in these areas which translates into better pricing for you. Because of the distances to these locations we recommend that you plan 10-14 days for your dive vacation, and experience shore diving as well as the Liveaboards. We also supply the air lift to get you there.

Moving south and east our scuba clients also enjoyed shore diving along the southern side of Australia, as well as a Liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef. For those of you who wish to dive, dive, dive, this is the trip for you.

The islands of Maui and Hawaii were the two Hawaiian Islands that our divers travelled to. When not diving there are great beaches, many of which are not crowded and you may be the only people on the beach. So if you wish to dive and then mellow out on the beach Hawaii is your place to visit.

Our Galapagos trip was a great success and the divers loved what they saw above and below the water. The islands have lots of unique life, most of which are fearless because of the lack of predators. This is very interesting to see. Most of us have experienced thermoclines; but if you haven't you will when you dive in the Galapagos Islands. Visiting Machu Picchu is a must if you are in this area so plan for several extra days besides your diving.

Further north the diving in Central America is undoubtedly comparable to any in the world and the people are great.

Many of our divers went to the various islands in the Caribbean, mostly diving with dive centers who provided the daily boats as well as shore diving. The diving in the Caribbean is subjective, but most divers enjoy it. With the shorter air time to get there and the many different islands to see it is still a very popular place for our clients.

For those of you who do technical diving our divers have travelled to Florida and to Mexico for cave diving. The consensus is that the cave diving in Florida is superior and more challenging than the diving in Mexico which is like a walk in the park. One of our clients got his certification as a Cave Diving Instructor this year and will be instructing around the world. If anyone is interested in getting cave certified, contact us and we will give pass you his coordinates.

For many years we have considered ourselves privileged to have had the opportunity to provide our services to Freedom at Depth, Canada's premier scuba dive training organization for people with disabilities. Scuba diving is an exhilarating experience for everyone, and for people with disabilities it has an added benefit which is the sense of freedom and independence that you feel underwater.

Egypt is one of our yearly trips which people love, divers and non divers alike. Cruise down the Nile, and then cruise down the Red Sea on a Liveaboard. Or if you prefer shore diving we have some very good contracts with world class dive centers. Our divers who have gone there have dove in many places around the world, and some say that the Red Sea diving is some of the best in the world. Others have said that it is the best, and when you combine this with the pyramids and other sights and sounds it is truly a trip of a life time. The next trip is scheduled for April 2010 and we have a limited number of spaces still open on our Liveaboard. If anyone is interested please contact us early because these will fill up very quickly in the New Year. We are very fortunate to have the land itinerary of our Egypt adventure led by one of the most sought after tour leaders and Egyptologists in Egypt. Having travelled through out Egypt with him, we now use him exclusively for leading our trips, and we consider him one of our very good friends. It's amusing to be part of the group when he is explaining the monuments and temples, and watch how the people from the other groups gravitate towards us to listen to what he has to say.

Please consider us for any of your travel, diving or otherwise. Save diving in 2010 and we will get a news brief out in the early new year with our specials.

That's me below gearing up for a drift dive in the St. Lawrence - Hey!!! its still diving and it is an adventure. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

John Anderson

CEO

Scuba International Inc