Articles by Mario

1. Check In Online

The line at your airline's check-in desk or kiosks can be long and aggravating. Consider checking in online and printing your boarding passes at home. Then, once you get to the airport, you can quickly check your bags or, if only taking carry-ons, head straight to security.

2. Sign Up for Email or Text Message Alerts

There's nothing worse than arriving at the airport only to discover you'll be delayed for a while. Signing up for email or text message alerts is a great way to stay informed of any itinerary changes affecting your trip. While it would be great for customer service to get in touch to inform you of such changes, in this day of cash-strapped airlines operating on short staffs, it's highly unlikely.

3. Make Sure All Gifts Are Unwrapped—or Ship Them Ahead of Time

During the holidays a few years back, my friend's mother and cousin were traveling together for their annual family reunion. At the airport, her cousin asked her mother to watch his bag of Christmas gifts while he went to get a snack. Thinking she'd be helpful, she decided to go through security with the packages. An official, curious about the (wrapped) gifts, asked what they contained.
"I don't know," my friend's mother honestly replied. "Someone gave them to me."

Needless to say, she was detained until the cousin returned, the packages were unwrapped and rustled through for contraband, and a situation that could have been expedited got dragged into a prolonged affair.

Long story short: If you're bringing holiday gifts to the airport, make sure they're unwrapped and keep all of them with you at all times. Or, better yet—save everyone a lot of hassle and get them shipped to your destination in advance.

4. Know Your Airline's Baggage Policies and Be Prepared

The days of arriving at the airport, checking your bag with ease, and moving along to your gate are long over. Many carriers have now implemented first- and second-checked-bag fees; you may also find additional penalties for your bag's weight or size. Additionally, if you're transporting something unusual, such as skis, antlers, or the like, expect to be socked with an additional fee. The best tip? Know what you'll be paying before you go, so there are no unnecessary surprises, conflicts, or negotiations once you get to the check-in counter.

5. Have All Contact Information Handy

If you do find yourself delayed en route, make sure you have all customer service phone numbers easily accessible. You'll want to have the number for your airline, hotel, rental car, and tour operator ready in case you need to update your arrangements on the go. And if you're at the airport already, get in line while also calling customer service to stay ahead of the game and minimize further delays.

Mind your shoes and feet

After Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi's threw his shoes at President Bush, the commander-in-chief said he wasn't insulted. He should have been. In Arab countries, the soles of the feet are considered impure; flinging a shoe is no better than throwing offal. Buddha, too, taught that the feet are the lowest part of the body—physically and spiritually. Therefore, in most of Asia, showing the bottoms of one's feet, even accidentally pointing a foot at someone, is a grave insult.

Don't use your left hand

In the Middle East, South Asia and even parts of Africa, the left hand is reserved for sanitary practices. One must never touch food with it (or goods in the market, or strangers). In India, the tradition crosses into religious practice. During Hindu prayers, the prasad—or, gift—is received only with the right hand. For Muslims, too, right-handed eating is more than a simple matter of cleanliness. According to the Koran, "Satan eats and drinks with his left hand."

Always toast with eye contact

Just as a handshake is said to have originated as proof that your companion wasn't concealing a weapon, so goes the rumored origins of toasting by robustly clinking mugs. If a would-be assassin has poisoned a drink, he will be reluctant to see his drink mixed with his target's. Some cultures have gone even further. Drinkers in many European countries must prove their sincerity by looking into every other drinker's eyes during the toast. At a large table of friends, the process can take awhile, but failure invites a dire consequence: seven years of bad sex.

Never insult the royal family

Just ask any foreigner who's been to a movie theater in Thailand: The royal family is held in high regard. Before a film begins, patrons are asked to pay their respect to the king while a short reel about his life is shown. Failure to do so can result in criminal charges under "lèse majesté," or injury to the royals. As Harry Nicolaides found out, the law is often at odds with Western expectations of free speech. In 2008, Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in Thai jail for criticizing the monarchy in a book. He was eventually pardoned—after spending six months in prison.

Silence your nose

While China is renowned for its public expectoration, just across the sea South Koreans are more mindful of their phlegm and spittle. Even the slightest sniffle at the dinner table will paint you as a barbarian. This can be a tough trick for foreigners whose palates may not be ready for the omnipresent spicy gochujang sauce. Still, when you feel a sniffle approaching, excuse yourself and head to the bathroom. In Japan, using a handkerchief in public is also considered rude.

Manage your chopsticks

There's more to expert chopstick usage than simply getting food from plate to mouth. Chopsticks aren't meant to push bowls or plates around. Rarely are they used to pierce food, and morsels should never be passed directly between two sets of chopsticks. The most crucial misstep foreigners can make is improper placement. Chopsticks should never be placed vertically; say, in a bowl of rice. The two sticks will resemble incense used to honor the dead, and you will have invited death to the dinner table.

Go ahead, hold his hand

Even the most open-minded visitors to Middle Eastern and Arab countries are surprised by the close physical contact between men. "Arab men may be seen walking hand in hand," says Alinda Lewris, founder and executive director of the International Association of Protocol Consultants and Officers. "It is considered a sign of kinship and does not imply any sexual connotation." So, when your new Arab friend clutches your hand on the way to afternoon tea, give him a squeeze back. He's just being friendly.

Be quietly grateful

It runs counterintuitive to Western upbringing, where "please" and "thank you" are often the first pleasantries we learn as children. But thanking your Arab and South Asian hosts may lead to awkward moments. Thanking your host too much suggests they've done more than what was expected, that they deserve kindness. For them, being a generous host is standard practice. It's a useful lesson to learn. As one expat living in Goa says, "I have felt far more integrated since I dropped all the 'please's and 'thank you's, and [I] certainly attract far less curious looks."

Don't touch heads

The top of the body, too, carries its own importance in many parts of the world. In countries where Buddhism flourished, even generations ago—and those of Southeast Asia in particular—the head is said to contain one's soul. Noted travel journalist Everett Potter found out the hard way when he "patted someone on the head in Thailand, and realized with horror as I did it that I was committing a real faux pas." The head is sacred; don't touch it.

Don't shake hands across a threshold

In Mediterranean countries, even strangers kiss one other on the cheek; in Japan, bows are exchanged. In Russia, there's just one rule to remember: Never shake hands across a threshold. Says Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone contributing editor and longtime Moscow resident, "Shaking hands 'cherez porok' is a major no-no. When I went to college there and tried to introduce myself to my teacher, she flipped out."

Congratulations! Noah Whitney, of Olympia, WA, has won the Scuba Travel Ventures (STV) Free Vacation to Fiji.

During the month of May STV exhibited at three consumer dive shows along the west coast: The Bay Area Dive Show, The Scuba Show in Long Beach, and most recently The Dive and Travel Expo in Tacoma. Paradise Taveuni in Fiji, in conjunction with STV, provided a giveaway vacation of a 5 Night Dive Package for 2. After all the shows were completed the lucky winner was drawn from over 700 entries.

STV thanks everyone who entered. Continue to check our website for future giveaways and promotions!

If you’ve always dreamed of sinking mind, body and fins into the realm of the Maya underworld and the magical Caribbean Sea, getting your hiking boots in the dusty earth of ancient ruins and spending your down time sipping margaritas and watching sunsets in the trappings of luxury, Scuba Travel Ventures is now ready to bring that fantasy to life.

Scuba Travel Ventures, the dive travel leader, is offering an exclusive eight-dive-day, seven-night extravaganza in Riviera Maya, Mexico’s most popular dive destination. It’s an action-packed week worth of diving in cenotes (the mysterious, sunken sinkholes with crystal clear waters which the ancient Maya believed were gateways to the underworld); wreck and reef exploration; visits to pre-historic Maya ruins and even the mangrove-laden Siaan’ kaan biosphere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near the village of Tulum.

No hablas espanol? No problemo. A bilingual guide is available 24-7. Concerned that while in Cancun you may not get to visit Cozumel? No worries. Scuba Travel Ventures has a day-long excursion included there. Airport transfers in Cancun? That’s covered, too.

Of course, luxury accommodations are provided for the duration. Moments after you land in Cancun, you’ll be ferried to the magnificent Hotel Playa Palms, with its extra comfy studios and suites, where a white sandy beach and the sights and sounds of downtown Playa del Carmen await. If you choose to stay in a premium studio, you’ll enjoy unobstructed ocean views and your own private terrace furnished with a hammock and dining set.

At a welcoming cocktail party on the night of your arrival, your STV hosts will brief you on all the particulars of your upcoming week’s worth of adventures. Your first three dive days include the fishy Mama Vina wreck, a turtle magnet site called Tortugas Gardens, and wall diving off Cozumel Island and Palancar Beach. All the boat rides to these sites, including the ones in Cozumel, take 35 minutes or less. After the Cozumel dives, you’ll be driven around the island in a stylish, old-school VW convertible to San Miguel town and other sites, arriving later that night back in Playa del Carmen.

On your fourth day, get ready for a truly mystical experience as you plunge into the sacred waters of the Maya at fresh water, stalactite and stalagmite-adorned cenotes, south of Playa del Carmen. Don’t have any cavern or cave dive experience? Don’t seat it, as none is needed to enjoy these natural wonders. After these dives, you’ll have plenty to talk about with your dive-mates over lunch in STV’s secret, beachside hidden paradise.

For those of you armchair ecologists, this trip also has something special for you, too. You’ll discover more ancient Maya wonders in a visit to the Siaan’ kaan biosphere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Tulum, a sleepy hamlet along the Riviera. The biosphere’s name alone -- which in its English interpretation means, “where the sky is born,“ -- is an enticing invitation to nature. Your boat will guide you into the tangle of mangroves where the ancient Maya hand-carved a complex canal system to foster a network of trade routes. After your two-hour tour, enjoy a dive on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, with a hearty post-dive lunch of ceviche to eat and ice cold cervezas to drink.

Your last full dive day on your Scuba Travel Ventures trip will be memorable for many reasons. You’ll connect with your inner archaeologist, Indiana Jones-style, as a specialized guide leads you through a thorough exploration of the Coba Maya ruins -- one of the most important trading centers of the Maya world. Afterwards, you’ll dive Gran Cenote, a spectacular cavern dive with decorated chambers and air pockets with intriguing coral and seashell fossils.

On your off-gassing day before you head home, spend it luxuriating in your hotel or stocking up on souvenirs for your friends and family members. No doubt, you’ll have plenty of stories and adventures to regale them with -- and suitcase full of experiences that will be yours and yours alone.,/p>

Call Scuba Travel Ventures today at (800) 298-9009 to speak with a friendly and knowledgeable dive travel professional, or visit www.scubatravelventures.com to learn more about this exclusive trip of a lifetime that has your name written all over it.

Divers usually experience a thermocline as an unexpected and often unwelcome cold rush at depth. But British dive gear manufacturer Fourth Element gives the word new meaning with its Thermocline line of naturally buoyant wetsuits, which are perfect for warm water diving.

Fourth Element may be an unfamiliar brand to some American divers, but the company has been in business for 11 years, making drysuit undergarments, hoods, gloves, boots and neutrally buoyant wetsuits. A combination of thoughtful design, high quality materials, expert manufacturing and practical function are the hallmark of the company's products.

The Thermocline neutrally buoyant wetsuit represents an evolution in thermal protection, using state of the art materials to maximize performance without compromising comfort. The Thermocline gives the equivalent protection of a 2mm wetsuit, but weighs only a little more than 2 lbs. Thermocline also provides a real solution for people who suffer from neoprene allergies by eliminating contact between the skin and the wetsuit. The suit's light weight makes it easy to pack, dries quickly between dives and is machine washable.

Recently, we at Scuba Travel Ventures carefully checked out several Fourth Element products at dive industry trade shows this spring. We liked what we saw -- and so did the divers visiting the company's booth. In fact, we liked Fourth Element gear so much, we bought some for ourselves.

Fourth Element always wants to get feedback from customers and visitors to their site. If you want to make comments, ask questions or give suggestions to the Fourth Element team, send an email to its East Coast Sales Manager Warren Miller, at warren@fourthelement.com.

Dear Mark Winslow, Thank you for stopping by our booth at the Florida Dive Show, Dec. 3 & 4, 2010. You entered in the drawing for the Mango Inn Giveaway.

Congratulations! You are the winner!

Your prize includes the following: 3 Nights Standard Accommodations, based on double occupancy, at Mango Inn (Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras), airport transfers, daily breakfast and dinner, 2 days of diving. Note: Taxes not included.

Sincerely,

Teresa Cabading President/CEO Scuba Travel Ventures

“Life is complicated. Your vacation shouldn’t be.”

Our agents have a wealth of travel knowledge and decades of dive experience. Our support staff works diligently behind the scenes, ensuring all aspects of your trip go as planned. Sure, in this the era of "d.i.y." travel, it's easy to save a little cash and fashion yourself an expert. But what if your dream vacation turns into a nightmare because of something you may have overlooked, missed in the fine print, or just didn't have enough information about? That's when you'll wish you had turned to the professionals. Still skeptical? Then check this out, as in David Letterman style (with a drumroll, please), we give you...

1. No more Googling "Diving Riviera Maya," coming up with 1,000 websites and not knowing which ones to trust. We do. We've got that covered.

2. You won't be forced to spend another dive vacation at a resort in a "village bungalow" where you overlooked a Dumpster outside your window, or heard the constant noise of a compressor - because you relied on an outdated website. We routinely visit resorts the world over, so we've got the latest information.

3. You won't have to spend hours on the phone navigating an airline's voice-activated customer service department to change your flight if you change your mind on your departure and return dates. We've got relationships with airlines and we can accommodate you if you decide to change your mind.

4. No more squeezing yourself and your gear aboard a cattle car dive boat to get to your sites - because you didn't get the full story about the dive operator you picked by doing it yourself. We have relationships with dive operators everywhere and we'll match you with one that fits your needs.

5. Your STV dive specialist won't be fooled by any resort's misleading glamour shot you saw on its website. We'll give you unbiased takes on dive resorts. If one is undergoing construction, overrated or doesn't offer the most value for your money, we'll tell you about it. Straight up.

6. You'll get fully briefed on the best time of year to visit dive destinations. Whether it's schooling hammerheads in the Galapagos, whale sharks in Thailand, or great white cage-diving in South Africa, STV dive professionals know what's up - and when.

7. You won't get stuck somewhere hopping with spring breakers trying to star on the next reality TV show, when what you really wanted was a quiet, romantic dive getaway. STV dive travel professionals listen to what kind of dive vacation you want - and will do everything to ensure you get it.

8. You won't get sticker shock at check-out time from a dive resort, because you didn't know about those taxes and surcharges in the fine print of the disclaimer in your bill. We let you know up front everything included in your vacation - including any little extras - so you leave fully prepared.

9. You won't be standing around in the sweltering humid early morning foolishly waiting for that transfer from the airport to the resort that never comes. Yep, we handle ground transfers, too. We've got you covered.

10. You won't get a panic attack looking at your credit card statement after you discover the less than 100 percent professional resort or dive operator mistakenly charged your card more than once when you booked online. Let STV sweat all the details. Life is complicated. Vacations shouldn't be.

A review by STV Liveaboard Specialist Randy Osgerby

I just returned from a trip on Explorer Venture's new luxury liveaboard, Carpe Vita. Based in the Maldives, she is a beautiful and comfortable boat with all the modern conveniences. The boat accommodates up to 20 guests in 10 cabins. The cabins are huge, big enough for a double and twin bed side by side. They are fully air-conditioned, with a flat panel HDTV, desk & chair (nice for photo editing), AC outlets with adapters, and a spacious ensuite bathroom. Each has a spacious closet, plenty of drawer space, even a room safe.

The 127' boat is is very wide for her length, which makes for a stable ride even in rough seas. Her public areas are as spacious as her cabins, and very comfortable. We ate nearly all our meals on the aft section of the upper deck. Fresh air, great views, very good food! The meals are usually served buffet-style, with several entree choices and decent variety.

The boat is of wood construction, which makes for a strong hull and is much quieter than the normal steel or aluminum boat. The noise factor is further enhanced by the fact that the compressors for filling scuba tanks are not even on board. That's right - they are located on the 65' dive tender, called a dhoni. Hardly a tender, the dhoni is a self-contained dive boat, loaded with everything needed for comfortable, easy diving. Each diver has his own station, where his gear will reside for the duration of the trip. The dive deck at the stern is at water level, making for an easy giant-stride entry. There are fresh water tanks for cameras, and the two fresh water showers have tons of hot water for a post-dive rinse. Nitrox and large capacity tanks are available if requested.

The diving is very good. The CV is one of the very few boats in the Maldives that offers 4 dives a day, most offer only three. We visited north and south Male and north and south Ari Atoll dive sites. On the outside of the atolls, visibility was very good with decent current on occasion. Inside the atolls, lower visibility was the norm, but it was flat calm and made for good whale shark and manta conditions. We had everything from mantas to nudibranches, and a few nice wrecks thrown in for good measure. There were tons of clown fish and eels. We had reef sharks, whitetips, and a hammerhead every now and then. Hard corals predominate and the reefs are generally healthy. Water temp averaged 81-82F.

For a brand new boat, the Carpe Vita runs very smoothly. The crew is well-trained and very organized. The food was consistently good and hot and the cabins were always clean. The dive crew is very experienced, and it is obvious they know the dive sites well. The briefings were thorough and the dive masters were happy to show you around or let you putter along at your own pace.

All in all, the Carpe Vita is a great boat located in a great destination. The travel time to get there is not short, but it is well worth it once you arrive. It is a very good value as well, with pricing cheaper than many Caribbean boats. You would not go wrong by choosing this boat for your next dream vacation. Highly recommended!

A conversation with Tom Gorman

No matter how long he has been leading dive trips, he never allows himself to get cynical or jaded. No matter how many hiccups, headaches or misadventures happen on these trips he has hosted, going on nearly 30 years and involving groups as small as nine and as big as 48, he has always found a way to overcome.

So this month, when Tom Gorman – who has been with Scuba Travel Ventures since 2008 – leads yet another group dive trip, this time, to Palau and Chuuk, he’ll be just as passionate about having new and seasoned divers making their own discoveries in and out of the deep.

“There’s nothing like people oohing and aahing at things they see,” says Gorman, who was born in Beaufort, S.C., founded and ran dive clubs for years in Laguna Beach, Calif., and now makes his home in Irvine, Calif. “When you have people from all kinds of backgrounds together, it’s their love of diving where they all find something they have in common.”

It was a land trip though, that helped develop Gorman’s love for dive travel. In 1985, a year after he got certified, Gorman and his mother Anne took a trip by themselves to Ireland which he calls “a trip to remember.” Mother and son visited many famous places on the Emerald Isle. The highlight, Gorman says, was seeing his mother literally bend over backwards to kiss the Blarney Stone.

“It was great to be able to spend that time with her,” says Gorman, who has an older sister and three younger brothers. “I was her favorite son.”

Gorman says he has had equally comical moments on dive trips – though at the time, the occasions were dramatic.

“At resorts, I’ve had people knock on my door at 3 a.m., saying they need to get separate rooms because they’re getting a divorce and other people come to me and say they’re in separate rooms and want to get their own with each other and then forget about diving,” Gorman recalls. “The main thing when I lead trips is not trying to be a hero, or embarrass people. There are a lot of egos on dive trips. I’m there to see they have a good time and want to travel with me again.”

Dive Fiji Fiesta 2011

Making my way through security at LAX, all I could think about was Fiji. I've helped many dive travelers get there, but now I was going. Although this was going to be a "business" trip, I was still going to have as much fun as I could. And man, I was going to dive!

We arrived in Nadi, Fiji about 5 a.m. It was actually one-and-a-half days later than I left, because we crossed the International Date Line. I left on Thursday and when I woke up on the Air Pacific 747 flight, it was Saturday. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a lovely local woman who placed leis around my neck, while another handed me a cool drink and a warm towel to refresh myself. Now that is a welcome. I couldn't get over how nice Fijians were. My skeptical mind kept telling me: "This is just for show." But man, was I wrong. Throughout my nine-day journey, I met so many great people. Wherever we went, everybody -- I mean, everybody - waved to us. Fiji definitely has the world's nicest people.

After landing in Nadi I had another nine hours before catching my connecting flight to the neighboring island of Kadavu, so I went to the Tonoa International Hotel -- as was arranged for me as part of the package - for a nice shower, breakfast, and a nap. For my three days in Kadavu, I stayed at Pappagenos Resort, Matava Eco-resort and Matana Resort. All three were great, as each had its own different feel. The diving all around the island was incredible. I saw incredible coral formations and black-tip sharks, white-banded sea snakes, rays, you name it. In Fiji, nothing - from the islands and resorts to the dive sites themselves - is identical. But the people's friendliness was constant. I visited several local villages and experience a local "kava" ceremony, which I'll always remember.

My next stop was the Fijian capital city of Suva, back on Viti Levu, for visits to several resorts along the Pacific Harbor area, including the Pearl, Lalati Resort, Beqa Lagoon, and the Waidroka Scuba and Surf Resort. That was a piece of paradise. The staff was wonderful and the diving around Pacific Harbor and Beqa Lagoon was tremendous, as I saw amazing soft corals (including some in colors I've never seen on a spectrum chart!) and phenomenal wildlife. I'll never forget my time in Fiji - and I can't wait to go back.

Warren Sims

Scuba Travel Ventures

A conversation with Gene Dold

Face it: Doesn't our dashing dive travel specialist look like popular culture's most beloved secret agent?

No wonder, years ago while he was in Grenada convening with dive professionals, a local lady kept staring at him. Even her children would occasionally run up and touch him, then skitter away and giggle, without saying a word.

Finally, a dive shop owner - the lady's husband - told the stranger what all the fuss was about.

Cue the signature James Bond 1960s cinematic theme music.

"They think you're Sean Connery," he said.

But really, he's Dold - Gene Dold.

“I didn’t know what to say at first,” Gene recalls, with a good-natured laugh. “Sean Connery has a reputation for being kind of a jerk. Maybe it’s because I started cutting my beard a little bit shorter back then and it grayed out a little.”

The tactile similarity ends there. When Gene speaks, his accent reveals his time spent in Madison, Wisconsin, not Connery’s Scotland. And while Gene may possess the legendary super-spy’s cool factor, he’ll take his chrome ’05 Road King Custom Harley Davidson touring bike over one of the flashy, tricked out sports cars Connery drove while playing Bond.

“Motorcycle riding is one of my real passions,” Gene says. “I could pick up and drive to Wisconsin right now if I wanted to. You won’t get blown around when a truck passes you on the highway and you can comfortably take another passenger with you.”

From the time Gene first revved up five years ago after getting his motorcycle endorsement, he has logged about 28,000. But whether he’s in the open sea or open road, Gene says he loves being around people who share his passions – as he has experienced for decades in his worldwide diving, from Bonaire and Cozumel to Chuuk (Truk) and North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and his cruising the highways near his Cape Coral, Florida home. Gene sees some definite parallels between diving and motorcycle riding.

“Both are equipment intensive, your margin for error is slim and it requires training,” Gene says. “But both give you the opportunity to explore new and different places. Dive travel isn’t just about looking at cool fish and corals. Just like motorcycle riding, it’s about history and local culture and people. Both force you to learn about your environment.”

And just as he’s a safe diver, don’t expect Gene to pull off any James Bond-style maneuvers on his bike. “No way,” Gene says. “I regard myself as a bit of a klutz.”

For even the most prepared diver, logistics on international dive trips are at best a hassle, and at worst a nightmare. There's a ton of boxes to tick on the mental checklist.

Now - if you’re a diver without any bodily restrictions - put yourself in the fins of a diver with serious physical challenges. What if you’re paraplegic, have very limited mobility, or use a wheelchair? Then your checklist grows exponentially, with questions such as: Will the resort room have a reachable shower head near the shower bench? Can I easily access my bed from my wheelchair? Will the dive boats fully accommodate my needs? Will my dive guide be properly trained in leading divers like me? Or even: Will I have a compatible dive buddy?

Together with the nonprofit organization, Diveheart - an Illinois-based group which trains both disabled children and adults (including military veterans) in diving and trains able-bodied divers to teach and buddy with them - Scuba Travel Ventures helps make physically-challenged divers’ dreams come true. “Diveheart teaches them how to dive,” STV Dive Travel Specialist Mike Arellano says, “we help set up their travel arrangements to make it rewarding for both DiveHeart and the divers."

A group of five Diveheart divers -- five wheelchair-using young adults from Chicago Mike has personally guided - are booked next month to fly to Bonaire for a week of diving at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort .

In addition to booking Diveheart’s trips, STV works to make sure the world’s leading resort managers are aware of physically-challenged divers’ needs and committed to accommodating them. STV also works with resorts to donate vacation package giveaways at trade shows, raffle them off and donate the proceeds of ticket sales to Diveheart, just as the Roatan-based resort,Sueno Del Mar recently did.

“The most gratifying thing is looking at the pictures and hearing the voices of Diveheart divers who in diving did something new,” Mike says. “We’re doing whatever we can to get them more physically and mentally active through dive travel. They’re able to do what able-bodied divers take for granted and feel a sense of accomplishment.”

To learn more about Divheart’s efforts and STV’s collaboration with this nonprofit group, visit diveheart.org.

The traditional dive retailing is changing and ScubaLife is making it happen

ScubaLife is pleased to announce the launch of its B2B site www.scubalife.biz. Its purpose is to explain how this revolutionary program can benefit both the customer and the industry professional.

For years the dive industry has been seeking exciting ways of attracting new divers to our sport. ScubaLife was created for just that purpose. ScubaLife gives new divers easy entry into the sport of diving by offering them a one-stop online shop for purchasing training, equipment and travel.

ScubaLife is a turn-key web based business opportunity for the dive industry professional that connects the new divers with existing dive shops and instructors.

Brought to you by NASE Worldwide, Ocean Designs CORP. and Scuba Travel Ventures, the ScubaLife online portal offers business owners the opportunity to instantly begin selling training, equipment and travel. At the core of the business model, ScubaLife works to help dive professionals attract and keep new customers by providing a custom branded, ready-to-use e-commerce website.

“Our goal is to develop ScubaLife as a tool that enables professionals to tap into the power of the internet, leverage the power of a co-op and focus on profitability by reducing overhead,” says Allen Garber, V.P. Sales and Marketing.

The Scubalife.biz site is designed to answer questions, dispel myths and ultimately sell this business to professionals who want to have a leg up over the competition. The consumer site,www.scubalife.com is targeted new diver acquisition, gear and travel sales for each business owner.

“This is a radically new concept that has huge potential for forward thinking professionals; sometimes getting outside the box is the only option to bring about change,” says Garber.

For years, all of us at Scuba Travel Ventures have been hearing this question from potential clients. And we admit, it’s a darn good one.

We especially hear this question throughout the year when we travel to dive trade shows throughout the country. We also hear another question: Who needs an agency?

Our response, year in and year out, can be summed up by using the three words we consistently offer our clients better than any other dive travel service: Experience, Benefits and Passion.

For nearly 20 years, we’ve delivered to our client base unsurpassed knowledge of the world’s best dive destinations, the best dive resorts, and without a doubt, the best customer service. Why should you go through the hassle of contacting 10 to 20 different resorts, when you can call us or send us an email and get exactly what you’ve been looking for with one phone call?

We cover every last detail of your dive trip, from who’s picking you up at the airport when you arrive and what dives you want to do, to finding you the most lively nightlife and daytime excursions to enjoy. If you want to immerse yourself in local culture or find the best restaurants, we’ll hook you up. We’re not psychic, but trust us, we know exactly what you’re going through as you prepare for your dive trip. We know what questions you’ll ask us and why you’ll ask them.

We have a deep passion as deep as the seas themselves for what we do and it comes across each and every time we talk to you. Our dive travel specialists hear your excitement as you plan your next dive vacation. And they love matching your excitement. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Contacting an agency is not about getting the best price. It is about getting the best value. Call Scuba Travel Ventures and give us the opportunity to get to know you, your likes and dislikes, the types of accommodations you enjoy, the number of dives you want to do each day, where you have been and where you want to go. Let us fit you in to your next adventure which gives you the best value AND exceeds your expectations.

We get what divers want. And we deliver.

So why use STV? Why the heck not?

Teresa Cabading - President & CEO, Scuba Travel Ventures.

Warren Sims is a Metal-Head-Turned-Dive Travel Specialist

Some days, he wants to bolt his home office and go off the rails on a crazy train.

It’s not because his clients, colleagues and customers drive him insane – though setting up divers’ trips to the Caribbean, Fiji and Indonesia and routinely attending dive shows across the country, as STV Dive Travel Specialist Warren Sims does, is intense. In fact, Warren says he loves those parts of his job. It’s just that Warren – an accomplished, lifelong drummer – can’t get rock ‘n roll out of his blood. And the “crazy train” Warren would, in his dreams, hop on board as the incomparable heavy metal legend-turned-TV-reality-show-star Ozzy Osbourne sang about back in the day. That’s when Warren was rocking out on drums, in bands.

“I had hair down to middle of my back and a gnarly mustache,” Warren, now 54, recalls. “I wore bell bottom jeans and t-shirts and our lead singer wore leather pants. We played in bars. Or anywhere we could get set up. We made tapes of our own stuff.”

Still, as much as Warren loves being a rocker, he decided not to make a career of it. “I knew the odds were against me,” Warren says, “and if I didn’t have a regular job, I’d have nothing to fall back on.”

But instead of falling back on something ordinary, Warren back rolled into adventure. He’s almost a full year into his tenure as an STV dive travel specialist and Warren says he loves the challenges that have come with the new job. “I’ve loved being on the road and traveling to all the different dive shows,” he says. “It’s allowed me to reunite with colleagues throughout the industry, meet new clients and sell really great product.”

Besides making the rounds on the dive show circuit, Warren has also been on the road, diving into the Pacific and the Caribbean, to experience firsthand the riches of dive travel, which he’s busy now passing on to dive travel clients he books trips for. Warren was recently swept off his fins by Fiji’s beauty and charm, so he’s elated to be returning there in November, when he’s scheduled to lead a fam trip for a group of dive shop owners.

So if you’re on that trip, planning to sign up for it, or if you plan to book an STV trip to Fiji, Indonesia, or the Caribbean, prepare to work with a dive travel specialist who rocks – figuratively and literally.

You GO, Girls! Plunge Into Adventurous Dive Trips Created Just For You

Diving is a great pastime for everyone who takes the plunge, but sometimes dive travel is even more enriching, therapeutic and downright fun when it’s done with members of an affinity group. In other words, both on land and at sea, it’s great to have a “girl’s night out.” It’s also comforting for some women to travel and dive in the company of other women.

So bringing women together for diving and adventure is just what Teresa Cabading – owner and president of San Diego-based Scuba Travel Ventures – and 44-year dive veteran Karen Kessel are going to do. Together they are joining forces to create travel adventures for women divers with the launching of a new joint venture called Eat, Play, Dive – Women Traveling the World. They’re actively looking for adventurous female divers for the inaugural dive trip who dream of traveling to some of the world’s most unusual dive destinations. But beyond the diving, planned itineraries will also include cultural immersion tours, hiking, biking, kayaking, and whatever else may be available.

Some of the planned itineraries for 2012 and 2013 include unforgettable dive trips to Fiji, the Galapagos Islands and the Philippines.

For each trip, Eat, Play Dive will pair roommates, based on a questionnaire. While most of the planned trips will be for divers with advanced skills, at least one trip per year will be geared toward women wanting to improve their diving skills, or earn open water certifications. There will also be trips dedicated to underwater photography and marine research.

So ladies, what are you waiting for? Catch the pioneering spirit and be the first to jump on board for our inaugural dive adventure trip to Fiji in April 2012!

For more information, call Teresa Cabading at (800) 298-9009 or (619) 291-9087, or Karen Kessel at (209) 985-0304. Or, just visit www.scubatravelventures.com.

A conversation with Randy Osgerby

It's a recent Saturday afternoon and Randy Osgerby had just surfaced from his latest dive travel and underwater photography adventure – an adrenaline-charged live-aboard romp on the Sea Hunter, in the waters surrounding Cocos Island, Costa Rica.

“It was fantastic,” Randy says, in a telephone chat from his Grapevine, Tex. home. “We saw just about everything that was advertised – hammerheads, white-tips and Galapagos sharks. Of course we saw the usual turtles, eels and marbled rays. And a family of orcas passed right underneath our boat.”

Randy, with just over a year under his belt with STV, is one of the newest additions to the dive travel team. But he also is the most accomplished STV agent at his master craft – underwater photography, which he has been doing for decades.

“My preferences are predators and marine mammals,” Randy says. I enjoy macro photography and strange critters, but if I had to pick, photographing big animals is what I live for.”

And what a living it has been. Randy, a former air traffic controller and police officer, owns his own landscape and underwater photography business, Wildlife Imaging and has led groups of underwater photographers on undersea adventures to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and many other destinations. Earlier this year, Randy led a group of dive travelers on a trip to South Africa to watch the frenzied action of the Sardine Run – the fourth time he has witnessed and documented the spectacle.

“There’s nothing like it that you can experience in scuba diving,” Randy says. “Similar behavior occurs in other places in the world, but nowhere else does it happen with so many different species and in such large numbers – sharks, dolphins, birds, whales, and more. And you’re sitting there right in the middle of it.”

So with such an appetite for photographing such chaotic action, what does Randy do to unwind? Every mid-morning, he saddles up his Trek Madone road bike and cycles 25 miles.

“It’s relaxing,” Randy says, “but it’s also a good opportunity for me to organize my day and get away from phones and computers and clear my head.”

But when he returns to his home office, Randy reaches out to STV customers, no doubt enticing them with stories of some of his underwater and land encounters with the wildlife he enjoys photographing.

“I like visiting new destinations on behalf of STV, checking them out to make sure they meet our standards,” Randy says. “I also enjoy making travel arrangements for clients, putting together vacations for them and sharing my experience.”

Some of those include photographing polar bears in the Arctic, a close call with a family of grizzly bears in Alaska and his most recent thrill ride – a night dive off Cocos, surrounded by hundreds of hungry, hunting white-tips.

“I got bumped a few times when they were feeding,” Randy says. “We were outnumbered by hundreds of sharks. There are some rules of engagement and if you’re complying at all times you don’t get hurt. But I’ve been very lucky to have seen some really interesting things.”

We’d been officially warned.

Liz, our dive guide with the dive operator Aqua Center, aboard its boat, the Fun Fisher II, let me and the other handful of divers know in her briefing that our morning dive at Islas Catalinas – a series of rocky outcroppings off of Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast – would provide “whatever nature wants to give us.”

At a sand bank in about 55 feet of water, Mother Nature gave us a special gift: Ten – count ‘em, 10! – white-tip reef sharks. We’re talking more sharks than we could point underwater digital cameras at. My heart surged with excitement as I lay on the sandy bottom, observing, as the sharks appeared to be taking turns between resting and swimming in oval patterns around their group, as if on a reconnaissance patrol. I was silently congratulating myself for picking out my lucky orange swimming trunks to wear on this dive.

Las Islas Catalinas are located near Playa Flamingo, a sleepy coastal resort village that’s about a 90-minute, 45-mile drive southwest of Liberia, Costa Rica’s second largest city and the location of the closest international airport. The lovely Playa Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa, centrally situated in the village, but also just steps away from the beach, was an ideal location for fun.

On this beautiful, balmy morning, we were diving a site called Catalina East, where pelagics and tropical fish show up to sample the tasty nutrients coating and swirling among the rocks. In these waters, coral is rare, but the wildlife is abundant. Before crashing the white-tip party, we were treated to the awe-inspiring sights of three spotted eagle rays and several traffic jams of topical fish.

Islas Catalinas aren’t the only standout dive sites here. Dirty Rock featured a quartet of graceful spotted eagle rays all hunting for food, a jewel moray poking its head out of its home, an octopus hiding among the rocks and a school of king angelfish in session.

Out of the water, there’s no shortage of adventure, including hiking, zip-lining and other activities. Bill Beard’s Costa Rica lined up a refreshing run for me on the rapids of the Rio Colorado, in an inflatable kayak. With neighboring Nicaragua only a two-hour drive north, I asked a Bill Beard’s guide if he could somehow make a day trip there happen. He worked his magic and soon I was enjoying more natural wonders: the rugged Masaya Volcano, and the idyllic islets of Lake Nicaragua.

Whether I was on the surface or under the sea on this trip, whether in Costa Rica or Nicaragua, Mother Nature was generous in her giving.

Gil Griffin, Editor - Scuba Travel Ventures

I just returned from a fantastic dive trip to Isla del Coco, better known as Cocos Island. It has been known as a shark lover's Mecca, not only for the variety of sharks but the sheer numbers. What most people go for of course is the chance of seeing schooling hammerhead sharks. We were not disappointed but more on that in a moment.

What prevents many people from visiting Cocos is the challenging crossing from the mainland. Cocos is located about 350 miles southwest of Costa Rica and the only way to get there is a 36 hour crossing by liveaboard boat. The crossing does have its advantages - getting over any jet lag, unhurried camera and gear setup, and getting to know your fellow divers. It can be a little rough at times but usually the sea is acceptably smooth. The big payoff though is the opportunity to dive in one of the most spectacular destinations on earth.

We spent almost two weeks on Sea Hunter, one of the three boats in the Undersea Hunter Group. She is a very comfortable boat - air conditioned cabins and interior spaces, decent sized dive deck, and great accommodations for photographers. Each shooter has his own station, with shelves and more AC plugs for charging batteries than any boat I have ever been on. They offer 110 and 220 voltages to accommodate anyone.

All diving is done from the two tenders. Your gear stays on the tender for the duration of the diving. No changing tanks, moving regulators, etc. When the bell rings, you get your dive briefing, grab your camera and board the tender.

The main salon is very comfortable. There are always snacks and drinks available and the boat has a vast DVD movie collection (great for long crossings!). They have a large HDTV with every imaginable plug to connect computers, cameras, memory sticks, etc.

The meals are all served buffet-style. After 30 liveaboard trips, I have experienced good and not-so-good food. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Sea Hunter's food was great. There were always plenty of choices and lots of variety. The dining room seats 20 guests and is very comfortable.

Enough about the boat. What you really want to know - does the diving live up to the hype? Without a doubt it does! Cocos has just about every big animal you could ask for. Schooling hammerheads, huge Galapagos sharks, white tip sharks too numerous to count. I never dreamed I would admit this, but I actually stopped photographing white tips after three days or so, because they were on every dive and in such great numbers.

We had enormous marbled rays (some almost 2 meters in diameter), schooling eagle rays, mantas, dolphins, several species of eels, turtles, large schools of jacks and bait fish. There were plenty of interesting reef and bottom fish (including red-lipped batfish). There were not too many shots of them though, since the DSLR shooters stayed committed to big animals and wide angle lenses.

One of the highlights of the trip was when a family of orcas escorted our panga to the dive site. Papa, mama, and baby orca surfaced numerous times all around the boat. As we prepared to roll in, mama glided under the boat, maybe one meter below the surface. We rolled in asap but no doubt the commotion convinced the protective parents to escort junior out of view. To be that close, even if it wasn't underwater, was a thrill of a lifetime.

Diving in Cocos is challenging. There is almost always light to moderate current, cool water, and often there is reduced visibility due to particulate matter in the water. But these are the exact conditions that bring in the sharks. An advanced diving certificate or higher is recommended. Gloves and full wetsuits are almost mandatory due to sharp barnacles and other "pointy" things on the rocks. There is very little coral in Cocos so there is no fear of damaging anything by holding on - it's a matter of hiding in the rocks to convince the hammerheads to come in close.

Cocos and Costa Rica offer other fantastic photo ops. There is a large colony of red-footed booby birds on the island while frigates and other sea birds are also commonly seen. The birds are unafraid of man and allow a very close approach without being alarmed. On the mainland, there are numerous tours you can take to view wildlife. On our transfer from the port of Puntarenas back to San Jose, we saw tons of rare parrots, iguanas, and some giant American crocodiles. Yes, there are some rivers you definitely do not want to walk along the shore of!

Cocos is a very special place. Like many protected habitats, it is threatened by illegal fishing. The authorities do their best with very limited resources to keep the fishermen at bay but it is a struggle. If you are interested in finding out about ways to help, please contact me and I can steer you in the right direction.

Cocos is an underwater photographer's dream. Even if you are not a shooter, it is definitely a destination that should be on every diver's bucket list. If you do decide to visit, feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. To view a 3 minute clip of outrageous nighttime shark feeding activity, click here to go to my YouTube posting. Additional photos will be posted soon on my website at www.wildlifeimaging.com.

Until next time,

Randy

We weren't in the water for more than 10 seconds, having just dropped in off San Benedicto, one of the islands in Baja California's Sea of Cortez, when suddenly - right there in front of me - I saw the largest whale shark I had ever seen.

It was over 30 feet long, looked well-fed and had dozens of fish clinging to its skin, waiting to eat the remains of whatever the whale shark missed. As this giant of the deep slowly swam by, I got several pictures until it disappeared into the blue. But just when I thought the "show" was over, it headed back toward us for an encore, with about a dozen dolphins trailing behind, as if they were clowns in this underwater circus.

It was a good thing our dive leader signaled for us to swim back way we came - there were two more whale sharks awaiting us at a pinnacle. It was overwhelming.

This was the kind of big animal action we were often treated to on a weeklong adventure aboard the Rocio Del Mar, a stellar liveaboard vessel whose home port is Puerto Penasco.

I'd always dreamed of having encounters with whale sharks and giant mantas and now I - and a great group of people from all walks of life, from around the world - were diving the dream.

Savvy divers call the Socorros "the Galapagos Islands of Mexico" and even their patience - is tested on journeys there. It's a 24-hour sail from port to reach them and it takes just about that long to get your sea legs.

That allows plenty of time for the ship's captain and crew to brief lucky passengers about the wildlife they may encounter, depending on the time of year -- giant manta rays and several shark species, including whale sharks, hammerheads, white-tips, black-tips, Galapagos and tigers. The full day trip also allows voyagers time to relax in the ship's air-conditioned rooms, some furnished with queen size beds, private bathrooms with showers and amenities like a TV room and sun deck and eat some of the marvelous Mexican cuisine prepared by the supremely skilled chef.

Most of the diving we did was from inflatable boats called pangas and the ship also has a great prep area for diving. The tanks are high so that you only have to back into them standing up. What a great way to put on and take off your BCD with the tank. We were also given specific station numbers. Right next to each other and there was plenty of space to put away your fins, mask, and other diving necessities.

When we plunged back into the waters at another terrific site, the Boiler - so named for spots that look like boiling water, caused by the release of pressure deep below, the vis was very clear, and there was an abundance of sea life that I had not noticed before. This side of the pinnacle was like a big flat wall with these little ledges and wholes for creatures to hide in. The colors were amazing. I saw at least four large moray eels, dozens of lobsters, some fighting, or mating. There were fish everywhere, sharks, tuna, and jacks. It was like we walked into a fish condo and they were having a street party!

And it was here, on the last dive of the last dive day, where I saw what I was waiting for - giant mantas. Two suddenly came out to play and danced in front of us. Although we would have been happy with just the whale shark encounters, interfacing with the mantas was icing on the cake.

Warren Sims - Dive Travel Specialist, Scuba Travel Ventures

Quick! How many newlywed couples can you name in the diving community who also own dive shops and are dive travel specialists? Few if any, right?

Leave it to Scuba Travel Ventures to find two lovebirds like Rod and Liz Tuttle, who tied the knot last fall. They not only own The Dive Shack, in El Cajon, Calif., but they’ve also come on board with STV as our newest dive travel specialists.

“Since we started working with STV, we’ve had customers we haven’t seen in a while,” Rod says. “And they’ve come back and helped bring previous customers back as well.”

Fiji, Bonaire, Roatan and Cozumel have so far been the most popular destinations for Rod’s and Liz’s clients. Through their work at STV, the couple helps divers live out their undersea dreams.

“We love making sure people fulfill their bucket lists and making sure they have a great time on their dive trips,” Rod says. “Doing the planning for them relieves them of the pressure of putting together the logistics.”

Liz says joining the STV team has relieved the couple of the burden of feeling as if they have to be walking dive encyclopedias for the clients. “Working with STV, we have a network of other agents now, that we can share information with,” Liz says. “They can give our clients information if we're not familiar with specific resorts and help us with answers we might not know.”

The pair first met five years ago in the store, which Rod started “because there were no dive shops in the eastern part of San Diego County and I was tired of going all the way down to the beach shops to get service and get air fills.”

Liz signed up for an Open Water class – guess who her instructor was? – and after she earned her Divemaster cert, the couple’s friendship bloomed into a romance. What sparked it? “I kept bugging her,” Rod says, dryly.

The two really hit it off after they discovered they shared a mutual passion for travel.

“I like to go around the world and experience cultures and see the people,” says Liz, a Connecticut native who before joining the dive industry worked as a soil technician for an engineering firm. “I love to experience culture, food and artwork.”

Years ago in the Mexican city and state of Oaxaca, she experienced all three by visiting rural villages, collecting locally made black pottery and wooden figurines and snacking on a delicacy few Americans have ever heard of or tried.

“I learned to eat chapulines,” she said.

In English, that Spanish word means – brace yourselves – “grasshoppers.”

“People bake and sauté them in garlic and lime until they’re crispy,” says Liz, who admits she first ate a few after a friend she was traveling with dared her. “It’s like eating potato chips. But the hairs on their legs were scratching our throats as we ate them. We learned from the kids in a village that the secret to avoiding that is pulling off the legs off as you eat them.”

Rod, who worked for an electronics manufacturing company before starting the Dive Shack, said most of his traveling and living abroad before starting the Dive Shack was through his service in the United States Air Force. While he was stationed in Holland, he literally got a kick from his lifetime passion, soccer.

“I played for a Belgian club team,” says Rod, who grew up in Southern California’s Imperial Valley.

“I grew up watching the San Diego Sockers in the old North American Soccer League and I got to play defense for the team in Belgium. I was also in Holland during a World Cup and it was spectacular watching the games with the locals. Here at home I even still play in an ‘old man’s league.’”

Diving and arranging dive travel packages for their STV clients, though, keep them both young at heart. They say they’re enjoying making the transition from organizing only group trips to setting them up for individuals.

“If you do just groups trips, independent divers are unable, due to timing or other factors, to join the group,” Rod says. “By working with individuals now, we can help them fulfill their desires and needs to have some great dive travel experiences.”

Liz and Rod still enjoy leading group dive trips and are planning to host a trip a year from now to Palau and Chuuk (Truk).

Until then, she and Rod are happily fielding calls and emails from STV clients, asking them where their next dive trip should be.

“I get excited when people ask me, ‘where should I go?’” Liz says. “I enjoy opening those doors for them.”

STV Annouces Winner of the 2 fer 1 - 7 Night Dive Vacation

Scuba Travel Ventures just completed a fabulous weekend in Chicago participating at the 42nd Our World Underwater Dive Show.

One can only hope that each and every dive show to follow will have the same energy and organization displayed this past weekend.

STV (as we do for every show) offered an awesome 7 nights dive vacation drawing during the show. The headliner resort was beautiful Lembeh Resort - Critters @ Lembeh in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

With over 300 people stopping by our booth to enter to win...

STV proudly annouces ED USLAR of Ft. Wayne, Indiana as the winner of the 2 fer 1 Lembeh Resort 7 Night Dive Package Give-Away. Congratulations to Ed! Lucky winner Ed now has to figure our some vacation time and will be allowed one year to take this incredible dive vacation of a lifetime.