Seaweed Diver's Scuba Blog

I Told You So!

2009-03-27T15:00:00.002-04:00

When we started this blog, I warned you it was going to be intermittent! I really did not intend for it to be this much time. I have been making a great deal of changes to seaweeddiver.com this winter in an effort to make it even more user friendly and informative. I hope you notice the changes and that you like them. If you have suggestions, please email me them. I am always looking for new ideas. If you haven't explored, you should!

We have also added some new features for communication. In trying to keep up with the times, we have a pretty active Facebook page as does Scuba Steve. If you haven't joined yet, I recommend you get signed up. You also, need to make sure you sign up yourself and all your friends for our email news. We send out special and other important updates there and Facebook first! If you have not gotten emails from us, give me a call and I can check your address. Also, be sure to check your junk mail. We have a lot of old addresses that pop back and some of your business addresses don't get through either.

Just today we began trying another form of communication.....Twitter! It seems to be all the rage, so I thought I would give it a shot! If you "Tweet", make sure to add us. If you want to just see what we are "Tweeting" about, you an access the information from our home page.

If you have not checked out the Dive Calendar on the website, you should definately look it over. The calendar is filling up! We have a ton of classes going on and our trips are going to be great! Everyone is always welcome!

Coming up in April we are going to be doing some digital underwater photo courses! It's the specialty of the month and part one can be done in the pool. Watch for more details to come!

Trip Meeting a Success!

2008-11-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who showed up to last nights meeting! It was great to see some new faces!

If you have been reading your emails, you know that we have a Bonaire Trip planned for July 2009 and a Fiji Trip planned for October 2009!

Last night we announced all the details at the meeting! Today we will get the details posted on the website for those who could not be at the meeting. The response we received for the Fiji and Bonaire trips was fantastic. We have already received deposits from several people holding their spots. The Fiji trip has a limited number of villas and choice of villas is determined by the way you sign up. The Oceanside rooms are going fast! If you think you want to go, you need to get deposits to us ASAP to hold your spaces.

The Bonaire trip is also receiving good responses from everyone! Space is starting to fill on that trip as well. Both trips are great values and we are excited to be able to offer such good deals during this tough economic time.

If you would like to see pictures or talk with us about more details, stop by Seaweed Diver.

Website vs Blog

2008-11-14T12:50:00.002-05:00

Over the last year our Seaweed website has taken on different elements and new formats. I am still trying to sort out what works and what does not. So far, most elements are working as intended, however I haven't liked the blog format very much so I have decided to switch back to the blogger website. I hope you find the updates and information here useful. Please feel free to email me comments and suggestions.

-Tina

Bonaire Trip - July 2008

2008-01-30T18:39:00.000-05:00

If you haven't gotten an email this week about our Bonaire trip, go to the website and check out all the information. The trip is going to be GREAT! We have a really good price and lots of options! www.seaweeddiver.com Don't wait to sign up, this one is going to fill fast!

New Website Coming Soon!!!!!

2008-01-30T18:37:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lack of blog posts lately! Things have been quite crazy for the "webmaster" these days at Seaweed! I have been working like crazy to completely redo the website, the newsletter format, the computer sales program AND our new on-line ordering system. Very shortly we will have a fully functional on-line ordering system all tied into the dive center system. We hope this will provide our "tech savy" customers another option of staying involved in the dive community. For those who are not so tech savey, my hope is that the site will be easy to use and very informative!

Please be patient with info and links. I will be doing daily updates and maintenance on as much as my fingers can handle. Feel free to send me any questions or comments and I will do my best to see things get updated.

If you are reading this blog from our "blogger" site, that is going to be all moved to the new website very shortly also! We are trying to simplify everything and consolidate it all in an effort to make our job eaiser and our site more enjoyable for you to use!

In the near future, you will also notice the look and feel of the e-newsletter will change as well. Everything is going to be linked in our system and have a more comfortable feel to it. I welcome your suggestions and comments.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays from the Seaweed Diver family! As the last minute Christmas rush is upon us all, we wanted to take a minute and wish all of you a happy holidays! We invite you to stop by and check out some of the new stuff for the diver on your Christmas List! We have some great new stocking stuffer ideas and trips to talk with you about!

It's also not too late to go dive with us New Year's Eve Eve and New Year's Day! We will be going to Mermet Springs! If you don't want to brave the elements, check out the photo gallery after the trip for pictures!

Crystal River A Family Affair & Family Tradition!

2007-11-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

This is our 10th year visiting the manatees at Crystal River! For 10 years we have taken snorkelers & divers of all ages to have a close encounter with an endangered species...the Manatee! We would love to have you and your family or friends join our family for this wonder experience in January 2008!

Rosalind and Fred began this family tradition with the oldest grandson and it has become an annual experience that now all the grand kids look forward to each year! Just like last year, we have chosen to make this trip an experience for our entire family so Tina will be joining the family and Seaweed Diver will be closed for the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, inclusive of Friday!

Did you know that you can even earn a PADI Distinctive specialty for diving and snorkeling with the Manatees? Tina wrote a distinctive specialty and got it approve by PADI some years ago and we offer it exclusively to customers on our January trip. This specialty is one that even the kids can earn because she included snorkelers in her course material! All you have to do is stop by and sign up for the trip and ask to be included in our Manatee Specialty Course!

This trip is filling fast so grab your friends and family and come reserve your spot!

Shark Trip Filling Fast!

2007-11-19T13:32:00.000-05:00

Our great white shark trip has had a great response! We currently have 3 spaces left! If you think you want to go, get in to the dive center ASAP to reserve your space!

Shark Deadline Approaching

2007-11-14T17:28:00.000-05:00

Are you planning on joining us for the Great White Shark diving? If so, get your space held! We have to send the deposit to the boat this Saturday, so don't wait! Get your deposit to us ASAP! This is the only way we can guarantee your spot will be held. We have a few spaces of the 12 left!

Looking for an Adrenaline Rush?

2007-11-08T14:39:00.000-05:00

Join the Seaweed Diver Team for the First Time in Our History

Dive with Great White Sharks

Departure Date: Thu Oct 2, 2008

Our chartered coach meets in San Diego at 7:00 pm

The ship will be ready for boarding at 9:30 pm

Coach transfers returning to San Diego on Tue Oct 7, 2008 at approx 6:00 pm

$2785 Per Person for Stateroom Cabins on Lower Deck
Call 812-949-8060 to Sign-Up or http://www.seaweeddiver.com/

Important Notes: We have 12 spaces reserved and as of 11-8-07, 7 spaces are spoken for. As most of you know, shark diving in Guadalupe has become very popular and it is seasonal. We have found a fantastic operation to dive with; however, many of their spaces are filling fast (they even have bookings for 2009). Due to the high demand, we can only hold the spaces for 10 days before they require a 25% deposit. We may be able to get more then the 12 spaces, but it will be on an individual case by case basis. This promises to be an unforgettable dive experience, so if you think you want to go, get your deposit to us ASAP. We can only list you on the trip, if we have your deposit. The deposit is non-refundable unless your space is sold.

For details on the boat, visit www.nautilusexplorer.com
Interested in this trip, contact us ASAP to reserve your spot!

What is included with my trip?
Diving, aluminum 80 tanks, weight belts.
Use of sea kayaks and Laser sailboat.
Marine ID classes, kayak and sailing lessons.
In-water dive mastering and dive guiding with local experts.
Daily room service and nightly turndown.
Towels, bathrobe and Holey Soles.
Meals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages including sodas.

What is not included?
Airfare to San Diego
Alcoholic beverages
Nitrox, argon, gas mixes.
Rebreather support including zorb and specialized tank rentals
100 cu. ft. steel tanks (16 lbs more negative than aluminum 80).
Gift shop purchases.
Crew gratuities

Last Day of a Successful DEMA Show!

2007-11-03T21:20:00.000-04:00

The show was definitely a success this year! No more trips won today but we have some new items on the way and some more to get your input about! At the next dive club meeting and on the website, we are going to ask for your input on t-shirt designs to add to the store! We found some great ones and have samples to show!

I talked to the White's Dry Suit rep today and he showed me their new suit that is supposed to"feel" like wearing a wetsuit! I guess we will see come the spring when he brings them down for another Demo Days with us! As soon as I know the date, I will let you know!

We saw a presentation on the new DPV and Boat courses this morning and learned about ways to add more content to our website. We are even looking at ways to have students be able to register for classes and purchase their books right from out website!

JR & I found several exciting trip ideas that we are going to present to the dive club as well as a separate "trip presentation" when we sort out all the materials. 1st for those of you waiting on information on the Great White trip...we found the perfect operation to go with and we are finalizing dates on Monday or Tuesday when they return to the office this week! We want to go when the biggest sharks are in and so we are looking at mid October if we can get the space. As soon as we decide the dates with them, we will have 10 days to get a deposit to them. Spaces are filling fast, so if you want to go, you need to let me know ASAP. I will have that trip info definitely by dive club on Thursday!

The 2nd good trip news is that Galapagos is not totally closing as they had announced! It is just closing to the live-a-board boats for conservation issues. Land based operations are still in operation and we have all the info about taking a group there in 2009! If you are interested in this dream trip opportunity, be sure and keep in touch with us so that we can keep you up to date on the trip plans for 2009! We are also happy to report that operators from Cozumel are reporting that the reefs are recovering nicely and they are open for business!

And yet more trip news! We are going to plan a trip to the south Pacific for March of 2009 and we want your input! At an upcoming "travel presentation" that we will be announcing, we will give several slide presentations on some of the dive destinations that we plan on looking at and we want you to tell us where you would like to go! Truk, Palau, Fiji, Tahiti, Australia, Yap, Guam, etc. If you want to look at the destination on Trip-n-Tour's website it will give you an idea of what we are looking at! We will be traveling with them!

Finally, we found a couple of fantastic untouched new dive destinations in the Caribbean that we would love to show you! All of them will be presented in our up and coming "travel prevention".

JR's new big responsibility at Seaweed Diver besides teaching and assisting me with the IDC's is to be our local "Photo Pro"! He did several courses on the Sea & Sea line of Cameras and is excited about some new ideas we are going to work on with photography in 2008! If you are interested in more information on our photography courses or camera options, come talk with JR!

Final reminder that we are starting a new Divemaster course begins on Monday at 5:00 pm. If the dates and times don't work for you, let us know what you need!

Dive club meets Thursday at Tumbleweed at Highlander point! Everyone is welcome, bring you kids and family! You don't have to be a member, just show up and enjoy the company of other divers!

Thursday DEMA Update! Our lucky trip!

2007-11-03T07:47:00.000-04:00

If you thought our news was good Wednesday, Thursday was even better for the Seaweed Diver team here at DEMA! Fred won a trip to Palau, including airfare for 1 and accommodations for 2! It's been a very strange trip for us from that perspective! Maybe it had something to do with Halloween this year??? Usually we don't win any of the drawings the manufactures or travel groups are giving away, we just end up with our name on a bunch of mail lists!

As for new items, we found a couple of nice new up-to-date shirt lines we like and we are going to do come pre-orders on those when I get back and can get things lined up for you to look at!
Attention ladies! Or should I say "Dive Girls"? I found a great line of ladies only dive apparel called "Dive Girl"! I purchased several items to bring back to show every one and I have a catalog of all their items you can order from! The best thing is that I can order you just one of an item even if you are the only one who wants that particular item! Guys! You are not going to be left out, JR has helped me choose a new line of stuff that I am sure the guys (and girls) will like too!

Travel looks good too! JR and I attended a great presentation on St. Lucia! We have a presentation to share with you at dive club and especially couples, you will fall in love with this place! Fred, Rosalind & I attended a wonderful slide presentation on Palau and it's amenities and history (that's where Fred won the trip). They knew a lot already but I gained some more insite into Palau that I can now share with you!

I have to sign off for now but will post more after today's events! Hopefully we will continue to be LUCKY!

DEMA Show Update!

2007-11-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

Sorry it took me so long to post! The show has been great but they have been running JR & I ragged with classes on new dive locations, training techniques and equipment repair. We have spent just a short time in between on the show floor looking at new products. In the time we spent we did see several of the accessory lines and ordered some new stocking stuffer items! Tina met with the PADI Regional Manager and got all the new PADI training materials update. There is now a book and DVD for the Boat Diver & DPV Diver courses. This should make those courses much more interesting and fun for everyone!

We saw a great presentation and got lots of info from one of the Great White Shark guys! We are going to see the other shark companies today and make a decision on which one we are going with. We hope all of you will be able to join us for the trip, it will be fantastic!

We have done a class the proper way to internally clean and tumble tanks, a class on the new EVE dive store management software, the PADI Standards update seminar, the PADI Risk management seminar and JR attended the PADI e-marketing seminar. While he was doing that, they talked me into going to a video taping session that PADI was having for PADI Pros to tell why they became a Pro....the winner receives $5000.

The best news of the trip so far (at least for us) is that I won a trip for two to Bonaire! We were entered in a drawing where they gave away lots of Bonaire items like t-shirts and free dives, but mine was the grand prize... 5 days, 4 nights with unlimited shore diving at Divi Resort! We are excited and looking forward to the trip sometime in 2008!

We're off this morning to more time on the show floor and then JR is going to learn how to repair the entire line of Sherwood Regulators in a 4 hour marathon session with the Sherwood team!

It's DEMA Time!

2007-10-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

Well some of you may know what the DEMA Show is but for those who don't, it's the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association Show held every year to showcase the new products and updates to dive industry professionals! This year it is being held in Orlando and Fred, Rosalind, Tina and JR are off to spend a week absorbing all the new information, getting up-to-date on all the latest training techniques and equipment repair clinics.

We thought this would be the perfect time to try out our new blog to keep everyone informed on what we learn! We will try to include photos when possible on some of the new stuff!

Seaweed Diver will be closed for the next week! We will reopen on November 5th!

Welcome to Our Blog!

2007-10-27T15:11:00.000-04:00

In an effort to stay up with all the new technology out in cyber world, we have created this blog to help keep you up to date on the stuff that goes on around the dive center. Please let us know what you think about the blog and any topics or additions we could make to help communicate with you better. Our plan is to post as often as we have things to share! We will post a variety of topics so make sure you check back often to see what's happening around Seaweed Diver!