Most Liked Content

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.    

SOLD OUT.... while getting this ready to open in our booking system we basically sold out to one of our partner dive shops all available inventory. Because this trip is so popular and in such hot demand we are working on another date for late 2022 or early 2023. Stay tuned and we are sorry for the inconvenience of not having a great trip to offer everyone.

 

SAVE THE DATES...& ADVISE WHEN OPEN FOR BOOKING:

 

Feb 18-20 and 21/22, 2022 FLORIDA Dive & Snorkel MANATEES & BHB

 

See more pictures HERE   

 

 

We will have full details on this amazing trip soon! Please start the planning process to join us!

 

Date:  Feb 18-20 MANATEES and 21/22 OPTIONAL BLUE HERON BRIDGE DIVES, 2022 FLORIDA 

 

Where: Crystal River, FL and Riveria Beach FL (BHB)

How:  via You can fly into Orlando or Tampa or even South Florida and then drive to Crystal River. We will be helping with carpooling and ride sharing options for our members. So let us know if you plan to drive or fly and if you plan to rent a car or would like to share a car rental and/or rideshare with others members.

 

We will do the Manatees first then we will head to the West Palm Beach area to dive the Blue Heron Bridge. The tides are midday so that usually means fewer locals diving. And being during 'winter' many locals will not dive during the winter so that is a bonus for us.

 

We will book hotel rooms and set up the logistics for you for this EXTREMELY AMAZING and FUN BUT UNIQUE and INEXPENSIVE OPPORTUNITY to dive and snorkel with one of the world's most unique creatures and in one of the world's most unique diving venues!

 

Why:  Our members have always asked that we run a manatee trip but being new to Florida and knowing that all operators are not created equally...its taken us time to learn the ropes so you don't have too! We have amassed the expertise needed to FINALLY RUN THIS TRIP and it will be simply amazing!!!  And given how hard hit many have been by covid and economic issues... an economical trip that is fun, family friendly and different seems perfect for soothing the diving and snorkeling blues after the holidays!

 

Pricing: Pricing for double occupancy should be UNDER $500 including some great early booking specials to include a guided dive at the Bridge. Depending on interest we can plan one to two days diving the bridge including hotel etc. The idea of the bridge was to help fill out a long weekend option OVER PRESIDENT'S DAY for those wanting to maximize the price of transportation to Florida and keep overall pricing economical!

 

PRICING UPDATE as of Oct 8, 2021:

 

It appears that the d/o manatee and crystal river will be about $450 each plus tax (working on that final figure) and the s/o will be about $600 plus tax and the Blue Heron Bridge will be $260 + tax double and $475 + tax single occupancy.

 

The hotel plays a big part in the pricing but we also are paying for a BHB guide as well. They know where the critters are at. The BHB part will be optional so will be structured a bit differently in our booking system when we finalize the set up this coming week.

 

Other Interesting Stuff: This will be our first trip EVER to CRYSTAL RIVER FOR THE MANATEES and our local Florida resources have given us super tips and intel on when to go and how to maximize the trip....So stay tuned...

 

What:  Save these dates....simply post in this topic to have us add your name to the "I'm Interested List" and we will let you know when this trip is open for booking Or you can send an email to trips@singledivers.com with your screen name, email you used to register on the SD.com site with and that you'd like to be added to the notify list!

 

NOT A MEMBER YET?  Simply click on REGISTER in the upper right and CREATE A FUN SCREEN NAME such as WreckWench or ScubaPunk or CajunDiver or Luv2Dive etc and then you can post to SAVE THE DATE yourself! (Note only upgraded members of our club can book our trips so get a head start on that process now!)

 

NEED HELP?  Email trips@singledivers.com or admin@sngledivers.com for assistance.

 

 

ADD MY NAME TO THE NOTIFY LIST (just login and post below to be added to the list):  ** represents standard members so notified by email

 

1. Kamala aka WreckWench
2. Karen aka KSue44
3. Jaque aka Jaque
4. Sharon aka SaltyAngel
5. Cindy aka SundanceDiver
6. Tom aka SpaceDiver
7.  Marcia aka LovesToDive
8.  Jeff aka JHeyNow
9.  Christine aka kittydiverChris
10. Tara aka Aquarium Diver**
11. Karin aka Moorishidol
12. Caleb aka Paradoxx
13. Tom aka Tshizz1e
14. Krystin aka Knkcm3**
15. Keith aka MNJoe**
16. Joel AKA GigemDiver +1 Cindy (snorkeler)
17. Andrew aka BlueBoat**
18. Katie aka GingerSnap
19. Tori aka Otterhavefun
20. Bill aka DiveTimer
21. Patricia aka Bluetang
22.  Dan aka DiverDann
23.  Mark aka ZorcaSailor
24.  Dawne aka DiverDawne
     

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...

Hello All!   

I was a member a long long time ago, pretty sure that my name was Sophia.  I was active then and went on some wonderful SD trips.   Then I lost my job, got depressed, disappeared from here.   Then, I became un-depressed, got married to a non-diver (but willing), had a daughter.   

 

Daughter turns 10 years-old on July 6th.   This means that she will be old enough to get the kid's certification.  So, I am pondering how to ease her into scuba diving because I really really want her to love it.  

I won't really be a single diver.   But, when my mind turned back to diving, I had to rejoin my peeps here. 

Hi Susan aka Sophia from forever ago and welcome back!! :welcome:We have found your original Member Profile, Susan  aka Sophia which was created in May 2004 and last logged in 07 Sept 2009. We can merge your original profile into this one so the Member Information is up to date, THEN if you like we can rename your Member Profile back to Susan aka Sophia. We will wait for your confirmation reply on whether you want to do this before proceeding to ensure the Member Name is not lost once the profiles are merged. Again, welcome back and know we are stoked to know you would like to join us as you introduce your daughter to the amazing undersea world!!

Hi!

I'm Amy.  This is my first trip with SD and I'm soooo excited!  This next month is going to go way too slow.  I've been diving since 1991.  I have no idea how many dives, since my ex convinced me to quit filling out the log book, way back when.  I guess he thought it was a waste of time.  Now I regret not having that info.  As you can see by my screen name (picked in a fit of panic when signing up) I'm a doctor, gynecologist more specifically.  I'm a mom of two great guys, ages 19 and 10, and a pet mom to one dog, one cat, 12 chickens and a frog.  I love to play the piano, knit, dive, read, build things, transport kids, care for parents, feed the animals............Calgon!! Take me away!  See why I NEED this trip??  Anyway, I can do 2-3 dives per day followed by the obligatory evening libation(s).  I can't wait to meet everyone!

Well....if all goes as planned, I'll be on WEEK #1.  Looking forward to meeting those I haven't met yet and catching up with those I have.  Time to see what all the hubbub is about around this place..  AND it will be a bonus birthday celebration - a little early, but I'm celebrating all year....

 

Finally get to dive with you! The hype is for real, best diving I've done in the Caribbean so far! So good I was putting in for vacation time for the 2017 trip on the day I got back from the 2016 trip!

Hello week 1 divers, I'm Libradiver aka Marcia (pronounced Marsha, like the Brady Bunch 😆)

I live in Maine, but have been diving in the Caribbean since 2013. I've been on 1 SD trip, so far. I've never been across the pond, so this trip is a big leap! Also my first time in a liveaboard.

I look forward to meeting all my new friends.

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!  

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)

Deposit submitted. Forms forthcoming. See you all in Bonaire.

Having recently returned from my first trip to Indonesia, and seeing as how Kamala has two up coming trips there, I figure a trip report is in order.  After having lost out on my Maldives trip last October, I needed something to plan and look forward to.  Indonesia became the answer.  My research quickly showed me that while airfare from LAX to Bali was very reasonable, it was four times the price from Savannah airport.  I then knew that this trip would be done in stages, which actually is beneficial to me, as my body does not hold up well to long travel.  After checking LAX to Bali flights daily for about a month, I caught a price drop to about $930.00, and booked them on Cathay Pacific.  That was followed up with booking Savannah to San Diego flights with a couple of days on each end, to visit with my mom.  Tuesday March 10 finally rolled around, and my sister and I headed up to LAX for our 1:00 AM flight the next morning.  About 24 hours later, we were touching down in Bali.  Off the plane and into the airport, our first stop was to collect our $35.00 visa.  I believe they changed the rules, and that is no longer required for Americans.  After immigration, baggage claims, and customs, all of which were extremely simple and quick, we went to the taxi counter and paid for our taxi.  I had four nights booked in the Citadines hotel in Kuta, which was a nice, comfortable hotel.  I would recommend the hotel, if you are staying in Kuta.  If you plan on travelling around Bali, which is most likely the case, the traffic in Kuta was terrible, and I suggest looking at hotels in a different area.  After a night of rest, we were picked up at the hotes at 9:00 AM am were off to the Bali Safari and Marine park.  Having taken a family photo safari to Africa several years ago, I thought having the chance to ride an elephant with my sister made this a great choice for us.  Between riding the elephant, petting a lion cub, and hugging a orangutan, as well as the rest of the day in the park, our trip was off to a great start.  For our next two days, I scheduled a driver from a company named Adimelali Bali.  Initially, I thought about renting a car for our stay, but when I thought about hiring a driver at only $60.00 a day, it seemed to make a lot more sense to go that route.  The company offered several itiniaries on their web site, and I opted for two of them.  Nothing was firm, and we made adjustments as we went along, based on how much time we wanted to spend at each area.  After driving around Bali for about 30 seconds, I knew that I made the right choice in hiring a driver instead of renting a car.  I do not know why they have any lines in the road, as is seems to be more of a free fo all style of driving.  Cars are constantly passing eachother when they have an inch of room, and motor bikes are passing or being passed on both sides of the car at all times.  I classify it as controlled chaos, only because it seems to work for them, and I did not witness any accidents in the few days that I was there.  The driver gave us a broad view of the island, and culture, as we saw several temples, the Ubud monkey forest, rice terraces, a stop to sample coffee and tea at a small coffee plantation, waterfall hikes, local shops, and a traditional village tour.  We planned on watching a traditional ceramonial dance, but opted to pass on it as we were getting very tired.  My initial plan was to spend a few days in Bali, and do some diving each day, prior to heading out for our live aboard portion of the trip.  When my sister decided to join me for the Bali portion, I opted to spend out time there doing land based sightseeing, and I am very happy that we did.  As divers, that is always the focal point, and highlite of our trips.  Spending a day or two top side, and seeing the temples and other attractions added a lot to this trip, and I am glad I opted for it.  As for the diving, all I can say is WOW.  Book the trip, and go experience it.  I know I will be back.

 

Ed

Hello All,

I am excited to tell you how incredible an experience it was to go diving on the Atocha with Kamala and SingleDivers.com. It took me some time to believe that I could actually go diving on the Atocha and that diving with a group of people I don't know was okay. It was better than okay, much much better. First of all, it was a dream come true to be able to be part of the Atocha experience. Secondly, Key West was warm and friendly - really a tropical paradise. Thirdly, the trip was well organized, I felt secure, it was an amazing adventure, and what really made it the best was the people, starting with Kamala. Kamala had everything organized well and if something might be going wrong, she was on top of things instantly and made things right. She is friendly and easy to talk to and Single Divers is doing a wonderful service by organizing trips such as the Atocha and getting people from all over the world diving together all over the world!

I had only ever dove in the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, so diving in Florida was a treat - just like having a bath. T-shirt and shorts were good enough, even to a depth of 100 feet. Some found it a little chilly, but for me it was warm. Diving the Vandenburg is definately worthwhile and diving the Atocha the best. There is plenty to do in Key West as well, either just walking around or going to one of the many fine restaurants or buying souvenirs at the local shops.

I found it quite ironic that I have recently become single and yet on the trip there were three couples. It turns out, I had a wonderful time (since the motto is buddy-less divers and their hook-ups really are to tanks!). The trip was well organized and the couples were awesome, easy going, friendly, and open. I made new friends and we plan on diving together again next year.

I highly recommend diving with SingleDivers.com, not only on the Atocha but on any dive. For me, diving on the Atocha and being part of the Mel Fischer experience was a dream come true. However, the trip was much more than that - it has changed my life. I thank Kamala and SingleDivers.com for enabling this experience to come true for me - THANKS!!!!!

Jack