This month in the scuba bulletin:
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Novelties in the scuba resource
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Jamaica
Dive Guide |
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Travel news
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Dominica
Announces The Annual Dive Festival |
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Equipment news
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Pegasus
BC vest from Mares
New housings for underwater cameras from Fantasea |
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Marine Conservation
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Create
an ocean-friendly lawn and garden |
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New offers from the last minute board
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Three
offers from the last minute board |
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From the Forum
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Three
interesting topics from the forum |
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Diving business
owner and webmaster corner
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Every month we present a few tips to help you increase your sales using the scuba diving portal. |
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Novelties in the Scuba Diving Portal:
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Dive Guide,
Jamaica
New, the Jamaica diving guide is now complete. The dive guide
counts more than 16 information filled pages. Jamaica has been
sorted by region and each region has it's own diving guide which
includes dive site descriptions per region with highlights about
what to see underwater in each region.
For every region a map showing the situation and depths has been
included making it easy to see the area with the best potential
for diving.
The photo gallery shows the type of fauna and flora to be seen
while diving in Jamaica. All the photos are shot by professional
or semi-professional photographers which gives a choice of
superb photos. The gallery is constantly growing and being
updated regularly with new photos.
Also incorporated is a list of the diving centers of each region.
It's also got its own forum in the regional forum for
discussions about diving in Jamaica or trips starting from the
Jamaica.
This is a great tool for the Jamaica diving society and for
people coming from abroad to plan their vacation and for dive
professionals to find the best locations and diving centers on
place. Dive professionals located in Jamaica can also find
useful contacts and information here.
Take a tour of the guide:
http://gooddive.com/jamaica-diving
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| Travel
news |
Dominica Announces The
Annual Dive Festival
The
annual event takes place in from 11th – 20th
July 2008
Dive Fest is an annual event sponsored by the DWA to focus
attention on the sport of scuba diving, to educate the public
about Scuba Diving (as a tourism product and a career path), and
to raise awareness about Dominica's stunning and unique
marine environment.
The first Dive Fest was
held in 1994 and while it has grown in popularity and activities
over the past decade, there are several events that make up its
core. This is a truly unique event in the Caribbean!
“Dive
Fest was established to showcase the incredible marine
environment of Dominica to both visitors and residents and is
now one of the island's staple events” comments Steve Bornn,
Director of Tourism at the Discover Dominica Authority. “The
community gets into the spirit of proceedings to create a fun,
family festival, so visitors get deeply involved with
co-mingling in the colourful villages as they enjoy everything
else the ’Nature Island’ has to offer – beautiful scenery
and endless adventures above and below the surface of the
ocean.”
Dive
Fest is organised by the Dominica Watersports Association (DWA).
The DWA’s President Simon Walsh comments: “Getting children
into diving and snorkelling is one of our greatest aims, and
seeing the excited reactions as they surface from their first
reef dive never fails to reward. It is also a great means of
educating people how to dive responsibly – both for their own
safety and for the preservation of our reefs. Dominica is
internationally recognised for the health of its marine life and
we intend to keep it that way for future generations.”
Dive Fest offers
great diving, discounted packages, the newest hi-tech cameras
and equipment to try, photography seminars and workshops and
some great prizes -- from cases of Kubuli (our local
prize-winning beer) to phones from Cable and Wireless and other
great prizes from Oceanic and Sealife.
Read more about the Dive Fest: www.dominicawatersports.com |
| Equipment
news |
PEGASUS BC vest …Simply the ideal
travel-wing from Mares.
Further simplicity for an even lighter BC. The inflation bladder is 100% in the rear of the BC enabling high lift capacity, reducing bulk in the front area for an unrestricted feel and maximum freedom of movement. This high lift back mounted construction with pre-shaped shoulder straps and dual position adjustable chest strap is ideal for best fit.
Heavy-duty technopolymer D-rings, removable crotch strap and roll up zippered pocket. MRS is included for an optimal ballast with a mechanical release system… a simple click ensures easy and secure storage of the weight pockets.
Lightweight, streamlined, easy to pack and hassle free … this is what we need in today’s world of travel, more and more strictly confined by airline weight restrictions. Pegasus design encompasses the essential elements to be travel friendly
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That’s all you wish to simply travel and dive!
Read more: http://www.mares.com/product_detail.php?id=401®ion=ALL
New Fantasea Housings for the following cameras:
Nikon Coolpix L15, L16 & L18, P5000 & P5100, S51, S52 & S52c, S210, S600
Nikon D40, D40X and new D60 DSLR Cameras
Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS/IXUS 80 IS
More information and images of these housings:
http://mailing.fantasea.com/downloads/fantasea_spring_08.pdf
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| Education
news |
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Divers Alert Network®
and the American chapter of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS AMERICAS) recently announced a
new training alliance. As part of the alliance, CMAS AMERICAS
now incorporates DAN training programs into its own training.
Frank Toal, president
and CEO of CMAS AMERICAS, said DAN is obviously the industry
leader when it comes to oxygen and other emergency training
programs. “DAN literally wrote the book on it,” Toal said.
“So when we wanted to incorporate this important information
into our training schedule, we naturally turned to the ones who
started it all.”
The alliance begins
with the training of CMAS AMERICAS Instructors and the
requirement that all CMAS Instructors also carry DAN Instructor
credentials. From there, provider-level DAN programs will be
taught from the CMAS Two-Star Diver courses through all
subsequent levels of training.
Dan Orr, DAN president
and CEO, said DAN is delighted to incorporate DAN programs into
the CMAS AMERICAS training structure. “It is another example
of agency cooperation working to improve dive safety,” Orr
said. “The focus of this particular alliance on information
and education reinforces one of the core tenets of DAN’s
mission — the promotion of dive safety through education. We
applaud CMAS’s dedication to this end, and we deeply
appreciate its support of DAN through the use of our
programs.”
When CMAS AMERICAS
looked at how to offer the best, most up-to-date information on
diver first aid and safety, Toal said the alliance with DAN was
the obvious answer. “DAN is the leader in the field, and it
produces the best training programs and support materials
available in the industry,”
Toal said.
The world’s first
international diver training organization, CMAS was founded in
1959 in Monaco by a confederation of 15 countries (including the
United States) to establish an international diver-training
standard. Organized under the direction of Jacques-Yves Cousteau,
the father of the modern sport of scuba diving, CMAS now has a
membership of more than 100 countries. CMAS is headquartered
within the International Olympic Committee building in Rome,
Italy. CMAS AMERICAS' courses are offered by CMAS Instructors,
meet CMAS standards and, as such, are recognized worldwide. For
more information on CMAS and CMAS AMERICAS, go to www.cmasamericas.com.
Divers Alert Network is
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical and research organization
dedicated to the safety and health of recreational scuba divers.
Founded in 1980, DAN has served as a lifeline for the scuba
industry by operating the only 24-hour diving emergency hotline,
a lifesaving service for injured divers. DAN operates a diving
medical information hotline, conducts vital diving medical
research and develops and provides a number of first-aid and
continuing education programs for everyone from beginning divers
to medical professionals. For more information about DAN, visit www.DiversAlertNetwork.org.
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| Marine
conservation |
While
doing your lawn maintenance and gardening, remember that what we
do at home does impact the ocean. Consider these
ideas for a "green" lawn and garden while
protecting the health of your family and our extended ocean
family!
- Make
your lawn children-friendly.
Chemicals used on lawns and gardens can harm pets and are
also poisonous to children, as well as downstream ocean
creatures. More than 70 million pounds of toxic lawn
pesticides are applied annually in the U.S. alone, and much
ends up as runoff when heavy rains or excessive watering
carries them into streets, storm drains and the water
supply. Take advantage of non-toxic
options for controlling lawn and garden pests.
- Green
your lawn, save some green. Beautify your home
and yard by adding flower boxes and planting a mini organic
herb and vegetable garden in your backyard or in pots.
Not only will you enjoy your favorite fresh seasonings and
veggies, you'll also take a little carbon out of the air, as
well as save money at the grocery store and on getting
there. Herb and vegetable gardens are also great projects to
do with kids!
- Plant
wisely. Landscaping your yard can be an act of
ocean conservation, wildlife protection, and energy savings.
You can save energy with energy
efficient landscaping such as evergreen trees on the
north side and deciduous (leafy) trees on the south side of
your home to block winter winds and summer sun.
Using low maintenance native
plants that are adapted to your local environment and
don’t need much watering or pesticides, saves you time and
money. Native plant species are also best for your
region’s native animals, including butterflies and birds,
providing a much needed refuge and food source.
...and
three for the seas
- Create
a truly "green" lawn. If you have a
grassy lawn, you can help protect the ocean by using your
grass clippings as yard mulch
instead of applying fertilizers. If your lawn still needs
some extra TLC, fertilize only once a year, whenever heavy
rains are less likely to occur, to maximize your fertilizer
and prevent excess nutrient runoff from polluting your local
waterways and, eventually, the ocean.
Before fertilizing it's always wise to learn a little about
your soil and test
your soil’s nutrient levels to determine how much
extra nutrients it'll need, if any at all. Organic
fertilizer is now widely available, and is safer for your
health and the ocean's.
- Be
water wise. There are many easy ways to
minimize the amount of water you use in your yard with big
benefits all around. Start by fixing leaky hoses, switching
to "smart"
water sprinklers or getting back to basics by using a
simple watering can to target plant roots – you'll enjoy
the water savings and the extra time to stop and smell the
roses.
Other easy ways to save include watering during the cooler
hours of the day, keeping your grass at least 3 inches to
reduce moisture loss, and investing in a rain barrel to save
rainfall for a dryer day.
- Become
a professional green gardener. Take some time
to educate yourself more about the practices and benefits of
green gardening. For new green gardeners, take time this
month to learn
the basics. For experienced green gardeners, stay on the
cutting edge by updating yourself on some of the new
information and technologies out there.
Share what you are learning with others in your community
and beyond. The more people that know how simple it can be
to make a difference the bigger that difference will become.
What you are learning and sharing will truly benefit your
own community, the global community, and the ocean
community.
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| New offers from the last minute board |
Here are a few of the ads featuring in the last minute board:
South Africa
Price: 200US$
Explore the stunning reefs of Southern Africa with this
incredible selection of great diving experiences in Tanzania,
Mozambique and South Africa. All dive trips can be combined with
fantastic African wildlife experiences. Visit www.pureafrica.com
or email enquiries@pureafrica.com for more information.
Validity: Until 12/07/2008
http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php?a=2&b=340
Italy
Price: 340 EUR
Scuba diving Course with the Spiro Sub Elba PADI dive center. Dive Center since 1974. Duration: 5 days, starting from 10 years old. Maximum depth: 18 metres. The most recognized beginner's certification worldwide that allows you to dive independently with your buddy to a recommended maximum depth of 18 meters. Every Monday afternoon we start a PADI Open Water course at 14:00 hours. During the course have time to study your Open Water Diver Manual, and the Dive Table. You do the dives together with an instructor and maximum 5 students.
Validity: Through 2008
http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php?a=2&b=354
Thailand
Price: 216 EUR
Get your PADI Open Water Course with the best 5 Star IDC and CDC
Dive Center on Koh Tao.Ban's Diving Resort.One of the best Dive
Resort in the world.It's only 216
Euro for the course with 5 nights accommodation by swimming pool.
Validity: Through 2008
http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php?a=2&b=342
Check the board http://www.gooddive.com/board/classifieds.php regularly for new great deals.
If you have a great offer don't hesitate to post it. This service is free!! |
| Diving business owner and webmaster corner
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Every month we present a few tips to help you increase your sales using the scuba diving portal.
For advertising regularity is most important. If you have 1000$
for example to spend on advertising, you're better off making an
ad for 83$ a month valid for 12 months than 1 month at 1000$.
The result for the same amount will be much greater. This
applies to budgets of all sizes. This month GoodDive has a
special offer limited in time for advertising through one year.
Depending on the budget this package can be bought several
for parallel campaigns which will also double, triple, quadruple
the results.
Special offer limited in time.
Advertising package that includes 1 small (120x80 pixels) and 1
big banner (468x60 pixels) + a registration on top of the
listing.
This great value advertising package costs only 99US$ per month
for subscriptions with
a credit card or 990US$ including 2 months free for yearly payments.
Package includes
· Upgrade your listing to the top of the page in the directory and in the dive guide
· Add your logo next to your listing on top
· One advertising banner 468X60 pixels
· One advertising banner 120X80 pixels
· Banners appear randomly on top of all relevant pages of your company and region as
well as in the forum, photo gallery, last minute board, maps and directory.
· Online statistics to track your success
· Our award winning designer can design the necessary banners for
free
To take advantage now or to get more information contact gooddive@gooddive.com
You are authorized to forward
this newsletter to as many friends you wish but it must be in it's
original and complete state.
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