Dive Aventuras Mexico (text version)

OCEAN AND CENOTE DIVING PADI 5-STAR IDC 

Fifty miles south of Cancun, in Puerto Aventuras, lies the dive experience you've been looking for...

Dive Aventuras is located in the Omni Beach Resort in the Puerto Aventuras Marina, in the Club Maeva Resort, and in the Xpu Ha Palace Resort along Mexico's Riviera Maya, just 15 minutes south of Playa del Carmen and 30 minutes north of Tulum. We invite you to experience the wonderful reefs and amazing cavern and cave diving of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Our location is perfect for the diver and non-diver alike. We offer great dive travel deals and packages assuring you a caribbean vacation filled with excellent scuba diving, quality lodging, and fun for the entire family.

Our mission is to provide our customers with the best Scuba Diving experience in the Riviera Maya. If you are planning a scuba diving vacation in the Mayan Riviera, Puerto Aventuras, Playa del Carmen, Playacar, Akumal or Tulum, we can offer you snorkeling tours, guided reef diving, cenote cavern diving and PADI Scuba Diving training including Open Water Courses, referrals, underwater photography, nitrox and cavern courses. Be sure to contact us for Mexico vacations in Puerto Aventuras. We offer condo and villa rentals, and dive and accommodation package deals in the Omni Beach Resort and Catalonia Riviera Maya.

1. OCEAN DIVING
2. CENOTE DIVING
3. SCUBA INSTRUCTION
4. ACTIVITIES / SERVICES
5. A DAY WITH US
6. TRAVEL DEALS
7. ONLINE STORE
8. CONTACT US / MAP
9. PRICE LIST
10. DIVE REPORT
11. ARCHIVED DIVE REPORT
12. DIVER COMMENTS
13. COOL LINKS

Contact us at ,
Dive Aventuras
Omni Hotel and Resort
P.O. Box 9
Puerto Aventuras
Quintana Roo, Mexico 77750
52 or 5129

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1. OCEAN DIVING

Spectacular caribbean reefs are only a 10 minute boat ride from the marina. One of our four boats will quickly transport you to dive sites that are uncrowded, rich with coral and sponges, and host to hundreds of species of fish. The current here is generally mild, thus excellent for new and experienced divers alike. Scuba diving in the Riviera Maya is also a great place to complete open water referral dives. Our central location, just 1hour south of Cancun, 15 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, and 15 minutes north of Akumal, makes it easy to dive and still schedule time for family and friends Your safety, enjoyment and reef preservation are our main concerns.

After your dive check out the Reef Fish and Creature identification books and slates in the shop. Take the challenge and see how many species you can spot on the dive. Our guides will be happy to help search for your favorite critters.

OCEAN  DIVING PRICES*	1-TANK	2-TANK
Ocean Dive	$ 40	$ 78 **
Night Dive (includes light)	$ 65
Nitrox Dive (must reserve ahead)	add $15
Dive Aventuras Experience     (4 ocean dives, 2-tank cenote dive,     plus choice of 1 night, 1 cenote or 2-tank ocean dives)...$ 310
Total Imersion Pkg     (8 ocean dives, 2-tank cenote dive,     plus choice of 1 night, 1 cenote, or 2-tank ocean dives)..$ 410
*All dives include tank and weights. Full equipment rental fee for ocean or cenote diving is $25 per day. All prices in U.S. dollars, effective August 15, 2006 and supercedes all previous price lists. **See price list page for dive package prices For groups of 8 or more divers, contact us for special group discounts

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2. CENOTE DIVING

Dive Aventuras is located minutes from the most famous cenote/cave system in the world. Behold the splendor and magnificence of this unimaginable underground world.

Cenotes are caves that flooded after the ice age when the water level rose. They are filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and crystal clear water. Although they are an overhead environment, cavern dives always stay within the limits of natural sunlight and are limited to groups of 4 divers with a guide. You need only be certified as an Open Water Diver to cenote dive and experience the beauty. Our experienced team of Cave divers can lead cave diving tours to those with cave diving certification.

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3. SCUBA INSTRUCTION

Dive Aventuras is Mexico's first PADI 5-Star IDC and Gold Palm Resort. We offer Scuba diving instruction from Bubblemaker to Instructor Development Courses with Instructor Examinations scheduled regularly. We offer scuba instruction in English, Spanish, German, Dutch, French, and Italian. Our multilingual instructors are some of the finest in the Riviera Maya. They have the experience and skills to take your scuba diving to new levels of excitement. For those divers who have been out of the water for a while or simply wish to increase their confidence before diving again, we offer a 45 minute Scuba Tune-Up.

Whether you're a beginner or experienced diver, we offer lots of new and interesting ways to visit the underwater world!

• Bubblemaker,(ages 8-10)
• Discover Scuba Diving, (min. age 10)
• Scuba Tune-Up
• Scuba Diver and Junior Scuba Diver
• Adult & Jr. Open Water Diver
• Open Water Referral
• Crossover Open Water Referral
• Adult & Jr. Adventure Diver
• Adult & Jr. Advanced Diver
• Emergency First Response
• Rescue Diver
• Divemaster
• Instructor Development Course
• Nitrox
• Cavern Diving
• Specialty Courses including: Underwater Photography, Deep, Navigation, Night, AWARE Fish ID, Drift, Naturalist and Peak Performance Buoyancy.

The PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) is the final step on the road to becoming a PADI Dive Instructor. The IDC is an intensive 9-day program that consists of two parts — the Assistant Instructor (AI) course and the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) program. The IDC is designed to further develop your dive and teaching skills, dive knowledge, and leadership abilities to not only confidently pass the PADI Instructor Examination (IE), but also to become a confident PADI instructor. After successfully completing the IDC you are ready to participate in the PADI IE. If you want to live an extraordinary dive life, the IDC is the next step to take!

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4. ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES

Our main shop is located in the Omni Beach Resort along one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mayan Riviera. Just walking distance from the dive shop are golf, tennis, Dolphin Discovery programs, horseback riding, and much more. Between dives, join us for a game of beach volleyball or relax at the pool and enjoy the beauty of Puerto Aventuras Bay. Just walking distance from the dive shop are golf, tennis, horseback riding, and much more. Five minutes south of the main dive shop lies the eco-friendly resort, Xpu Ha Palace where you will find the Dive Aventuras shop conveniently located on the estuary where you can enjoy unique dives in the freshwater lagoon or our complimentary transfer service will bring you to the main shop for ocean diving.

Also located in our main shop is Something Fishy, the photo center at Dive Aventuras. We have photo supplies including batteries and rental cameras as well as a complete selection of gift items such as notecards and framed photos of some of your favorite reef creatures. Something Fishy now offers custom videos and photo CDs of your dives. Our photo pro will accompany you on your dive to video your underwater experiences. You will receive a custom edited video DVD complete with music to take home and share with friends and family. Or, if you prefer still photos, we can make a CD with lots of images of your dives that you can email or print. Re-live your dives time and time again.

We also offer snorkeling trips to several local reefs and cenotes. Your 1-1/2 hr. trip includes equipment and a local guide to help you find all the amazing underwater life. Some of the best snorkeling in the area is right off the beach in front of the dive shop. Rent a set of snorkel gear and take a look. Frequently sited reef inhabitants include Parrot Fish, Blue Tangs, Bleenies, Wrasse, Damsels, Butterfly Fish, stingrays, anemones, crabs, and even octopus. Interested in a night snorkel? We can organize it!

Be sure to stop by our retail store and logo shop where you will find scuba equipment by manufacturers such as Mares, Scubapro and Technisub. We have a great selection of snorkel gear, t-shirts, hats, swimwear, cameras, books, and lots of good dive conversation. We offer complimentary lockers, gear storage, equipment rental. We even have a top-notch gear repair technician on-site who can help with any problems you may have with your equipment.

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5. A DAY WITH US

Dive Aventuras is open daily from 8:30am until 5:30pm. Our shuttle service provides pick-up and drop-off to many of the hotels along the Riviera Maya. After check-in we'll help you get geared up and head down to one of our four boats. If you need to rent gear, we have a full selection of rental equipment by manufacturers such as Sherwood, Mares and Aqua Lung. The Puerto Aventuras Marina is the only marina between Cancun and Belize and offers you easy access and loading of dive boats from the concrete dock area.

Our first boats depart at 9:00 am with additional dives at 11:00, 1:00 and 2:30 pm. We offer 1-tank dives as our reefs are only a short boat ride away. Between dives, the boat returns to the marina where we switch out gear and after a quick surface interval, head back out to the next site. If you prefer to take a break between dives, you can relax on the spectacular beach just outside the dive shop and spend time with family or get a bite to eat. Daily morning and afternoon cenote dives are also available.

Surrounding the marina area are quaint shops and boutiques filled with local art and handcrafts as well as restaurants offering some of the finest dining in the area. Dive Aventuras offers you the flexibility you need to experience the fantastic local diving while enjoying your vacation with family and friends.

  Dive Aventuras offers you the flexibility you need to experience the fantastic local diving while enjoying your vacation with family and friends.

6. TRAVEL DEALS

Planning a tour to the Mayan ruins? We can help you find a tour operator for ruin tours, sport fishing, ATV Jungle Tours, and Eco-Bike Tours. We can even help you with restaurant and shopping suggestions including tours to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Cozumel.

Check out the great packages listed here or we can custom design a dive and accommodation package especially for you. Contact us with your travel dates and we will help plan the perfect vacation in Mexico's Mayan Riviera for you and your family!

Sensational Summer

8 days / 7 nights All Inclusive accommodations at the Catalonia Riviera Maya
Unlimited land based tours
1 Dive Aventuras Experience package
(includes 4 ocean dives, 2 cenote dives and your choice of 2-tank ocean, 1 tank cenote or 1 night dive) 1 Whale Shark Excursion
Roundtrip airport transfers
Free Dive Aventuras T-shirt
$ 1399 p/p based on double occupancy
Valid from June 1 thru Sept 15, 2006
For info and reservations contact

Riviera Maya Experience

5 days / 4 nights in the All Inclusive Catalonia Riviera Maya
Unlimited land based tours
7 dives (4 ocean dives, 2 cenote dives and 1 night dive) with Dive Aventuras
Roundtrip Airport Transfers
Free Dive Aventuras T-shirt
$860 p/p based on double occupancy
Valid April 15th to August 18, 2007
For info and reservation contact

Romantic Getaway

5 nights / 4 days at the Omni Beach Resort
Daily continental breakfast served in your room
Private jacuzzi
4 Dive package (2 ocean dives and 2 cenote dives)
1 Catamaran sail
Roundtrip Airport Transfers
Free Dive Aventuras T-shirt
$599 p/p based on double occupancy
Valid from April 15 to Dec 20, 2007
For info and reservation contact

A Family Affair

4 nights in fully furnished water front condominium
2 Discover Scuba Diving Programs
2 x 4 dive package
airport transfer
1 Eco Tour Free Dive
Aventuras T-shirt
Roundtrip Airport Transfers
$480 p/p based in cuad occ
Valid from April 15 to Dec 20 For info and reservation contact

For Additional options please contact

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7. ONLINE SHOPPING

Now you can order your favorite Dive Aventuras logowear online. Simply select the items you wish to order, and submit your payment via MasterCard or Visa using our secure web address- https://www.encryptedsites.com/~leahmex/diveaventuras.html. In the "comments" section of the payment form, please indicate the item name, size and color as well as your address for shipping and your items will ship out from the US. within the week. A $10 shipping and handling charge will be added for up to five items. More than five items may incur an additional charge.

• New Item! Sweatshirts
  These embrodered sweatshirts are perfect for cool evenings or to warm up after a dive.
  Sweathirts are generously sized. Sizes: small, medium, large, xlarge
  Colors: white, gray
  Price: $25
  
  
• Ladies Camisoles
  100% cotton ladies camisoles are embrodered with the Dive Aventuras logo.
  Camisole sizes run a bit small. Sizes: small, medium, large, xlarge
  Colors: white, blue, navy, black
  Price: $20
  
  
• Short Sleeve T-shirts
  Our silkscreened T-shirts are 100% cotton. All shirts feature the Dive Aventuras logo on the front pocket area with the designs shown below on the back. T-shirts run a bit small so when in doubt, order the next size up. Sizes: small, medium, large, xlarge, xxlarge
  
  
  • Pyramid Logo T-shirt
    The original Dive Aventuras pyramid logo appears on the back of our most popular T-shirt.
    Colors: white, gray, blue, navy
    Price: $15
    
    
  • Reef Map T-shirt
    Can’t remember which dive sites are your favorites? This shirt features a map of the local reefs and dive sites.
    Colors: white, gray, blue, navy
    Price: $15
    
    
  • Evolution T-shirt
    This humorus T-shirt featuring the evolution of the diver would even make Darwin smile.
    Colors: white, gray
    Price: $15
    
    
  • Cenote Map T-shirt
    Our unique Mayan cenote map is a terrific souvenir from the local caverns.
    Colors: white, gray, green
    Price: $15
    
    
• Logo Ball Caps
  Everyone loves a ball cap and our’s feature the Dive Aventuras logo embrodered on the front.
  Colors: khaki, sand, green with khaki, green, blue, blue w/ khaki, gray, green
  Price: $15
  
  
• Logo Visors
  Whether you’re on the beach or the golf course, these embrodered visors are sure to keep the sun out of your eyes.
  Colors: navy,blue, pink, white
  Price: $15
  
  
• Logo Pins
  Our enameled logo pins are approximately 1.25” x 1”. Great on caps, backpacks, and just for collecting!
  Price: $10
  
  

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8 CONTACT US / MAP

Dive Aventuras, Omni Hotel and Resort Complex
P.O. Box 9, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Mexico 77750
52 or 5129

Dive Aventuras lies 50 miles south of Cancun International Airport in Puerto Aventuras on Highway 307. We are centrally located along Mexico's Riviera Maya with the Caribbean Sea right outside our door. Just 10 minutes north is the quaint town of Playa del Carmen and only 30 minutes south, the ruins at Tulum.

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9. PRICES

INSTRUCTION

REGULAR COURSE	PRICE
Discover Scuba Diving*  1-tank	$  95
Discover Scuba Diving*   private lessons	$ 135
Discover Scuba Diving*   2-tanks	$ 135
Scuba Refresher	$  95
Scuba Diver*	$ 250
Open Water Diver*	$ 395
Open Water Referral*	$ 240
Crossover Water Referral*	$ 260
Adventure Diver	$ 215
Advanced Open Water	$ 325
Medic First Aid	$  95
Rescue Diver	$ 350
Divemaster	$ 665
Instructor     Development Course	please inquire
SPECIALTY COURSE
Nitrox Specialty	$ 275
Cavern Course	$ 395
Underwater Photography	$ 250
Full Dive Gear Rental    (during above activities)	$  25
* Includes equipment and certification fees    ALL DIVES INCLUDE TANKS AND all WEIGHTS

WATER ACTIVITIES

TRIP	1.5 HRS
Ocean Snorkeling Trip	$  35
Cenote Snorkeling Trip	$  35
RENTALS	PER HOUR	PER DAY
Boogie Board		$ 10
Mask, Snorkel and Fins		$ 10
Wetsuit		$ 5

DIVING SERVICES

OCEAN DIVES
NUMBER OF DIVES	PER DIVE	PACKAGE
1	$ 40	$ 40
2	$ 39	$ 78
3	$ 38	$ 114
4	$ 37	$ 148
5	$ 36	$ 180
6	$ 35	$ 210
7	$ 34	$ 238
8	$ 33	$ 264
9	$ 32	$ 288
10	$ 31	$310
more than 11 dives per  person  $ 30 per dive
OTHER DIVES	1 TANK	2 TANKS
Cenote Dives (includes light)	$ 65	$ 110
Cave Dives	$ 125	$ 210
Cave equipment rental	$ 75	$ 75
Night Dives	$ 65
Nitrox Dives   (must reserve ahead)	add $15
Dive Aventuras Experience     (4 ocean dives, 2-tank cenote dive,     plus choice of 1 night, 1 cenote,     or 2-tank ocean dives)		$ 310
Total Imersion Pkg     (8 ocean dives, 2-tank cenote dive,     plus choice of 1 night, 1 cenote,     or 2-tank ocean dives)		$ 410
ADVENTURE DIVES
AWARE-Fish I.D.	$ 60
Boat Adventure	$ 60
Deep Adventure	$ 60
Drift Adventure	$ 60
Peak Performance    Buoyancy	$ 60
Search and Recovery	$ 60
Underwater Naturalist	$ 60
Underwater Navigation	$ 60
Multilevel    and Computer	$ 60
Night Adventure	$ 80
Underwater    Photography	$ 70
Full Dive Gear Rental    (during above dives)	$ 25
ALL DIVES INCLUDE TANKS AND WEIGHTS

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10. DIVE REPORT

Welcome to our dive report. Check in frequently for updates on guests, dive condition, and photos.

November 12, 2007

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional showers
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 78°F
Water Temp: 80°F
Viz: Good
Current: Mild

Watch for our New Website to Launch the end of this month!


I just couldn't wait until the new website was up to share the details of our exciting DEMA trip. Although it was a long week of tight shoes, uncomfortable clothes, rich food, and talking until we lost our voices, it was a highly successful trip for Dive Aventuras.
     The Orlando Convention Center is a perfect spot for this huge scuba professionals trade show. Equipment manufacturers, training organizations, retailers, travel destinations, publications, artists, and underwater imaging professionals were all on hand to "strut their stuff". With over 700 exhibitors and 11,000 attendees, there was lot's going on including a demo pool to try out all the latest gear, workshops, seminars, live television and radio broadcasts, awards parties, and silent auctions. The Art Innovation Center, an art gallery just by the front entrance, provided a place where beauty of the underwater world could be seen by all the attendees. Artwork by well-known artist such as Wyland, and Guy Harvey, photographers Michael Aw, and Bob Talbot as well as sculptures and even demonstrations by tattoo artists specializing in marine life were on exhibit. One of the most popular booths was the "Fish Books" booth (the official name is "World Publications" but we all know them as the Paul Humann fish, creature, and coral reference books) celebrity staffed by Paul Humann himself, as well as Anna and Ned DeLoach. Other popular guests included Stan Waterman signing his book of essays, "Sea Salt".
     Mike, Nils, Debbie and myself (celebrities in our OWN minds!) managed our two booths, one in the Mexico destination aisle, and another independent booth on the opposite side of the show. Both booths were well attended with many new contacts made and as always, lots of familiar faces stopping by. We passed along a suitcase full of the new 2008 Dive Aventuras Vacation Planner and promo DVD to dive shop owners and travel brokers from all over the world. The upcoming year could prove to be busy here!
     Although DEMA is not a consumer show, (open only to Scuba professionals), if you are interested in attending a scuba trade show, there are several available to consumers around the country. The dates for "Our World Underwater" in Chicago is February 15-17, 2008. Dive Aventuras will have a booth at the show in New Jersey called "Beneath the Sea", March 28-30, 2008. We'd love to see you there!
The other big news is the new Dive Aventuras You Tube Channel! We will be constantly adding videos including the soon to premiere "A Virtual Day" video. Now, when you're stuck at the office, you can check out "Mxmermaid" on the You Tube channels option, or simply type in a search for "Dive Aventuras" in the home page to get a quick fix of your favorite home away from away.
     Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, so you want to know what the diving is like right now, after all, this IS the Dive Report, right? The seas have been flat due to a prevailing north wind and with the slight drop in water temps (to 80F), the diving and visibility have been outstanding. The shop has been fairly busy and post-dive chatter has been filled with talk of turtles, schooling Tarpon, abundant angels,and even an occasional nurse shark.
     I'll wrap this up by reminding everyone about the Dive Aventuras Photo Contest. Check the archives for the last Dive Report for all the details.

Until then, Best Fishes,
Karen

11. ARCHIVE DIVE REPORTS

October 25, 2007

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional showers
Seas: Mixed seas
Air Temp: 87F
Water Temp: 81F
Viz: Mixed
Current: Mild

Big things are in the works here at Dive Aventuras! By mid November we hope to have the unveiling of our new webpage! We’ve been working nonstop to develop a new site that will be both informative and fun to visit. Some of the new features include streaming video, accommodation options, a list of hotels within our transfer service, and excursion information. Our new Scuba Blog will replace the Dive Report and will keep our readers informed and entertained with the events in and around the dive shop. A new photo gallery will feature shots from our local reefs, cenotes, and topside images. Be sure to take a look at the Dive Courses page for details on learning to dive or advancing your training level. Our 2008 Vacation Planner will be on line also to help you plan the perfect vacation. Forget to get a t-shirt while you were in the shop? The On-line store will allow you to purchase your favorite Dive Aventuras logo items and DVDs once you are back home. We are truly excited about this new look but the real test of it's success will be you. Please let us know what you think about our new site and if there are things we can do to improve it for you, our clients.
     We've also been on the road promoting the dive shop. Mike, Nils, Debbie and I just returned from the largest dive show in Great Britain. We met so many nice folks but the best part of the entire trip was seeing so many of our clients from the UK walking around the show in their Dive Aventuras t-shirts! Next stop, Orlando, for the Scuba industry's largest show for the professional dive community, DEMA. This is a special event that we look forward to each year because not only do we get a sneak peak at all the cool new scuba stuff before it hits the market but we get to see more friends from all around the world. At the Dema show, equipment manufacturers, training agencies, retail merchandisers, and travel destinations crowd the floor of the Orlando convention center to promote their products. Training seminars and workshops are also conducted all through the week keeping dive professionals current on techniques and skills. Hopefully I will be able to post a detailed report in our new scuba blog when we return.

Annual Dive Aventuras Photo competition It's that time of year again, and we're calling for entries beginning December 1st. We've got some great prizes lined up this year so be sure to check out the categories below and get your best images together for this special competition.

CATEGORIES Reef life: fish portraits, critters, reefscapes Diver Down: divers underwater (great for cenotes!) Cenotes: all things related to diving the caverns The Lighter Side: humorous dive related shots above or below the water
Topside: capture the essence of the bueatiful Puerto Aventuras area

RULES This is a competition for our clients so all images must have been taken while diving with Dive Aventuras between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2007. You may enter up to 3 images per category. Electronic files should be no larger than 640x480 pixels. If email files exceed 3MBs, please send multiple emails. Send all electronic entries to . If you are shooting with film and wish to enter prints, please contact us () for mailing instructions.

DEADLINE Midnight December 31, 2007. Winners will be announced the second week of January.

Remember to stay tuned for the new website comming soon!
Until then, Best Fishes,
Karen

Hurricane DEAN Report

We know from the many emails and phone calls we received that everyone is eager to hear how we faired during Hurricane Dean. Although early reports indicated we might get a direct hit, the storm passed 100 miles to the south of us and we were spared the brunt of the storm. Still, the memories of Hurricanes Emily and Wilma in 2005 are fresh and we all prepared for the worse.
     With the Saturday forecast predicting the storm to come ashore in Puerto Aventuras early Tursday morning, we cleared the shop of retail merchandise, took the tops and motors off the boats and secured them with additional lines in the marina area and the front of the shop was boarded up. Sunday morning we were back to finish up preparations and then we held our breath and waited. With a constant eye on the NOAA website, we watched as Dean slowly turned more west than northwest. Each updated forecast showed a slight drift to the south. With the enthusiasum of Varsity cheerleaders at the Homecoming game, we cheered it on and though not wishing it on others, we were relieved to be out of the eye of the storm.
     Monday afternoon the breeze picked up and by midnight we had sporatic heavy rainfall and the winds were gusting up to 95mph. The seas were impressive with 25 to 30ft waves reported at the channel buoy.
     When daylight broke Tuesday morning, the rain was intermitant but the seas were still stormy and the winds blustery. We all ventured out to check things out and were happy to see that the shop, the boats, and our staff were all safe. We saw very little damage, no broken glass of downed trees. We had experienced approximately a 9ft tide surge and the sea made it up to the deck at the Omni and filled the swimming pool but stopped just one small step from entering the dive shop. The Omni lost some steps near the jacuzzi bar but were busy repairing them the next day. No rooms were damaged and all hotels in the area are open.
     By Wednesday, the seas were calm, skies were blue, and cleanup was almost complete. Families returned to the beach searching for seashells and enjoying the sun. Restaurants were open and marina activities resumed. After giving the shop a through cleaning, we put the retail merchandise back out and started taking reservations.
     We feel very fortunate to have dodged the storm and we appreciate the kind words and well wishes from all our friends and extended “Dive Aventuras family”. We hope to see all of you back in Puerto Aventuras soon.

Best Fishes,
Karen

2006 Dive Aventuras Annual Photo Competition Winners

Each year we see more and more talented and enthusiastic photographers in the dive shop. To showcase their talents, we held our first annual photo competition. Criteria stated that any photo taken while diving with Dive Aventuras in 2006 would be eligible. We received some wonderful images and judging was difficult. Thanks to our team of judges who made the choices.
...And the winners are: (insert drum roll here)

Best In Show
Ed Charters—Scrawled Filefish
Ed wins a 4 day/3 night dive and accommodation package for 2 people

The Living Reef Category
First Place--Tom Moffatt (Golden Tail Moray)
Tom wins 3 ocean dives plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Second Place--Karen Boswell (Banded Butterfly on reef)
Karen wins 2 ocean dives plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Third Place—Melissa Kauffman (Spotted Eagle Ray)
Melissa wins 1 ocean dive plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Macro Category
First Place—Bill Boswell (Leopard Flatworm)
Bill wins 3 ocean dives plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Second Place—Karen Boswell (Giant Anemone)
Karen wins 2 ocean dives plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Third Place—Melissa Kauffman (Peacock Flounder)
Melissa wins 1 ocean dive plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Diver Down Category
First Place—Ed Charters (Barb Goes Diving)
Ed wins 3 ocean dives plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Second Place—Ed Charters (The teacher becomes the subject!)
Ed wins 2 ocean dives plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Third Place—Melissa Kauffman (Nick cruising the reef)
Melissa wins 1 ocean dive plus a free Dive Aventuras T-shirt

Congratulations to all our winners! And to all you other photographers, start organizing the photos you take while diving with us in 2007 for the next big photo competition!

Best Fishes,
Karen

December 2006

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Flat Seas
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 80°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Dive Aventuras hit the road in October and November to promote our area as a travel destination first at the Dive 2006 show in Birmingham England and then at the DEMA show in Orlando. This was our first year attending the show in England and Debbie and Nils manned the booth to promote diving in the Riviera Maya. This show was attended by 16,000 avid divers over a two day period and many of our clients from Great Britain stopped by the booth for a visit including Sara and Andrew. Sara proved to be quite the little minx when she swiped the Dive Aventuras sign from our booth at the end of the show to take home as a souvenir.
    All four of us attended the Diving Equipment and Manufacturers Association show (DEMA) in Orlando. This show is the largest wholesale show of it´s kind with everything you can imagine (and some things you'd NEVER imagine) relating to scuba diving. This show, unlike the Dive 2006 show in England, is open only to professionals in the scuba industry providing them with an opportunity to see the newest products available in our industry. Most of the big guys were there such as Mares, Oceanic, Zeagle, Tusa, Dive Rite, Sea and Sea, and Aqua Lung. The equipment manufacturers had lot's of new things to preview to the 13,000 attendees. Also at the show were diving training agencies such as our own PADI organization, dive publications, retail merchandisers, travel wholesalers, underwater camera specialists and everything else related to scuba. Our booth was located right on the tram path which proved to be quite and excellent location. Like the England show, we saw many familiar faces and our booth was often crowded with old and new aquaintances.
    In March 2007 we will be heading up to the Meadowlands in New Jersey for "Beneath the Sea", one of the largest scuba consumer trade shows in the country. This weekend-long show is open to the public so if you are in the area, we hope you'll stop by and say hello.
    Okay, so you want to know about the diving??? I was out with Maurico and saw 2, ¼ inch juvenile trunkfish (one smooth and one spotted), a chain moray and a harlequin pipefish. Frequent reports of eagle rays, nurse sharks and friendly turtles abound. I was out with the new video camera and got some great footage of Louie the Loggerhead (a monster size turtle who is almost blind and usually is spotted in deeper water) on Las Islas in 35ft of water and then later that day, spent 12 mins with a loggerhead surrounded by 3 species of Angelfish while he munched on a brown sponge. He completely ignored the 6 divers who watched him eat his lunch. One group of divers reported seeing 2 large green morays out free swimming among the dive group. So, while Deb, Nils, Mike and I are out pounding the pavement introducing Dive Aventuras to the world, our divers are blowing bubbles and having a great time!

Best Fishes,
Karen

September 2006

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Flat Seas
Air Temp: 90F
Water Temp: 84F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

GREAT NEWS.....Dive Aventuras is pleased to announce our new location in the Maeva Club. This all-inclusive resort is just 5 mins south of the shop in Puerto Aventuras. Our new shop is a full service dive center offering the same amenities as our main shop including dive boats on site that depart directly from the beach at the hotel, equipment rental, rinse tanks, gear storage, air conditioned classroom, retail shop, video services, and the same top-drawer customer service you have come to expect from our staff. Your favorite dive sites are still a short boat ride away with some new, more southern sites on the menu. With fresh paint and new retail displays finally in place, the facility is open and we've had a steady stream of clients in the shop for the first week. Cenote diving as well as ocean diving is also available daily
     The resort is incredible. Nestled on over 200 acres of natural beauty in the Mayan Riviera. Nature abounds here and with only 300 rooms, the Maeva Club affords it's guest a more intimate experience than many larger, all-inclusive hotels. A long stretch of powder white beach extends well beyond the resort and it's protected bay, providing the avid beachcomber plenty of opportunities for extended walks down the beach. The large pool offers areas for relaxation as well as activities. And if it's activities you're looking for, the hotel has jet skies, wind surfing, kayaking, beach volleyball, water aerobics, and much more. Two restaurants offer extensive buffets and snacks from morning til late into the night. Each room has a balcony or terrace, 2 beds, phone, AC, cable TV, a mini-frig, safe, and hairdryer.
     To celebrate this new location, we are offering an incredible "Meet the Maeva" dive and accommodation special. This package includes 5 days/ 4 nights all-inclusive accommodations, 4 ocean dives and roundtrip airport transfers for $490pp. Rates are valid from September 15 to December 22, 2006. Don't miss out. Contact us at for more information or to book your "Meet the Maeva" vacation.

Best Fishes,
Karen

July, 2006

Weather Conditions: Sunny with occasional brief showers
Seas: Mostly Calm
Air Temp: 90°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

This past week, we received a letter from one of our repeat clients, Charlene Lundgren. Charlene and her husband Butch have been here numerous times over the past 3 years but this was the first time they brought their 11yr old granddaughter Samantha. They arranged for Sam to participate in the Discover Scuba Diving experience program and it turns out she was a natural in the water. Her enthusiasm was contagious as you'll see in the letter I have enclosed below. I decided I couldn't possibly write a better Week in Review, so enjoy!

"What a dream vacation for Samantha and us! Your staff was absolutely PERFECT with her. The instructor was awesome with his ability to understand what she needed even if she didn't know the right words to express it. She was afraid to fall off the back of the boat on her first dive and we told her that was okay, she could stay with the Captain and we'd be back up in a few minutes. Apparently some negotiations went on because the boat crew decided to just lift her into the water so she didn't have to fall back. They put her down between me and the instructor. She clamped onto both of us, I pried her lose and put both her hand with the instructor (not easy for a control freak to do, I might add.) She went down easily but kept looking for me so I slipped my finger under her BC so she could feel me and that seemed to be good enough.
     When Sam did her final dive, Hollywood could not have played it better. Two big turtles, one sleeping who just looked up, stretched his head to look at Sam, then tucked back in and went back to his nap. The other one was nearby and nibbling on a sponge. He wasn't concerned about us either, just shifted a little for a better bite of sponge and continued his feast. We were able to just hang with them for probably 1-2 minutes before we left them. Our timing was good because then we ran into a BIG (6 ft) green moray eel free swimming - to a cleaning station! We got to watch all the little cleaners get to work. The dental hygienist was there and a hyperactive worker I might add, several massage therapists for a good body scrub, the dermatologist to get off all the little "bad places" - it was than Hollywood could have done it because it was real and Samantha took every bit of it in while the eel just gave us front row seats to watch his gills breathing, his beautiful long body sway while being pampered and his big bright round eyes alert but not alarmed.
     The set up you guys have there is so perfect for families. I hadn't paid much attention to it since we haven't been there except with adults before. I felt very comfortable for Sam to play at the pool in the afternoon while I stayed in the nice A/C room and read or did a little work! Even as (over?) protective as I am with her I felt very relaxed even when she was walking over to see the dolphins or get her hair braided. I really wanted to tell you what a great time we had & what super people you assigned to us & what a perfect facility you have there & how much we always enjoy getting to see you!"

We hope all our guests have this great of a time when they visit.

Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

June, 2006

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Mostly Calm
Air Temp: 90°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

The Whale Sharks have arrived! This past month we had 4 Whale Shark sightings right on our local reefs and although that is a rare occurrence, you can almost be guaranteed an opportunity to interact with the largest fish in the sea by participating in a full day excursion to Isla Holbox. This is a terrific add-on to a few days of ocean and cenote diving during the months of June through September. This activity is perfect for divers and nondivers alike as the Whale Sharks are feeding at the surface, and you only need to snorkel along side of them to experience their magnitude. Recently our first group of guests this season made the trip with Andres as their guide. Nancy McGee (President of Island Time Scuba and Manager to renowned videographer, Stan Waterman) was the group leader. Armed with video and still cameras, they plunged into the water right beside the great fish and spent a couple of ours swimming along side of them.
     Other groups here visiting recently included Discovery Diving from Beaufort, NC. This is their second group trip here with another on tap for August. Many of the divers and a few of the non-divers in the group made their way with Nils, over to Chac Mool Cenote for a peek at the mysterious cavern systems. Repeat visitors Tirak and Prand Habashi drove an hour from the Moon Palace in Cancun with 4 of their family members (the other 18 stayed at the hotel!) in tow just to dive with us. Arriving even as I write this report is another Annapolis Scuba Group. As usual, they have a full agenda of diving and excursions on hand. John Binnix arrived at the hotel and was on a dive boat 15 minutes later! Now that’s an enthusiastic diver!

Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

April, 2006

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Mostly Calm
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 80°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Water temps are warming up and “reef critter” sightings are reflecting the changes. We had our first Whale Shark sighting 2 weeks ago as they begin to make a migration pass our front door up to the north at Isla Holbox. Although they are not a regular sighting for us, we usually see 5 or 6 during the year and it always causes quite a stir in the shop. Two days ago on a dive, we were joined by 4 big (and very playful) Remoras who tagged along with us for the majority of the dive. Their presence had us all looking for something “really big” in the water as they are usually seen latched onto Sharks and Rays. We figured these guys had lost their ride and we were hoping we could help them find it. Although we didn’t spot a Whale Shark or a Manta Ray, we did see two glorious Sailfish as they passed over our heads in about 15ft of water. Yes, it’s sport fishing season here and the game fish are sharing the Caribbean waters with our local residents. Other unusual sightings included a pod of dolphins near Cedam Caves and a huge school of Barracuda that have been making their way back and forth on the reef all week.
     Easter week here in the shop is always busy and this is often when we see some of our favorite repeat Mexican families. The Barrosos, De Pedros, and Mateos families are all here enjoying the Semana Santa holidays together. Many of these divers were certified at this shop and many continue their training participating in advanced classes and specialties. As the youngest family members reach the minimum age for diving of 10 yrs old, they too join the divers by participating in the Discover Scuba Diving program.
     Back in the shop for his fifth visit is Mike Stankowitz with his girlfriend Judy. Judy arrived on vacation as a non-diver but has now completed her open water training. New divers, Sarah and Richard Jarvis from Richmond, Va., completed their open water referral dives here and all are now enjoying their new “diving lifestyles”. Lot’s of new faces and familiar ones alike will be in the shop in the upcoming months…we hope you are one of them!

Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

February, 2006

Weather Conditions: Sunny
Seas: Mostly Calm
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 78°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

With the exception of just a couple of days, our weather the past few weeks has been incredible for diving. Great visibility and flat seas made a perfect recipe for some of our favorite guests.
     New to Dive Aventuras was the Toni Cory group. This fun group of 8 divers were here over New Years and logged lots of ocean diving and a visit to the cenotes. They were a blast to be with and we hope they'll be back again soon!
     Back for a second visit were the Winkelmanns. I was lucky and got to work with them as they completed their Advanced Open Water training. We had some incredible dives together and they have made plans to return and complete their Rescue Diver certifications as well as Divemaster training.
     Repeat clients, Bill and Karen Boswell, Barbara Baumeister, Ed Charters (they were here twice in one month!), Phil, Sue and Natalie Lochmiller, and Tom and Andi Moffatt all enjoyed the diving and many times, I was fortunate enough to tag along. Both Tom and Ed showed up with brand new digital cameras and the reef life put on quite a show including one day of diving (4 dives) when we saw 8 turtles and 7 moray eels! Others reported seeing schools of Eagle Rays (I only saw one), nurse sharks, barracudas, lot's of lobsters and schools of Atlantic Spadefish.
     Cenote diving has also been quite popular and on the few days the wind blew hard, many clients switched over to the cenotes and came back glad they did.
     Last week, the shop organized a Reef Check with a local Marine Biologist from Playa del Carmen. Nils served as group leader, breaking the divers into 3 teams. Each team ran a 300 ft. line along the reef bottom recording information within 6ft on each side of the line. Team One counted fish abundance, Team Two counted invertebrates, and Team Three recorded bottom composition at various points along their line. The information was compiled for reference and sent in to the Reef Check headquarters. These measurements will help us document the health of our reefs and will be conducted every 2 to 3 months. If you are interested in participating, please contact Nils or Andres at .
     Look for the "NEW FOR 2006" section on our webpage and signup for the Dive Aventuras Frequent Diver Rewards Program. The benefits are many including discounts on diving as well as entry into a drawing for a dive and accommodation package for two. This new section of our webpage will occasionally be updated with more items that you'll want to know about so be sure to check it out!
Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

December 15-31, 2005
Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm
Air Temp: 81°F
Water Temp: 79°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

The high season is now officially in full swing here in the Riviera Maya and the shop is busy with lots of interesting new guests as well as many familiar faces. The Levine family from Colorado and the Coffman family from Maryland were two groups in particular who were new faces to Dive Aventuras. These folks logged dives in both the ocean and cenotes with rave reviews for both. Familiar faces, Mark Friedman, Tom Crabtree, and Mark and Katie Cornish joined us for some great diving also this week. I was fortunate to get in the water 4 days in a row with my camera and had some of the best photo opportunities I've ever had. We all agree that reef life is teeming since our storms this summer.
     On one dive to Castillo Mediano at 60ft (my favorite spot for photos), we saw hawksbill turtles, a shark, a green moray, king crabs, lobster, and a big school of Ballyhoo who caught my eye as their sleek, silver bodies flickered in the sunlight. As I slowly swam toward them they parted and allowed me to school with them...it was incredible! I felt just like a fish! Then, as if that wasn't enough, we encountered a brave Octopus out and about in the daylight putting on a show for all to see. We stayed with it snapping photos as quickly as possible, thinking at any minute it would become shy and slip into a crack in the reef. But this guy was definitely an extrovert and after about 15mins, we'd practically filled our memory cards with octo-images and joined the other divers further down the reef.
     Another unusual moment came on Canyonland at 85ft when we encountered a pair of big green moray eels. As we took photos of divers with the larger female, the male swam all around us in a protective manner and eventually swam into a spot in the reef beside the female. I began to feel that we were invading their privacy so we moved further up the reef to about 55ft, where a friendly Hawksbill turtle guided us directly to a sandy spot where 2 very large southern stingrays were browsing in the sand looking for breakfast. As we approached, they lifted off the sand together and looking like flying carpets, left us marveling at their grace. At another popular site, Las Islas 40ft, we saw 2 turtles, a large green moray, three spotted morays, a dice-sized juvenile trunkfish, a scorpion fish and the seldom seen, chain moray. Divers came back all week with similar stories and sightings.
     Classes were also popular this week with first-time divers to Divemasters completing courses with our staff of Instructors.
     The jacuzzi snack bar is now open at the Omni poolside and is a great place to relax after diving. The newly renovated restrooms conveniently located beside the shop also opened this week. Inside the shop we have added a new line of sterling silver jewelry sure to be popular with divers and beach lovers alike.
     Dive Aventuras has a lot of great plans for 2006 so be sure to keep checking the website for announcements. Look for Frequent Diver Award Programs, Photo Contests, and theme weeks. We don't want you to miss out on all the fun!

Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

November, 2005
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Seas: Calm
Air Temp: 85F
Water Temp: 81F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

What a terrific bunch of divers we’ve had this past couple of weeks! Groups from all over the country plus some of our regulars have been back for some of the best diving of the year. With hurricane Emily, we experienced some reef damage on sites between 30 to 60ft. We also noticed that it took a few weeks for many of the reef inhabitants to reappear in abundance. But, Wilma was a different story altogether. We saw practically no damage to the reef and the reef activity is higher than we’ve seen it. The Angelfish, French, Gray and particularly Queen Angels are everywhere! Hogfish, turtles, schools of Barjacks, Porkfish, lot’s of rays, both Eagle and Great Southern, Green Morays on almost every dive, and lobsters seem to be in every nook and cranny!
     The Omni will reopen this week and the new swimup snack bar is sure to be a big hit! The beach has new palapas where you can take refuge from the sun and sip a margarita or just take a siesta. The commercial shops and restaurants in the marina area are getting a little TLC also with new tile terraces and fresh paint.
     And now, there’s “Something Fishy” inside our shop! That’s the name of the new photo center which features underwater photography classes, camera rentals, film, batteries, overnight film processing, downloading services from your memory cards, and plenty of free advice! There’s a unique line of gift items including framed underwater photography, notecards that feature the flavor of the Caribbean, as well as an incredible selection of locally handmade, one-of-a-kind mosaics. These items will also be available for sale on line in the near future.
     Dive Aventuras has got a lot of things on tap for 2006 including Whale Shark Excursions for summer and some week-long diving activities you won’t want to miss so stay tuned!

Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

Hurricane Wilma Cleanup

Wow, that was a doozy! Although Wilma lasted 48hrs longer than Emily, there was less damage with this storm here in Puerto Aventuras. The winds came off the land this time so all those lovely sea view condos and hotel room windows were spared. The beach, I am happy to report, is wider than before. There was minor damage to the steps leading down to the beach from the new Omni pool bar but they are being repaired as we speak. The palapa roofs on the dive shop and the Omni restaurant sustained minor damage with a few holes here and there. Once again, the dive shop got a pass and we had no broken windows and only minor damage to a boat trailer. The Omni reception area took the worse of it but I am told it will be ready in two weeks. The rooms had no damage at all. The Catalonia has palapa roof problems again but repairs are already underway and I hear that the hotel won't even need to close. The hotels just south of us, The Barcelo, Copacabana, El Dorado, Palladium, Maeva, and Bahia Principe, are all open. Many of the hotels in the Playacar section of Playa del Carmen have closed for cleanup but should be reopened in a matter of weeks. The trees are bare again having been stripped of their leaves by the wind, but my gardener was right after Emily when he told me everything will green up in no time so I expect the same again.
     For now, the big holdup is the Cancun airport. Currently, the flights are only departing but by November 4th, they are expecting to be fully operational and begin receiving tourist again. The areas north of Playa del Carmen were closest to the eye of the storm and I hear that Cancun will be making repairs well into Easter.
     Here, in Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras, things are a bit simpler. No fancy high rises to repair, no need to restore electricity to 300,000 people, no fast food restaurants with frozen food, no expectations of glitz and grandeur. Just simple, open air restaurants with fresh food, quaint hotels with palapa roofs facing powder white beaches, a handful of traffic lights, and a calm, peaceful way of life. Power is on, the phones are working, cleanup and repairs are progressing rapidly. We are open and waiting so LET'S GO DIVING!

Karen

September 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Flat Seas
Air Temp: 92°F
Water Temp: 85 °F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Things here in Mexico are finally back into the groove with hotels reporting maximum capacity beginning in October. The Omni has almost completed the new Jacuzzi style snack bar and it looks incredible with lots of customer seating, both wet and dry. Book a vacation for early October and be one of the first to sip margaritas at the new bar.
     Diving conditions have been perfect with flat seas and incredible visibility. One day last week I was out for a dive with my friend Brenda who was here from Annapolis. We saw a big school of 3ft barracudas, had a lovely Eagle Ray circle around us twice, and made our final ascent through a big school of fish mixed with heavy Dog Snappers, Horse-eyed Jacks, and Bermuda Chubs. Later that same week I was at 45ft on Castillo where we saw an almost unbelieveable sight. Swimming directly toward us not more than 15 ft away was a very large Eagle Ray and shadowing closely beside him was what appeared to be a 4ft reef shark! That combo seemed highly unlikely so I looked closer and mentally flipped through my "fish behavior facts" and realized it was an extremely large Cobia. Wow! That was certainly a first for me and an awesome site to see.
     Some of our favorite regulars have been back to visit and log some bottom time including Bill and Karen Boswell, Tom Bartkiewicz and Ellen Balasco, Brenda Jones, and Melissa and Nick Kaufman. Leading many of the guided divers is a fairly new face in the shop, Divemaster Victor Figueroa. Although Victor has work for us for over a year, he is usually at the Xpu Ha Palace outpost but with that hotel closed for renovation, he is now at the main shop and we're glad to have him here diving in the big pond.
     October for us means the Diving Equipment and Manufacturer's Association (DEMA) show in Las Vegas, the largest Scuba Show of it's kind. We participate annually to promote our diving packages to other dive shops who often plan and purchase group travel up to a year in advance. This year is no exception and we will be there in force with lot's of interesting products to offer.
     Any of you divemasters out there who may be considering becoming an instructor, now is the time. Dive Aventuras is a 5-Star PADI Instructor Development Center and we currently have an IDC scheduled for Nov 15-24, 2005 so be sure to contact us if you´d like some details or to inquire about the 2006 schedule.
     Next report will come from Vegas so be sure to stay tuned!
Best fishes
Karen

August 17, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Flat Seas
Air Temp: 92°F
Water Temp: 84 °F
Viz: Fair to Good
Current: Mild

On August 6th, friends and staff of Dive Aventuras said our final goodbyes to our dear friend Rafa by organizing a Memorial dive in his honor. Personal items such as photos, his favorite conch shell, some of his favorite foods, as well as the bicycle he was always seen on were all gathered and taken to a dive site that Rafa loved, now known as "Rafa's Reef". The items were gathered together to make a small shrine and the underwater ceremony ended with 30 seconds of tank banging…the diver version of a 21-gun salute. I can tell you from a personal point, it was hard to swim away but we will all be back to visit regularly.
     In regards to Emily recovery, we are back on track, diving daily. Classes as well as guided dives are as popular as ever. Some of our repeat clients have been in and commented that they felt the damage to the reefs from the storms was minimal and all our familiar reef friends are making regular appearances. The roof in the dive shop has been repaired and is better than ever. The Omni emptied the pool for a couple of days for cleanup (it has since been refilled) but it never slowed us down. Discover Scuba Diving students waded out off the beach into the shallow waters for skill practice. Before Emily, the Omni had planned some renovations to the pool and beach bar to begin in September but due to the closing of the resort for storm repairs, decided to move forward ahead of schedule. The changes look really exciting with the pool extending out to where the beach bar used to be and will include a swim up snack area and a Jacuzzi. The Omni is due to reopen the first week in September and the Catalonia will reopen next week. The fall dive and accommodation deals are great so be sure to check them out.
     A beach cleanup was organized and Dive Aventuras staff as well as some extra help from locals, combed the beach in front of the shop and extending all the way to the second marina entrance picking up debris from the storm. Debbie's new golf cart came in handy when the bags grew so heavy we couldn't get them back to the shop and Nils drove down the beach and picked them up with the cart.
     Just before Emily, we were please to host Sport Diver magazine here on a feature assignment to discover the Yucatan Pennisula. The photographers for the shoot just happened to be our dear friends from across the pond in Cozumel, Armando and Holly Alentado from Island Photo and it was a real treat to get in the water with them. The feature will be in the September issue of Sport Diver magazine so don't forget to check your newsstands!
     And finally, I just want to close by saying thanks for all your support during the past month. It's been tough but we love what we do and love sharing it with you, our extended Dive Aventuras family.
Best fishes
Karen

IN MEMORIAM
Rafael Martinez
December 24, 1975 - August 2, 2005

It is with the ultimate sadness that I write this report. On August 2, 2005, our beloved instructor Rafael Ramos Martinez, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. Rafa, as he was affectionately known, was from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and had been a valued member of the Dive Aventuras family for 2 years. He is survived by his parents, Rafael Ramos and Andrea Martinez, his two sons, Josua Daniel, age 8, and Marcel Alexander, age 4 ½, as well as many friends all around the world. While on holiday in June to visit his family, his son Marcel celebrated his 8th birthday and Rafa taught him the PADI Bubblemaker Experience Program. When he returned to the shop he bragged that his son was a "natural born diver". He also was quick to tell everyone that his Mother was the best cook in the world and always returned from his trips home with goodies to share with everyone in the shop.
    Rafa's passion for diving was shared with everyone he encountered. During his time at Dive Aventuras, he completed his PADI instructor course and became one of the most popular personalities in the shop, often receiving special requests for guiding. He was a treasured friend and we will miss his big, beautiful smile for a long time.

Karen

Hurricane Emily Clean Up

Hurricane Emily Cleanup
Good News! The electricity and phones are back in service and Dive Aventuras took our first post-Emily divers out for a dive on Friday!
     Many trees surrounding Puerto are heavily damaged and most of the remaining ones have lost their leaves (my gardener tells me it will all grow back quickly). There are quite a few broken windows, lot's of damaged roof tiles, palapa roofs are a mess, and the beach has a lot of debree. For this, we feel truly blessed as these are things that can be repaired or cleaned up quickly. There was very little actual structural damage thanks to all the concrete buildings and we didn't loose any beach. The dive shop faired very well with only some damage to our palapa roof, some minor damage to the boat tops, and a broken window in one of the trucks.
     Some of the hotels in the Puerto Aventuras area have decided to close for a few weeks to cleanup and make repairs before reopening to guests. However, most of the hotels in Playa del Carmen are in full operation as well as many of the condos in Puerto Aventuras. Most of the restaurants and shops are open for business and tours and excursions are in full swing. We took divers out on Friday and although the visibility was low for us, around 30 ft, there were still turtles casually munching away on coral and even some lobsters walking about looking for new homes. One of the Captain Rick's fishing boats found a bizarre fish floating at the surface after the storm. It looks like one of those fish that lives at 3,000 ft. We don't know what it is but it reminded me of that limmerick from Dr. Seuss "From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere"!
     We have decided to scale back shop operations for a couple of days until we can clean the shop properly, repair the roof, restock the retail items, and return all your kind emails regarding the storm. Please be assured, if you have made hotel reservations through us, we will attempt to make every effort to keep you posted on the cleanup progress. However, if you haven't heard from us, and your travel dates are comingup soon, please email us directly as we are still struggling to recover many of our computer files. As always, if you are contemplating travel we can help you find accommodations and diving is on schedule. Expect a little less shade (till the trees refoliate), but the sun is out and the weather lovely. We're still here...so LET'S GO DIVING!!!

Karen

July 2005 - Hurricane Emily Report

We know from the many requests for information and expressions of best wishes, that everyone is waiting to hear how we managed through Emily.
     As you all know, Puerto Aventuras was very near the center of Hurricane Emily as she roared across the Yucatan Peninsula. We are happy to report that the main shop, our four dive boats, and the vast majority of our gear has survived with only minor damage. The palapa roof on our shop now has several natural "skylights" installed but is still standing after the storm. The boats suffered some minor damage but two should return to the water today, July 20, and the other two tomorrow. We have made contact with nearly all our staff and to our knowledge, all are safe and sound. The dive palapa at Xpu Ha Palace was heavily damaged though and we are still awaiting assessment of that location.
     The amount of cleanup and restoration since the storm has been remarkable. We expect to be partially operational by tomorrow, July 21, and fully operational soon.
     As they have before, the "Dive Aventuras Family" rose to the occasion during this storm and its aftermath. Our crews have labored very hard to cleanup not only the shop and boats, but the roads and pathways of Puerto Aventuras. We also very much appreciate the kind words from our extended Dive Aventuras Family...Thank you all so much.
     We will try to keep you updated with information on our progress and as we move forward, we hope to see all of you back in Puerto Aventuras soon.
Karen

June 14-30, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny with occasional showers
Seas: Mixed
Air Temp: 90°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

Diving was great this week even though we've been in a weather pattern that brought some heavy afternoon thundershowers. Most of the time, the divers below didn't even know it was raining! Mike went out one afternoon with a group and claims to have experienced the "Holy Grail" of diving…Nurse Shark, Eagle Ray, Huge Green Moray and a Hawksbill Turtle all on one dive! Speaking of unusual events, many of you have asked if Debbie dives as she is usually seen in the shop (or on the phone : ) busy with sales and event planning. Well, now it's not just a rumor! I've included a shot this week that Nils took of Debbie while they were diving in Egypt. The dive report from their trip…even though it's always cool to see things we don't have here, like clown fish, the colorful soft corals, etc…our front yard still looks just as good as any other dive destination!
     One of our favorite repeat clients was in this past week, Charles Kauric. Charles is one of those guys that could dive in a mud puddle and enjoy it! Every time we checked in with him to see how his dive went, it seems it was always even better than the last one!
     Discover Scuba diving classes were filled all week and lot's of folks completed both Open Water referral dives and Upgrades to Advanced Open Water.
     We have some extra special guests this week also…James Morgan, Vice President of Instructor Development and Membership for PADI, his wife Shelly and son Colin are here for a family getaway. Nils and James managed to squeeze in some time for one of their true passions, cave diving with a visit to Chac Mool.
     An update on the "Mama Mia"…she still sits exactly where she was at the last report. Seems there are differing opinions between the owner and the insurance company regarding the salvage of the boat. For the moment, it appears quite stable, but if we get a big storm, we may have a new wreck to dive!
Until next time, best fishes!
Karen

June 1-13, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny with occasional showers
Seas: Mixed (from 6ft seas to flat calm)
Air Temp: 92°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

We lost a few afternoons of ocean diving last week due to rough seas and high winds. Of course, our cenote dives ran twice a day without a hitch and lots of folks switched to the cavern dives until the weather improved. Boats made it out in the mornings but conditions generally worsened as the day progressed and the port was closed for 3 afternoons. During the rough weather, the 85ft luxury cruiser "Mama Mia" (homeport of Miami) cut the entrance to the marina short and ran up on the reef. Passengers jumped overboard and swam the short distance to the jetty where a crowd quickly gathered. Luckily, no one was injured. The winds eventually push the boat hard aground, basically impaling it and even the rough seas couldn't move it. A salvage company from Florida arrived and began the long hard work required to rescue the 90 ton boat. The first agenda was to lighten the load by removing all fuel and waste water. A barge and crane are due to arrive soon and the plan is to lift it off the reef and place it on the barge for transportation back to the states.
     The Easy Diver group from Memphis, TN was here this past week and we had a great time. Their trip leader, Saralynn, had them all so organized and well trained that our divemasters said there was very little left for our staff to do! They did manage to find some cool critters for the group including numerous turtles, eels, and eagle rays. We hope these folks will head back south of the border again soon!
     Back for their sixth visit in 2 years were the Peytons. Charlie, Stacy, Spencer and Pierce travelled with Stacy's parents, the Honsickers who are back for their third visit. This family is so familiar with the area and our routine at the shop, that they basically are ready to blow bubbles as soon as they arrive. Charlie, Stacy and Spencer all headed out to the big water while 8yr old Pierce participated in the Bubblemaker program three times! Granddad Jim checked out the Discover Scuba Diving program but decided to skip the ocean diving portion of the program. However, after a week of snorkelling with grandson Pierce, he's hooked and now thinks he´ll give it another try.
     Also back for their third repeat visit were the Bakers from Wisconsin. These folks may hold the Dive Aventuras record for participation in the Discover Scuba Diving program but this time they decided to complete their certifications! Paul and Sandy had about 12 logged dives each by the time they were holding their certification cards! Congratulations guys!
     The dive shop got a mini face lift this week when the Omni installed new windows and doors at the front of the shop. Also under construction and due to be completed in a week (2 Mexican weeks) are the new bathrooms right next to the shop. Not only are the fixtures being replaced but they will include freshwater showers…no guarantee yet on hot water but still, a definite improvement.
     Lastly, divers spotted a whale shark and two Mantas this past week. Just think what you're missing! best fishes,
Karen

April 19-May 1, 2005

Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny with occasional clouds
Seas: Mixed seas
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 81°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

We lost 3 days of diving due to high winds over the past 2 weeks but the rest of the time, diving was terrific! The water temp is on the way back up quickly so we can move those long wetsuits to the back of our closets.
     Lot's of families were still enjoying the spring breaks from schools and what better way than to go diving together! Jim and Tess Maggio were one such Father Daughter team. While mom enjoyed the beach time, Tess completed here Discover Scuba Diving class and join her Dad on some great ocean dives.
     Fred and Jennifer Castillo completed their Advanced Open Water Certifications during their stay. With their instructor Martin, they completed the UW Naturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drift, Navigation and Deep dives. They promised to return soon to work on the Photo specialty class but just couldn't squeeze it in this time.
     Ian and Lorraine Graham from Scotland have won the unanimous vote of the entire dive staff as the most prompt, self-sufficient divers we've ever had! They were here every morning for 2 weeks with plenty of time to gear up and be at the boat to depart at 9am sharp. Often divers just don't realize how much prep time it takes before you step foot on the boat. There's always the lost booty, forgotten weight belt, or misplaced mask that holds up the boat. In general, getting to the dive shop 30 minutes in advance of the boat departure schedule permits sufficient time to fill out paperwork and sort out equipment. This also helps avoid the age-old question, "What time does the 9am boat dive leave?"
    Arriving this week for their first visit (but hopefully not their last) is the Ski and Scuba Connection group from Greenwich Connecticut. Shop owners Don and Jody escorted Tammy, her 2 daughters Gwen and Tasha, and Eric down for 5 days of fun south of the Border. Like many groups, these folks took full advantage of the area's diversity with ocean and cenote dives, horseback riding and the ever popular, ATV jungle Tours. There's definitely something here for everyone! Until next time, best fishes,
Karen

February 28-March 20, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Mixed seas
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 79°F
Viz: Varying from excellent to fair
Current: Mild

I've been on the road off and on for the past few weeks so the weekly reports have suffered from lack of attention lately. My apologies to our readers! Unfortunately, I've missed out sharing with you all the interesting things going on in the shop and reports of the nice folks that have been diving with us. So, please consider this a quick blitz of info and we'll get back on track for the upcoming week.
     Diving conditions have been very good with the exception of a few days with strong wind and rough seas. Reported sightings of everything from Nudibranchs to Eagle Rays have come back from our divers. One fish regularly seen on our reefs and always popular with our divers is the Porcupinefish. Often called a Pufferfish, it is the largest member of the puffer family which includes many other "puffers" seen here on our reefs. When threatened, these fish inflate and the spines along the body become erect, thus the name. In general, this particular fish is shy, often retreating to protective recesses when approached. However, nothing is certain in the underwater world and just last week, Andres, armed with his camera, came across a pair of Porcupinefish so engrossed in courtship that they virtually ignored him while he snagged a couple of photos.
     Divers completed a number of certifications recently including Cindy Malamed who upgraded last years Scuba Diver certification to a full Open Water cert. Meanwhile, Cindy's husband Rick completed his Under Water Photography specialty. Congratulations to the both of you! Also completing the UW Photo Specialty with Rick, was one of our regular visitors, Mike Berlin who has lots of opportunity to work on his photography as he owns a condo here in Puerto. Tom and Andi Moffatt were here a couple of weeks ago from Minnesota and while she completed her Open Water referral dives (she toughed it out in less than perfect sea conditions), Tom took the UW photography course. After certification, they both continued diving and left promising to return. Tom, say hi to the owls for me :! Mark Friedman, Phil Lochmiller, and Romina Vallarino joined Nils to complete the Emergency First Responder Course 2 weeks ago. This is a terrific class not only for divers but to the general public also as it teaches first aid, CPR, and oxygen use. Afterwards, Mark continued his training by completing the Rescue Diver course. What's next Mark, the divemaster program? No matter where your diving interests lie, continuing education classes offer something for everyone. Consider signing up today!

Until next time, best fishes,
Karen

February 28-March 20, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Mixed seas
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 79°F
Viz: Varying from excellent to fair
Current: Mild

I've been on the road off and on for the past few weeks so the weekly reports have suffered from lack of attention lately. My apologies to our readers! Unfortunately, I've missed out sharing with you all the interesting things going on in the shop and reports of the nice folks that have been diving with us. So, please consider this a quick blitz of info and we'll get back on track for the upcoming week.
     Diving conditions have been very good with the exception of a few days with strong wind and rough seas. Reported sightings of everything from Nudibranchs to Eagle Rays have come back from our divers. One fish regularly seen on our reefs and always popular with our divers is the Porcupinefish. Often called a Pufferfish, it is the largest member of the puffer family which includes many other "puffers" seen here on our reefs. When threatened, these fish inflate and the spines along the body become erect, thus the name. In general, this particular fish is shy, often retreating to protective recesses when approached. However, nothing is certain in the underwater world and just last week, Andres, armed with his camera, came across a pair of Porcupinefish so engrossed in courtship that they virtually ignored him while he snagged a couple of photos.
     Divers completed a number of certifications recently including Cindy Malamed who upgraded last years Scuba Diver certification to a full Open Water cert. Meanwhile, Cindy's husband Rick completed his Under Water Photography specialty. Congratulations to the both of you! Also completing the UW Photo Specialty with Rick, was one of our regular visitors, Mike Berlin who has lots of opportunity to work on his photography as he owns a condo here in Puerto. Tom and Andi Moffatt were here a couple of weeks ago from Minnesota and while she completed her Open Water referral dives (she toughed it out in less than perfect sea conditions), Tom took the UW photography course. After certification, they both continued diving and left promising to return. Tom, say hi to the owls for me :! Mark Friedman, Phil Lochmiller, and Romina Vallarino joined Nils to complete the Emergency First Responder Course 2 weeks ago. This is a terrific class not only for divers but to the general public also as it teaches first aid, CPR, and oxygen use. Afterwards, Mark continued his training by completing the Rescue Diver course. What's next Mark, the divemaster program? No matter where your diving interests lie, continuing education classes offer something for everyone. Consider signing up today!

Until next time, best fishes,
Karen

February 7-27, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 85°F
Water Temp: 77°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Lot's of excitement this week at Dive Aventuras when we hosted the PADI Worldwide Executive Committee Meeting, 2005. Executives from PADI Americas, Europe, Nordic, United Kingdom, Japan, and Asia Pacific were here to brainstorm and plan concepts and ideas for the upcoming year. While the group stayed at Xpu Ha Palace, daily meetings were held here at the Omni as well as some breakfast meetings and a final closing dinner on the beach. There were twenty-five attendees from around the globe including, Brian Cronin, Chairman of the Board PADI Worldwide, Jan Cronin, Vice Chairman of the Board PADI Worldwide, Drew Richardson, PADI Worldwide President and COO, James Morgan, VP of Instructor Development and Membership, Terry Cummings, PADI Worldwide, Dana Stewart, Executive VP of Operations, Bob Coleman, Executive VP Sales and Marketing PADI Americas, Kristin Valette, Manager Project Aware, Mark Caney, VP Training Education and Membership PADI International, Jean Claude Monachon, CEO PADI Europe, Claus Nimb, PADI Asia Pacific's VP of Sales, Marketing and Distribution, and Douglas Nash, VP Sales and Marketing of PADI International.
      Daily meetings generally lasted until 1pm when many of the enthusiastic Execs opted to go diving. The weather was perfect and groups split their dive days between the reefs and cenotes. Cave certified divers, Drew Richardson and James Morgan geared up the first day and headed off to the Nohoch cave system for some technical diving with Mario and Nils as their guides. Popular with the reef divers was Castillo Mediano where at 65ft we spotted a loggerhead turtle resting under a ledge, 2 nurse sharks, a friendly green moray, Queen Triggerfish, various Angelfish, lobsters, and schools of grunts and snappers. I tagged along with the excuse of taking photos but frankly it was hard to concentrate on the camera with so many of the dive industry's talent in the water with us! Most of these people have been diving all over the planet and their enthusiasm for the sport remains apparent. Ever the professionals, they still participated in popular diver hijinks while underwater.
      Christine Grange, President of PADI Travel worked closely with Debbie here at Dive Aventuras for months before, organizing accommodations, meeting facilities, airport transfers, excursions, special dinners, and diving schedules. All their attention to detail paid off as the event with off without a hitch. We were fortunate to get to spend some downtime with Christine one evening in Playa del Carmen when she joined Mike, Debbie, Nils, and I at one of our favorite local restaurants for dinner.
      It was truly an honor to have been selected to host this meeting and we enjoyed having the opportunity to spend some time with many of the leaders and visionaries of our favorite sport.

Until next time, best fishes,
Karen

January 24-February 6, 2005

Weather Conditions: Scattered clouds mixed with sun
Seas: Mostly calm seas, occasionally bumpy
Air Temp: 83°F
Water Temp: 77°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

We were host this week to a group of 9 from Annapolis Scuba in Maryland. Some of these folks were second-time visitors but most were new to the area, including 3 divers that were completing their open water training dives. Adam, Babette, and John (AKA Babette's husband) all finished their training dives here in the clear caribbean waters with their Annapolis Scuba instructor, Floyd. The show was great for the new and experienced divers alike with lot's of turtles (4 on one dive alone!), spotted morays, green morays, even chain morays. Lobsters, juvenile spotted drum, barracuda, and on the last dive of the trip, a huge spotted eagle ray. That last dive was also John Binnix's 200th logged dive, congratulations! Then, most of the divers elected to try the cenote dives which are so famous in this area. The last night of their trip, Mike and I headed into Playa del Carmen with the group for a dinner at one of our favorite traditional Mexican restaurants and then on to Fifth Avenue for shopping and people watching. This was a great group and we look forward to seeing them again!
     Discover scuba diving classes were full all week with lot's of new bubble-blowers trying scuba for the first time. Even Mike from Atlanta who was here housesitting my next door neighbor's casa while she was away, got in on the fun.
     Back this week for their third visit were Nick and Melissa Kaufman from Missouri. Here with his parents, they still managed to pack a full dive itinerary into their vacation. They completed their Advanced Open Water certifications and then moved directly into the Rescue Course which they completed with their instructor, Monica. Armed with their new camera, they are still logging 2 fun dives a day with no end in sight!
     New oxygen kits arrived this week as well as new, first aid kits. These new sets will replace the exisiting ones on all the boats and at the dive shop at Xpuha. Each staff member, including the boat crews, were all briefed on how to administer oxygen in case of emergency using the new bottles. "Safety First", as Mike likes to say!

Until next time, best fishes,
Karen

January 17-23, 2005

Weather Conditions: Scattered clouds mixed with sun
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 76°F
Water Temp: 78°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Back on our horizon this week was the cruise ship Sea Dreams II. This week, instead of anchoring, they launched a small boat to take passengers from the ship to the marina in Puerto Aventuras. That same day, Jorge Peña, an Oceanologist hired by the cruise line, visited Dive Aventuras to discuss a permanent mooring line and show us videos of anchoring options. Measurements have been taken of the damaged area and currently the Mexican Government is assessing a dollar value to this info which will be charged in fines to Sea Dreams II. The cruise line appears to be taking a much more responsible attitude now.
     Our north wind continues to keep the seas flat and the air cool. Visibility is incredible and diving conditions are great. Our new logo jackets are flying off the shelf with the cooler weather. They make a perfect coverup after diving.
     The "Ron Daniel" group from California was here this week and the 7 divers, some out of the water for quite a spell, participated in a refresher in the pool before heading out to "the big pond" where they saw multiple rays, morays, groupers and turtles. They also enjoyed the unique cenote diving that is so popular in our area. Ron was here with a group in October as well and we hope to see him back again soon.
     Eight year old Max from Vancouver, BC participated in his second Bubblemaker experience program this week. This class is designed specifically for kids 8 and 9 yrs who have yet to reach the recommended diving age requirements for certification. Some theory of diving is presented, skills reviewed and practiced in the pool, and then a dive off the beach to a maximum depth of 6ft. It's a great way to get started appreciating the underwater world. If I've said it once I've said it a million times, Scuba is a great sport for the entire family and Dive Aventuras is a wonderful place to enjoy it!

Until next time, best fishes,
Karen

January 10-16, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional showers
Seas: Mostly flat seas; port closed due to wind one day
Air Temp: 78°-82°F
Water Temp: 79°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Sorry Guys! I was out of town last week so I don't have any neat photos to share but I heard reports that diving was excellent. With the exception of one day when the port closed due to a strong easterly wind, a north wind has been blowing down the coastline giving us completely flat seas, 100ft viz and perfect diving conditions. All the regular reef personalities made appearances: turtles, lobsters, morays, and our favorites, the eagle rays. Schools of snappers, big groupers, segmented mantis shrimp, and lots of Queen Angels were all reported during diving.
     As always we had lots of terrific clients in the shop including many repeat customers. Cenote dives, Nitrox courses, Open Water certifications and quite a few refresher classes were on tap all week.

Best fishes,
Karen

December 20, 2004-January 9, 2005

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Mixed Seas
Air Temp: 82-ish
Water Temp: 79°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

The Mexican press picked up the noise we made about the cruise ship over the past 2 weeks and all the local papers covered the incident with photos of the damage that we took. Biologists were hired by the cruise lines to dive and research an area to determine an acceptable site to anchor. We are happy to report that their results determined that due to the extensive reef formations in the area, that anchorage was not recommended. So far, the outlook is good and we don't expect to see them (or any other cruise ships) anchored out front in the near future. The ship has returned to the area but deployed tenders to carry guests to the marina area and then moved further offshore.
     One of our favorite divemasters, Luis (known to many as "Bebe") is back in the shop after an extended visit to Thailand. He says he misses the Nudibranchs but is glad to be back. Speaking of Thailand, as many of you know, an earthquake causing powerful tsunamis hit the area there on Sunday resulting in mass devastation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the many dive operators, resorts and residents of the area.
     Visiting us from England this week was David Evans. Fifteen year old David completed the Underwater Photography Specialty which consisted of academics, and 3 ocean dives. During the dives he learned to use both the wide angle lens and macro. After diving we would process his film and review it. His photos were beautiful. Congratulation David, we hope to see you back again soon!
     Also back for 2 weeks of diving is Tony Aiello. Tony's a regular and readers see his face here often. It's always a pleasure to have him in the shop.
     Nichole, and Chantal Mcleish were here this week with their folks, Martin and Marie. The girls (Nichole, 14 and Chantal, 11) got certified this past summer in Barcelona where they live. This was their first dive experience to the Caribbean and they reported seeing lot's of fish.
     The ever popular coffee service is back and divers can grab a cup of coffee or hot tea between dives. This week we received more new merchandise including hooded jackets with embroidered Dive Aventuras logos. Also due to deliver this week, more long sleeve t-shirts, ladies short sleeve V-neck logo shirts, and our newest children's Dive Aventuras shirt! Be sure to check them out next time you're in the shop.

Best fishes,
Karen

December 13-19, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm Seas
Air Temp: 82-ish
Water Temp: 81 to 82°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Mild

Two weeks ago, the 344ft Cruise ship "Sea Dreams II" anchored just offshore in 110 ft of water at Castillo Profundo. Although the anchor landed on the sandy bottom, the anchor line was deployed much longer than the depth causing the chain to drag across the bottom like a giant windshield wiper destroying a football field section of the reef at 80ft. Our divers were in the water and photographed the chain as it broke and un rooted giant barrel sponges, gorgonian and hard corals. As the wind blew the ship, the anchor line also stirred the sand redistributing it like a giant snow storm on the remaining reef. We immediately alerted the ship, the Port Captain, the Marina Office, local environmental agencies, and PADI's Project Aware. Fines were levied and local biologists searched for a new site to anchor outside the reef but it was determined that an acceptable spot did not exist close by. The ship was due to anchor here once a week through March of 2005 but did not return as planned this past week. Hopefully the pressure from the dive shop and environmental agencies has deterred their plans. Currently fines have been levied but sadly, the damage has been done. Now we are attempting to prevent it from ever happening again and recover as best as possible. On consecutive days following the ships departure, Dive Aventuras staff has been attempting to clean the sand off existing reef, replant sponges and corals as possible. It is a long, and arduous task but worth the effort. We are angry and heartbroken.
     On a positive note, we have seen three whale sharks since the last report I wrote! Divers and snorkelers alike have had the opportunity to see the biggest fish in the ocean, right out our front door! Those incredible Eagle Rays are back again too and divers have enjoyed seeing them on almost every dive. Lot's of Angelfish, schooling Jacks, Pompano, and more sitings of Flying Gunards were all reported this week. Off the beach in front of the dive shop, some avid snorkelers spotted a Shortnose Batfish, very uncommon in the Caribbean and it made all the divers jealous!
     We've had a cool snap and the temp topside seems cool to us at about 78 degrees (no comments from you guys digging out of the snow please!) but the water temp stays between 81-82 degrees so diving is terrific.
     As the shop prepares for the Christmas rush, we want to take the time to thank you all for your business through the year and wish you happy holidays from your Dive Aventuras Family.

Best Fishes,
Karen

November 7-14, 2004

Weather Conditions: Mostly clear with very brief showers
Seas: Calm
Air Temp: 92°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: good
Current: mild

The news this week was big, VERY big...about 25ft big! On Thursday afternoon our boat captains spotted another whale shark feeding at the surface and lucky divers and snorkelers got quite a treat. I was diving on the Burbuja and had just finished my safety stop when everyone was encouraged to hurry into the boat so they could follow the whale shark. We ditched our scuba gear in the boat and snorkeled on the surface with the giant fish for 5 minutes or so when he desended and moved away. While I was snorkeling, I could see past the whale shark below to where Rafa and was guiding divers who were enjoying the moment from a different perspective.
     We had lots of terrific guests this week including the Poages who were returning for their second visit. Terry Abbott was here with Joe Bourbon and together they logged a weeks worth of dives in the ocean and cenotes. Brent Arnholtz, from Calgary, Canada completed his Advanced Open Water certification as well as logging some additional fun dives. Congratulations Brent!
     Trisha and Richard Urban of Del Rio Texas, winners of one of our DEMA raffles cashed in their rewards this week. This lucky couple won an accommodation package at the All Inclusive Catalonia Riviera Maya and a dive package with Dive Aventuras, as well as two other prizes of ocean and cenote diving with other local dive shops. We had some terrific dives together and were sorry to see them go.
     Final touches to the shop renovation wrapped this week with painting completed and the new display installed. The classroom is waiting for a new coat of paint on the floor before installing the new furniture and the bench below the display is due to be delivered soon. We're expanding our retail line to better serve our divers and guests with new products including wetsuits, surf shoes, women and children's wear, and beach accessories.

Best Fishes,
Karen

October 18-24, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm Seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 83°F
Viz: Fair to Good
Current: Mild

Mike, Deb and I recently returned from a week in Houston where we attended the Diving Equipment and Manufacturing Association show (DEMA). The show is a great opportunity to promote diving in the Riviera Maya, check out new products, attend educational seminars, as well as see lots of our diving friends.
     Meanwhile at the shop, the facelift has begun with new displays for T-shirts in place, additional retail display ordered, and painting scheduled. Also on the horizon, new lighting for over the counter.
     This week at the shop, Scott and Robin Beeler from Virginia Beach joined friends Deion and Jim Wilson for some ocean diving. Deion, accompanied by her husband on each dive, first completed the 4 open water training dives necessary for her certification (Congratulations!) and then they all headed out for some fun dives together. Also jumping on the boat with this group was Steve Kolimaga.
     In town for a 2 month visit is Romina, a dear friend of Andres from Argentina. Romina had trouble with equalization when she tried scuba diving so the two are packing in as much topside fun as possible including an afternoon parasailing.
     Andres also logged some bottom time this week when a group of travelers led by Wayne Maris showed up to do some diving. We affectionately tagged the group "Wayne's World" And what a blast they were. This group has traveled all over the world together including exotic sites such as Micronesia, Galapagos, Fiji, and extensive Caribbean travel. Some of the group were a little dry, having been out of the water for a couple of years but being the savvy group they were, they knew no amount of experience is worth ruining a dive so they jumped in the pool for a tune up with Andres before heading out to blow bubbles. Though their stay was brief, they managed to squeeze in both ocean and cenote diving. Maybe next time they will stay longer.
     New instructor Rafa worked with discover scuba divers Richard and Tyler Diaz who had such a great first time experience that they elected to upgrade to Scuba Diver certifications! Good work guys!
     Lot's of cool critters have been spotted this week on the reef including a Flying Gunard waiting patiently by the mooring block for divers to notice him as they made their descent down the line at Castillo Bajo. I personally had a friendly hawksbill turtle fall in love with my camera lens and modeled for 10 minutes, so close sometimes that I couldn't even focus! Sea conditions are great, viability is improving so LET'S GO DIVING!

Until then, best fishes,
Karen

September 27-October 3, 2004
Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional showers
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 93°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Excellent to Good
Current: Mild

This past week, Mike and I traveled to Maryland to visit with some of our favorite divers at Annapolis Scuba. It was fun to see all the changes in the shop since we departed in 2001. The owner of ASC, Heather Powell Crowder, also hosted a party in her new home for some our favorite divers, most of which have visited Dive Aventuras on many occasions and are familiar faces on the week in review page. As is always the case, the topic turned to diving, rehashing old travel stories we've told a thousand time (but we never tire of hearing) and planning future travel destinations. One of the best benefits of diving is the terrific friendships and bonds that are built between fellow enthusiasts.
     Congratulations are in order to staff members Andres and Rafa as they completed their Instructor Development Courses and successfully passed the Instructor Exam this past week. The course consists of lots of self study followed by 10 long days of diving theory, classroom presentations, and diving skill reviews and performance evaluations. If the candidate has performed well during this preliminary period, they are allowed to move on to the 2 day Instructor Examination. Our guys did great and we are proud to call them Open Water Scuba Instructors!
     Back for a second visit is Cecil Travis, this time traveling with his wife Alice. Travis is a friend of Mark Friedman, another often seen face here in the shop and both will be here for 2 weeks so lots of diving is planned for their agenda.
     Low season is the time for boat repairs and equipment tune-ups. Our captains are busy repairing fiberglass and repainting boats in the fleet while here in the shop we are considering a much needed facelift to provide more retail space.
     Most of you who have been here before are familiar with Richie's Bottle Island, a famous Puerto Aventuras landmark. As some of you know, it is Richie's intention to eventually float it free of it's mooring so that the island becomes mobile. This past week, a TV crew was here filming a simulation of this event. Lines were attached to the island, the mooring was released and pongas (small local boats) pulled the island out into the channel of the Caleta where it is sitting now. It's quite a site to see. Who knows where his "mobile home" will be next!

Until then, best fishes,
Karen

September 13-19, 2004

Weather Conditions: Mixed
Seas: Calm to rough
Air Temp: 92°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: poor
Current:

Hurricane preparation is not an exact science. It is a mixed bag of emotions ranging from excitement, nervous energy, anxiety, to fear. Even as reports continued to indicate that Hurricane Ivan would move north over the western tip of Cuba, the community here in Mexico grew increasingly worried as the anticipated northern turn was delayed. Preparations began for this powerful storm as dive boats and fishing boats from Playa del Carmen and Cozumel sought safety in the protected waters of the Puerto Aventuras Marina. By Sunday, hurricane warnings were posted for the Yucatan Peninsula and even the Cozumel passenger ferries were tucked into the already crowded marina area. Business owners boarded and taped large windows moving merchandise out of harms way. The Omni was busy removing all outside furniture and even cutting the large clusters of coconuts from the palms on the beach to avoid possible injury should they fall during the storm. In all the activity, the weather in Puerto remained beautiful with only occasional brief showers and completely flat seas but a quick look at the NOAA website suggested trouble to come. The seas in Playa del Carmen were incredibly rough and beach erosion was evident by Sunday afternoon. Monday the storm finally took the predicted turn north and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Oddly enough the winds picked up by Tuesday and the port remained closed through Thursday due to rough seas and very high storm waters. Die-hard divers headed out to cenotes where conditions remained perfect and by Friday, with calm seas and bright, sunny skies ocean diving was back in full swing.
     In the middle of all the storm preparation, the PADI Instructor Development Course began at Dive Aventuras with 5 participants, Andres and Rafa, divemasters from Dive Aventuras, Jurgen from Chili, Riccardo from Italy, and Daniel from Mexico. IDC staff instructor, Monica assisted Vicki the PADI course Director with the class which lasts approximately 10 days followed by an additional 3 days for the Instructor Exam. We wish all the participates good luck and just a reminder to have a good time!

Best Fishes,
Karen

September 6-12, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional showers
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 93°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Excellent to Good
Current: Mild

It was quiet in the shop this week with low season in full swing. The shop averaged about 30 tanks a day between ocean and cenote divers. Discover Scuba Diving classes were often full with new divers blessed with excellent conditions for their first experience. Barry Stephens from Lexington Kentucky was back this week after his first Discover Scuba Diving experience here 3 years ago. He did 2 dives and promised to make time for certification on his next visit.
     The world is truly a small place as 4 of our divers from Arizona discovered when the started talking during their surface interval at the shop. Mario Arredondo and Eileen Duffy from Phoenix were here taking advantage of the great "Labor Day Special" we had posted on the web page. Jeryl and Mary Ellen Lilly also from the Phoenix area were here and the 4 began chatting only to learn they actually new some of the same folks from home! Jeryl and Mary Ellen came loaded with camera gear and were able to take advantage of such sitings this week as lots of friendly turtles, green morays, lobsters, stingrays, seahorses, and huge schools of barracuda.
     One of the boats that headed out this week was truly a smorgasbord of divers. On the boat were Jutta from Germany, Douglas from San Francisco, Carol from Texas (this being her second visit to Dive Aventuras), and James from England. This was James' first ocean experience as his training dives were in the dark, cold quarry in England. Needless to say he's a changed man!
     Our friends the Boswell's returned to Maryland this week and Georg and Emma are back to Columbia, all with promises of a return trip by the end of the year. We've been fortunate to continue dodging the storms of the season. As they pass through our other favorite dive destinations, we hope everyone stays safe and sound and recovery is quick and easy.

Best Fishes,
Karen

August 30-September 5, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Very flat seas
Air Temp: 92°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Excellent
Current: Moderate and to the south

The weather this week was unbelievable! The seas were as flat as a swimming pool all week and diving and snorkeling were the best. For the past 2 weeks we've been experiencing a bit of current running to the south which is the opposite of our normal current to the north. Staff reported they enjoyed diving our reefs from a different point of view.
     Late August is normally a slow season at the shop but had lots of terrific folks from all over the world here visiting this week. A familiar face to many, Georg Dawidowski was back for 3 weeks with his new wife Emma. Georg is currently working in Columbia South America which is Emma's home base. They logged as many dives as possible while here and were joined by some other frequent visitors to Dive Aventuras, Karen and Bill Boswell. The Boswell's were traveling with 2 other non-diving couples and divided their time between blowing bubbles and topside activities.
     Some new faces to the shop were Mark and Leslie Molen, Candy, Mike, and Justin Goins, Bob Fleming and Marty Shoeneman, all from Colorado. These divers have been diving in Cozumel for years but this year decided to tie in some Riviera Maya diving after a trip to Isla Holbox to see the whale sharks. Our dear friends Holly and Armando from Island Photo in Cozumel recommended they give us a try. This group of divers were really what diving is all about. I think they would have had a good time in a mud puddle! They were safe, enthusiastic and generally fun to be with. We hope they will be back soon.
     New to the sport of diving this week were Daniel and Nicholae. These guys both completed the PADI Open Water certification. Congratulations gentlemen! Nicholae was traveling with a group of certified divers (all from Chicago) and after finishing his class, joined the group for some ocean diving. His daughter Jennifer was certified in a lake outside Chicago so this was her first taste of the Caribbean. Also joining them were Stanel and his daughter Ingrid. Ingrid's previous dives were in Canada so the warm turquoise waters were new to her also. It will be hard to go back to that cold water now girls!
     Completing referrals this week were Michael Sobolewski and Kathleen Evens. They completed their academic and pool training with out friends from Flatirons Scuba in Colorado and finished up with 4 open water training dives at Dive Aventuras with Instructor Martin. Good work guys!
     Some shop news, we want to congratulate our gear guy Fernando for completing his Marinera course last week. He now will be filling in as a first mate on the boats when we are short staffed.
     Also new at the shop, thanks to Andres, is the new recycling system. Our area of Mexico has yet to become very active with recycling. However, the dive shop generates a lot of trash daily with plastic water bottles and soda cans. In an attempt to help save the environment (and perhaps raise the consciousness of our neighbors in the marina) Andres contacted a company in Cancun who will be picking up our bottles and cans monthly for a small fee. Just outside the back door are receptacles for the items and though it may take a little more effort, the payoff of just doing the right thing is very satisfying.

Best Fishes,
Karen

August 16-22, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 93°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Excellent to Good
Current: Mild

The Riviera Maya escaped the threat of Earl this past week when the storm fizzled out on it's way through the Caribbean. Diving conditions were excellent and guests reaped the rewards of calm seas and clear skies.
     Back for his second visit to Dive Aventuras was Pat McKeever from Maryland who was accompanied this time by his daughter Michelle from Florida. This father/daughter dive team enjoyed both ocean and cenote dives together before heading back to the north.
     Gene and Judi Della Badia from New Jersey were here with friends and family and while their two daughters Kristi and Amy participated in the Discover Scuba Diving class, Gene and Judi headed out on a guided ocean dive. Also participating in the class were their family friends Mark Beranoto with his daughter Laura. When the academic and pool portions of the experience program were completed, the entire group went out on the Class One for a dive together.
     Visiting from Georgia (but soon relocating to Connecticut to be with girlfriend Monique) was Ramone Pineda. Ramone completed 8 ocean dives and a 2 tank cenote dive which he claims was his favorite. Ramone was one of the divers out on the dive boat when a couple of our captains spotted a big Manta Ray cruising on the surface at Castillo Bajo. Some folks jumped in to snorkel with our surprise guest but unfortunately the divers below missed him. Just a reminder, always take a minute every so often to look left, right, and up in the water column to see what's passing nearby!

Best Fishes,
Karen

August 9-15, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Flat Seas
Air Temp: 93°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Moderate

The Caribbean was threatened by two storms this week but the Riviera Maya was well out of reach and skies were clear, seas were flat , viz incredible, and reef creatures were in abundance.
     Readers may remember John and Shorty Graham from Sea Lions Dive Center in Illinois where Shorty is the store manager. They were here last year and enjoyed their diving so much that returned this time for 2 weeks! During their stay, they completed more than 50 dives, both ocean and cenote and reported some of the most exciting sites this week. They joked with their various divemasters who included Rafa, Pedro and Mike that they had a "shopping list" of things they wanted to see and in fact, most everything made an appearance. Included in their sitings were Eagle Rays, Morays, a Seahorse, Nursesharks, lot's of turtles, Peacock Flounders, Yellow Headed Jawfish, White Spotted File Fish, Smooth and Spotted Trunkfish, Lobsters, schools of Tarpon, Jacks, Atlantic Spadefish, juvenile Jacknife, and the rarest surprise of the week, a White Nose Pipefish! (Are you all rushing to your Reef Fish books to check that out? Here's a hint, seahorse family.) Luckily, John was armed with his camera and being an accomplished photographer, captured many of these sitings. I have posted just a few of his terrific images here from the week for everyone to enjoy.
     Beth and David Benkert also from the Chicago area and customers of Sea Lions Dive Shop came in and logged dives both in the ocean and cenotes. They were an enthusiastic pair and we hope to see them again soon.
     Returning for their second visit to Dive Aventuras were Carl and Josh McReavy. I certified these guys as PADI Scuba Divers 2 years ago and they returned this week and completed their full Open Water certifcation as well as some additional ocean dives and a cenote dive. Congratulations guys!
     Vincent Bruton from Maryland was vacationing for a week here in the Riviera Maya with his wife Florine. We saw Vincent almost everyday in the shop but never saw Florine. When I asked him how he managed so much time for diving he replied that Florine was very busy shopping, enjoying spa treatments and looking at condos. Maybe we'll be seeing even MORE of Vincent in the future!
     As I write this week's review, yet another storm, Earl, is working it's way across the Caribbean and at this time, headed our way. Hopefully it will miss us and pass through the Yucatan straights with coming to land. Regardless, we'll batten the hatches and be try to prepare...just in case.

Best Fishes,
Karen

August 9-15, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Flat Seas
Air Temp: 93°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Moderate

The Caribbean was threatened by two storms this week but the Riviera Maya was well out of reach and skies were clear, seas were flat , viz incredible, and reef creatures were in abundance.
     Readers may remember John and Shorty Graham from Sea Lions Dive Center in Illinois where Shorty is the store manager. They were here last year and enjoyed their diving so much that returned this time for 2 weeks! During their stay, they completed more than 50 dives, both ocean and cenote and reported some of the most exciting sites this week. They joked with their various divemasters who included Rafa, Pedro and Mike that they had a "shopping list" of things they wanted to see and in fact, most everything made an appearance. Included in their sitings were Eagle Rays, Morays, a Seahorse, Nursesharks, lot's of turtles, Peacock Flounders, Yellow Headed Jawfish, White Spotted File Fish, Smooth and Spotted Trunkfish, Lobsters, schools of Tarpon, Jacks, Atlantic Spadefish, juvenile Jacknife, and the rarest surprise of the week, a White Nose Pipefish! (Are you all rushing to your Reef Fish books to check that out? Here's a hint, seahorse family.) Luckily, John was armed with his camera and being an accomplished photographer, captured many of these sitings. I have posted just a few of his terrific images here from the week for everyone to enjoy.
     Beth and David Benkert also from the Chicago area and customers of Sea Lions Dive Shop came in and logged dives both in the ocean and cenotes. They were an enthusiastic pair and we hope to see them again soon.
     Returning for their second visit to Dive Aventuras were Carl and Josh McReavy. I certified these guys as PADI Scuba Divers 2 years ago and they returned this week and completed their full Open Water certifcation as well as some additional ocean dives and a cenote dive. Congratulations guys!
     Vincent Bruton from Maryland was vacationing for a week here in the Riviera Maya with his wife Florine. We saw Vincent almost everyday in the shop but never saw Florine. When I asked him how he managed so much time for diving he replied that Florine was very busy shopping, enjoying spa treatments and looking at condos. Maybe we'll be seeing even MORE of Vincent in the future!
     As I write this week's review, yet another storm, Earl, is working it's way across the Caribbean and at this time, headed our way. Hopefully it will miss us and pass through the Yucatan straights with coming to land. Regardless, we'll batten the hatches and be try to prepare...just in case.

Best Fishes,
Karen

August 2-8, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Bumpy seas
Air Temp: 93°F
Water Temp: 84°F
Viz: Good
Current: Mild

August is a busy month in the Riviera Maya and the shop averaged about 55 divers a day. Here this week were Jim and Roxanne Wilton from Portsmouth, NH. Roxanne completed her Rescue Diver course with our Instructor Monica while Jim logged some bottom time with other guided divers. They both have set new certification goals and are planning to return next June with their kids for 2 weeks...if not sooner. While the kids work on their Open Water certifications, Roxanne has plans to complete the Master Diver certification and Jim plans to complete his Divemaster program.
      Julie and Dave Cluff who own a condo here in Puerto Aventuras, were back for another visit this week. Dave had a new Sony video camera and housing and was eager to get in the water to try it out. I hear he had lots of great opportunities with the usual abundance of friendly turtles spotted on dives all week as well as schools of Jacks, the occasional Eagle Rays and big Green Morays.
      Completing his Advanced Open Water course with our instructor Alciedes this week was Frank Harshman from Chicago. Frank just finished his Open Water certification the previous week and was ready to move on immediately with additional training. Five advanced training dives are required for this certification and he chose to do Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drift, and Multilevel as well as the two required dives of Navigation and Deep. Good work, Frank!
      Discover Scuba Diving classes were filled all week and one of the participants continuing on to certification level was 10.75 year old Brandon Olsen from Austin, Tx. (he made the .75 very clear to me on our first meeting). Branden was here on vacation with his Mom, Dad and sister and completed his PADI Scuba Diver certification with Paco. Congratulations! Also participating in the Discover Scuba Diving program were Simon, Dennis, and Steven all from the UK. I asked them if they had a good time and I was told I could quote them when they all replied "It was great!"
      Back for his 3rd visit in a year was Ed Kruse, an instructor from Annapolis Scuba. Ed brought his daughter Meredith, wife Joanna, and her daughter Meredith. No, that's not a typo! Even more unusual, these gals share the same birthdate, just different years. So to keep all this "Meredith business" straight, they call Joanna's daughter "Mookie" and Ed's daughter "Mer". Mookie came prepared to complete her open water referral dives and headed out with Mike and Ed for the task at hand. All reports came back that she was a "star" in the water. Looks like there's another fish in that family!
     As you can see, training classes are in full swing here at Dive Aventuras so next time your here, consider continuing education classes. It's fun, easy and a great way to expand your diving experience!

Best Fishes,
Karen

July 26-August 1, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional brief showers
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Excellent to Good
Current: Mild

Boy Scouts of America Venture Crew 1221, family and friends from Stafford Va arrived at Dive Aventuras for a week of sun, fun, and diving. The crew participated in 12 ocean dives, a night dive, and a 2-tank cenote as well some additional diving on the reefs. Their 1st diving trip was to Bonaire last year and this year they decided to give Mexico a try. Sited on their dives were lots of Hawksbill and Loggerhead turtles, rays, schools of fish, and an Octopus on the night dive. Non diving activities included snorkeling, a tour of Tulum and some serious nightlife fun. Other activities this group participates in are disaster preparedness as well as more traditional scouting functions such as camping, and hiking. They were great fun to have in the shop and we hope that Dive Aventuras becomes a permanent part of their diving schedule.
     Fifteen Chilean friends of Dive Aventuras instructor Oscar, were here on a vacation and participated in a Discover Scuba Diving class and although the day was overcast, the group all had a terrific time and were excited about more diving.
     Also here this week from Lexington NC were the Weisner family, Zack Hayes, and Adam Horne. There was much excitement when, on the first dive of their vacation, Adam placed a beautiful diamond engagement ring (thanks to the help of family friend and jeweler, Zack) on Leigh Anne's finger and asked her to marry him. Tony, Leigh Anne´s dad and Zack were also along on dive and managed to video the event. Adam is currently attending the US Naval Academy but is also a NC native. Another family member with lot's of excitement this week was 15 yr old Elizabeth who participated in the Discover Scuba Diving class and enjoyed it so much she even returned for another fun dive with her family and future brother-in-law.
     This week we launched the newest addition to our boat fleet, The Stingray. The new boat is a 26ft Imensa and can carry 6 divers plus a guide and will provide even more flexibility to our diving schedule. It is currently in the water but awaiting the finishing touches of a suntop and tank bumpers before heading out on her maiden voyage.
     Another new addition to the shop is our new instructor, Jean Luc. Previously, Jean Luc, a native Mexican, has taught in Cancun, Cozumel, and Thailand and is multilingual, speaking Spanish, English and German. We think he'll make a great addition to our already talented staff!

Best Fishes,
Karen

July 12-18, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with brief occasional afternoon showers
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Excellent to good
Current: Mild

The shop was fairly quiet this week (compared to busy previous weeks) averaging around 45 divers a day and diving conditions were excellent all week.
     Here for a family reunion (a total of 20 folks altogether), were Lizanne, David, Sarah, Sean and Kevin. Sean and Kevin were recently certified in Hawaii while David and Lizanne participated in a refresher course there. Now in Mexico, this group was ready for some serious diving and Sarah, home from school in Colorado, joined them and participated in a Discover Scuba Diving class which allowed the entire family to dive together. Later in the week, 19 members of this reunion group all headed out for one of our guided snorkel tours on a nearby reef where they saw turtles and lots of fish.
     Another large group of fir ends and family here this week were the Bryant group. Five certified divers joined up with five Discover Scuba Diving participants for a terrific ocean dive.
     Lot’s of Discover Scuba Diving participants this week as weather conditions were perfect for new divers. One of the more glamorous groups were a trio of ladies, Lynda, Linda, and Pam. Lynda joined her daughter Pam, a certified diver who wanted to refresh her skills, and their neighbor and friend Linda, also a certified diver for dive at Castillo Bajo. These California ladies vacationing together will return home with some exciting memories.
     Matt Whitworth and brother James, from outside Manchester England, were on holiday with their parents this week and Matt completed his PADI Open Water Certification course with Dive Aventuras instructor, Monica. James completed his NAUI certification in England just a few weeks before and completed his training in a local quarry. He joined his brother Matt on his final certifying dives and got his first experience in the warm, clear, waters of the Caribbean. It will be hard to go back now fellas! Once certified, Matt continued diving an completed an addition 2 ocean and cenote dives.
     Finally, our new stock of t-shirts arrived! After a long spell of empty shelves due to printer problems, we now have a fully stocked inventory again including the popular sleeveless t-shirts for summer and plenty of XXLs. The first few days we were selling them as fast as we could put them out as many divers had been promised the arrival of the shirts during their vacation and had waited anxiously.
     This weekend, Debbie, Nils, and Isabella, having heard the incredible stories of the whale shark expedition, headed off to Isla Holbox themselves to experience the thrill. Though they are still on the road heading back as I write this, reports are that they had a great time. Rumor has it that next on the road will be Andres. We’ll look forward to seeing some terrific photos from his trip.

Until then, best fishes,
Karen

July 5-11, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to fair
Current: Mild

Incredible sitings this week on our local reefs! A large eagle ray has been frequently spotted cruising in the sandy area between Paraiso mediano and bajo and while feeding, has allowed divers a close inspection. The trick to getting these "close encounters" is a very slow, stealthy approach. Even though it's an exciting thing to see, remember to go slow and most reef life will permit divers to get up close and personal. This especially applies to turtles which we saw plenty of this week. I was diving with the Annapolis Scuba group on Chan Yum Yum in about 50ft of water when Janelle, who was looking for decorator crabs in the gorgonian, found a small, brown seahorse. We have a terrific habitat for these treasures but it takes an eagle-eye to spot them. Wrapping up this hometown showcase, Rafa spotted a small Manta Ray cruising by in about 15ft of water.
     Jake Hurley, a software sales executive and Dr. Louise Williams, a Clinical Molecular Geneticist from Oxford, England were visiting for 2 weeks. Louise came ready to do her open water referral dives but after a few attempts to roll off the boat, decided that shore diving might be her preference...not necessarily an uncommon decision! Meanwhile Jake completed his Advanced Open Water certification, congratulations!
     Mike and Rob, some familiar faces from Reno, NV were in the shop this week and brought a group of divers with them from Tropical Penguin. This group mixed it up all week with ocean, cenote and cozumel diving.
     Mid-week I headed off with some of the Annapolis Scuba group and Missy Vanderbelt to Isla Holbox, an island just off the coast of the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula for a whale shark expedition. We arrived on the island late Wednesday after a 3 hr car ride and a 30min ferry ride to this very laid back island. No cars allowed, only tricycles and golf carts. Accommodations are basic but comfortable, and the mosquitoes are straight out of "Jurassic Park". Thursday morning at 6am we climbed into a 27ft panga and set off for our adventure. Along the way we saw a pod of wild dolphins, white turtles, flamingos, and pelicans. Then we saw our first whale shark feeding at the surface! He was over 30 ft long and breathtaking. We jumped in and snorkeled until we were exhausted. Funny thing was they looked like they weren't moving at all but when we tried to keep up, it was quite a struggle. These giant fish, the largest fish in the world, are extremely docile and eat shrimp brill, plankton and small fish. We moved on after the first one continuing to spot them, (sometimes 4 at a time) and our guide even recognized a few as repeat visitors. We were also fortunate to encounter a group of Manta Rays and were able to snorkel with them briefly..now those guys can really move! The whale shark migration has a narrow window of time in Holbox and research is being actively conducted to preserve the environment and protect these incredible creatures. It was a privilege to see and experience this event and I came home with a memory I will never forget.

Best Fishes,
Karen

June 28-July 4, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm Seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 83°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

Summer vacations kicked into full swing with the 4th of July holiday week and the shop was busy with families, honeymooners, and groups of divers.
     The Wong family from California were here and completed an 8 dive package with 4 ocean dives and 4 cenote dives. Their local diving is primarily limited to Monterrey CA and although the diving there is nice, they welcomed the warm waters of the Caribbean. One of the more memorable reef dives was with Paco on Paraiso where they saw a large Eagle Ray and a big school of Tarpon.
     Back for a month stay is Tony, son Gianni, and his neighbor, John. These guys have condos here and are frequent visitors. Oddly enough, not only are Tony and John neighbors in New Jersey, but also neighbors here! Another frequent visiting family with condos here are Tom, Joni, and Ryan. This trip Ryan brought his best friend Curtis who completed his first ocean dives with Dive Aventuras. Previously Curtis had only been diving in the quarry in Texas and told me he "definitely" prefers the diving here. So far, he says his favorite thing are the turtles and asked me to say hi to his Mom.
     George and Vicki Engbrecht from just outside LA were here diving this week and I caught them one morning exchanging dive stories with John Campbell from Michigan while they were waiting to head out for a reef dive on the Class One with our guide Rafa. Just imagine how different the local diving for those folks must be! Our guests coming from the farthest away this week had to be the Carsons from Norway. Richard, Marianne, and Marit stayed south in Akumal, about 15 mins away and were sited in the dive shop all week and between the 3 of them, completed 50 dives during their stay! A special thanks to Richard who left 2 very cool t-shirts for me.
     Arriving from Annapolis Scuba Center was yet another group of divers and non-divers. This group consisted of group leader and Instructor Janelle, her fiancé Bryan, new instructor Jack, The Scott family, Linda, Chris, and the Reesers, Guy and Stuart. Many of this group were here last 4th of July and came back for a second visit. Chris completed his Advanced Open Water course and Jimmy Scott completed his open water dives with Janelle. Congratulations guys! Sunday night the group headed out for a night dive and under a spectacular light show of heat lightening, (natures fireworks for the 4th of July) and spotted Octopus, a big turtle. lobster, squid, and tiny slender filefish. Most of this group will be departing on Tuesday but some will be staying through the week for an excursion to Isla Holbox to see the Mantas and Whale Sharks. Be sure to check next week's report for photos from this special trip.

Until then, best fishes,
Karen

June 21-27, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: mixed seas (some days bumpy, some days calm)
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to fair
Current: Mild

The shop was busy this week with lots of divers completing their referral training dives as well as complete open water courses. Referrals are a perfect way to maximize your vacation while completing your certification. All academics and pool training are completed at your local PADI dive shop on a schedule that is convenient for you. Then, book your vacation with Dive Aventuras, bring your referral packet provided by your hometown Instructor, and 4 beautiful reef dives later you'll be a PADI certified Open Water Diver!
     This week we had a big group from Maryland (some were here with the Maryland Bar Association meeting last year). Judge Richard Shorthorn of Maryland circuit court headed up the group of both certified divers, students completing their open water referrals and serious beach goers. This group really sampled the diversity of the region with reef dives, cenote dives, a trip to Cozumel, and Xel Ha.
     Back for a second visit was Shannon Dye. Last year 11 year old Shannon completed her Scuba Diver certification and this week she finished up her full Open Water certification. She was joined on her training dives by her Dad Jamie, a certified diver. Now the two of them are bonifide dive buddies!
     Another new buddy team this week were the Grabills from Maryland. This father and son team participate in the Discover Scuba Diving program and progressed right through to Open Water certification. Congratulations guys...the underwater world awaits you! One of our favorite repeat visitors was back again this week, Gino from Chicago. This time he brought his friend GC and together they logged some bottom time on the reef and at the cenotes. Guided dives and Discover Scuba Diving classes were full all week and many days next week are already filling. Vinnie and Mary Carbonneau from Richmond Va got in on the fun with Vinnie (and his new snorkel equipment) trying out scuba for the first time and then joining Mary, a certified diver on a reef dive. Anyone could see the fire in his eyes when he returned--it won't be long and he'll be logging time as a certified diver!
     Sunday brought a very busy retail day in the shop and new arrivals stopped by to purchase snorkel equipment and book snorkel tours for the week. Rental snorkel gear is available in most locations in the area but nothing beats the convenience and comfort of having your own custom fitted equipment. It's a guaranteed way to make snorkeling more enjoyable. Snorkel packages are available for sale in the shop starting at $40 for kids to $75 for adults. One of the best snorkel reefs in the area lies right out our front door so stop by, get some gear, and check it out!

Best Fishes,
Karen

June 14-20, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies changing with occasional evening showers
Seas: Calm seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to excellent
Current: Mild

What a difference a week makes! This week the weather was fantastic with sunny skies and flat seas, perfect conditions for both new and experienced divers alike. Discover Scuba Diving classes were full and lot's of first time divers upgraded to certification levels. One of our participants was a young man named Alejandro Landros from right here in Puerto. His mom Lidia is the massage therapist at the gym next door as well as gym manager. Alejandro took the class with instructor Martin and was really excited when they saw a nurse shark ("Tiburon Gata " in Spanish) on their dive.
     The Halgreens, Desiree and Noel from Texas, were here this week. Both are fairly new divers and were looking forward to logging some bottom time during their vacation. Noel, an avid topside photographer, received a nice surprise when Desiree signed him up for the Underwater Photo Adventure dive. Not to miss out on any opportunity to get more experience, Desiree decided to take the Fish ID adventure dive and now, both are one step closer to Advanced Open Water certifications!
     Back for her 3rd visit was Brenda Jones. Last year Brenda completed her Scuba Diver certification with me. She then traveled to Aruba and finished her full Open Water certification and returned to Puerto late last year for some fun dives. This visit she set her mind on Advanced Open Water and together we completed the required 5 dives as well as a fun dive. Brenda has developed quite an eye for underwater life and during one of our dives she spotted a free-swimming octopus who put on quite a show for us.
     The "Michigan Six" as they have come to be known at the dive shop, were here for ocean and cenote dives. Steve, Debbie, Jim, Mark, Barry, and Marvin dominated the shop with their good humor and high spirits. These folks know how to enjoy their vacation! The upcoming week the shop will be full of groups traveling together so check back for lot's of interesting tales and photos.
     P. S. Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Best Fishes,
Karen

June 7-13, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies changing to storms by end of week
Seas: Rough seas
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to fair
Current: Mild

The recipe for diving this week was bumpy seas, mixed with rain, then fold in a lot of wind and even more rain. Not exactly perfect conditions but nonetheless, divers were able to log some bottom time right up until Friday morning when the storm really let loose.

      Some of the lucky divers here for the start of the week were Dan and Gavin Elam from Tennessee. Previously diving destinations included a previous trip to Puerto Aventuras, Cozumel and a Tennessee quarry so a little wind and bumpy seas didn't even slow them down. Mom Mitzi, a devoted beach goer sent them packing almost everyday and they participated in both ocean and cenote dives during their week vacation.

      Also here were the Evans group from Central Coast Diving in Kentucky. Samantha, Maddie, and Max came ready to complete their referrals with their instructor from the states, Tommy. As is often true with young, new divers, Max had trouble with his ears and was unable to equalize but the gals pushed forward and completed their certification, congratulations! Accompanying them were Mom Linda and Dad Robert. I tagged along as a guide on a couple of dives once their skills were completed and I have to say, these gals were like fish and we hope they all come back soon! Completing their Open Water certifications this week were Stephen Davis from Bristol, UK and Jordan Harger from California. I asked them what their favorite part of the course was and Stephan said "going slow and taking the time to look for things" including the nurse shark they found. Jordan enjoyed the personal challenge and the step-by-step learning process.

      It was right about here during the week that a low pressure storm moved over us and closed the port for a couple of days. The wind and rain, blew, roads flooded, the dive shop leaked but still we stayed and some of the most enthusiastic students we've seen continued to train completing their academic and pool portions of the course. Paola and Tanya stood in the driving rain to gearup and practice skills in the pool with Instructor Oscar. Also braving the weather were father and son team Dave and Mark Smith from England. They began by watching the training videos but when the wind finally took out the electricity (as we knew it eventually would) they jumped in the pool also to practice skills. The good news is that as I write this, the storm has moved off the Yucatan peninsula, skies are blue again, and diving is what it's all about!

Best Fishes,
Karen

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May 31-June 6, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Rough seas calming by the weekend
Air Temp: 91°F
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

Lots of wonderful quests this week but missing from shop were the van der Haars. Debbie, Nils and Isabella are on vacation in Holland for 10 days to visit Nils' parents and do some site seeing. Reports back indicate the temperature is quite a bit different than Mexico where, as I write this report, the temp is hot and the seas are completely flat.
     Spotted on most dives were lot's of turtles, Queen Triggers, Mantis Shrimp, moray eels, lots of lobsters, stingrays, barracuda, schools and schools of grunts, porkfish and snappers.
     My hero this week was an 11 year old named Anna Kate Heath from North Carolina. Anna, her sister Sara, and Dad Chris, all participated in a Discover Scuba Diving class on one of the windiest days I can remember lately. Unfortunately, Anna was a little overwhelmed by the waves and returned incredibly disappointed without having made the dive. Her sister and Dad completed the dive and returned all smiles having had a great time. This future diver had been so excited that it broke my heart to see her miss out on the experience so I offered to go back out with her one on one. This brave little gal jumped right back on the boat and out she went. Here's what she had to say about the experience. "My first dive started off kind of rocky. The ocean was rough and I got a little scared. But Ms Karen went back with me and took me down and it was great! I loved all the different fish I saw…we saw a barracuda (and) I saw a turtle. I love turtles! See ya next year if not sooner!" Anna's Mom Sally stayed topside with brother Jordan and Sara's boyfriend Ben. To top off the trip, Chris presented Sally with a beautiful emerald cut diamond ring. Needless to say their vacation was packed with highlights!
     Walt Stearns from Sport Diver magazine was here working on a photo spread for the upcoming feature on diving in the Riviera Maya. We logged some bottom time both in the ocean and cenotes so be sure to keep an eye out for that upcoming article.
     We had 3 big family groups this past week. The Peytons, the White's, and the Olsen/Webb families consisted of new divers, experienced divers and landlubbers. The Peytons are regular visitors to Puerto Aventuras, often here 3 or 4 times a year. Stacy completed her Photo Adventure dive with husband Charlie and son Spencer keeping a close eye out for good photo subjects. Also here from that family were younger son Pierce, Stacy's folks Jim and Jan Honsicker, her aunt and uncle Bob and Virginia Mola, and her grandmother Helen Honsicker. Team White consisted of 12 travelers (family and friends) from Kansas. They completed a Discover Scuba Diving experience while here as well as a visit to Xcaret and the Dolphin Discovery. The Olsen/Webb group consisted of 4 certified divers who completed their first ocean dives (previous dives were logged in a quarry) and 6 Discover Scuba Diving participants. This trip coincided with 3 high school graduations and the 18th birthday celebration for the twins!
     Christy Hinson traveled from Chicago to complete her Open Water certification dives in the warm Caribbean waters of Mexico. Working with instructor Pedro, Christy weathered some bumpy seas during training and came through like a star! Congratulations!
     Back again from August were Sandy and Paul Baker. Last year they participated in a Discover Scuba Diving experience and enjoyed it so much that they not only completed additional diving but now are back for more. These folks love blowing bubbles and squeezed in 4 dives while here.
     Now that school is out in the states we'll be seeing lot's of families and as is apparent from this weeks guests, the Riviera Maya is a wonderfully diverse location for everyone to enjoy.

Best Fishes,
Karen

May 24-30, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm seas building to rough by the weekend
Air Temp: 85° to 90°F
Water Temp: 81°F
Viz: Fair to Good
Current: Mild

Dive Aventuras was host to lots of British divers this past week. Mike and Bev Polland from the UK were here for 2 weeks and completed their Advanced Open Water certifications as well as lots of additional ocean diving. Past dive vacations included exotic destinations such as the Red Sea, Maldives, Fiji, New Zealand, and Tobago. I asked what brought them to Mexico this time and they replied "good value, safety, and somewhere different". They returned home tanned, relaxed, and with tales from their newest dive destination.

     Holding the Dive Aventuras record for most dives on 1 vacation (all be it a 3 week vacation) were Deb and Jeremy, also from the UK. Previously their dive experience was to Malta and the local cold, dark, diving of their local water hole, a slate quarry. During their stay, they completed ocean dives, cenote dives, a night dive, and a boat adventure dive (credit toward Advanced open water certification). During their visit, we were taping our new promo video and they were the diving stars of the cenote segment. I asked Bev what was her favorite dive and she remarked that the stalagmites and stalagmites in Choc Mool were the highlight for her. Dan and Brian (aka Byron) from Kernersville, NC were here ocean diving this week. These guys were from my old home town and it was terrific to catchup on things with them. Also on the Class One with Dan and Brian were Corrine and Dwain from Indianapolis. They dived at Castillo and El Serape dive sites and spotted both large and small Hawksbill turtles.

     Congratulations to Lisa and Josh Ratledge. This couple from Ohio completed their open water referral dives here this week as well as a couple of Ocean dives after certification.

     We've had some really unusual sitings in the past which may prompted me to start a "Creature of the Week" section in this report. On Friday, while diving at Cedam caves, our divemaster Rafa was exiting one of the swim throughs, looked down into the rumble on the bottom and saw a small Pipefish. This fish, a master at camouflage, has a head similar to a seahorse but the body is thin and straight. This little guys average between 4-6 inches long. The environment is perfect here for both Pipefish and Seahorses so keep your eyes open!

Until then,
Karen

May 17-23, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Calm Seas
Water Temp: 82°F
Viz: Good
Current: Mild

Great news this week! The water temps are on the rise and the extra neoprene can be moved to the back of the rack. Topside the temps are hot, hot, hot as well and surface intervals offer yet another opportunity to catch some rays. Speaking of rays, the Eagle Rays are back and have been spotted cruising the reefs regularly. I was guiding a dive this week and after having seen a hawksbill turtle, lobsters, a big green moray, and barracuda, I was thinking "this can't get much better" when over the top of one of the cuts at Canyonland, came a huge Spotted Eagle Ray to top it off.
     While I was excited about the Eagle Rays, Jim and Dawn Forte from Texas couldn't stop talking about their favorite dive site, Las Islas where they spotted 4 loggerhead turtles on just one dive! They were here a week and logged 6 ocean and 2 cenote dives.
     Back for a second trip in less than a year was Gino from Chicago. Gino brought a friend who completed her Scuba Diver course while he was logging some bottom time with the certified divers. Gino tells us he'll be back June 19th for another vacation with his sister and several other divers.
     Also back for their second visit in 2 months were Rick and Cindy Malamed. Readers may remember these nice folks from a few reports back. Cindy had a less than pleasurable experience in Tahiti when she tried Discover Scuba Diving but 2 months ago, with the help of Dive Aventuras Instructor Yadi, overcame her fear and completed a dive on the reef. They had such a good time that they came back this week and Cindy completed her Scuba Diver certification and Rick upgraded his certification to Open Water diver. Congratulations to you both!
     Visiting this week from Annapolis Maryland were Barbara and Ed, dear friends and fellow divers from our days teaching at Annapolis Scuba. They are planning a liveaboard trip in August and Ed, who had recently purchased a new underwater digital camera, came down to complete his Photo Specialty certification before their next trip. We had some terrific dive together (just like old times!) and Ed captured some great shots including reefscapes, turtles, and Angelfish. Good work!
     If you've planned a trip soon, be sure to introduce yourself to the newest member of our Dive Aventuras staff, Paco. Paco is an instructor and speaks English, Spanish and French. That's it for this week!

Best fishes!
Karen

May 10-16, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional brief showers
Seas: Calm Seas, occasional slight chop
Air Temp: 85 to 90F
Water Temp: 80-81F
Viz: Good to Excellent
Current: Mild

The big news this week was another whale shark sighting! Liz and Duncan Stewart from England (our friends who are avid "week in review" readers), were completing an Advanced Open Water training dive at the White House dive site in Paamul with Instructor Lucio. They were at about 40ft when a big shadow passed above them. When they looked up they saw a whale shark swimming just below the surface. They were able ascend a bit and stayed in view of the whale shark for about 3 minutes until the boat approached and it moved away. What a dive!

     Pat and Julia Pallentino from Tallahassee, Florida were here for a long weekend of sunning and diving. We met these nice folks while diving in Curacao in December and invited them up to see our piece of paradise. Though the ocean diving was great, they really enjoyed the incredible beauty of the Cenotes with our divemaster Mario.

     Ryan, Tony and Steve were in the area for Ryan's wedding and were diving all week. Ryan even went on a cenote dive just hours before the ceremony! What a great way to get rid of pre-wedding jitters!

     Anne Royer started diving with us on Thursday and kept coming back to dive, and dive and dive…to the point that she felt so at home in the shop that she was often seen greeting customers and showing them around the shop, helping them get checked in and pointing them in the right direction. Short in stature (but big in spirit) she made an interesting contrast behind the counter with Nils.

     This week we began installing new mooring lines to help divers who need lines to descend. Since our dives are slow, easy, drift diving, we usually don't use a line but with some divers requesting them due to equalization problems or students doing training dives, we are placing them on some of our more popular sites. Mooring blocks are a much more environmentally friendly installation versus dropping an anchor and potentially damaging the reef.

     Just a reminder that the new "Comments" button on the home page is available for your reviews of our operation. Your comments are important to us so let us know what you think!

Until then, best fishes!
Karen

May 3-9, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies with occasional morning showers
Seas: Calm Seas
Water Temp: 80F
Viz: Excellent to good
Current: Mild

Here in the tropics when we’ve had choppy seas due to windy conditions, we look forward to a good thunderstorm, which often blows out the windy weather bringing flat seas and easy diving. This week that’s just what happened and divers headed out to dive sites glad that the bumpy boat rides were in the past.

     Our friends Jack and Barb from Sacramento were back for a second visit to Dive Aventuras. This gregarious couple came last year with their new digital camera and really got me pointed in the digital direction after years of only shooting film. (I haven’t given up film entirely yet but love my new digital camera!) This year, they came with both digital and film cameras and took some incredible photos while diving in the ocean and cenotes. Some of Jack’s cenote shots are posted here this week. They promise to return soon to check out some potential retirement properties.

     Many of you may remember Georg our German friend from the dive shop who returned to the states in May of last year. He was back this week with his lovely new bride Emma from Columbia. Emma completed her open water course with Yadi. Even though Georg is himself an instructor, he stayed in the background while Emma completed her training with to avoid any additional pressure that a student sometimes feels when their spouse is already a very enthusiastic diver. Congratulations to both of you!

     Discover Scuba Diving classes were popular this week and there were two cases when Discover Scuba Diving participants elected to skip the ocean dive and return another day to retake the academics and pool training to gain more confidence before heading out to the reef. One of those participants was Dalton Burt, a great guy from Georgia. After feeling a bit anxious (he said he was just too “excited”) for the first experience, he returned another day to take the class again and enjoyed it so much that he completed his Scuba Diver certification! His wife Pat was always nearby and encouraging. We’re proud of ya Dalton! Also participating in DSD classes were 5 members of the Hage group, Chuck, Amy, Eric, Chris, and Jordon who were joined on their dive by certified divers Steve, Tyler, and Mike.

     Gary and Terrie Hare were here diving and sporting the wildest looking dive skins we’ve ever seen! They obviously know that the second most important rule in scuba diving is “LOOK GOOD”!

     Some of you may have noticed that I missed an edition of the Week in Review but since I didn’t hear any complaints, I thought I was off the hook until Liz and Duncan from England showed up in the shop on Wednesday. They are avid fans of this weekly event and were quick to let me know that they missed it! I must say, it’s nice to be missed. We made it up to them though when they spotted 3 turtles on their first dive!

     This week we’ve been busy at the shop shooting a new promo video. Imanol, a local videographer has been covering our daily operations and will be providing us with a new video that covers everything from the moment we open our doors to greet the divers to the close of business at the end of the day. We expect it to be completed in the next month or so and it will be a key marketing tool for us. Next time you’re in the shop, be sure to check it out!

Until then,
Best Fishes!
Karen

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April 19-May 2, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Choppy Seas
Water Temp: 80F
Viz: Good to Fair
Current: Mild

Lot’s of familiar faces in the shop this past week as some of our favorite customers rolled into town once more to enjoy the sun, beach and excellent diving. The Walls were back and completed their Open Water Training dives and are already talking about their next dive destination.
      Mark Friedman continued his second week of diving by completeing his Underwater Naturalist and Fish ID Specialty classes. He was amazed at all the fish and reeflife that he saw once he took the class. He learned about symbiotic relationships such as cleaning stations and nuclear feeding. Cecil Travis, who was traveling with Mark, also celebrated his birthday while on his vacation. Phil and Sue, back again from Colorado were here for 10 days and though they were here with their son and daughter-in-law, they still managed to make some time for diving.
      Some new faces, Skip and Renee were here for a week and while Renee worked on her Peak Performance Bouyancy specialty, Skip enjoyed the slow pace of the diving, checking out all the nooks and crannies for reef critters.
      Also here were Tom and Kathie Malone from the Chicago area. These two enthusiastic divers completed 10 ocean and cenote dives each! Next year they are attending a wedding in Cancun and promised to return for another visit.
      Participating in the Discover Scuba Diving classes this week were James, Andrew, and Sarah Kim, originally from Korea but now living in New Jersey. They headed out to the reef with instructor Pedro and returned all smiles and reported that it was a GREAT experience! James and Shirley joined friends Nasser and Cindy for their first diving experience. Cindy said it was the experience of a lifetime while James wanted us to order up some sharks for the next time but the rest of the group declined. They also spent time snorkeling, participating in the Dolphin experience program and relaxing on the beach.
      Turtles were abundant this week with as many as four sited on one dive! Also schools of baraccuda, game fish, sting rays, and wild dolphins were seen. With water temps rising and the low season upon us, now is a great time to visit!

Until then,
Best Fishes!
Karen

April 12-18, 2004

Weather Conditions: Sunny skies
Seas: Mixed conditions varying from flat to rough
Air Temp: 82F
Water Temp: 79F
Viz: Excellent to good
Current: Mild to occasional moderate

Monday morning found the port closed to diving when strong winds blew in Sunday afternoon and caused rough seas but by Tuesday, a north wind changed conditions and though the topside air was cool, the sea was flat and warm offering terrific diving condiitons. As the week progressed, the wind shifted again and seas were choppy but the port remained open and guests returned consistantly from their dives with smiling faces.
     Back for a second visit were Donnie Clay and Paul Johnson. These guys met at Dive Avenutras last year and became fast friends. They have been corresponding since then and organized a return visit to dive together this year. Interestingly, their gals, Lydia and Cindy, also hit it off last year and they too have become good friends and shopping partners.
     Special guest this week was my mom, Wanda, who together with Nils, celebrated their birthdays (April 13 and 14th) with cake at the shop. My Mom turned 70 this week and is a fairly new diver but is ever enthusiastic about the sport. She always wanted to learn to dive and even lived most her life on the North Carolina coast (home to world class wreck diving) but the opportunity and timing was never right. Now she never misses an opportunity to get in the water. Just shows, you’re never too old to learn!
      Peter and Siegfried (not to be confused with Siegfried and Roy) from Calgary completed their open water certifications this week with Martin. I rode in the van to work with them one morning and they had their PADI books out studying like it was the bar exam! Congratulations guys! When you get tired of that cold Canadian diving, come back to see us!
      Bob and Sue Bruhn from Harrisburg, PA stopped in Sunday before they even checked into their hotel room to confirm their reservations for open water referral dives. You know, when guests stop at the dive shop first, they’re gonna make great divers!
      Brothers Geoff from NY and Chris from Colorado hooked up at Dive Aventuras for their first dive vacation together. This was Chris’s first ocean diving experience as his past diving has been mostly in Colorado, but not his first ocean experience he was quick to say as he was a submariner in the Navy. Guess the view is a little different now. Speaking of the Navy, one of our regular guest, Mark Friedman is back and brought a friend with him, Travis from Seattle who learned to dive through the Navy years ago. He had even emailed the shop to see if we would recognize his Navy certification card. Although the card should be donated to the Smithsonian, we welcomed him to join us and he and Mark will be diving this week.
      There’s a new face in the gear room now, Pablo. He will assisting Israel in helping divers and snorkelers get their rental equipment, and keeping the equipment clean and organized. These guys work hard so next time you’re in the shop, take a minute to meet them.

Until then,
Best Fishes!
Karen

12. DIVER COMMENTS
(post your own comment!)

Dive date: April 18, 2006
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Thank you for the great dive experience. We were staying north of Playa but we are happy to have come down & dive with you. Having 5 teenagers along can be a hanfull but it was easy with your organization. Your staff were all very friendly & professional.

We enjoyed the dives and the excitement of the big waves as we exited the harbour! Had some nice close up views of turtles and big crabs. We will certainly dive with you again.

Thanks...Steve, Peter. Les, Sean, Paul, Graham, Lindsay & Emma

Dive date: November 20 - 25, 2005
Hometown: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Dear Mike, Karen and Everyone,
Thank you so much for making our diving experience in Mexico a great one. The guys in the boats, under water, in the shop, our driver; everyone was so helpful. The relaxed yet professional style of you and all your staff helped make our Mayan Riviera holiday one that we will never forget.

Congratulations on an extremely well-run organization and thanks again.

Dive date: September 1, 2005
Hometown: Sacramento, California, USA

Hola Dive Aventuras, I have to say again you guys are super! Everything looks great after Emily, what a great job everyone is doing. The shop and OMNI looks like nothing happened and the remodeling looks great.

And seeing Mike's friendly face as we drove up to the shop was so welcoming. Renting the car turned out great. Where there is a will there is away.Next time I won't be so far from the shop.

Because of EM I had no choice. The area is beautiful and has lots to see. Below water and above it is just breath taking.

My friend Toni enjoyed talking to everyone and next time she will complete her dive instruction. We went snorkeling at Akumal and I could not get her out of the water.Now she wants to dive so until next time.
Hasta La Vista

Dive date: August 2005
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada

Just a quick thank you to Lucio, Nils & the rest of you guys for a great experience!! We are excited to begin our dives here in British Columbia!
Lucio, thanks for your easy-going style and making sure that we had a good understanding of the material as we went along. We felt safe and had an awesome experience. Thanks again.
Hope to see you again, Kerry & Rob

Dive date: July 3 & 6, 2005
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

What a great experience!!! I did my four open water dives for my open water certification and am now hooked on diving. The sea life was fantastic, the staff at Dive Aventura was wonderful, and everything about the experience was positive.
It was stormy on the day I was supposed to do my last two dives, and the staff was very helpful in rescheduling to fit in my schedule.
During the dives we saw two stingrays- one quiet large, a large sea turtle, a morray eel, and numerous other wonderful creatures. A great place to dive and to learn.

Dive date: June 5 - 9, 2005
Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Just wanted to thank Mike and his staff for a great week of diving. You guys really took care of us despite the weather. A few of our group are already planning a return trip next June. Hopefully we can get that night dive in then. See you in June 2006. Mike

Dive date: April 20 - 24, 2005
Hometown: Lancaster, Pa, USA

An absolute wonderful experience diving with Dive Aventuras. I went along as my girlfriend and her 11 year old son did their referral dives. Thanks to the whole crew for all their help, and a special thanks to Luciano for his patience with her son. Thanks to Luciano we all are certified and enjoying local diving.

We just made reservations for a return trip to Mexico, and we will definately be diving with Dive Adventurous again. So to Luciano and the whole crew, we will see you in November!!!!!

And oh yeah, I want to thank the crew for finding and holding my lost U/W camera until I was able to pick it up

Dive date: June 21, 23, 2005
Hometown: Auburn, NH

My daughter and I took our final 4 open water dive tests here while we were on vacation with my family for a reunion. We had Oscar as our instructor and he was the Best. My daughter is 12 but very good in the water. Oscar was specific in his instructions and we learned more while we were testing. The review of how to use the compass was more in depth than what we did our pool time in NH.

I was impressed with the thoroughness and responsibility of the shop. Three other people in my family wanted to dive once with us but they had not dived for 5 years. Dive Aventuras stressed the importance of safety and set them up with a refresher course on the spot before their dive. My dad said it was well-worth it. Then we all dove together. We saw a very large Moray eel and some barracuda.

I fully recommend this shop. It is conscientious and carried the PADI certification in good form.

Hometown: Inverness, Scotland

Hi guys, Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed diving with you and to say how glad I was to have picked you. I was fortunate enough to do 4 dives with Monica, 2 with Luiz and 2 in the cenote with Mario and enjoyed every single one.

Your guides are a credit to you and I found them all to be very extremely competent but also very friendly which made the experience much more relaxing.I must admit to being a bit apprehensive whenever I go into any new dive shop for the first time but found everyone to be very friendly and they obviously were familiar with people like me as the first thing they said was take a seat and your guide will get you sorted for everything which took a lot of the stress away.
Thanks once again, Leighton Hall, Currently 10 degrees C°

Divedate: 13-25/05/05
Hometown: Fareham, Hampshire, England

A big thank you to everyone - guides, shop staff, boat crew and drivers - it was a real pleasure diving with you. Dive Aventuras provide a great dive centre, making the whole experience relaxed and fun, just as it should be.

Special thanks to Jean Luc and Rafa who led most of my dives and spotted a lot of stuff I wouldn't have seen. Hope Nils and Debbie enjoy Marsa and Rafa has fun in the Pacific.
-Thanks again, Dave Medhurst

Divedate: May 25th, 2005
hometown: Greenville, Indiana

Greetings one and all: The folks at Dive Aventuras are the best - Excellent customer service and safety conscious. A special thanks to Karen Doody for her professionalism in addressing our concerns and making our dive truely memorable. We will be back!
-Thanks for a great time.

Hi everyone at Dive Aventuras!
Myself and Jason would like to say a big thank-you to all involved in making our diving such a success. I would personally like to thank Debbie for arranging the booking and Jason would like to thank all of you for making it possible.

He enjoyed every minute of it and cant stop talking about all the things he saw! We now have five sets of under water photos to look through!!! He is looking forward to diving with his friend who is also an open water certified diver.( its a little bit scary that they have been let loose in the sea!!!). Hopefully we will return to you in the near future ( I want to come back now as i loved mexico so much and didnt want to leave to come back to chilly england!).I am feeling very depressed now as i am back at work and in england!!!! boo hoo!!! i miss mexico!!! Once again thank you for all your help and kindness,
-Take care, Natasha Skipp and Jason Stephenson (open water diver!!!) xxx

Dive Dates April 18th, 2005
Hometown: Weston, Connecticut, USA

My name is Tess and I am 11 years old. This April I did my second dive with Dive Aventuras. My instructor was John Paul. John Paul and I carefully reviewed my skills from my last dive, so that by the time that we were in open water, I was perfectly comfortable. Diving with Dive Aventuras was a great experience and I would highly reccomend it.
Tess

Hometown: England

Hi everyone at Dive Aventuras!
Myself and Jason would like to say a big thank-you to all involved in making our diving such a success. I would personally like to thank Debbie for arranging the booking and Jason would like to thank all of you for making it possible. He enjoyed every minute of it and cant stop talking about all the things he saw!

We now have five sets of under water photos to look through!!! He is looking forward to diving with his friend who is also an open water certified diver.( its a little bit scary that they have been let loose in the sea!!!). Hopefully we will return to you in the near future.

I want to come back now as I loved mexico so much and didn't want to leave to come back to chilly england! I am feeling very depressed now as I am back at work and in England!!!! boo hoo!!! i miss mexico!!! Once again thank you for all your help and kindness. Take care.

Natasha Skipp and Jason Stephenson( open water diver!!!) xxx

I just wanted to send a note to say thanks for the wonderful dives!! Tony and I really enjoyed ourselves. Our guides (Martin and Lucian, hope I spelled his name correctly) were great. They went out of their way to show us the wild life and were very professional at their jobs. We would also like to thank Mario for the great cenotes dives. They were beautfiul!!
You have a wonderful crew working for your company and I hope to see you all when we dive again next year. Speaking of next year, our family wants to stay at Moon Palace next March. Do you own a dive shop anywhere near there???

Thanks again!!!!! Debbie Porkarski

Dive Date: Jan, 2005
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA USA

Dive Date: 1/24, 26/05
Hometown: Roaoke, IL, USA

Great people to dive with! Some in our group were first time divers, and the dive masters were very helpful and patient. Did two tank dives on different days, four locations. Beautiful reef, many fish, manta rays... great visibility. They give personal attention and will dive in small groups- first day we had 4, second day only 3.

Left my credit card at their shop, and they kept it in their safe until I discovered it missing and tracked it down. You can't do better than this!

Dive Date: May 2002 & April 2003
Hometown: Seattle, Washington, USA

Just wanted to send a great big, long overdue, THANK YOU to all at Dive Aventuras!!! From our first dive trip with your shop, we knew we'd found the *best* in the area. So we went back for another two weeks and had the time of our lives...again! The staff is the most professional and friendly bunch we've had the pleasure of knowing. We grew especially fond of our buddy Andres, whose humor reflects our own. The night dive with him was quite the cool adventure and whenever we see a full moon, we now say, "Andres is probably diving tonight." We had to cancel last year's trip because of surgery, but I laid in my hospital bed thinking about diving there - no joke! Paul and I are excited to go back ASAP. We highly recommend Dive Aventuras to all our dive peeps!! :)
-Leanne

Dear All (at the shop - for it is a joint effort), Thank you for the good time we had recently. Back here in England the water is currently 50°F (10°C), and due to recent rough weather the viz is half a metre. Glad I don't own a dive shop in this country. Your Customer Care = 100%. Well done.With kind regards,
Andrew ©¿©¬PADI Divemaster #623256

Dive Date: January 12, 2005
Hometown: Grand Haven, Michigan

Dear Friends:
Just wanted to write and tell you I had a great experience diving with you. Al and Marteen (sorry about the spelling) did a great job of taking care of me. I hadn't done scuba since my honeymoon some 23 years ago. It was great to get back in touch with the underwater world. Here's hoping that I will visit you again sometime in the future.
Regards,
Bill Snitcher Linthicum, MD USA

Dive Date: December 28 - 29, 2004

Just a note to say thanks for some great dive memories-- your shop is by far the best we have experienced in our family outings-- very professional-- if you ever need any recommendations please let me know so we can help spread the word-- we will be back in the future-- thanks again --
Sincerly the Sack Family Divers!!!

Dive Date: November 9 - 15, 2004
Hometown: Del Rio Texas

I must say that after diving with Dive Adventuras it is going to be hard finding a shop with the high caliber divemasters and owners. When we got to the hotel Tueday night I told my wife well here we are and we forgot to arrange Wed diving for the morning before we left home. We had planned to go to the shop in the morning, but at 7:30AM the phone rang in our room and it was Debbie saying do you want to go diving. Of course there was no need to think about it and she had a vehicle come to the hotel at 8:40 and pick us up. Well Mike and Karen greeted us and introduced us to all of the employees and gave us a tour of the facilities. Before we knew it we were on the boat and diving. We also were able to dive with Mike and Karen and how many owners do that. We had a great time and really enjoyed the week. The Cenotes were amazing and Mario is the best and insured we had a blast. They are so cool and a new chapter in my over 33 years of diving. Thanks so much for the hospitality. Trisha enjoyed diving with Karen and a chance to take lots of pictures.

Dive Date: November, 2004
Hometown: Grand Haven, Michigan

We want to say Thank You to all of the staff at Dive Aventuras. We were rookie divers when we took our trip to Mexico this year, but with your help we were able to feel very comfortable in our week of diving. When we walked into your shop on the first day my wife identified herself as a "Big Baby" and dispite being a bit apprehensive about diving she had a great time. On our first dive ever outside of our certification classes (which were in Michigan in 50 degree water with 5 feet if visability) her regulator free flowed, and the dive master with us made sure that she was safe but also ready to dive again that same day. Aside from the great staff we saw tons of cool stuff and had a great time. We will see you again soon. Thanks Again.

Dive Date: November 1 - 10, 2004
Hometown: Portland, Oregon, USA
I would like to thank all of you for a great dive trip. Terry Abbott and I enjoyed the salt and the fresh water. Your crew was top notch and ive told all my friends that this is a very good value and a fun place to come. Im sure ill be back soon. Thanks Joe.

Dive Date: September 22&24, 2004
Hometown: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

Hi guy's my name is John Bulgin and I just want to thank you for the 4 dives I had with you. It was outstanding, the Cedam caves awesome, that just made my vaction perfect it was so peacefull down there. I did the Cedam caves two times, the other dives were Vero's garden and Santos "out standing" again thank's guy's I will be back next year.
John Bulgin

Dive Date: August 20-26, 2004
Hometown: Chico, CA, U.S.A.

My wife and I did 10 ocean dives including two in Cozumel and we did a two tank dive in a Cenote. We had the best time ever. We felt our vacation would have been very boring if we did not dive and Dive Aventuras did an exceptional job from the time they picked us up till they dropped us off at the end of our dives. I would highly recommend them to any one thinking of diving in that area. From the staff at the dive shop to the dive masters, boat captains and crew they are all very professional and make each dive very enjoyable. We had a great time and saw everything we wanted and more! We just can’t wait to go back. Thank you to everyone at Dive Aventuras!!

Dive Date: Sept 1-5, 2004
Hometown: Colorado, U.S.A.

What a great vacation! Everyone loved our trip to Aventuras and the experiences we had with the dive shop. You all are great! We rushed over there when we got to town and met Debbie who assured us that everything was in order and all we needed to do was show up. Leslie loved Mario and his passion for the Cenotes and we all agreed that was a great new experience. Diving with Rafa was calming and easy. Both diver masters gave us assurance that we were with people that know a lot about diving. And daily greetings from Mike and the "team Molen" made us all feel right at home. The trip plans you made were all spectacular both in quality and in value. The Catalonia was a really nice place, not too big and not small. The food was good and drinks were available anytime and anywhere you wanted them. The beach and the pools are very nice. We really liked the place. Leslie and I hope to see you again soon. We may bring the same crew or some new folks. I've already passed out some of your brochures and cards. I recommend your diving operations and accommodation assistance highly! You really made a difference in our wonderful experience with the Riviera Maya.
Thank you so much, Mark Molen

Dive Date: 7/11-7/15/2004
Hometown: Brighton, Mi. U.S.A.

My wife and I did 6 ocean dives and a cenote. The ocean dives where fantastic. Rafia, Paco and Mario took good care of us. The sea life was great never will forget the turtles. Thanks for a great week, can' get back fast enough.

Dive Dates: 21, 22 June 2004
Hometown: Chicago, USA

The dives were wonderful. I will do it again when we (Geno and I) return.

Dive Dates: 7-10 Jun 04
Hometown: Bristol, UK

Many thanks to Martin, Pedro and Paco for making my dive experience in Aventuras truly memorable. Its my first time diving and the instructors made it so easy, thanks guys. Your patient, easy going yet enthusiatic approach made sure I could do nothing else but come back after my Discover Scuba Diving and do the Open Water course straight away (luckily my Girlfriend, Denise, paid for the course as a birthday present - (you know Denise - she was the sea sick one!!)). Got to see many turtles, barracuda, ray and a nurse shark. Thanks also to Mike and Karen and the rest of the backroom staff for making it all run so smoothly. Hope to see you again, Steve and Denise.

Dive Dates: Nov 2003 & May 20-22, 2004
Hometown: Chicago, USA

I would like to take time out to compliment the staff. I really enjoy my experience with everyone. Everyone takes time with all divers no matter what experience the diver has. I really like the fact the staff is very attentive. I went with Mike, who was guiding Celine, on my last dive. Mike kept an eye on Celine at all times, even through her many kicks. I must say, that made me feel really good. I am glad that I find Dive Adventuras and I recommend them to anyone who will listen. Thanks guys.

Dive Dates: 4-29-04 to 5-7-04
Hometown: Sacramento, California, USA

I want to tell every dive buddy on our email list about this fantastic dive shop. From the pick up to arriving at the shop these people really have it together.They have great instructors,dive masters, boat masters and all the helpers in the back that make this place Number One. If you have CRS and forgot something, they will help and their shop has a lot of people who are very helpful and interested in you. This place is also very safety conscious and that is a big plus in our book. It also has a variety of diving and if you have a non diver, it could be fun for them also. Just ask or email, you'll get a answer.

Dive Dates:Nov 2003 & May 20-22, 2004
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, USA

I would like to thank the nice and friendly staff of Dive Adventuras. Every member of Dive Adventuras, from the drivers to the trainers, shows patience and caring with each experience/not so experience diver. The staff makes you feel comfortable and at ease.
     I first took the Discover Scuba course back in November with Martin. After my experience with Martin I went home and took the classroom and pool sessions. Just recently, I completed 2 open water dives with Moni. Thanks Martin, Moni, and Mike see you sometime this year (again).
(AKA Gino' friend from Chicago)

Many thanks for all of your help and friendliness during our stay in Puerto Aventuras, and of course, particularly regarding our diving experiences.
     Alex, you were a very patient certification dive instructor and I appreciated that! We both had a great time in Mexico--both in and out of the water. Thanks again for all....
Sandy Frost and Mike Breen

Dive Dates: May 5-12, 2004
Hometown: Norwich, UK

WOW!!!! What a fantastic holiday we've just had in Mexico, made special by the dives we made with Dive Aventuras!!!
     Every dive's an adventure with Dive Aventuras; You never know just what you'll find... turtles, morays, rays, scorpion fish and sooooo much more!
     Thank you all for being so helpful and friendly, both prior to and during our visit. Big thanks to Al for helping with Liz's first tentative open water dives and to Lucio for all the help with our Advanced Open Water dives... Oh, and the Whale Shark!!!! TERRIFIC!!!!
     We've only been home about 24 hours, and miss you all already. Hope we'll be back soon.....;*)

Dive Date: April 19-30, 2004
Hometown: Seattle, Washington, USA

Just a note to express my sincere gratitude for all you did to make my visit to Puerto with Mark Friedman truly memorable. Karen, your personal touch and concern were great. Debbie, your recommendations and possible future help in the real estate business were super. Nils and Mike, you run a very professional business. All and I mean all of the staff were top notch. Yadi, Raffa, and Andres were especially helpful. Hope to return soon to spend another dive holiday with Mark and the great people in your shop.
Thank you,
Cecil Travis

Dive Date: March 21, 2004
Hometown: Cache, Oklahoma, USA

I wanted to thank ya'll so much for the exciting time we had in Mexico. The scuba diving was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We dove on Sunday March 21 in the morning. I took the discover class and Kevin went out and dove while I took the class then we went and dove together over in Veros Garden (I think that was the reef). Seeing the mask and snorkel on the bottom made me think of the movie Finding Nemo and the silly song that says 'just keep swimming swimmming, just keep swimming swimming swimming' kept going through my head while we were on that dive.
     The stingray was cool, as well as the king crab and conch and numerous fish. I can't wait to get our pictures back so I can hopefully forward ya'll a good one to use on the trip report. Thank you so much for making part of our vacation a memorable one. We will definitely be back in the future. Super Staff!!!
Tonya and Kevin Mitchell

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13. COOL LINKS

Care to link to us?

INFORMATION on the Riviera Maya

Puerto Aventuras Info ( ) - You've just found the best site for all sorts of information about Puerto Aventuras in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, Vacation rentals, real state and activities, all in one place.

Caribbean Sol ( ) - All about the cool stuff you find on the Riviera Maya, Mexico's Caribbean Coast! We'll give you informaton on sportfishing for marlin, scuba open water diving, swimming in tropical caletas, catamaran cruises over shallow reefs, dining under the stars on fresh seafood, private tours to exotic Mayan ruins, professional web design services, oceanfront vacation villas for rent, interior design and custom artwork, local mayan and mexican crafts, underwater photography and instruction, private spa, diet and exercise programs, investment opportunities and local businesses for sale.

Cancun South ( ) - the opinionated travel guide to the Mayan Riviera. Information for the independent traveler to Playa del Carmen and the Caribbean Coast of Mexico.

Loco Gringo ( ) - we have the perfect vacation rental or beach side resort for your vacation.

Puerto Aventuras Marina and Resort ( ) - a world class resort located in the heart of the Mexican Caribbean. Enjoy a magical blend of lush tropics with an easygoing sophisticated life style.

Amigos de Sian Ka'an ( ) - a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in Cancún, Mexico in 1986 by scientists and conservationists to 'preserve the biodiversity and maintain the ecological processes of the Sian Ka'an region for the well-being of present and future.

PATAS Animal Welfare ( ) - `Alone, we can accomplish little. Together, we can make the world a better place for all beings' PATAS is working with children, educating them to the responsibilities inherent with the care and rehabilitating of injured animals of all species.

ACTIVITIES - Tours and Travel

All Mexico Tours ( ) - Visit Tulum, Coba, Sian Kaan, cenotes and nature reserves in a private tour away from the crowds. Discover the mysteries of the Maya with a trilingual guide (English, Spanish, German) and pamper yourself to a unique experience in a small group with personalized service.

ACTIVITIES - Sport Fishing

Capt Ricks Sports Fishing ( ), ( ) - troll for sailfish, marlin, wahoo and dorado right outside Puerto Aventuras Marina! Year round sport fishing charters with English-speaking captains. 'Catch and Release' rules apply to all billfish. Eight boats to choose from. Activities include trolling, drift fishing and fly-fishing, snorkeling and swimming.

Tequila Sunrise Fishing ( ) and ( ) - Wanna' Go Fishing or Wanna' Catch Fish? People base their fishing success on the amount of fish they catch. We've been putting fish and fishermen together for over ten years! Captain Glen always keeps his boats equiped with the latest tackle. His experienced English speaking captains know all the latest techniques guaranteed to catch you fish year-round.

Aquarius Travel Fishing ( ) - Carlos Edwin Vega Cardenas will take you to lagoons full with mangrove coves and shallow water. Known as "Monte Cristo", "Paso de Balem" and "Rio de la plata", they contain bonefish, baby tarpon, baby snook, barracuda, snapper and trigger fish.

ACTIVITIES - Scuba Diving

Dive Aventuras ( diveaventuras.com/ ) -  we invite you to experience the wonderful reefs and amazing cavern and cave diving of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. We offer great dive travel deals and packages assuring you a caribbean vacation filled with excellent scuba diving, quality lodging, and fun for the entire family.

SCUBA Diving Magazine Reader Poll ( ) -  What do you think of Dive Aventuras?.

Fedial Mexico ( ) - We carry a complete inventory (wholesale and retail) of scuba, snorkel and cave diving equipment delivered to shops anywhere on the Riviera Maya, and shipped anywhere in Mexico and Belize. Much of our equipment is made by Italian Companies- Tigullio, Best Divers, Fa Mi, Aqua and OmerSub. Along with these, we carry Mares (we are the exclusive distributor of Mares in the region), Dacor and Sporasub. Our Retail Shop is located in Playa del Carmen (Plaza Antiqua) and our warehouse is in Cancun, Mexico.

Scuba Spots ( )  - all about diving and dive shops

ACTIVITIES - Parasailing

Riviera Maya Parasail Adventures ( ) parasailrivieramaya.com/ ) - daily Flights for the experience of a lifetime. Fly Single or Tandem with a friend. Guaranteed, Fun, Safe and Comfortable. We have two new vessels, a great factory trained, multilingual crew, and a full-service logo shop. We offer safe departures from pier, not the beach. No Experience Necessary...if you can Sit, you can Fly!

ACTIVITIES - Horseback Riding

Puerto Aventuras Stables ( ) - We are a family oriented full care horse boarding facility located 45 minutes south of Cancun, Mexico on the Riviera Maya. We offer horseback riding lessons, competition, jumping and competitive conditioning. We also have a full-service lesson program for beginners to experienced riders. Our quality lesson horses come in all shapes and sizes to accommodate riders ages 6 and up. Lessons are offered Tuesday through Saturday. We have an on-site trainer and we sponsor clinics and local horse shows.

Arteque Studios ( ) - featuring the equestrian art of Franzi Pfeiffer. Franzi takes the art of equine portraiture to a new level with her highly successful equestrian art.

SERVICES - Exercise and Massage

SERVICES - Restaurants and Catering, Event Planning

Caribbean Sol Catering Services ( ) - Relax in the comfort of your home while we take care of everything from shopping to cleanup. Whether you're looking for an intimate dinner or a large group cocktail party, our combination of friendly service and cooking artistry come together to create a truly unforgettable dining experience. EMAIL US Now to book your private catered event! We are also available to cater weddings on the Riviera Maya, private yachts and business events.

SERVICES - Language Studies and Translations

Solexico ( ) - Custom Language Studies. Learn Spanish in Mexico's most unique language schools. We provide students with intensive Spanish courses in the Mexican Caribbean beaches of Playa del Carmen and in the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca

SERVICES - Artwork, Interior Decorating and Custom Fabrics

Deco Maya Interior Designs ( ) - Unique curtains, wall hangings and murals, custom bedspreads, quilts and sheets. Made in the Yucatan wood and metal furniture and curtain rods

LODGING - Condominiums and Vacation Villas for Rent

PA Condos ( ) - the perfect place for your vacation in the Mayan Riviera. We have been managing wonderful condos for over 10 years. All our condos are privately owned and tastefully furnished, have central air conditioning and enjoy a prime location on the beach or marina.

Casa del Agua ( ) - Oceanfront Villa with four suites offering simple luxury and privacy in Puerto Aventuras on the fabulous Riviera Maya. Experience silky white sand and turquoise waters of the sunny Caribbean Sea. Come for a day or stay a week; let up pamper you with our spa, our beach, and our cuisine!

Quinta Luna Condominiums ( ) - casual elegance, relaxation at its best, Caribbean sun and surf. Let us spoil you for a while. Our 21 oceanfront units enjoy a fantastic swimming pool, salt water lagoon and a very private beach with an abundance of coconut palm trees and the occasional blue crab.

Caribbean Realty ( ) - real estate sales and vacation rentals in Puerto Aventuras, a beautifully landscaped private beach resort located one hour south of Cancun on Mexico's warm and sunny Caribbean coast.

OMNI Hotels ( ) - an Intimate resort nestled on Puerto Aventuras Caribbean coastline, just 45 minutes from Cancun International and 15 minutes from Playa del Carmen.

Catalonia Riviera Maya ( ) - a place to experience authentic Mayan adventure. Enjoy exotic activities from the Mayan world. Located right across the Puerto Aventuras Golf Club.

Al Cielo Hotel ( ) -  es un hotel boutique situado en la playa de Xpu.ha en la Riviera Maya, a la orilla del mar. Cuenta con cuatro cabañas en la playa: Agua, Aire, Tierra y Fuego, cuatro elementos que combinados hacen un elíxir de tus vacaciones en el Caribe mexicano." - quot

Hotel Villas del Caribe ( ) -  at Xpu Ha Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on Mexico's Riviera Maya. Located just 15 minutes from bustling Playa del Carmen, Xpu Ha Beach is a quiet place to relax on your vacation.

Palace Resorts ( ) - experience the magic, luxury and splendor of our resorts. We offer you a relaxing and revitalizing vacation.

Cancun Vacation Hotel Packages ( ) - enjoy your Cancun vacation packages on the most beautiful stretch of Caribbean beach.

SERVICES - Land, Villas and Businesses for Sale

Caribbean Sol ( ) - business opportunities, investments and real estate for sale on the Riviera Maya, Mexico's Caribbean Coast.

Coldwell Banker ( ) -  Find out how a Coldwell Banker Caribbean Realty sales professional can assist you when purchasing or selling your property. No matter what your real estate needs is in the Mayan Riviera we'll be there for you. At Coldwell Banker Caribbean Realty, full-service is not only the expectation - it's our guarantee.