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What other Single & Buddyless Divers have said about SD Trips & Site!


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30 replies to this topic

#16 copterman

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Posted 20 May 2012 - 10:05 PM

Well after visiting the SingleDivers booth for many years at the BTS show in NJ, joining but never quite finding a trip I wanted to do at a time I could do it, this year I signed up and went on my first trip with SD and the WW to Xcalak, Mexico. I wasn't sure what to expect but I often join groups, (some I know, others I don't as a single diver and hope for the best. This sounded like an interesting place to go to just to try an SD trip. When I walked out of the Cancun baggage claim and customs, wondering where I was going to find the SD group, there was WW smiling and waiting with paperwork in hand for me and anyone else she could find coming in for her trip. She immediately took charge, led me outside, introduced me to other members of the group that were waiting with her, and explained what was going on and when we would start our bus ride to Xcalak. On the bus ride she briefed us on some of the things to expect. I have never been with such a well organized group leader like this before, and she claimed that she was not at the top of her game on this trip due to some personal issues at home and later a horrible tooth ache.
She had roomates and diving buddies all organized, she knew what the meal procedure was, the diving procedure was, tipping procedure was, the check out procedure was, or she found out and told you of any changes, you could approach her and ask her any question, and as always if you weren't happy with the rooming or buddy arrangements you could ask for changes. The old hands welcomed me, the newbies, like me, welcomed me, we all bonded and had a great time. I was impressed with WW's work ethic, diving skills, organization, flexibility, how she took care of all of us and looked out for all of us. Impressive was her willingness to help the new and unsure divers really get into the dives and have as great a time as us experienced divers. We all melded into a team that helped and watched out for each other. I was also able to ask her more questions about her operation and her trips, and the more I learned the more I liked what I saw.
I am getting ready to go on her Dominica trip, joining some of the friends I made on my first trip, looking forward to meeting some more of the SD family, diving at a wonderful location, and wanting to see this woman when she is at the top of her game while running a trip vs her having so many things preoccupying her mind like on the last trip. I had a great time on my first trip with SD and expect this one to be great too. Kudos to WW or as I call her Special "K", whom I feel is an excellent organized trip leader.
Founder! I didn't know we'd lost her!
Copterman
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#17 Sierra Diver

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Posted 24 July 2012 - 03:10 PM

If you're like me where your husband is not that excited about diving and you have few girlfriends that are good divers and want to go on a dive vacation, SD is a great match for finding other divers in simular situations. Everyone on the Cozy-Holbox trip were seasoned divers, well traveled, and easy to enjoy a fun trip with. The nice thing about getting together with a new group of friends, you can share all your stories with one another about other dive trips and start adding to your bucket list. My hat is off to Kamala for doing an amazing job not only organizing the trip, but keeping all the divers in order with such a fun loving attitude. She has a great knack for this and that is hard to find. Also, when I tried to organize the same trip on my own, it was going to be far more expensive and a headache trying to put all the fine details in order. I highly recommend SD for your next diving vacation.
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#18 CaptSaaz

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Posted 25 July 2012 - 06:52 PM


AND I have been VERY thankful to see a diver's long legged fin come at me when I was flying past the hang line on SD trips....stretched out to save me from ending up "down the road"


smile.gif :cool2:


Love that wingspan! And Single Divers too!
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#19 dive_sail_etc

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Posted 26 July 2012 - 07:23 AM

For me, what makes SingleDivers.com trips not only unique but by far the best value is all the preparation Kamala puts in up front which pays off when the trip kicks off. From Rooming Compatibility (she actually researches and interviews members to better evaluate intangibles like personality for the best possible roomie match) to assistance finding trip insurance and flights to coaching first timers through bewildering ground transportation, by the time I stepped aboard my first SD.com sponsored dive boat I was confident, relaxed and ready to focus on having fun! :diver:

So from me and everyone who knows what I mean, :thankyou: Kamala aka WreckWench, fearless leader and scuba rodeo queen. :teeth: (Newbies will just have to join a trip to find out what THAT means!)

Brad, the Fledgling Journeyman Master Hedonist
Finally broken to plow and harnessed to the traces. How may I help you today? Questions welcomed to charlies@singledivers.com

"My secret to maintaining this goofy façade? It ain't no façade." - Brad, the Fledgling Journeyman Master Hedonist
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#20 CanadaJack

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Posted 11 August 2012 - 07:59 AM

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
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#21 John57

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Posted 23 August 2012 - 07:09 AM

Trip Report - Single Divers trip to Cayman Brac, 11-18 Aug 2012 (Originally posted to forum.scubatoys.com)

I'm home from a week long dive trip to Cayman Brac with SingleDivers.com (www.singledivers.com). In a word: GREAT

I found Single Divers through a post by Platypus Man and thought the group could be a good match for my needs – it is. I will definitely be making more trips with them. I had originally booked for a trip to Cozumel but had to cancel due to my wife needing surgery, so I picked this one as a substitute. Before the trip they set up a forum dedicated to that trip where divers can exchange comments, ideas, tips, jokes, etc (hmmm, sounds familiar). This was a big help in getting to know a bit about the fellow travelers before the trip and arranging a meeting for some of us for breakfast in Miami. I think between 1/4 and 1/3 of the people on this trip were making their first Single Divers trip. Experience ranged from 4000+ dives to 50.

I booked WestJet out of Ottawa, with connection in Toronto, to Miami. An overnight stay in Miami, then Cayman Airways to Cayman Brac. A number of us met up at the hotel for breakfast before heading off to the airport. I think there were 18 (of 34 in the group) of us on the flight so there was a lot of renewing acquaintances and meeting new people in the airport and on the flight.

We stayed at the Brac Reef Resort and dove with Reef Divers. Part of the paperwork before the trip includes a survey about diving style and questions to help match you with a suitable roommate. The system works quite well – I had no problems with either my roommate or dive buddy, although both are changeable by either party. The resort was good – well set up for divers as their primary focus. Meals were buffet style but the kitchen was very willing to make special orders or accommodate needs (a couple of people were vegetarians, others had allergy issues – no problems from the chef and dining staff). The rooms are clean and functional, the A/C works, and the showers have hot water: All the basic needs of a diver are met. When you check in you get a drinks card good for 3 free drinks a day, and a bottled water would count as one of those drinks. But after a full day diving, I don't want more than a couple of beers before heading for bed. The tap water on the island is safe to drink so you don't have to “waste” a drink coupon on bottled water, plus there is a store not too far away where you can buy beer, and a lot of people brought rum etc with them. No shortage of adult beverages for those wanting to indulge.

Diving was on 20 diver boats and we had two boats out each day. My Captain/DM team was Barbie and Ian – a great team who added immensely to the enjoyment of the trip. We will forgive them their bad jokes during the dive brief. The diving staff provide what they call “Valet Diving” where they do all the heavy lifting of setting up. If you are diving Nitrox (all but 4 of us were – a $180 extra but worth it) you analyze and label your tanks for the next day. The staff load them on the boat and set your gear up on a tank. All you do in the morning is check it out. When it comes time to dive, you don your mask then sit on a bench at the stern and they bring your gear to you and help you gear up, then you giant stride into your dive. At the end of the dive you get back on the boat and they help you take your gear off and then they carry it to your seat and set you up on your next tank. Lather, rinse, repeat. One major downside of this system is that it takes a fairly long time to get everyone off the boat. We talked to the DM and boat Captain and more than half of us geared up the “old-fashioned” way of doing it yourself. This sped things up considerably – and (at least for me) calmed the jittery feeling caused by someone doing all my work. I admit that I was willing to let them take my gear at the end of a dive. By doing it the old-fashioned way, it was not uncommon for the dive briefing (very well done on a white board with site diagrams, and the usually seen fish) to close with the traditional “The pool is open”, echoed by a couple of splashes as self-gearing people hitting the water. There was a DM in the water leading those who wanted to follow him/her, but you were free to do your own thing. We could dive our air and it was not uncommon for some of the first to hit the water to get in 75-85 minute dives. We dove walls and reefs in the 60-110 ft range. I think the shallowest dive was about 50ft. In 6 days we did 18 dives including one night dive. The reefs are in good shape – the last major hurricane to hit Brac was about 8 years ago. The sealife was abundant – we saw sharks, turtles, spotted eagle rays, lobsters, crabs, groupers, tarpons, shrimp, morays, snappers, porcupine fish and lots more. Unfortunately we also saw a fair number of Lionfish. Cayman rules pretty much limit spears to the DMs who have been trained in their use. It was not uncommon to spear 3 or more lionfish on each dive, and I think the max was 6. The groupers and snappers are starting to associate a spear with an easy meal, so they will point out the lionfish for them. As I posted in the Happy Thread I saw a grouper "bird-dog" a lionfish for the DM (Ian), who is the only one holding a spear. The grouper pointed the lionfish out, then made eye contact with the DM as if to say "OK Bud, do your stuff." Ian nailed the lionfish and was pulling him out of his crevice when the grouper snatched the lionfish off the spear. Just as he turned away for lunch, a second grouper grabbed the lionfish out of the first's mouth and swam away, with the first in hot pursuit. I almost drowned I was laughing so hard. For a great shot of a grouper getting a meal see
HERE.

Other things: Two of our members (Simon and Joanne) used the trip to get married and invited all the Single Divers group as their guests. The Best “Man” was the groom's female dive partner (“If I trust her with my life, I can trust her to support me for the ceremony.”) and the Maid of Honour was another diver, even though the Bride and Groom had only met them both that week.

The 6:30am flight by Cayman Airlines is FAR too early, since it means a 3:30 wake-up call for a 4:30 resort departure. We only made 2 dives on Friday, which is a good thing since my computer was showing No-Fly for 18hrs when my flight was 18.5 hours away. The first leg is a 22 minute hop from Cayman Brac to Grand Cayman. I don't think they even had time to retract the landing gear. On a related note, if you fly Cayman Airways they allow 2 free bags of 55#s each on all legs serviced by their Boeing 737's. Pay attention because there are some flights where a leg is done on a turboprop plane where the free baggage is limited to 1x50# bag.

The Cayman government will supply a free tour guide if you supply the vehicle. 6 of us chipped in for a van and we spent Friday afternoon getting a pleasant tour conducted by Gregory.

All in all I am very satisfied with my trip. A huge “Thank You” to Kamala, the operator of SingleDivers.com. She worked tirelessly to ensure everyone had a great trip, and especially make us newcomers feel most welcome. The others that made this a wonderful trip were the SD Trip Coordinators who help Kamala organize things, the Captains, DMs and staff of Reef Divers, and the staff of Brac Reef Resort. As I said, I will definitely dive with Single Divers again, and wouldn't mind going back to the Cayman Islands.
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#22 HeelsDiver

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 12:54 PM

Just finished my first trip with Singledivers.com to San Salvador. As a new diver, I was a bit hesitant about going on a trip with folks I didn't know, but the entire experience could not have been better. The folks were all friendly and easy to get along with, the location was awesome, the divining incredible, the food exceptional, and the attention to every detail by Kamala was unsurpassed. Did the Rent a Buddy program and it was the best part of the trip - helped improved my skills and comfort level incredibly. Would highly recommend it for any new diver. I'm glad I discovered thus group and can't wait to do another trip soon,
Heelsdiver.


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#23 galngotham

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Posted 06 January 2013 - 05:26 PM

GREAT trips, FUN people to meet and dive with!
DON'T hesitate to sign up for a trip with SingleDivers.com!

#24 Buzo Guero

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Posted 21 January 2013 - 12:07 PM

The trip to San Sal over New Year’s was my first withSingledivers.com.

I must admit that it was with much trepidation that Idecided to join the group on this excursion. While I have traveled, extensively, both alone & in larger groups, Icouldn’t help but listen to the voice inside my head that was asking me, “What,are you insane?!?!?”. Heading off towho-knows-where, with a group of people that I’d never even communicated withat any level, on a DIVING VACATION??? Iwas certain that I needed to get my cranium checked. Little did I know that I would be connectingwith a new place that I could call home.

My concerns were soon laid to rest once I started workingwith WreckWench & ScubaPunk on the details of the trip. From help in finding & booking my flights,to hotel rooms while in transit, to setting up our charter flight to San Sal,to transfers, everything was taken care of every step of the way. The ladies were both helpful &informative, patiently addressing every question & handling every requestwith the utmost professionalism. BeforeI knew it, Christmas Day had arrived & my departure was at hand.

Upon our delayed arrival at Riding Rock Resort (islandtime), Michelle & her staff greeted us, warmly, while allowing us to putoff the formalities of checking in right away. We were immediately treated to our first dinner of fresh grouper, whileour bags were delivered to our rooms. Many exquisite meals would follow, including fresh Wahoo &Conch. Michelle & her staff weremore than accommodating, every step of the way, including making sandwiches fora smaller group who decided to go fishing on our day of off-gassing. The setting was exactly what I was lookingfor…..OFF THE BEATEN PATH!!! Nomega-resorts, here! The perfect tonicfor one looking for a much-needed getaway & long overdue R&R.

The Drift Wood Bar, with our humble hostess, Peaches,provided sanctuary, a much needed respite after a long day of diving & aplace for us to meet & plan our on-going activities, share photos/videos ofthe day, as well as to catch up on what was happening on planet earth, forthose of us who cared…..

The dive staff, Bruce & Ryan, were fantastic to workwith. They both went above & beyondthe call of duty to help those faced with equipment challenges along the way(myself included, when my computer decided to go into full “free-flow” mode onthe 2nd day), as well as ensuring that everyone’s diving experiencewas optimal. While we did dive as alarger group, no one was forced into a dive profile that would inhibit theirenjoyment. The photographers got to dotheir thing, those who were qualified to hunt were able to do so, similarlevels of experience were paired up (thanks, Kamala!!!) & those who wantedto hang on the perimeter or take the lead or bring up the rear were allowed todo so. The wildlife wasINCREDIBLE!!! Hammerheads, grey reefs,white tips, barracuda, monster grouper, as well as a seemingly non-stop wave ofsea turtles made sure that the diving was never boring. The wall at Riding Rock is spectacular. We only dove the same site twice (one beingour night dive). This place did notdisappoint! Thanks, again, Ryan &Bruce, for a great experience. I hope toget back here with my sons to dive in the not-too-distant future.

My expectations were so EXCEEDED by SD.com, I’ve alreadysigned up for my next trip, to Bonaire, in April!!! I cannot wait to get back in the water withthis group. Hands down, this is the wayto go when it comes to overall experience, value & quality of destinationsoffered. And, NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS TOSUFFER, unless you just flat out don’t want to share a room. However, my roommate & I got alongwithout a hitch (I hope you still feel the same way, Mikey!!!). Other than the time we spent on the boat, inthe restaurant & in the Drift Wood Bar, we hardly knew we were in the sameroom.

So, if you’ve had any reservations, whatsoever, aboutjumping in with SD.com, my question would be: “What are you waiting for?!?!?”. Take a leap of faith. YOU WON”TBE DISAPPOINTED!!!

Hope to see you on an SD.com trip in the very near future!!!

Satisfactorily nitrogen saturated & scratching mymosquito bites with a contented smile on my face…

Until next time,

Tim aka Buzo Guero



#25 Bogie

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Posted 16 September 2013 - 01:57 PM

Thank you Kamala for the T&C trip. It was my second trip with SD, and my first live aboard... I loved it. We had some really good diving, the crew was very nice, friendly helpful, and as usual everyone on the trip was great! I had the time of my life. I'm definitely joining Kamala again, soon I hope! Posted Image
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#26 Starshark12003

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Posted 24 November 2013 - 10:26 AM


Greetings New Members Welcome to SingleDivers.com:
You will find every level of divers here from beginners to people who have been diving for 20+ years. While I am in the latter category, I moved around a lot in my career and have gone diving with countless clubs and shops throughout the country. Last month was my first trip with Single Divers (Roatan Nov 2013) and it was a blast. This is the most inclusive group of divers I've ever met and we come from all over to dive and meet each other. So I am happy you found us. I returned from Roatan to single digit temperatures in Wyoming and only the memory of the great experience in Roatan kept me from freezing. Needless to say I planned my next dive trip already and look forward to the warm waters and warm friendships that will come from the next trip. While there are many trips to choose from and each is different, they all have in common great diving and friendly people. So I look forward to meeting you on a dive trip in the future.Scott aka Starshark AND Thanks to all the Trip Leaders for facilitating these special trips.


Scott aka Starshark12003


Breathe deeply but slowly and the world unfolds before you.

#27 Starshark12003

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Posted 24 November 2013 - 10:30 AM

Greetings SD Staff: Just wanted to wish you and yours a wonderful 2013 Thanksgiving holiday. I appreciate all that you and your volunteers do to make being a single diver a success. The friends made on my last SD trip and the plans laid for the next SD trip are what keeps me warm in Wyoming's single digit temperatures through the winter. Thanks for facilitating these special trips. Every trip is different but quality, kinship and camaraderie are all hallmarks of these trips.
Scott aka Starshark12003


Breathe deeply but slowly and the world unfolds before you.

#28 Cajun Diver

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Posted 14 January 2014 - 10:43 PM

I've been diving with SD and Kamala since 2007 and it's funny to think that I almost stopped diving that year. In March 2007 I had 7 dives to that point and really knew very little about diving but here I was sitting in a dive boat off the coast of Boynton Beach, FL shivering in a wet wetsuit in the wind. Everyone else had a "boat coat" except me and my teeth were chattering and I was wondering why the folks at the dive shop hadn't made any recommendations or given advice about bringing a jacket and what the *#@!** I was doing here. I had been in class all week for Nitrox (which they forced me to take or "no one would dive with me") and we had talked about the dive but nothing about the conditions or things to know.

After that week (I was in Florida watching spring training baseball) when I returned home and found my local dive shop closing I wasn't sure what I was going to do since I didn't have a regular buddy. I just happened to google "dive trip no buddy" and happened upon Singledivers.com. I was a little worried because of the name and one of the questions asked why I was here and mentioned something about dating (I was thinking whaaat?!?) but I kept going and started poking around the site.

I found a lot of trips planned (some of the other sites I found didn't actually seem to go diving anywhere) and local get togethers (or happy hours as they called them). They were going to be having one in the state and only 275 miles away (that is close! this is Texas after all Posted Image) and I figured I needed to check them out. So I drove up to Athens, met the group, saw that they were an OK bunch and started diving with them. I have learned a lot from people either in person or in the forums and was never made to feel like an outsider, the questions I had were dumb or I had to dive Nitrox and not air (although I much prefer now to dive Nitrox).

The rent a buddy I did with Kamala and Bob (Pir8) on that first dive trip helped me become a much better diver. I have met people on the trips that I will be friends with for the rest of my life and now when I think of SD I think of us and not them. So I'm really glad I found SD that day since Kamala and everyone I have met / dove with really have changed my life for the better over the last 7 years and for that I am truly grateful.
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#29 gmk

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Posted 15 January 2014 - 09:47 AM

such a great story Butch. I'm so glad you found Kamala and SD.

gwyn

I've been diving with SD and Kamala since 2007 and it's funny to think that I almost stopped diving that year. In March 2007 I had 7 dives to that point and really knew very little about diving but here I was sitting in a dive boat off the coast of Boynton Beach, FL shivering in a wet wetsuit in the wind. Everyone else had a "boat coat" except me and my teeth were chattering and I was wondering why the folks at the dive shop hadn't made any recommendations or given advice about bringing a jacket and what the *#@!** I was doing here. I had been in class all week for Nitrox (which they forced me to take or "no one would dive with me") and we had talked about the dive but nothing about the conditions or things to know.

After that week (I was in Florida watching spring training baseball) when I returned home and found my local dive shop closing I wasn't sure what I was going to do since I didn't have a regular buddy. I just happened to google "dive trip no buddy" and happened upon Singledivers.com. I was a little worried because of the name and one of the questions asked why I was here and mentioned something about dating (I was thinking whaaat?!?) but I kept going and started poking around the site.

I found a lot of trips planned (some of the other sites I found didn't actually seem to go diving anywhere) and local get togethers (or happy hours as they called them). They were going to be having one in the state and only 275 miles away (that is close! this is Texas after all Posted Image) and I figured I needed to check them out. So I drove up to Athens, met the group, saw that they were an OK bunch and started diving with them. I have learned a lot from people either in person or in the forums and was never made to feel like an outsider, the questions I had were dumb or I had to dive Nitrox and not air (although I much prefer now to dive Nitrox).

The rent a buddy I did with Kamala and Bob (Pir8) on that first dive trip helped me become a much better diver. I have met people on the trips that I will be friends with for the rest of my life and now when I think of SD I think of us and not them. So I'm really glad I found SD that day since Kamala and everyone I have met / dove with really have changed my life for the better over the last 7 years and for that I am truly grateful.



#30 WreckWench

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Posted 15 January 2014 - 10:28 AM

...The rent a buddy I did with Kamala and Bob (Pir8) on that first dive trip helped me become a much better diver. I have met people on the trips that I will be friends with for the rest of my life and now when I think of SD I think of us and not them. So I'm really glad I found SD that day since Kamala and everyone I have met / dove with really have changed my life for the better over the last 7 years and for that I am truly grateful.


Awww Butch! :thankyou:

Our Rent-A-Buddy program has come a long ways...but people still seem to think that it helps them. I created it because I would have loved something like it myself when I was new.

As for life changing friendships... I couldn't have said it better myself. And when I think of SD.com...I truly think of you and others like you who not only travel with us...but are helpful in the forums (or facebook) and are the kind of people that everyone wants to either dive with, room with or just hang out with! ;)

Thank you for making SD an "us" thing...and thanks for being ONE OF THE BEST ADDITIONS TO THE 'US' PART!!! :wakawaka:

And for the record... we are grateful too that you found us because your being part of 'us' has made the last 7 years AWESOME! :respect:

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906




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