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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.

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
     

Thanks, now if I can avoiding seeing that pompous first kid born in the new year I can make it through the day.  What makes him so special?  What about the last one?

 

11:42pm 12/31/1969 in Arkansas.  I'm not certain but I was probably the last one born in the state in the 60s.

So excited to become a member of Single Divers! Can't wait to meet all of you and be under water again. Favorite diving is definitely in warm water with lots of colorful fish! Hope you're all enjoying your summer.

Hello, I am Jenny or TabeaK on here and this will be my 5th SD trip since I began diving in 2012. My other awesome SD excursions were to the Maldives, Galapagos, Little Cayman and Bonaire. Because life got in the way, I have been out of the water for over a year, so I can't wait to get back into diving. I am on week one and look forward to seeing everyone.

I'm Susan (aka susiq), and I'll be on week 1 of this trip. It's finally becoming real.  This is my first liveaboard trip  and my first dive trip outside our hemisphere (if you don't count a 2 tank dive off of Maui). This bucket list trip is my fourth time with SD!   Looking forward to meeting (or re-meeting) and diving with you all; I always have a great time with K and the SD crew.

 

Diving since 2004 and have a 300-dive mark coming up on this trip.  Since I live in NYC I'm always dreaming about warm tranquil Caribbean destinations of which my favorite is Cozumel, going there at least once a year since 2005. How can I say no to the most amazing reef system in our part of the world and also? Unlimited guac and the best piña coladas with my many friends there.

 

I'm a classical musician/pianist and work with opera singers! But diving is my mid-life Ferrari! I'm so glad I found this new life-long passion; after spending 2 month on a cruise ship job, snorkeling around the Caribbean, I had to try diving and I was hooked immediately!

 

See you all soon!!  

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.

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.

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

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