I had a great time visiting with these folks at the Whole Life Expo in Austin this weekend. Their booth was the highlight of the expo. Their collage of color pictures was amazing, there were strikingly gorgeous pictures of the ocean which would qualify as fine art in any gallery. They have tours, classes in scuba diving and cooking, production services, and a budding website. They've been to some fabulous dive spots all over the world, such as the Cayman Islands and Honduras.

I've snorkled... never dived. Grand Caymans are BEAUTIFUL regardless of what apparatuses you have on!

When did you go there, Stace'? What were your experiences. I snorkled with the Sting Rays there and tried to coax an eel out from under a rock. We went to the touristy "sting ray city" but it was really fun? I was down there for ten days and stayed at the Hyatt, courtesy of NEC Corp after winning their sales contest. The meals were fabulous and the NEC folks videotaped our whole trip, so I still ahve a memento.

I went in 1993. I was on a Royal Carribean cruise and we had Cozumel, Grand cayman, Ocho Rios and Coco Cay, Bahamas as ports of call. I learned to dive with my snorkel on (and blow out the water when I came up) I got in trouble by a local scuba diver for swimming after the wrong fish -- a beautiful silvery one. A barracudda. My bad. I played with crabs and little fish around the reefs. I had really good magaritas (on the rocks of course) and ate LOTS of great food. I'd love to go on another trip like that but the cost factor is insurmontable at this point. When I went, I went as a nanny for two little boys. So it was free and I had the ports to myself. A real blast.

One night, we had a dinner prepared by Chef Tel, not bad! The food at all the restaurants was great. One day, I'll to go back and capture some stills from the video I took there and put 'em up somewhere on the site. Do you have any pictures of your trip for http://www.spring.com/~stacey ?

I'd have to search for them. Those boxes still haven't been unpacked.

Hey, sounds like you guys had a good time. I am really into SCUBA. My parents live in Puerto Rico and I visit different locations in the Carribean from time to time. The best diving that I have seen was in Bonaire. The Cayman was ok, people that have tried snorkleing really need to take the next step and dive right in (pardon the pun) to the sport. I would like to hear more from people that have experience in this area.

Easy on those snorkelers... I'd love to "dive right in" but as a child I perforated both my eardrums and went through an extensive amount of surgery to have them fixed. As you probably know, the way we hear is when the typannic membrane or eardrum vibrates, so a popped drum is no so great for the hearing. My doctors told me then and still maintain, that diving to great depths, putting external pressure on the drums, could rupture them again. I've asked the obvious, "why don't they pop out the other way in an airplane?" but the ultimate response was, "just don 't chance it unless you're willing to have more surgery." Ergo... I enjoy snorkeling!

Wow, then stay near the surface!

Whoa there stacey, EASY TIGER It was only a suggestion. Your entitled to your own hobbies. Thanks for the anatomy lesson, that was really helpful.I'll try not to be so flipant with my suggestions in the future. Hope you don't have any freak typannic membrane ruany time soon. (:

anybody dived xcalak, quinta roo in mexico? it is near virgin (now THAT'S something these days).

I'll see if I can get the Divine Spark folks to answer this.

Interesting dive travel link: http://www.inmax.com/thorfinn/ To quote from the site: Welcome Aboard the S.S. THORFINN!- the largest live-aboard dive vessel in the Pacific, and one of the largest live-aboards in the world. This ship is maintained at the front of the line in liveaboard luxury, space and service. The S.S. Thorfinn is superbly equipped to serve as the base for your dive adventures in Truk Lagoon, or on a Pan Micronesia "Voyage of Discovery". At 170 feet in length, and a displacement of 1,100 tons, you are assured of stable, deep comfort whether diving in Truk or cruising the fantastically beautiful outer islands of Micronesia. The big ship atmosphere is enjoyed by just 22 guests in uncrowded luxury. The spacious main lounge, located aft on "C" deck, received many features during refit, including a large ocean aquarium, big state-of-the-art multi-media system TV and VCR, a much enlarged and updated video library, Hi-8mm playback unit, CD video and audio player all connected to a Dolby surround sound 6 speaker system. Indirect lighting, big full view windows and new decor all add to the ambience of this cozy guest area. The S.S. THORFINN offers 11 spacious air-conditioned staterooms with a total capacity for 22 guests. All of the staterooms feature full vanities, in-room televisions, video cassette players, indirect lighting, full- length closets, new carpeting and modern decor. Eight staterooms located on "D" & "E" decks have double or queen-size beds with an additional berth alongside. Private facilities with shower and toilet are fitted in each of these rooms. Three additional rooms on "C" deck are bright and spacious with adjacent semi-private showers and toilets. A large open-air spa deck is located aft of the main guest lounge on "C" deck. Our custom designed hot tub comfortably seats 10 divers, affording them an opportunity to unwind and relax after a dive and enjoy cool drinks under tropical skies. Ample seating space surrounds the spa for pleasant interfacing with other guests. Two new camera tables, located directly behind the main salon and adjacent to the spa area, provide convenient access for camera enthusiasts under a protected over deck extension. These tables are served by battery charging points in both 110 & 220 voltages, and have air guns for camera and housing service. Top of the line underwater video cameras and housings are available for rent. Daily L-6 film processing is complimented with a lounge light table and slide mounting facility. Your photographic efforts can be viewed every evening using our Kodak slide projector with its over-head screen, or play back your video tapes on the big screen TV. Up on "B" deck the sun seekers will find out chaise lounges for their enjoyment while improving their tans. An overhead canopy provides a shaded area for those who just care to relax, read a book or sit and enjoy the view of our tropic paradise. A large separate dining lounge on "D" deck provides seating for all guests simultaneously in three connected areas. Two chefs, working from a separate gallery, are employed in creating a variety of meals and snacks with attention paid to all special dietary needs. Meals are served restaurant style by our friendly dining room staff. Under the experienced leadership of Captain Lance Higgs and his Trukese wife Narinta, our experienced Micronesian crew of 21 is dedicated to serve your every need. Our crew to guest ratio of 1:1 is the highest in the Pacific, assuring you a truly pampered visit.

Another very interesting link: http://pac-aggressor.com/