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Hi fellow week-two divers - actually hi to all you divers!!!

 

This will be my second SD dive (first one being Best of Mexico) and my first liveaboard dive.  I'm a widower for the past 10 months but can now say that my grieving is just about over and, thanks to my guardian angel in heaven who is pointing my compass, my new life journey is beginning.

 

I live near Hilton Head, South Carolina having moved here from northern Virginia over three years ago.  I'm retired so have had plenty of opportunities to dive and happy to say did a bunch all over, but mostly in the Caribbean.  But again, this'll be my first liveaboard and am looking forward to fantastic diving and when not doing that, just hanging around wearing tee-shirts and swim trunks just about 24/7!

 

Looking forwards to seeing Kamala again and meeting you all!

Walt 

Hello all,  I'm Kathy aka little mermaid.    I have been on numerous trips with Kamala and SD and have loved everyone of them.  You might see the moniker on the "Happy Birthday" greetings, my little part to help continue the positive attitude of SD.   I love to dive and am practicing to be a mermaid in my next life   

 

My Christmas present to myself is a new underwater camera outfit so I can take some really awesome pictures.  Don't know if I will be celebrating any monumental milestones, but will have close to 700 logged dives. 

 

Started diving in 1982 and didn't start logging dives until about 2000 when it really became a requirement with the LDS.

 

Can't wait for this trip, although it is in the middle of snow skiing season

 

Looking forward to diving with old friends and meeting new ones

 

I am on week 2.

Hi-

         I’m Lindsay aka Divergirl662. I will be on the first part of the trip from Feb. 26^th- March 5^th.  This is my first SD trip as well as my first live aboard trip!

               

         I first started scuba diving around 1998 when I was in high school for Marine Biology camp. We got to scuba dive, drive a mini submarine, experience a diving bell simulation, and spend the night underwater in an underwater habitat!

               

         I have received most of my certifications (Advanced, NITROX, Cavern, and Master Diver) through a college course for scientific diving. After becoming a Marine Biologist I worked in two different aquariums and have done many dives in the aquarium tanks! While I was diving the Georgia Aquarium’s tanks one weekend I fell in love with Manta Rays and is why I choose the Maldives as my first trip!

               

         A few years back I moved back to Chicago (where I grew-up) and went back to school for my Master’s degree in Clinical laboratory science. I currently work at a laboratory that specializes in organ transplantation.

 

        I am really excited to have found SD and am looking forward to the upcoming trip!

Hi all, it's Ellen here....aka SeaLassie.  Gosh when you buy into these trips it's so early on you think it will never be time to GO!  About 8 WEEKS, I'm very excited. I'm from Seattle (GO SEAHAWKS).  I've been on several trips with the Wreck Wench...always have a great time and meet new people.  So stoked that I know several people on the trip.  Candice (Roatan & Fiji), Sandra (Fiji) and Terra (Palau).  I'm playing the airline miles game so coming a crazy route. Had enough miles to get from Seattle to Tokyo to Singapore on the Dreamliner (I'm retired from Boeing-love this plane).  Then bought a ticket from Singapore to Colombo then Mele. I'm week 2 - it's gonna be a great trip!

Hi, I'm Jen. I've been on quite a few SD trips; I believe this will be #10. Maldives has been on my wish list for almost as long as I've been diving, which will be 12 years in March. I'm on the March 5-15 trip, and this will be my second liveaboard experience. I live in St. Louis, and make as many scuba trips a year as I can squeeze in. When I'm not diving, I'm most likely at a concert - I travel a lot for those, too
I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. Just a couple of months away!

Hi all

I am mrdessert (I own a bakery in NY - sell to law firms, hotels, corporate dining rooms & the UN)..I have been in love with the water since, well forever...been boating, swimming & sailing since I was Much Much younger...grew up near the water & had a sail or powerboat since I was 10...(now a nearly 40 year old Ranger 23 sailboat the family goes out on in Long Island Sound during the summer).

 

Started diving on thanksgiving vacations and got certified 10 years ago. Dive whenever I am away and once in Dutch Springs (way too cold...but cool to see the thermocline!!)

 

Very excited for this trip - my wife is sending me on it and told me to "be careful and have fun!". So, I plan on doing as much of that as possible!!

 

If any of you want I am thinking about the yellow boat tour or the desert safari tour...maybe we can all do one of these or both together...on 3.3.17, that seems like the most people will be available on that day...

see you all soon!

Watching it rain, (which is rare here in Southern California),  and dreaming of week 1 in the Maldives...  Ok I'm back.  I live about 1.5 hours East of LA, I have been diving about 10 years I think, I've lost track. Since learning to Dive, is there any other kind of vacation, nope!  I live for the liveaboard experience!  I stopped by Dubai on the way to Raj Ampat 2 years ago, it was too hot to enjoy.  So I am stopping by there again this time, the weather should be cooler, if anyone wants to check things out prior to heading to Male on the 24th, let me know.  This is my first SD trip, although I am always a single diver,none of my friends or family think this activity is the least bit entertaining.   When not diving I am an Orthopedic Surgical Nurse, and find great joy in being with my 4 grand children that have to occasionally bring along their parents. I look forward to a great week one in the Maldives. 

 

"the entry into water that provides the small existential moment, is its total privacy.  The moment the water encloses me, I am, gratefully, alone." John Jerome

Hello fellow divers,

I'm Sandra, aka DiverSandra. I know, not a very original alias, I'll put that one on Kamala

I've been diving since 1990 and take as many trips as my job will allow each year. Of course, that's never enough.

This will be my second trip with single divers and I'll be on the two week trip.

Looking forward to meeting new friends and catching up with old friends.

I live on an island, so frequent international air travel is unavoidable. Last year, I was one flight away from Platinum status so I've seen a delay or two. My tips:

 

- Leave a day earlier than you need to and schedule your return flight to come back the day before your vacation ends. That gives you flexibility and reduces the stress of delays/cancellations. 

 

- Locate the gate for your next flight before heading off for a meal or other activity. Knowing where it is, let's you get there on time.

 

- Always be able to live off what you have in your carry-on for 24-48 hours. Checked bags sometimes travel without you. 

 

- When dealing with airline staff (even the ticked off ones) to resolve issues, be polite, smile and be patient. Your chances of success are greatly enhanced. 

 

- Have the airline customer service phone numbers in your phone. Then you have an alternative instead of standing in long lines.

 

- Travel insurance rocks. 

 

- I fly American usually. They have a great phone app that updates flights and gate numbers. One day, the wife received an app alert. We were able to re-book a flight before the actual cancellation had been announced at the gate. 

 

- If you have a flexible schedule, you can take a bump and end up with a business class ticket, free air miles and five hundred to a thousand bucks in your pocket. The wife does this quite often when they are desperate for someone to give up a seat and ask for volunteers. Don't be afraid to negotiate bump rewards.

 

- A battery charge pack to top up your phone / tablet without having to deal with the crowded public charge stations. Really helps if stuck somewhere in a crowd of thousands or you're rushing and can't stop to use one. This unit will let me charge my phone and tablet twice before needing to be plugged in. Also, I can plug my phone / tablet into it in my carry-on bag and charge while moving or in the air. Turn off your phone when in the air to save battery life.  

 

- Travelling long distance or with multiple layovers? Admirals Club. Well worth the price and a decent place to spend multiple idle hours. 

 

The vast majority of my flights have been uneventful and the airlines do reasonably well keeping to their schedules. However, it isn't the end of the world if there are delays.

 

Feel free to add your own tips.

 

Cheers.    

I felt inclined to tell a bit of my story tonight, and this seems like a perfect place to type.  I am coming up on a 3 year anniversary shortly.  In Sept 2019, I had some basic lab work done.  I was then called in for further testing.  The doctor called me back into his office and told me that I had stage 3 chronic kidney disease.  The kidneys were functioning at 30 something percent.  Basically, I was looking at kidney failure in about 7 years.  I spent almost every day for about a month going from doctor to doctor, and test to test.  After about a month, the consensus of 6 different doctors was that I had a parathyroid gland that may be extremely out of wack.  It was pulling extreme levels of calcium from my bones and putting it into my blood stream.  That was slowly killing my organs.  To a much lesser extent, it was giving me regular kidney stones, and I had 7 of them in me at the time.  I walked away from a back to back Galapagos trip that I had set for October, and headed a couple hours away for surgery.  Everything went smoothly, and removing a tiny gland seems to have done the trick.  The calcium levels in my blood returned to normal, and the doctors said that the kidneys would not continue to get worse, and will most likely start to improve a little.  I was no longer looking at a possible 7 year life expectance.  As the title of Bill's original post says, that was God tapping me on the shoulder.  The thought of potentially counting down 7 years really shook me.  Learning that the damage to my kidneys was a by product of a malfunctioning gland that was now removed, and going forward, my organs were no longer under constant attack, was a huge relief.  I took the tap on the shoulder, and I listened to it.  I started walking once or twice a day when the back allows, and I changed my diet.  I also decided to live life as much as I can.  For me, that has a lot to do with traveling and diving.  I have done about a dozen trips now in the last 2 years.  For me, life is short, and we never know how short it really is.  I plan to enjoy it as best I can.  What inspired me to share this is the recent report that I got from my latest set of blood work.  I stopped taking my cholesterol meds due to the side effects.  Without the meds, the cholesterol was still 50 points above the range, but that is actually down a bit from where it previously was when I was taking meds.  My triglycerides were over 2000 years ago.  That is a family chronic issue.  I have been on meds for almost 20 years, and could not get them below 500.  My dad can't get his below 1000.  Mine are now at 190.  My kidneys were functioning at about 32 percent a few years ago.  They are now at 55%.  I walked out of my recent doctors visit feeling like I was on the top of the world.  I feel very thankful that I felt that tapping on my shoulder, and that I made a couple of small changes in my life.  I am seeing the benefits of those changes and enjoying my life.  I plan to continue to travel as frequently as I can and currently have more than half a dozen trips scheduled including a trip to Yellowstone tomorrow.  I could have easily brushed off that tap on the shoulder after my surgery, but I decided not to.  Small changes can make huge differences.  They may not always be obvious, but that does not mean that they are not there.

I finally have had some time for me...I've managed 30 mins of walking since 5-6-21so...

 

5-6-21 30 mins walking

5-7-21 30 mins walking

5-8-21 31 mins walking

5-9-21 30 mins walking

5-10-21 31 mins walking

5-11-21 31 mins walking

 

So happy...

I have been trying to walk a couple miles per day for a while.  After watching the air mysteriously disappear from my tank, faster than it used to, on the Roatan trip, I returned home and started to try and do 2 walks per day.  I need to get more exercise.  I also moved the stationary bike from the out of the way place, to a spot in front of the TV.  Either it will get used more there, or I will get more exercise having to walk around or over it.  Either way, it is a reminder now.  Add me to the list.  I got a 2 mile walk in this morning between the rain showers.  Another thing I am trying is an air fryer.  I have been seasoning a chicken breast and cooking it in the air fryer several times a week.  Very easy, and should be healthier for me than what I would otherwise eat.  Ed

Thanks Butch.  I'm going to try to get back into the water this year.  I may be more active on the site also, don't know how that will work out yet with work.

Hi

My name is Shelly and this will be my 7th trip with SDers! I have been diving since 2013 and rapidly approaching my 200th dive. I'll likely barely miss it on this trip so probably going to hit it in Cayman Brac in Sept. . This will be my second trip to Dominica as I went in 2015 with SDers. I can't wait to get back to the amazing diving that Dominica has to offer and enjoy exploring with SingleDivers!

 

If you can't find me, I'm likely in the water. Being land locked in Phoenix means that when I'm on a trip, I dive all that I can. So, if you need a buddy for an evening dive... Come find me! I'll likely go out with you

 

Is it June yet?!?!!

I need a distraction so I will introduce myself. Im Scott and I havent had a drink since Dominica last year. I will doing both weeks and this will be my 4th trip to Dom.

Ive been a member and admin since 2008. Dont know how many SD trips Ive done, probably 15-20. I started the same time Brad did. I mainly break things on the site and see if anybody notices to keep the others on their toes. That gets me attention from Traci, Kamala, and Brad. Then sadly, I have to fix it... if I feel like it... and I usually do. Ask them, thats really how it works around here!!! Something magically breaks, they complain, and then I harass them awhile and probably fix it after I feel they have suffered long enough. Its alot of fun... for me.

Looking forward to getting the heck out dodge and starting my 12 step program again.

Hi Everyone,

 

I am Patty, (PK), alias N.J. Turtle. My name suits me because with all my gear on, I am slow and clunky on land, but glide like a turtle under the water!

 

I love nature and animals and I love being in the water- three reasons why I started diving back in 2000.

 

I love to travel, am not a foodie, but know beers and wine pretty well, lol......

 

This will be my fourth live-on-board,. I am looking forward to being with you all on WEEK ONE of the trip.  

 

Godspeed!  

BUFFER HOTEL UPDATE:

 

I have just re-confirmed (albeit a tad show) that our group reservation is CONFIRMED as follows:

 

• 20 rooms (one for every person) has been reserved for up to 2 days prior to the start of both week #1 and week #2. If you are traveling as a couple, only one room has been booked for you.
• Extra days can be added to the reservation but SOONER is better than later.
• This is not a beachfront nor ocean view hotel for this pricing. This is a nice place to stay that is in everyone's budget so no one has to be by themselves.
• The group hotel has full wifi in the rooms, free breakfast, free transfers from the airport and is centrally located with access to cultural as well as eating establishments.
• The price including taxes, green fee, breakfast etc is $93 USD CASH Price
• We have reserved MOST of the hotel which is HIGHLY rated by all the rating agencies.
• The idea behind the group hotel is so that we have safety in numbers, someone else has exchanged enough local currency to pay the bill (most hotels in Male require the booking be held via credit card but paid for with local currency). We have LEVERAGE with all our bookings being in one place as well as SAFETY.
• Each person sans any couples traveling with us, will have a private room to help establish an acceptable jet lag and sleep restoration process unique to just you. In other words...no one will accidentally wake you up because their sleep cycle is out of whack. Conversely you will have a chance to recoup and regenerate before boarding the boat whereby EVERYONE will have a roommate.
• We have negotiated a group rate for the rooms saving a few shekels for everyone.
• And finally, I will publish pictures, full hotel amenities and add the rooms to the booking engine so you can sign up for them shortly, but whiles this is happening PLEASE tell us your actual travel arrivals and departures so we can tailor the reservations to people's actual arrivals and departures.

 

And finally....the room is clean, quiet and nice without spending a small fortune on a room that is essentially designed to help you beat jet lag and ensure your bags arrive. I am VERY COMFORTABLE staying here myself and STRONGLY ENCOURAGE everyone to do the same for the following reasons:

 

1. The rooms are already booked to cover the entire range of arrival and departure dates FOR BOTH WEEKS so no effort on your part is needed
2. The entire group will be able to meet and if we need to make any rooming tweaks on the boat I can still do so
3. The entire group will all be in ONE PLACE which will provide a huge element of safety and peace of mind not only for the solo traveler BUT FOR THE GROUP LEADER who will stress to death worrying if everyone has arrived or is safe or will find the boat or will get luggage if it is delayed etc etc etc. If you can think it..I will stress over it.

 

SO PLEASE USE THE GROUP HOTEL so the can relax a bit with one LESS HUGE WORRY...YOU BEING THERE SAFELY AND ALL TOGETHER!!!

 

p.s. This is not the cheapest room nor the most expensive. I originally thought the s/o would be $120 so we are well below that amt and only slightly above what a d/o would cost.  YOUR SAFETY AND PEACE OF MIND IS NOT WORTH TRYING TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS. And along that note...if you choose to do your own thing then I will expect to see you at the boat and I will force myself not to worry about you. I will leave you to your own devices as you prefer to make your own arrangements and make your way to the boat etc.  Otherwise I will ensure that no one oversleeps, I will take care of any hotel issues for you, help with any luggage issues, etc.

I was just in Little Cayman at Little Cayman Beach Resort in June.  Here's some info if you've never been before.  Hope this helps!

 

Getting There & Back

• Cayman Airways only option from Grand Canyman.  MAXIMUM COMBINED CHECKED BAGGAGE IS 50 LBS!!!   Maximum carryon is 15 lbs.  They do weigh the bags.   One in our group was a little over and they didn't charge the extra for the weight, but someone else in a different group that was over did get charge. 
• The plane is a small prop plane that seats about 12-15 persons.  Little to no leg room so carry on bag will be on your lap or under your legs.
• Our flight was delayed going due to weather....patience  (there is a better eating "restaurant" upstairs at the terminal. Skip the one in the seating area if you need food)
• Leaving LC....you will get a note the day before you leave (especially if you are scheduled to leave on Saturday), to have a bag that can be checked and flown over on Friday.  Saturday is the big day for flights, and sometimes your luggage won't arrive to Grand Canyman with you unless some bags can go ahead.  You'll get a note in your room the day before the requested date.  Luggage was waiting at Grand Cayman airport for pickup.  No problems.

Little Cayman Resort

• PLENTY of food....don't need snacks.  It's buffet style for all three meals.   Food was excellent!   They are also able to accomodate some dietary requests.
• Bar-- excellent bar tenders.  Drinks a bit pricey, though that is expected as everything is flown in.  Very fun to hang out in the afternoon.
• Almost every night there is some type of "event" at the bar-- ladies night, bingo, trivia, karoke etc.
• Speaking of karaoke...if you are in a pool room-- bring ear plugs if you are a light sleeper.   This resort bar is also the locals hangout.  There aren't many of them that are on island year-round.
• There is a great clothesline behind the East building Follow signs for tennis court.  (To the left if you are facing the ocean).  I found that my swimsuits etc. dried very quickly out there.  In room drying wasn't very successful for me. Still damp in the am.
• Artwork....bring paints or something to decorate driftwood.  This is "the" thing at the bar.  Fun to see what past guests have done.
• Tipping.....ours was a package, so there was basic gratuity included in the package for the resort staff.  If you wish to tip extra for the group, specific people, you can do that.  For the resort, for credit card, you can put it on your "bill" for when you check out.  This also includes what you purchased at the bar or at the dive shop if you wanted to put it on your room tab.  NOTE:  Dive staff-- company is different than the resort and the package gratuities don't cover the dive staff.  (See below)

 

Diving

• Remember your C-cards!!!  Also if you are diving Nitrox, they will want to see that card too.
• Excellent diving!   We were there at the end of a storm, so visibility wasn't as great as  it could be.  (per one of the others in our group that had been there before.)  But-- when we were there it was 80-100 foot vis. So, I consider that good.
• All the diving is on the North side, (resort on South side).  There is the deep wall (drops hundreds of feet) and there is the shallow wall.  The first dive will always be on the deep wall.  The second dive sometimes, and if so, limited to 60' depth.
• Bring a reusable water bottle.  On thme boat they have coolers of water.  They do have paper cups, but they have to burn all their trash. So having your own reusable water bottle helps the environment. 
• Our group did 3 dives/day.  The two morning dives and the afternoon dive.  So essentially you are on the boat from 8 am and get back around noon then head out at 2 pm for the afternoon dive and back about 4:30-ish.  Essentially up, dive, dive, eat, dive, bar, eat, sleep.  
• Night dive--- AWESOME!   If your group has your own boat,  ask your captain (s) if you can take your afternoon dive and push it to late afternoon and do a late afternoon/evening dive.  That way you can see the change from diurnal to nocturnal.  Our group did this.  Have to plan in advance to have kitchen acommodate this trip. You will not get the dining room dinner, but they can make a packed dinner-- essentially sandwich, chips, fruit, cookie.  It was fine to have that to accomodate our request. 
• As our group had the whole boat for 3 dives/day, our gear was left on the boat--bc, reg (if you choose).  You have the same tanks each dive. You do need to take off your mask/snorkel/fins/wet-suit.  There is a sheltered open-air place to hang your suite and fins.  THERE ARE NO LOCKERS--at least that I found.  But I didn't have any concerns about security.
• Nitrox or no nitrox??   I'm nitrox certified, but chose not to use it this trip.   There are only a few dives that I wish I had it.  So, you are good either way.
• Dive lengths.....they dive company has a standard.  The first dive is a maximum of 100 feet for 60 minutes.  The second dive is 60 feet for 60 minutes. Same if you do the afternoon/evening dive.   Although most of our group could have done 90 minutes on our tanks....we still had to come up at 60 minutes.   We pushed it a few times, and on day 3, they stressed that this was their company policy.   
• There is a dive guide on every dive.  You can choose to go with them and see things they point out or go on your own.  They do a really good dive briefing and a great map.  I did a combination of both.  (Though, if you don't go with them-- you may miss the awesome sea horses on the couple dives that have them.)
• Dive shop.....small but nice.  They don't have a repair shop, though they have a few necessities if needed--high pressure hose, snorkel, etc.  The captain/instructor/DM/guides have a few tools for repairs if needed.
• Greatest thing....at the end, you can go in the dive shop, tell them what boat you were on and then they will print you out information from your dives---dive site, visibility, water temp etc.  
• Tips for the dive staff....tips not included in package gratuities.  In the dive shop, there are "mailboxes" by the door for each of the individuals.  There is a sign next to it for recommended tipping practice.  You can also do a group tip (through the dive shop employee) via cash or by credit card. 
• I am a "fisher"-- much like "birder" but I have my life fish list.  I saw well over 60 different fish species.  Though only a few new ones, and mostly juviniilles or inital phase fish.  I've dove in Bonaire and  Belize and saw many of the same fish.  Saw several nudibranchs though they were TINY!  Need macro lens for them.  

Exploring the Island

• Island is 1 mile wide by 10 miles long....pretty short.  
• The resort has bicycles for rent.  If it is a short time-- it is free. If it is more than an hour or so, there is a daily price.  You can see a lot by bicycle.
• There is a trail across the width of the island from the airport across to the barge pier.  It is supposed to be a nice walk, but I didn't have time to do it.
• You can bike or walk from the resort to the airport---it is less than 1 mile away.  Between the two, there is the general store-- a little bit of this, a little bit of that.  If you are a soda fiend...probably cheaper to buy a 6pack or so from the store than it is to buy it at the bar.  Wasn't bad at the bar-- $1.50 a can?
• What sounded interesting that I didn't get to, is that there is a marine sanctuary for the Cayman Island based on LC.  They offer tours on Friday afternoons.  The front desk can tell you about that.
• As for renting mopeds...probably don't need to unless you are wanting to go all the way to the opposite end of the island. 
• I found that with 3 dives a day, I really didn't have time to really explore the island.  My goal was dive, dive, dive as I was in dry dock for awhile.  Those that chose to only do the 2 morning dives, had the time to explore and relax more. 
• The resort also have stand up paddle boards and kayaks if you only do the morning dives or have tons of energy.  I think there is a small rental fee for those, but don't recall.  I didn't have time, plus we had 6+ foot swells outside of the lagoon the first several days.  (Due to the passing of a storm)

Anyone have any good ideas on how to get ready for bikini weather? Its time to get rid of the pounds that have crept up over the winter and holidays! What are your exercise and weight loss tips for getting ready for spring and summer?

I devised a great way to prepare for bikini season, until I saw how rediculous I looked in a bikini.  Now I just live life, and stick to a one piece.

DoctorB.....So sorry to hear this happened! Can you tell us what your symptoms were?

I was sore after diving (Bonne Terre Mine). If you haven't been there, it's cold (58 degrees), and the dive deck is about 110 feet below ground. So between dives it's a long walk up to the surface, especially after the last dive carrying your gear. So I was sore from the climbing. The next day, that soreness started getting better, but I had a new deep ache in my shoulders, and paresthesias (tingling and numbness) in my hands and to a lesser extent in my feet. Interestingly shoulder ache and peripheral paresthesias are the most common DCS symptoms. It would be VERY easy to blow it off as overexertion. I went to bed and the next morning it wasn't any better, so I quickly got over my denial and called the DAN emergency number and soon thereafter, dive 100 was under way (attached). The symptoms disappeared at 60 feet on pure O2, but returned after treatment. So far:

Dive 100 - USN Table 6 (4 hrs)
Dive 101 - USN Table 5 with extensions
Dive 102 - USN Table 5
Dive 103 - USN Table 6 (I had new neuro symptoms, paresthesias throughout both legs, after dive 102)
Dive 104 - USN Table 5

I'm glad I got it treated right away. The doc and DAN folks were telling me that the longer you let it go, the less successful treatment is, and it more likely you will never be able to dive again. Also, the chamber is nothing to fear. It's just VERY boring.

In the mean time, I can't fly for a month, and can't dive for two months.

Have fun in T&C. Wish I could be there blowing bubbles, celebrating my B-day and Dive 100 in SD style! O/W I'll see you all in Bonaire in the spring.