49 replies to this topic

[dustbowl diver]

Been on three trips so far and am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to go again. I'm a diveaholic and I go by Dustbowl Diver!

[ScubaPunk]

I have several problems with SD trips

1. They're over before I want them to end
2. I don't have enough time to go on all of them
3. WW still refuses to clone herself
4. All my new friends go back to their homes - and once again I'm a buddyless diver
5. My photography skills still suck canal water and I don't have enough bottom time to fix that so I don't have the Dan White collection of breath-taking photographic mementoes
6. After all these years I still can blow thru an AL80 faster than 3 other people combined (Heidi aka Pocahontas, WW aka the air-making machine and NurseShark)
7. The Spree moved to Florida
8. Dive_Girl is now a course director and will probably never want to dive with me again
9. SecretSea wants to go to the PI with me and I can't see that far ahead in my life
10. My diet says I can't drink....

Work with me here Mark....you are supposed to say things that will make new members feel confident about jumping on a trip.

[secretsea18]

9. SecretSea wants to go to the PI with me and I can't see that far ahead in my life
10. My diet says I can't drink....

Dearest Mark,

It is clear that you need a new diet.

As for joining me in the PI, it's three strikes and you are out! Ha, I have a friend here in NYC joining me this time...
Otherwise it is looking like, Feb 13-21, 2010. Best value in the world.

Hmmm cold icebergs or tropical fishes???? Which is better for diving? Which will be in a 3mm vs a drysuit?
Decisions, decisions.

[Bubble2Bubble]

I have noticed with a name like
SingleDivers
It has been hard to shake off that image or presumption that this is some kind of Dating web site!

This is Not a Dating web site...It is a Diving web site first and foremost. Its true that Starfish Sandy and Dan found Love on one of the SD trips but they came on the trips to go diving and to make friends and do somemore diving and make somemore friends and so on...

Ok here is an Example that I feel best discribes what I think Singledivers is all about..
get a permanent marker out and put this across your big screen tv 08/03/2009 aka today. I have never meet LLDN aka Tammy before in person but over the last year or so I have seen her posts and her replies to posts. I am pretty sure she has seen some of mine, I have a pretty good feeling that I know what kind of person/diver she is and likewise. On 08/08/2009 we will meet for the first time and I will feel that I have already meet her via SD.com. We are not meeting for a date..we are meeting to dive the balmy tropical fish filled waters off of Key West, Im sure we will spend most of our time (surface Intervals) talking about how we cant wait to back to our homes and dive those Cold Water Lakes.
Nuff Said

Bubski

[finGrabber]

Bubski,

I followed your directions above...you owe me a big screen plasma TV! My favorite TV shows now have today's date across them!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I agree with Bubski......we've both been active on the site for the past year, and we're going to meet & dive together for the first time on 8/8/09, but I'm totally comfortable with the thought of diving with him because we've become cyber-friends and we know more than a little about each others' diving habits. Now about going back home and diving in the cold murky waters of MO and AR......Bubs, I'm gonna have to straighten you out in Key Largo!

P.S......Kimmie, you should know better than to do whatever Bubski tells you to do! Sorry about your TV.....

[Bubble2Bubble]

Bubski,

I followed your directions above...you owe me a big screen plasma TV! My favorite TV shows now have today's date across them!

Kimmy,
You know how bad I am about typo's lol
I meant not-so-permanent marker aka washable.. Sawy
sooo I owe you a tv and you owe me for naming me bubski in Coz 05
I think I will always owe you more tho

Tammy,
I hear you can see Cuba from Key West underwater Thats Terrible !! I mean

[ScubaSis]

If anyone is in doubt....just find a local SD Happy Hour and meet a few people involved.

I found singledivers by searching the web looking for dive trips. I told a friend about it and we went to a dive show and Happy Hour to meet Kamala and some of the others. We were both impressed. Single people all in one place does NOT have to mean "Meat Market". Everyone I have met has been there for the diving and socializing with others of a common interest. I have gone on one trip to Bonaire '08 and will go to Cozumel '09. Just got back from a happy hour weekend in New Braunfels, TX. I think it only takes meeting the first couple of people to see that this group IS what it says it is and you get a whole lot more out of it than you expect!! I wish I had more vacation time to do more SD trips.

Ya'll come on down!!


P.S.......We even had one Ex Texas Female fly in from Arizona for the New Braunfels gathering.....nuff said???

Edited by ScubaSis, 03 August 2009 - 10:24 PM.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

.....from all the trips i have seen most seem to be a good time, but to me they seem a little expensive. iI have seen some trips that were comparable to SD`s for less.

When comparing SD trip costs to whatever you can find on the internet, you can't just look at "a week D/O with 2 tank diving" and say that SD is more expensive. You have to add in the value of all the extras that SD provides: arranging transportation to/from resorts, running interference on problems with resorts & dive ops on your behalf, side trips, extras that WW arranges for like free drinks/Manager happy hours, cultural exchanges, charitable efforts for kids around the world, and don't forget the fact that you're on a trip with friends you've gotten to know on SD, not a bunch of strangers who are at the resort - but not as part of your circle. You're not eating at a table by yourself and sitting in your room by yourself at night. Instead, you're part of a group having a great time together.

The value of trusting who you're diving with?? PRICELESS!!!

[finGrabber]

Bubski,

I followed your directions above...you owe me a big screen plasma TV! My favorite TV shows now have today's date across them!

Kimmy,
You know how bad I am about typo's lol
I meant not-so-permanent marker aka washable.. Sawy
sooo I owe you a tv and you owe me for naming me bubski in Coz 05
I think I will always owe you more tho

Bubski,

you wouldn't be Bubski if I hadn't named you "Bubski" on the Coz trip...now everyone knows you as "Bubski" kinda like everyone knows me as "Kimmie"

it's so much easier!

Love,

Kimmie

[SeaSeeker]

I went on my first group trip in my life with SD. I wasn't so sure about the group travel thing as I'm usually very independent - for example, I did 22 days in Italy on a walkabout on my own. I started diving and wished my local dive shop did group trips (none of them do) and I found SD through a web search - thinking "there must be someone who does group trips so I'm not at the mercy of strangers and really bad buddies when I travel alone".

I cannot say enough good things about SD. I recommend it all the time. Sadly, I have not been able to work an SD trip into my schedule since the Grenada trip at New Year's. But I've got sticky notes on my desk with the dates of the 2010 Red Sea trip and the 2011 Truk Lagoon trip.

I was apprehensive at first about being a newbie diver and that everyone who was active on the site was diving at an apparent advanced level. Everyone was using nitrox, and I didn't really understand that (yet- love it now!). I wondered if I'd be a drag on the group - running out air early and being a pain for everyone. I could not have been more wrong - on both my trips the group was fabulous! I used Kamala's "rent-a-buddy" program on the first trip, and that gave me great confidence to jump in.

I haven't noticed it being more expensive, but it certainly is well worth it if it is.

Kamala is absolutely the key in all of this - she attracts great people into the group and works so hard to make sure everyone is happy and having a good time. She is just an amazing person who works so hard doing what she very obviously loves to do. She is a blessing and her sunshine and great attitude is happily contagious. If you have any question, she's there to help however she can.

The contact on the site adds a lot of positives to the group, too - getting to know people a little before the trips - recognizing people in the airport from the avatar pics - keeping in contact with people you've me on previous trips.

So, in short - great people, great trips, all the details worked out - you just show up and dive! Gotta love it!

My advice - never hesitate or worry about joining in on an SD trip.

happy diving!
Tammie aka SeaSeeker

[Sonny Beaches]

So aside from the money, is there anything about traveling with this group that makes you nervous?

Well . . . .all the ladies on the trip hit me.

That aside.... Every SD trip has been a blast, once I can, I'll be going again.

AWWW hawk quit bragging, you know you miss it!!

Just go to one of the Happy hours, SD. Social weekend, or trip, and you will see why all your reasons for worry, will go away. It is the PEOPLE on this site, Yes Kamala, & Her helpers, are great, but you will meet people who really like to dive, and Are who end up being Wonderfull
caring friends.

I too was a newbie and no diving partner, And found the site, went to one Weekend at Athens, in 04 . I meet a bunch of wonderful caring people, and had a a BLAST that weekend. I walked up not knowing any one, and was very welcomed by every one ! I think most of the people that was there for that one weekend are still on this site, HMMM Single Divers must do something right ! I Met a lot of new Friends, that week , that i now call Great Friends.
I have made quite a few trips with S.D. over the last few years, and I even dove with Kamala and SD for 5 weeks one year in 4 trips, and meet some wonderful people on here, From Around the world, that all ways made every dive trip, SD weekend dive, Day dives, and Meet and greet , a enjoyable time and make you look foward to the next one !l

Just go to one Meet and greet, Dive trip and you will see! why there are so many of us on here.

[Capn Jack]

It is clear that you need a new diet.

This one works, so while I appreciate the advice - I'm sticking - minus 43# and counting, only 13 to go per today's doc visit

As for joining me in the PI, it's three strikes and you are out! Ha, I have a friend here in NYC joining me this time...
Otherwise it is looking like, Feb 13-21, 2010. Best value in the world.

Time to get serious - PM the details, I'll ask SWMBO for a liberty card

Edited by Capn Jack, 05 August 2009 - 08:25 PM.

[secretsea18]

It is clear that you need a new diet.

This one works, so while I appreciate the advice - I'm sticking - minus 43# and counting, only 13 to go per today's doc visit

As for joining me in the PI, it's three strikes and you are out! Ha, I have a friend here in NYC joining me this time...
Otherwise it is looking like, Feb 13-21, 2010. Best value in the world.

Time to get serious - PM the details, I'll ask SWMBO for a liberty card

Regarding the diet: wow, and good going, but to have to give up alchohol? Blaphemy!

Don't have PM, will send you an email later in week.

[WreckWench]

.....from all the trips i have seen most seem to be a good time, but to me they seem a little expensive. iI have seen some trips that were comparable to SD`s for less.

When comparing SD trip costs to whatever you can find on the internet, you can't just look at "a week D/O with 2 tank diving" and say that SD is more expensive. You have to add in the value of all the extras that SD provides: arranging transportation to/from resorts, running interference on problems with resorts & dive ops on your behalf, side trips, extras that WW arranges for like free drinks/Manager happy hours, cultural exchanges, charitable efforts for kids around the world, and don't forget the fact that you're on a trip with friends you've gotten to know on SD, not a bunch of strangers who are at the resort - but not as part of your circle. You're not eating at a table by yourself and sitting in your room by yourself at night. Instead, you're part of a group having a great time together.

The value of trusting who you're diving with?? PRICELESS!!!

Of course I agree with what Tammy said however I also want to call attention to the fact that many of our trips are LESS than you find anywhere as they are special deals for our members. For example...the Mona 12-09 trip will meet any price the boat lowers the trip too AND you will never pay a fuel surcharge which can be $50-$150 less.

Or that many of the trips that we run are at cost where even the meager proceeds from the trip do not cover the cost of the trip leader going nor the valuable service you receive when on one of our trips.

About the only thing we can not compete on price with are some dive clubs that share the free spot between its members. Usually they run only one trip or maybe two a year and not 15+ and you have the risk that the trip will be cancelled if they don't get enough members or some even have to share in cancellation fees if they don't get enough members to participate. At SingleDivers.com once we have 2 people on the trip....me and one other member...we NEVER CANCEL YOUR VACATION. You can't say that about other dive shops, clubs or even internet groups. And I have lead too many trips where it was me and a few others but we went anyway. Why? Because NO ONE ELSE PROTECTS YOUR VACATION BUT WE DO!!!! And that committment has cost me thousands of dollars to honor but we have. In fact when a vendor changed a date for a trip on us this last spring from March to May...SingleDivers.com paid the airfare chg fee for the members who still wanted to go but had already bought tickets.

Tell me where you can find THAT and still pay less than what we charge? And while I would love every trip to be the cheapest you can find...it can't happen unless I was independantly wealthy AND I loved working all the time for nothing. And while I still work for nothing ....at least I get to go diving and when the trip fills out I do not pay and when it does not fill out...I pay for my spot and all those that did not fill out.

So the price of risk has to be worth a few bucks and usually people tell us that they would have paid MORE for the trip once they see how much 'extra' we do as part of our normal service.

And I think all the rave reviews support this claim.

So keep looking...you'll find one of those trips where NO ONE IS CHEAPER THAN WE ARE if you compare apples to apples and then take that trip and see for yourself! I know you'll be glad you did and thanks for a good question! kamala