Totally Professional: BC's Horny Island Diving

By Barb Roy

It was 1972 when Bob and Ann Zielinski began offering diving services on Hornby Island.

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It’s not just a Job, It’s a Passion

By Jamie Farris & Rick Stratton
Editor/Writer, Dive News Network

In 2004, Tina Nelson took the plunge for the first time. She had meant to try out scuba diving for years, even while living in Hawaii, but had put it off. Until that fateful day in 2004 when Nelson discovered something that she now wants to share with the rest of the planet...diving is wildly fun!

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Divi Resorts Rocks!

I stayed at the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino, one of the top dive resorts in the Caribbean, while doing research on this Bonaire series. The spacious property is located on the water, offering a large beach area, patios for dining including restaurants, and a dive shop. The rooms were clean, comfortable and brightly decorated. Many of the rooms offer a garden view, some with private balconies. Divi Resorts is also celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2012. Overall a great place to end your diving day! 

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The John Jack Keeps on Divin’

By Larry Cohen Guest Writer Dive News Network

Of all the dive boats operating off the NY/ NJ coast, the John Jack is one of the most memorable. The John Jack doesn't stay in one place; it keeps going through transformations. Joe Terzuoli, known as Zero, was well known throughout the wreck diving community. Zero started diving when he was 13 and he was always on the local dive boats. He would dive everything from the Black Warrior in 35' of water to the famous Andrea Doria in 250' as well as the Republic in 300' and this was before helium based gas was available to sport divers. He was a tough guy. Once trimix became common, Zero could be heard calling it "girlie gas". Brooklyn/ Staten Island accent strong, "Not shore eyes like gurly gaz," Zero would spout. "When I'm divin' gurly gaz I'm not sked and at 300' I wanna be sked!

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IST Proline Rental Program

The IST Diving System team is creating custom rental packages personalized for divers. The customer makes their own rental line. Unlike other companies where you have to take specific gear, IST allows the diver to pick the parts. If a diver just needs a wetsuit, they will just do wetsuits, or if a diver just needs BC’s they will rent the BC’s, etc. Divers can pick from any of their lines; mix and match; divers choose their own package and items. For questions and inquiry please call us at (909) 622-9600.

The Illinois Institute of Diving Keepin em in the Water

Located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois the IID has been around for over 50 years. According to local records it is the oldest dive center in the Chicago-land area but six years ago when the Perhays bought the shop, they set out to ensure that the oldest dive shop around was also the most active. "I bought the dive shop because my friends and I always said that we could do it better than anyone else," John Perhay says. "What better way to find out if that's true than to jump in. I got the opportunity to do it and see what happens. It was scary when we first made the move and some days it still is, but I really love it."

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Edge Dive Tech-Shedding some light on the world of diving

It is a problem divers in the Pacific Northwest share with cave divers all over the world...find a way to illuminate your dive while keeping with longer dives. The problem has long been when you find a good dive light that is bright enough it runs down quickly. If it is a light that will last longer, it is also so bulky you hardly have hands for anything but carrying your dive light. A long battled problem...yes, but now divers everywhere can combat this age old problem with a new age solution by way of Edge Dive Tech in Mill Creek, Washington.

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The Wakatobi Experience or Pampered in Paradise

By Warren Miller (edited by Jamie Farris)

Everyone wants to be treated like a VIP. There is a certain thrill in having people cater to you especially when you are away from home. So what would make for the perfect VIP dive trip? How about a resort that makes sure that you arrive where you need to be? Or a resort that offers 5-star treatment at dinner. How about a dive boat crew that not only remembers how you like your dive gear laid out but will have it ready and waiting on all your dives? Sounds too good to be true...but not at the Wakatobi Resort. Here you get all this and more.

The VIP treatment started as soon as we stepped off the plane in Bali, Indonesia. After 32 hours of traveling, the sight of a person holding a sign with your name on it is welcoming. Getting your visa, finding your luggage, zipping you through immigration and into a taxi; the resort staff had it all covered. The charter flight is just as seamless with people meeting you at each point and escorting you to a VIP lounge. A hop to the island of Tomia and a short boat ride and we are at Wakatobi.

The resort is nestled on a beach called Onemobaa in the Tolandono/Wakatobi Archipelago. Once at the resort guests are greeted on the jetty by staff and escorted to their bungalow or villa. Bungalows are located on the beach or back into the palm trees. We spent little time in our bungalow but they were extremely comfortable.

The dive operation at Wakatobi is well organized and efficiently run. All gear is carried by staff and after you set up your equipment for the first dive, the boat crew remembers how you like it and sets it up for each dive after that. There's always a mug of water waiting for you at the start of the dive and afterwards the dive the boat crew brings you a drink, remembering if you prefer a cup of tea or hot chocolate to warm you up.

Dive briefings were held at the Longhouse or on the boat, with detailed drawings of the sites used to explain the dive plan. There was a good deal of time spent focusing on what you would likely see, with a Wakatobi Fish Identification card set used to give you an idea of what to look for. The dive sites varied from steep walls reaching up to 15 ft of the surface, to pinnacles or sea mounts with sloping walls ending in sandy bottoms. Often there was no current but at times you would pick up a gentle current that would just carry you along the wall as you watched the corals and fish life go by.

On some dives it seemed like there was more to see than one could take in. The excitement on the boat at the end of the dive seemed contagious as the guests exchanged stories of what they had seen – a green turtle cleaning its shell, a peacock mantis shrimp going from one entrance of his home to the other arranging the coral pieces, an eagle ray gliding down the wall or a frog fish and leaf fish on the same little piece of coral posing for photographers; there was much to see and all on one dive. Oh and let's not forget the five pigmy seahorses!

Our boat was divided up with one dive guide for every four divers. The dive guides would spot critters and point them out to us. They know where the unusual critters reside. The guides also carried slates, writing the names of the fish you were seeing. The staff is dedicated to maintaining the health of the reefs so one of the things the dive guides do is offer themselves as human tripods. When an unusual critter is found in a difficult position to photograph, the guide secures themselves using a pointer in a bit of sand or on another nonliving surface and then extends their arm out for photographers or videographers to use to balance. Now that is personalized service.

With three 70-minute day dives and a dusk or night dive from the shore, you have 4 dives a day for exploring the corals and fish. The hundreds of anthias swimming near the surface, the schools of barracuda, batfish and trevally turtles swimming the wall, blue spotted rays dashing out from under a coral ledge banded sea kraits rising from the reef to the surface and down again to continue their hunting, shrimp in bubble corals, nudibranch species too many to remember, eels sticking out from under coral heads and on and on and on....

Above the water was incredible as well with a large open resort dining room overlooking the ocean on three sides and a staff that did their best to meet every need. The food was amazing, plentiful and of such a wide variety even the pickiest eater could always find something to eat. Most meals had a large buffet with multiple choices of hot and cold foods.

Of the dive resorts that I have visited, this resort is definitely on my top dive resorts list. Whatever you desire in a dive destination, the Wakatobi Dive Resort has it. Great food, incredible service, spectacular diving and that feeling that you are their only guest is what this resort specializes in. Who could ask for more? ■

Here’s what other people are saying about the Wakatobi Resort 
“The ultimate in so many ways. Reef quality, species variety, attention to diver’s needs, facilities, food, accommodations, it’s all here.”
-Chuck Stavoe and Laurie Horiszny
September 2010

“We just completed 17 days of our 4th trip to Wakatobi. All in all, Wakatobi is the best ‘all around’ dive resort anywhere in the world!”
- Tom and Arlie White September 2010

“Wakatobi is in a league of its own!”
-Chris Goodwin
September 2010

“After diving here, everywhere else will seem like a pile of rubble. The food is so good you’ll want to sneak the chef into your suitcase and take
him home with you.”
-Amanda Chalfant
August 2010

“Wakatobi is the pinnacle of destination dive resorts.”
- Joan and Jim Coopman
July 2010