108 replies to this topic

[Sophia]

I might be able to do the coz trip in January. Grenada will be my big trip for next year, and I think I can do the July 4 weekend NC trip. July4th was a great weekend to go diving, so I think I can do it next year too. The coz trip depends on money. I just spent 1K on camera stuff, and 1.5K on upper kitchen cabinets, so we will see when I have recovered. But January is slow at work, and coz isn't that expensive, so maybe.
I reaally, really want to go to Flower Gardens, so count me as tentative for that too. Only thing that could stop me is work.

I had so much fun at NC with y'll that I don't see any reason to take a dive trip with anyone else.

[DandyDon]

What?? No northern trips up to the St Lawerence??? I want to do Cozumel, but it's looking like it'll have to be like Thanksgiving week or something that far out.

Maybe she's trying to lay out trips other than Regionals, then fill in with them?

[chinacat46]

So does that mean Keys, Channel Islands, NC and Flower Gardens aren't regional to the people in those areas???

Edited by chinacat46, 08 August 2004 - 07:26 PM.

[finGrabber]

So does that mean Keys, Channel Islands, NC and Flower Gardens are regional to the people in those areas???

I thought any "official" trip was open to anyone, regardless of your location

[chinacat46]

Of course they are. I was just pointing out to Don that there were regional trips already listed. The key is that this is just a preliminary calendar so things can be added moved etc....

[WreckWench]

Hey gang...good eye! Right now we've run a regional trip to Florida, Texas (Athens) and the Great Lakes. We are still struggling to fill out the last 3 spots on the Great Lakes trip so I have not put it on the calendar yet awaiting how the trip goes as well as how many new members we get from that area. I will probably do a Great Lakes or PNW trip next year once the main trips are set.

And yes ...EVERYPLACE is regional to someone. We are a bit loose with definitions here and that may evolve as we grow. For now I see Florida always being a hot destination although we'll see how the first trip there goes. I see the Channel Islands or CA coastal diving as a hot ticket...but we'll see how it goes. I have not gotten much feedback on those destinations yet from divers saying they want to dive them so I may be wrong. Until we are running 2 trips a month...we'll never be able to do ALL the regionals we might like to do...however with good steady growth....the continued AWESOME support of our members then its only a matter of time!

Thanks for the great feedback...keep it coming! -ww

[WreckWench]

So does that mean Keys, Channel Islands, NC and Flower Gardens are regional to the people in those areas???

I thought any "official" trip was open to anyone, regardless of your location

Hey girl...you are right...all SD trips are open to anyone regardless of where you are from . It is our hope that people who have always wanted to dive the Wrecks Of the Great Lakes...or California or Florida etc. will do so when we are doing what we call a Regional there! By accommodating both local as well as flyins...we give people a great chance to see an area they might not otherwise see plus we garner local support to add vol to the weekend dives as well as let more members meet each other. It is our hope that you have soooooooooooooo much fun on a local or Regional dive that you want to do our big trips as well. And for those that usually do the big trips...we want to offer you the chance to dive a destination you might not of otherwise done.

I hope that answers your questions! -ww

[WreckWench]

Of course they are. I was just pointing out to Don that there were regional trips already listed. The key is that this is just a preliminary calendar so things can be added moved etc....

Hey C-cat...you are dead on....the more feedback I get the more reflective the schedule will be. If people want a N. trip next year then PLEASE SAY SO! If you don't want a destination then PLEASE SAY SO! If you want to flip a trip with another one then PLEASE say so. If you only have certain dates off...the PLEASE SAY SO!!!

I can't honor all requests but at least if you give me something to work with I'm not just shooting in the dark!!! -ww

[AliKat]

I think Fiji/Tonga might be better in early October just 'casue of weather, but I would still be in for a Nov trip.

I did find a couple of sites on Tonga. Tonga 1Tonga 2

[triggerfish]

that's when i was in fiji....october. the water was colder than i thought it would be, (78 ish) but it was a great time of year....

i don't think you'll ever please everyone with a schedule. and there will always probably be the same people who give feedback.

what i think you should do is a "big" quarterly trip 4 times a year(spring, summer, fall winter). destinations could be based on weather conditions during a particular time of year (eg: south pacific in our fall/winter, flower gardens in summer, etc). then fill in gaps with "smaller trips" (coz, nc, cali, fla).

i think trying to offer too many trips is biting off more than you can chew. people will be spread too thin, and you'll end up not filling any of the trips. it would be great if we could all dive together every month but it ain't gonna happen.

getting feedback on destinations is great, but then you guys (admins) need to pick a few places, pick a time of year, and let people decide when they can or can't make it.

just my opinion.

[Sophia]

I agree with T-fishy. Your first priority is to fill the trips. Then when they are filled 2-3 weeks in advance, then add more trips.

[DandyDon]

I agree with T-fishy.  Your first priority is to fill the trips.  Then when they are filled 2-3 weeks in advance, then add more trips.

That is so funny.

If a trip fills 2 or 3 weeks in advance, there's certainly no time to do anything.

If a trip fills 3 months in advance, only then would there be time for anything else.

And for Fiji - she'll need a lot from the membership.

Edited by DandyDon, 09 August 2004 - 03:36 PM.

[Sophia]

[quote name='DandyDon' date='Aug 9 2004, 02:50 PM'] [quote name='Sophia' date='Aug 9 2004, 08:39 AM']I agree with T-fishy. Your
[SIZE=4] That is so funny.

If a trip fills 2 or 3 weeks in advance, there's certainly no time to do anything.

If a trip fills 3 months in advance, only then would there be time for anything else.

And for Fiji - she'll need a lot from the membership. [/SIZE=2 [/quote]

You misunderstand me. I thought it would be obvious that any added trips would be much later, i.e. 6 months down the road. After all, we only have one Kamala.

[DandyDon]

You misunderstand me.  I thought it would be obvious that any added trips would be much later, i.e. 6 months down the road.  After all, we only have one Kamala.

Gotcha'. The obvious is not always so obvious to many - me included, so I was just going with what you published.

I think that WWrench would love to do a lot of trips and a lot of Regionals - this year North America, next year the world. She listens to me nag at her that I need trips planned a year in advance, as I book mine 6-9 months out, but she sets on chartered boats for months waiting on the Wait-n-See members to book a month in advance, or a week.

As it is now, the Brockville Boat has had 3 seats open for weeks, even though she has to book the whole boat and fly up personally. Once those seats do sell, then we'll start hearing complaints from people who waited, and now are upset that we didn't get a bigger boat. I saw this happen to her last Oct in NC. I helped fill that boat, more than half of it, and then a guy showed up in town wanting her to kick somebody off so he could go. This Oct boat is less than 2 months away, and she's still waiting to see if we're going to fill it, or if she'll have to eat the losses. {I did my part, long go.}

And the idea of filling a boat, then working on one six months later does nothing about the 6 needed boats between those trips.

So, if the members support her better, she'll do more. If the members don't, she'll can't do as much, and we're not going to have as much.

Yet - these are only my humble opinions.

[WreckWench]

I really want to do a big trip for people to the S. Pacific. The BEST weather is Feb it seems for many places. BUT that is too soon for us for 2005. If we shift to Oct/Nov then we have some more flexibility but Oct is also DEMA which is the only trade show for the industry that diving has so that has to be part of our calendar as well!

Some are suggesting that we just do a REALLY big Pacific trip in 2006 and do a number of REALLY good $1000 to $1500 trips in 2005.

What do you all think? I also agree that we need LARGER trips for people to have more fun and to get better pricing! -ww