Who Should Attend Total Sub?

Earlier today I was on the phone with a Society member interested in attending Total Submersion. He was so excited to learn more about the event and I was even more excited to tell him about it. He wanted to know if it would be a great fit for him (an experienced diver), his non-diving wife, and possibly a newly certified diver. I answered; yes, yes and yes.

Not only is Total Submersion designed for the new or experienced diver, but the event and the destination has a lot to offer for non-divers as well.

For the Divers
During the eight days Society members will get the opportunity to earn a PADI Specialty while on vacation! Whether you want to improve your Buoyancy with a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy certification or get a chance to spend more time underwater with a PADI Enriched Air Diver specialty course Total Submersion is your one-stop shop for – great diving and meeting new dive buddies. This is the perfect place for new divers to add more dives to their log books and continue their dive training.

For the Non-Divers
There’s still plenty to do and see. From snorkeling to kayaking, you can step right out of your room at Lions Dive and into endless possibilities. Take a 10 minute shuttle into town and enjoy the shops (great bathing suits and souvenirs for home!), cafes and the historical buildings like the Oldest Synagogue in the West. Or, stay on property and take a stroll down the beach where you’ll find outdoor restaurants, music, more shops and array of activities. You can also just relax and enjoy an outdoor massage overlooking the sandy beach and beautiful blue water. And if you are feeling adventurous or just curious about what your loved ones are doing underwater, you can try scuba in the pool and sign up for Discover Scuba experience with Ocean Encounters.

What did I tell you! Total Submersion is the perfect event for ALL. For more details visit padi.com/totalsub.

Diving with Ocean Encounters

6 February 2011

One of my favorite things about arriving to a destination in the evening is waking up in the morning and actually seeing where I’m at for the first time. It’s so magical the way the world gets revealed, just by opening the blinds or moving the curtains.

As I pull back the floor to ceiling curtains of my room at Lions Dive, I’m greeted by a deserted beach. It’s late enough that the sun is up and early enough that beach chairs are empty from the crowd, creating a serene view on the other side of the glass.

I headed over to the dive shop at Ocean Encounters, excited to “test” out the water. Our first dive was to Kathy’s Paradise and it was definitely an underwater Paradise. From eels to angel fish, this paradise had it all. There was even a very mild surge that created a rhythmic movement between the colorful sponges, sea fans and the fish.

Our second dive was at Sandy's Plateau. Don’t worry, not all of Curacao’s dive sites are named after women. As we cruised through the water our Ocean Encounters divemaster pointed out one barracuda, then two barracudas , then one more and soon enough we encountered about 10 barracudas out in the blue water. I laughed through my regulator as I was reminded of Dr. Seuss’ book One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. The large shallow plateau also had gorgonians and hard corals and groups of blue tangs and doctor fish swimming above, as if they were protecting the reefs below. It was definitely straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Curaçao or Bust!

5 February 2011

There’s nothing like stepping off a cold plane and into the warm Caribbean night and finally arriving at your destination...

I'm here in the beautiful Caribbean Island of Curaçao in preparation for PADI Diving Society’s Total Submersion event. Over the next few days I’ll be diving with Ocean Encounters and staying at Lions Dive & Beach Resort. Why? Because someone has to test the water before all of the total sub shenanigans begin!