Hey whats up just got back from Hawaii this last week.  It was wonderful, I had a great time it was whale season and it was the peak of the season could watch wales breaching from the shore line.  It was amazing went on two whale watching excursions it was great they were swiming under our boat jumping all around us.  We did halaaka crater, Hana Highway, we learned to surf, and also kayaked for the first time did some snorkeling and 9 dives.  We were able to get up close to the whales in the kayaks.  You are supposed to stay a 100 ft away but if they come up to you it is alright.  We went to alot of beaches, they had a sunset cellebration on Sunday at little beach it was fun it was a nude beach.  They have alot of drummers and dancing up to sunset, then it gets dark and the fire dancers come out it was great.  We went to the aqarium there we really enjoyed that.  Maui was beautiful.  We went on lava beaches black beaches every beach you can think.  The guy at the bike shop suggested we go stay on Maui there was so much to do.  The ride over on the plane was very painful.  The scuba diving was a bit different, due to it being lava flow, it was not as colorful, it was different I enjoyed it thow.

We are going back to Cozumel in January with the dive shop, the diving there is pretty inexspensive.  I am looking to go somwhere it is good to know phillipines travel is not real exspensive.  I have heard Palau has some pretty good diving.  I am so glad spring is hear tomorrow.  Yes!!  I am into that warm weather.  You all take care.

Lisa

Yes, I agree, new members, and ones that have been here, do speak of your dive spots. 

Diving up here in the Sound is always better in the summer, and warmer, if such a thing, tee-hee.  The Sound offers several great dive spots, some right off shore.  The San Juan Islands are excellent.  I have not been to any dive spots near Canada, but sure they are full of great spots as well.  Visability is the one draw back to diving up here, but there are some great creatures under the white caps, like close encounters with sea lions and such.

Will write more, but gotta run, spending the day in the big city.  Take care and enjoy your trips, lucky you!!!  Let us all know what you see and how it all goes!

Inde

Hey Inde!   

What's your ocean water like up there and when's the best time of year to dive? What's the difference between Puget Sound Diving and Victoria/BC diving. Could you give me the full scoop on NW diving?   Any one have the scoop on Grand Banks, Newfoundland diving?

Thanks, Debbie 

ps I'd like to go dive Cozumel especially the cenote...anyone game? 

Hi Inde,

I'm trying to get to Peacock Springs and/or Little River caves in FL sometime this month, the I'm off to the Philippines - Puerto Galera in April.  The Philippines are DIRT CHEAP, airfare was about what I'd have to pay for the Carribbean - well just a little more but the hotel (all inclusive) and diving are less than $100/day.  and I LIKE Philippines diving. I'm thinking about stopping over in Hong Kong for a couple of days on the way home and spending the money I saved.  They said I would only have to pay another $30  for the airfare.....

I really like having two of the same cameras and an underwater housing that fits both, you're going to pay about $200 each for the cameras, but then you've got a spare if it floods, or if you dunk it in a stream or something. Housings can be  fairly inexpensive, My housing cost less than my camera.  I saw that they are starting to sell inexpensive red filters for my housing, I NEED!! Really don't need strobe for shallow if you've got that red filter!

Hoping for good water in the rivers this year, been feast or famine for the last couple. Which rivers do you have there?
 

Deb, thanks for the info!!

Topside, use to use a 35 mm then went to digital, small lil camera, but use to take great photos.  Notice I said "use to" that is because it is in the sea,  off of Puerto Vallarta.  Do am looking for a point and click digital that is good to use and a lil underwater one that is easy to use.  Know that the real key to good underwater shots is the light factor, nice that you have strobes.   Look forward to you posting pics, here or on your profile page.

So when is your next trip?  To the Caribbean, yes? 

Ok, off to the great outdoors, not raining today!!!

Later, Inde

LOL, speaking of long time getting back, heck, have been busy.  Thanks for all the camera info. good to know, thanks. 

Lisa, how was Hawaii?  Do tell, did ya have fun! Tell, tell, how was scuba and all the other excursions?

How about anyone else, any other trips?

Ok, just hanging out doing the spring fever thing around the house.

Enjoy life to the max, catch ya later!

Inde

Hey Inde sorry it took so long to get back with you.  My girlfriend has a regular Cannon camera and she purchased houseing for it, she also purchased a strobe to attach to it for lighting.  It takes really good pictures.  We too stayed late in St. Thomas we scuba dived there and then just went back and hung out on the ship, I do beleive they had BBQ on the top deck that alot of women attended.  Half Moon Cay if you like feeding the fish bring some bread with you, a guy told me that at the hotel we stayed at on the first cruise.  So the next year I remembered they were swarming around us hundreds of fish it was amazing.  Also if you want to do some snorkeling go to the very far end of the beach there is a large cabbana at that end but along the wall is good snorkeling then just swimming around.  Aot of colorful fish, seen octopus!  I am not sure how to post pictures to computer we have quite a few spent all day one day trying to send pictures to dive master from our cozumel trip.  It was a snowed in day so had plenty of time.  Getting ready to leave for Hawaii in about 11 days.  I am so excited!  Olivia is how I got started in scuba diving, snorkeld first and tried the snuba thing then got certified for the next cruise.  I am so happy spring is around the corner :0)  Take care.

Lisa

Hey Inde,

What camera are you using topside? Sometimes you can pick up a housing and a strobe for your regular camera. A friend has a little SeaLife digital that gives him great pics, just about point and shoot. I have a housed Olympus SP350 with dual Sea and Sea digital strobes and I'm still learning how to use it.

Deb 

Hey, hi to all!

Diving on the Carribbean Dreams cruise was MUCH better than I expected. Not a cattle boat in sight and REALLY NICE women to dive with.  Grand Turks was well organized, walls weren't anything truly special, but can you say turtles, shark, rays, garden eels, and lots of other fish? Yeah!  Dove the Rhone again in Tortola, wish I'd bought my light, darn, but Dive Tortola really treated us right, second dive at the 'Coral Gardens" on Dead Chest Island was a wowser!  OMG even though it was overcast, thanks heavens, 'cause if the sun had been out I'd probably have swallowed my regulator. St Maarten dives were good too, the first on a shipwreck that hadn't been down long, but was fun to swim through, and the second dive site was ??? and it was OUTSTANDING. Someone help me out here, one of the best dives of my life and I don't remember the name...Oasis Divers on Grand Turk, Dive Tortola, and Dive Safari on Sint Maarten. All did a professional job and really seemed to like us.  I did catch a few puzzled glances from a couple of DMs as they did their routine SPG checks of the divers, guess they aren't used to diving with a bunch of women who don't really suck air! One of them really did do a classic double take when he looked at my buddy's gauge!

About St. Thomas/St.John one can hang out in a bar in a HUGE group thereby taking it over.  That is fun.  I've done it with an Olivia group before.

Back to dive spots.  Belize and Bonaire are really beautiful.  Bonaire, the first aqua park, has now been protected for so long you can see things there not possible in other places. Thanks for all this info. 

Hey,hey, your dive trip sounds really neat and full of techno stuff.  Will be a great trip from what you have laid out, enjoy!!   Do you have an underwater camera that you take diving?  Would love to see some of your shots.  I want to p/u a digital underwater camera, nothing to fancy, just a basic one, have been looking, not found one yet, seen some I like, will see.  Have been using just the underwater store ones and they are ok for the shallows.  The key I think is the lighting issue.  Plus I just want to point an click for now.

Ya, that dive was scary, almost dropped gear off back, but with help all was good.  Heck it was even my own BC, had a bad valve, and it was under a year old.  All good now. 

The trip is Nov. 23 to 30th.  Will be on the Westerdam, lv from Ft. lauderdale, go to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos there for 6 hrs, then onto St. Thomas/St. John, USVI, there for 12 hrs, then to Philipsburg, St.Maarten, Netherlands Antillies, for 9 hrs, moving onto last stop Half Moon Cay, Bahamas for 8 hrs, then head back to the Fort.    By the time one disembarks and then returns to ship one loses about 1 to 2 hrs, so not much time at the Ports that have short stays. 

Not sure, am thinking of diving at the 1st stop Grand Turk area, but that will be all I get to do there, you said it had nice clear water and liked it vs other islands, ya?  If not there, then may do a dive in St Thomas/John.  Have been doing searchs on the net and just not sure yet what to do for a dive, but it prob. will be thru the ships excursions.   Aside from that will do lots of snorkeling an some sightseeing.

Am wondering why we are in Port for so long when we are in St. Thomas/St. John, esp. since I read that most of the shops close at 5 or pm, and it is not really that safe after night fall.  Wondering what does one do, aside from go back to the ship or hang somewhere in town in a HUGE group to stay safe. Any thoughts or feedback from anyone that has been there, esp. after dark?

Ok, thanks for the chats,

Inde

Wow that deep dive with the problem with the BC sounded realy scary good thing they were there to hold on to you.  Ed Robinson is who we are diving with.  We are doing four mokini south dives, then three Adventure dives.  You have to be experienced to dive these and you must use dive computers they supply the dive computer walls and drift dives.  Then a two adventure dive this is where Ed Robinson dvies with you and he does the type of diving he likes to do on his days off that are not normally dived by companies pretty much you can dive without guide on this one it is not so much led.  WE were booked for the Lani trip but he cancelled it in turn for the adventure x trip, so we decided to do that one.  I guess in the afternoon the winds pick up and it makes for a rough ride back  is why he cancelled it.  We thought about doing it with another company but decided to stick with him and so a different one it would of put us back later in the day.  I really researched on the computer and in travel book and narrowed it down to Mike Severns or Ed Robinson.  Mike only takes six out on his boat I beleive Ed offerd different dives at the tims is why we went with

Kinda the same thing on cruise we were wait listed it worked out for the better doing the off boat dive..

When are you going on your cruise?  Hey if you are looking to buy souvineers like T-shirts exspecially the ones that glow in the son do not buy at Turks wait unill you get to St Martin you would not beleive the difference in price.   Things are very inexspensive at St. Martin.

I have been at home the last two days got my two bottom wisdom teeth cut out.  I have a hard time sitting around doing nothing.  I think I will try to pack for the trip do not enjoy the packing thing.

Which Island will you be diving on your cruise and what islands will you be visiting? 

Welp you take care!

Lisa