The staff and crew at Scuba Tiger traveled to Key Largo for an impromptu Thanksgiving, Conch Republic style. Some of us logged 10 or more dives and some just had a couple of trips in the warm blue waters. Horizon Divers was on the ball as usual and took us where ever we wanted to go.

Dive sites we visited include:

• The Benwood
• Molasses Reef
• Speigal Grove
• USCGC Duane
• French Reef

It was a great trip and we’re planning on doing it again next Thanksgiving. To those that went, we thank you. To those that want to go next year, keep your eyes on the Scuba Tiger Newsletter.

Milton and I completed two shark dives this morning it was fantastic! We met up with AquaTrek for the shark dive. We decended to about 80 feet for the first dive. We were down about 30 minutes as we were surrounded by not only sharks but a ton of fish. Bull sharks, nurse sharks, white and black tip reef sharks, goliath grouper, blue truvelli, clown triggers, and too many more to name. The guys had garbage cans filled with heads of fish they were feeding. Non of the divers wore chain metal but all were safe. I was called into the feeding frenzy to remove my glove and pet a nurse shark. That was pretty coool. We surfaced for an hour intraval and headed back down the the same site but farther over. It was set up like an arena. The second dive was about 30 minutes as wel lat 60 feet. Visibility was not as clear on the second dive. There were so many fish at times it was hard to see the divers feeding the sharks.
Overall it was a fantastic experience, well handled and would highly reccommend when in the area.

Tommorrow morning we will be departing Waidroka and heading to Sonosali. On the way we will be Zip lining with ZipFiji which stands 100 feet above the rainforest and zips down to multiple platforms gaining speeds up to 60 mph. We will also see a cultural show and have lunch before we arrive at our next resort.

Keep in tune for more to come….

Cyndi and Milton

Alright lets catch you up on a ew days! They have been exciting!
First our night dive was AWESOME! We saw moray eels, a white tip shark lurking at the dock as we exited, pigmy lionfish and a huge crab. Millions of beady eyes of the shrimps looked at us as we swam. Milton and I dove with the guide for a very up close and personal experience. As we left for our dive the local band serenaded us as we descended a with their own rendition of “My Body Lies over the Ocean”. We thought quite humorous. No bull shit fish though!

Our last day at Paradise we dove two tanks dives. First we dove Orgasm early in the morning …it was a sight to see and definitely appropriately names. The second was names Fish Factory and it looked up to its name! Walls of fish encircled us and as I came out of a swim through I saw a reef shark quite large in the distance, what a site to see!

That afternoon we took tours of the local attractions. First stopping at the Fijian Waterslide. This was a hoot! Milton, Gene and I took the hike up to the top with our guide. Milton was first down and I soon ran right into the back of him. Slamming into the back of Milton I gave him enough umph to get down the rest of this natural volcanic rock slide. Walking away with a bruised leg and a bummed thumb, we survived.

Our next stop was the Buma Waterfalls. This national park was located at the northern tip of Taveunie which was about a three hour taxi ride with a vehicle with no shocks. Lets just say it was a bumpy ride! Once there the beauty of the site made you forget the travel time. The first waterfall was about a 10 minute walk. We swam, jumped off the ledge and we explored the cave that held eels. This was fantastic. It was so fun and we all really enjoyed it! A definite must see!

As we returned we stopped at a local pearl farm which was a very interesting stop for a bit of shopping. Our last dinner at Paradise took place at the gazebo outside for a candlelit experience. The staff sang us farewell and Thomasi was a fantastic bonus to the experience. Thomasi was one of our waiters who was quite excited about life. He sang us a new rendition of “Lay Down Shelly”, a joke to be remembered. I coined the Name Popkin for him and he called me Papaya in return. What a delight.

The next morning we stopped at Garden Island Resort for a quick tour of their facility before returning to the airport. Their hotel was very close to the town, great location, but seemed to have a more art deco feel than a real Fijian feel. Amenities do include air conditioning and each room has an ocean view with Jacuzzi.

From the airport we traveled an hour and 15 minutes back to Nandi where we were met by tour managers who transported us to our next destination. On he way we stopped for a well needed meal at a Chinese restaurant. Lets just say the chili sauce was hot!!!!!!! Brought tears to my eyes, more than once. This experience was one of a kind. In Fiji, at a Chinese restaurant they were playing backstreet boys and NeYo. Quite hilarious.

Finally finally finally arriving at our destination we are now staying at Waidroka Bay Resort. www.waidroka.com This surf and dive resort is a bit more casual but it site in a beautiful location near the adventure capitol of Pacific Harbor of the Coral Coast . We went out today for our first day of diving. Waters were extremely rough and it was a long ride out to the island before we dropped in for our first dive. As we pulled into the beach for our surface interval another man was leaving on a boat saying there was a tsunami warning and it would be where we were in 10 minutes. We followed the boat to the other side of the island and waited it our for an hour. The warning was lifted and we were back on the trail for our last dive. Turns out there were 3 earthquakes in an island not too far, but no big signs of waves. The diving was fantastic. Great bomies, beautiful life, turtles, and tons of soft coral. We did get a chance to see some great fans, nudies and balloon fish and balloon coral which was awesome! We dove a wreck for the first dive and thee bomies

Tomorrow we will be tackling a shark dive with numerous sharks including bulls, tiger, black and white tips and who ever else is hungry. I am pretty psyched. Internet is pretty rough so we will try to keep you updated but not promised. Pictures as well are difficult we apologize.

Thanks for reading!

Cyndi and Milton

Day three, I sit at a table with the birds chirping in the back ground, staff are teaching guests how to make baskets out of palm leaves and others giving a lecture on the banded sea snake which they keep here on the resort for show and tell. Milton and I just returned from a shore dive this afternoon. This morning we completed two dives at Rainbow Reef, including the beautiful Purple and White Wall dive sites. Towering walls covered in beautiful soft corals. Look quick because the current swept us at a nice speed down the reef. I had never traveled so fast in a current, it was kicking and the up currents and down currents were pretty interesting, enough to keep you on your toes the whole time. One minute you’re at 80 feet the next at 60 feet. Finding most attention to your depth was fun as we swiftly glided past looming walls of formations.
After our first dive we stopped at a private beach for a bit of down time. This nice cove sits on the east side of Vanua Levu, the northern large island in Fiji. I sat looking at the mountains over on Taveuni and enjoyed the time as my mind wandered. The water lapped on the white beach and the dive group relaxed with juice and cookies.
Our second dive was white sandy bottoms, which was a beautiful back drop to the bambis that came up, filled with fish and life. This was an enjoyable dive. A quick awakening as we turned the corner of the reef the current picked up. Sweeping one of our newer divers deep. Thanks to our fantastic Dive Master, Jon he acted quickly and fearlessly to pull her back to safety. To his surprise as well the current was unexpected. Thankfully she was alright. I surfaced with her in a toilet bowl of a current. We were right in the middle of where two reefs parallel and the water flows in between. With a little bit of help we were both out of the water.
After lunch Milton and I jumped back into the water for our third dive of the day. Right off the back of the resort is the most beautiful reef, amazing numbers of fish and hard corals. I enjoyed looking for sea cucumbers that seem to look like they are on steroids here. About a foot in length and about the girth of both of my hands together making and O shape.
In about an hour Milton and I will return to the water to dive our first night dive here in Fiji. No one else will be joining us so there will be a lot of Buddy Love going on. I hope we get some fantastic sites at the night life, it has to be just as comparable to the day life and I really think it will be better!
Tonight at the resort is Indian Night. Not exactly sure what that means, but I look forward to the cultural experience as the sun sets on another day in Paradise….

Boce,
Cyndi

WWW.PARADISEINFIJI.COM HAS SOME GREAT PICS & INFO

Bula friends! This is Milton and Cyndi from Scuba Tiger! We are blogging from the Pacific Islands of Fiji. We were honored to come scout out the islands to start getting more of you to join us! Though the travels were long the breathtaking sights are worth it.
Four plane rides and one long bumpy extremely scary cab ride we arrived at our first destination. The cab had plastic covers on the seats and it didn’t take us long to realize why.
Paradise Resort in Taveuni www.paradiseinfiji.com, just east of the northern island. As we arrived we were greeted by the owners and staff by leis of palm leaves and flowers, coconut milk in a coconut itself and a foot massage. Nothing less than fantastic to begin an awesome trip!
The resort is comprised of 10 bues (huts) which are beautiful.
In the afternoon Milton and I jumped in for our fist off shore dive. The water was crystal clear and nippy! To my surprise the water averaged about 78 degrees. Non the less we boogied with the guide for a 40 minute dive right behind the resort. Fantastic hard corals and a striking blue ribbon eel.
When we got back the resort was hosting a Fiji night. They cook all the food underground in a traditional style. All the guests are invited to wear sulus (sarongs) and congregate for drinks and dinner. All sitting a at a long table we were able to meet other travelers from all over the world to share good food, great laughs and funny stories.
After dinner we watched two traditional dancing groups perform and participated in a Kava ceremony. Here a bowl is passed around and each person drinks the root. The numbing sensation left on your tongue is invigorating and must be experienced to be truly appreciated.
After the Kava rounds we all got up and joined in dance and laughter. What a night to remember.

As the sun warmed our faces this morning we woke to another day in Paradise. We met at breakfast to start the day and embarked on our first dive of the morning. Just 5 minutes north we strode in to the clear water at Cannibal Cave. Not a cave but a wall we descended below to be greeted by beautiful schools of fish and fantastic hard corals. Our second dive at Steves Point was more exciting. Enormous puffer fish, trigger fish, sea urchin, star fish and large clams. Right at the end we spotted a banded sea snake. That was pretty cool, I haven’t seen one of those for my own two eyes before. Quite exciting.
This afternoon Milton continues to a shore dive (of course “dive dive dive”) and I walked with Beverly a member of our group down to a villiage.
So far the people are friendly and the sights are unbelievable. I don’t think it took too much time to come up with a name for this resort

I hope you continue to follow us in our journey, we have a lot more to see, taste and experience
unit then…..
Boce
Cyndi and Milton

This was taken from Dive Training Magazine. Originally written by Mark Young, it is verbatim from their website.

Owning diving equipment represents a long-term investment in fun and safety. A good set of dive gear can last through years of diving and travel, take you to unforgettable experiences, incredible underwater environments, and bring you home safely. It is important to buy the right gear for the type of diving you will do, ensure that it fits and is comfortable, be trained in its use and keep it serviced at recommended intervals.

Diving’s equipment manufacturers sell and service their products through a network of authorized dealers. These dealers understand the product features, benefits and applications, are authorized to fit, assemble and service your gear and are your link to the manufacturer for sales, service, performance, warranty, notification and upgrade issues.

It is very possible for you to purchase dive gear from non-authorized dealers and not be aware. For example, many Internet sellers acquire the product they sell through gray market (third-party) channels. They may not be authorized to sell or service a particular product, are not trained by the manufacturer, may not ship it assembled, may sell it without the original parts or sell items that have been used or returned. For those reasons some manufacturers do not warrant products sold by unauthorized resellers, who in turn may sell gear without a warranty enclosed, or include their own warranties that appear valid but are not recognized by the manufacturer. There may also be issues with post-sale assembly, service and notifications, parts costs, and exchanges.

Dive gear is incredibly dependable, but it is life-support equipment, engineered to take you where humans aren’t designed to go. Each piece of gear has a specialized purpose, and the aspects surrounding product education, fit, function and service may be as important to you personally as is theequipment itself. It’s all part of the value equation, and why it is important to buy your equipment only through authorized dealers.

If you question whether a particular reseller is anauthorized dealer, it’s pretty simple. Call the manufacturer directly, or confirm it by using the authorized dealer listings on manufacturers’ Web sites.

At Dive Training magazine, we believe that part of the commitment you make to learn to dive should include acquiring your own dive gear. It’s an excellent investment in yourself and in your diving adventures. Please remember that the service aspects of equipment are important as well.

A Scuba Tiger group just returned from a fun trip to Nassau, Bahamas where we spent several days diving with the great folks at Stuart Cove’s. The shark feeding dive was incredible as always (come by and see the video), but all of the dives were very enjoyable. Many of you that expressed an interest in the trip had conflicts with the May dates, so we’ve set up another one during the second weekend of October.

This past weekend, May 16th and 17th, eight people were brought into the diving world by the diving instructors at Scuba Tiger. The weekend trip to Blue Grotto and Rainbow River went very smooth. Everyone was on time and did exactly what was asked of them in order to complete their check out dives.

Day One – The day started around 6:15 as the caravan of soon-to-be-certified divers left Scuba Tiger headed towards Blue Grotto. We were the first group on site and the first group in the water. The water clarity was on par with the usual conditions at The Grotto, but there was an abundance of surface “funk”. The large platform, which is usually mostly free of scum, exploded as soon as we touched down. The viz did drop a little bit, but we were all able to see each other. After completing 3 of the required 5 dives for the NAUI Scuba Diver certification, we topped off the tanks and headed to Ocala for the night. Good food, good drinks, and good stories were had by all while we enjoyed dinner at Outback.

Day Two – We began Sunday with another early start. Departing Ocala around 7:15, we headed toward K.P. Hole County Park near Dunnellon. Once again, every arrived on time and without incident. After a short 15 minute ride up Rainbow River, we departed the boat for the drift back to the park. Twenty five minutes into the dive, we pulled over to the side of the river and had a brief surface interval. We began our second dive and drifted another 20-25 minutes before exiting at the boat ramp where we were picked up.

As the certifying instructor, I’d like to say thank you to all my students for making it a stress free weekend! Congrats to all of you newly certified divers…I hope it is the beginning of a life long addiction that you never want to break.

Dave

Here at Scuba Tiger, we’re often asked, “What piece of equipment would you buy first?”

In my opinion, I think the BC will by far make the most difference in your comfort in the water. When I’m asked, “Why is that?” It’s easy…the BC is what attaches your tank and regulator to you. Why wouldn’t you want this to be your first purchase?

Yes, there are differences in regulator systems, but in general, they all work the same. Your buoyancy compensator will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from model to model inside the same product line. Yes they all accomplish the same task, but they each have different features.

Think of it like this, how comfortable would you be driving a different car every day? In your own car, you know exactly where the turn signals are, exactly where the wipers turn on and off, exactly how and where to turn on the cruise control. Most of the time, you don’t even have to look for the controls, you just know by habit where to find each control. It’s the same way with a BC, how many dumps will that rental BC have? Where are they located? Is it a rapid exhaust valve or can you slowly vent air? How quickly will the power inflator put air into the BC? Will this BC fit me like the one I wore the last time I went diving? All of these are things you should ask yourself when you are getting geared up with unfamiliar equipment.

Since the BC is your “control center”, I would recommend that be your first purchase.