2013 Newsletter

Hello everyone!  Welcome to the 2013 edition of the Blue Water Divers Newsletter!  It is hard to believe that the year has slipped by so fast! Despite the challenges associated with running a dive business (particularly on a small island like Grand Turk!), this was Blue Water Divers’ 30th year in business and we continue to make positive improvements.  Our work with various community and non-profit initiatives has kept us quite busy, but it has been a pleasure to make a difference!  We were also very proud to receive the PADI Green Star Award this year and have the distinction of being the only dive shop on Grand Turk with this recognition!  We have a great team and all of us are looking forward to a wonderful 2014!

Have Fun Do Good

It has been exciting to work with my team on clean ups and the variety of other volunteer initiatives we have been involved with throughout the year.  That is what inspired Audrey to come up with our company motto:  “HAVE FUN DO GOOD”.  She was trying to articulate the business philosophy I have operated under for the last 30 years and I think she captured it perfectly!  In todays Facebook, email and connected “online all the time” world,  it has never been easier to spread the word.  We want to express our thanks and appreciation to all of you who volunteered during the year or helped educate others using Facebook, email, etc. or just HAVING FUN and DOING GOOD wherever you are!

For more ideas on what you can do to help make a difference check out our “Have Fun, Do Good” page at: http://www.grandturkscuba.com/HFDG.htm.

PADI Green Star Award

As you all know, Blue Water Divers has always been committed to preserving both the marine life and the environment in general.  We believe that it is our responsibility to protect the things we love and we have dedicated ourselves to that cause.  Whether it means upgrading to environmentally friendly engines on our boats, organizing a beach cleanup, or offering classes on how to better appreciate the reef without harming it, we are always challenging ourselves to be as “green” as can be.  For those reasons it shouldn’t come as a shock that this year we were honored to receive the PADI Green Star Award.  The Green Star Award is given only to Dive Centers that have proven their commitment to the environment on both land and sea.  We are very proud to be the only dive center on Grand Turk (and one of only two dive centers in the entire country!) to hold this prestigious award!

Beach Cleanups

We organized a belated World Oceans’ Day cleanup in June and in partnership with the Department of Environmental and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) and another in September for International Coastal Cleanup Day.  On both occasions we were pleasantly surprised by the numbers of volunteers who came out to help us.  There was no shortage of willing bodies with able minds to get hot and sweaty while picking up trash and ocean debris. In June we focused on the beach area north of the cruise ship dock where boats are loaded and unloaded right by Jack’s Shack.  We had an excellent turnout and we hauled nearly 20 heaping full truck loads to the dump!  In September we focused on Pillory Beach.  Thanks to all who helped!!  We are looking forward to more cleanups in 2014.

TC Reef Fund – 2014 (New Park Moorings and Dive Sites!)

We’d like to thank the TC Reef Fund for their continued support in obtaining materials (including rope, mooring buoys and anti-chafing line) to maintain the moorings in the Columbus National Marine Park.

Staff members from Grand Turk Diving and Blue Water Divers have been replacing dive site moorings that have been missing due to lack of materials, including the moorings at Anchor, Cables and Coral Canyons.  In addition, we now have new moorings at four dive sites on the south end of the marine park as well as one at the north end of the park.   Even veteran divers of Grand Turk will enjoy exploring these new dive sites!  In the last couple of years, boat and dive traffic in the park has increased significantly and these permanent installations have made a big difference in helping minimize the impact from the growth of water sports activities in the park.

As some of you may know, the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund (TC Reef Fund) is a non-profit organization which was formed in 2011 to benefit the marine environment in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).  The TC Reef Fund was established to help preserve and protect the marine environment of the “Beautiful by Nature” Turks and Caicos Islands – an environment that draws so many visitors to these islands and is critical to the survival of the islands themselves. Their goal is to dedicate 85+% of all funds raised through this organization to marine conservation projects in the TCI each year.  You can read more about this NGO on their website at: http://tcreef.org/.

One fundraising mechanism implemented by the TC Reef Fund is to issue VOLUNTARY BC tags ($10) and wrist bands ($5) for the Marine Park.  These are available to divers, snorkelers, fishermen, boaters, beachcombers and anyone else wishing to help in preserving our beautiful marine ecosystem.  Dive operators working with the TC Reef Fund welcome the generosity of visiting park users and supporters to combine with their own marine conservation efforts. Come visit us, pick up a dive tag and/or wrist band, and lend your support to this important cause!  Make a difference!

PADI Training and Environmental Speciality Courses!

As many of you know, all of our divemasters are also PADI instructors.  With our warm climate, gorgeous water and fantastic wall diving, Grand Turk is a wonderful place to receive PADI training.  Plus, when you take a PADI course with us, you most often have the added advantage of private or semi-private instruction instead of being part of a large training class!

For those who are not yet certified to dive but want to give diving a try, we offer “Discover Scuba Diving” courses as well as complete Open Water Certification courses.  For those divers who are already certified, we offer a variety of PADI continuing education courses including Advanced Open Water, Emergency First Response, Rescue Diver, Master Scuba Diver and a number of PADI specialties.   For many PADI courses, you can even do the bookwork and tests online from home using PADI eLearning, and then complete the in water portion of your dive training with us after you arrive on Grand Turk.  This way you can spend more of your holiday vacationing and less studying!

In keeping with our “Have Fun Do Good” motto, we offer a number of PADI Environmental Specialty courses.  Want to perfect that hover and match your divemaster’s air consumption?  Peak Performance Buoyancy is your ticket!  Do you ever wonder WHY we must protect our grouper, or what makes parrot fish so important to the ecosystem?   The Project AWARE Specialty is right up your alley.  Want to impress your friends with your knowledge of marine species’ names and behaviors?  Sign up for a Fish Identification or Underwater Naturalist course.  Because we want to encourage our divers to improve their ability and knowledge, this year we have a special deal between 1 May and 30 November 2014: Buy two environmental specialties and get a free long-sleeved rash guard (a $45 value)!  Contact us to make a course reservation today!

New Merchandise

Last year we came out with a new line of merchandise ranging from custom t-shirts and hats to dresses and beer coozies.  We are happy to report that people have been loving them!  We have also been experiencing a sudden increase in sales for our guitar-shaped beer openers after I, using only the most rigorous scientific testing methods, discovered that they actually make the beer taste better.  Who could have known!?

As pleased as we are with our current merchandise, we are still moving forward with new designs.  We would love to hear from our divers and snorkelers what sort of retail you would be interested in.  If you ever have any ideas please don’t hesitate to let us know, as we are always keeping an eye out for something fun and unique!

Happy New Year!

What better way to bring in a new year than with a resolution to make time in 2014 for a vacation to a lovely tropical island?  We can help you make arrangements for diving, as well as lodging, and domestic TCI flights.  Just drop us an e-mail at: info@grandturkscuba.com and let us know how we can assist with your trip planning.  It has never been easier!

Don’t have time for a Caribbean getaway?  Let the Caribbean come to you and pick up a copy of my best-selling Songs from the Beach CD.  They make great gifts, but be warned, once you have heard these tunes you will have a hard time giving them away!  Available as a digital download (album or singles) via MP3 at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mitchrolling.

Staff Update

Nathaniel Taylor
We are very pleased to have Nat Taylor back with us for his third year.  Nat was raised in Uganda where he discovered his love for nature.  Experience is one of the best teachers in life and Nat has continued to up his game. His photography skills have also continued to improve and we have enjoyed his photographic contributions.

Chris Young
Chris Young joined us in 2012 and quickly became an integral part of the team.  Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he brings continued enthusiasm into his second year, and he is always very conscientious about the needs of his visiting divers.  We look forward to having him on the team for years to come.

Pierre du Toit
Pierre joined Blue Water Divers in 2013.  Coming from South Africa, he has quickly demonstrated his willingness to work with the team no matter what the challanges.  His fun and profesional work ethic make him a pleasure to be around, and he enjoys meeting and working with our visiting divers.

Trevor Gardner
We are also very pleased to have Trevor Gardner, who joined our team from Canada in 2013.   He brings his boating experience and ability to work personally with customers in his teaching and divemaster duties.  He always has a smile on his face and is willing to get things done — we are looking forward to many good things from him.

Vicky Dunster
Vicky joined our team in 2013, and she brings with her almsot ten years of experience in the professional dive industry.  Born in England, she has been diving all over the world.  Her hard work and excellent customer service skills have quickly made her a key staff member.  She handles a challenging office job with a smile, and is always willing to do more.

Social Media

Want to network with other divers?  Now you can!  PADI has set up a social network designed for divers called ScubaEarth.  You can set up a profile, add dive buddies as friends, show off what gear you have, and log dives for everyone to see.  You can also join our dive crew!  We enjoy sharing our diving adventures with our friends, and we think you will too.

We are VERY proud to have passed 200 “five bubble” (i.e. excellent) reviews on Trip Advisor. Thanks to all of you who took the time to write a review!  If you would like to post a review of Blue Water Divers, please go to your favorite travel and/or scuba website such as TripAdvisor.

Last, but not least, you can keep in touch with us on our Blue Water Divers’ Facebook page (now at 1227 “likes”!) at www.facebook.com/bluewaterdiversgrandturk and / or on our Diving Grand Turk interest group page on Facebook.

And in conclusion…

I would like to wrap this up by wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season! We hope you had a good year like we did, and look forward to seeing all those of you who will be able to visit next year. In 2014, we look forward to celebrating Blue Water Divers being in business for OVER 30 years! Thanks for helping us to make it all possible, and we look forward to offering you happy bubbles and bottom time in the years to come!

We hope to SEE YOU SOON!

Mitch

Your input always helps me to provide better service – SO KEEP THOSE CARDS AND LETTERS COMING!  🙂