This is the morning after.  Each year, we have our one-day Christmas Party and Sale.  Again, this year, we had hundreds of customers join us for some good food, lots of great conversation with friends and other divers, and some absolutely great deals.  It was clear that the poor economic situation took a toll on the level of shopping this year, but everyone had a good time and we all got to spend some time with friends.

We have lots of people that help us pull this event off every year.  As always, I am extremely thankful for their help.  This year, two of our good friends and customers went way beyond the call of duty.  Ann and Kathy provided some great food and I am very thankful for this contribution.  Things like this remind me that even in business, it is not all business.  We can’t get by without friends.

Thanks to everyone who came by and enjoyed the fun and food.  Thanks to those who took advantage of the great sale prices.  Thanks to everyone who has helped us make it through another year.  We look forward to diving with all of you next year.

Phil Ellis

DiveSports.com - Your Local Scuba Store, No Matter Where You Live!

Change and evolution in the lowly snorkel has been both sporadic and predictable.  Sporadic because changes are few and far between and predictable because those changes are typically just cosmetic.  Little REAL variety exists in snorkels.  There are the simple tube type wet snorkels and there are a variety of snorkels with dry-top mechanisms.  Roll-up snorkels are now popular, designed to get them off the mask and into the pocket.  But, one thing never changes; a snorkel will always breathe like a snorkel breathes.  Or, is it possible to REALLY change the performance of a snorkel?  Is there a design that can radically change the way this basic device works?  Maybe the new Kapitol Reef Kadence dry snorkel is a change.

I first heard about the Kadence Technology dual-tube snorkel from Kapitol Reef about three years ago.  I believe I read about this snorkel in an airline magazine.  At the time, I was pretty astounded by the price, and I didn’t subscribe to the belief that you could actually do anything to change what a snorkel does and how it does it.  So, I dismissed the Kadence as just another example of new marketing words and a new promotional campaign, designed to sell a cosmetically retooled device, with few changes beyond appearance and color.  So unimpressed was I that I actually forgot completely about the Kapitol Reef snorkel.

About three months ago, I got a phone call from a very nice gentleman from Kapitol Reef Aquatics.  They are making a push to have the Kadence Technology snorkel presented to avid snorkelers through professional dive stores.  They offered to send one of their snorkels for our personal testing.  I said sure, send it on.  When it arrived, I gave it to Jonathan and he took it out to the local rock quarry.  His report was mixed. He said it certainly was easier to inhale and easier to exhale, but it made little “gurgles” during the exhale.  After discussing the snorkel, we phoned Kapitol Reef and talked it over with them.  Their explainations and the information on their website convinced us that this just might be the real deal for avid snorkelers.  But just to make sure, we give it to Brad to test.  His reports were the same….very easy to breathe and pretty easy to exhale.  So, we made the decision to get a few in the store and see how our customers react.  There is no doubt, this snorkel is different.  Click the link below and visit our website with all of the “scoop” on how and why the Kapitol Reef Kadence snorkel works.

Kapitol Reef Kadence Dry Snorkel - Available at DiveSports Only $74.95

We think this just might be the real deal for avid snorkelers.  We have these available and encourage our customers to give it a try.  We realize that the price is high, but we think the technology might just make this one worth the extra money.  If you have any questions about the Kapitol Reef snorkel, give us a call at (800) 601-3483.

Phil Ellis

Low Price and Great Variety in Scuba Diving Equipment

For the past 9 years, our local customers have had a blast on our Dry Tortugas liveaboard trips.  Captain Rick Pitts and the crew of the Ultimate Getaway always seem to put us on the best spots for the best diving.  With expansive coral reef pinnacles, impressive swim-throughs, 100’s of varieties of tropical fish, and plenty of large sea life, the Dry Tortugas is absolutely the best warm-water diving in the United States.  Located about 75 miles west of Key West, Florida, this chain of 7 small islands is sorrounded by one of the largest coral reef systems in the world.  The waters are warmed by the Gulf Stream, so diving here is comfortable all year long.  The Ultimate Getaway is a solid live-aboard vessel, with room for 20 passengers and 5 crew.  The supply of food is plentiful, the crew is absolutely great, and living and diving with 20 friends of common interest is simply fun.

For 2009, we have scheduled two dates for this extended 5 day live-aboard on the Ultimate Getaway.  Our May 13-17, 2009 Dry Tortugas trip will feature almost all of the dives inside of the Dry Tortugas National Marine Reserve.  The sights are amazing in this protected area and the diving is wonderful.  Our August 26-30, 2009 Dry Tortugas trip will include diving inside of the reserve, with several days of diving outside of the park, in the lobster grounds that produce so many lobster and game fish.  No matter which trip you choose, we can guarantee you some world class diving and lots of fun.  Click the links below for the details of each of these great trips aboard the Ultimate Getaway with Dive Sports.

Dry Tortugas - May 13-17, 2009 - Photography and Recreational Diving

Dry Tortugas - August 26-30, 2009 - Diving, Lobster Hunting, Spearfishing

We are currently taking deposits for both of these trips.  Only $300 will hold your space, and we expect them to sell out quickly.  Act now to reserve you space aboard the Ultimate Getaway with the crew from Dive Sports.  Group dive travel with Dive Sports is fun!  We promise you good service, great diving, and a good time.

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

There seems to be ever-expanding variety in buoyancy compensator vests for guys.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case for the ladies.  Typically, the single ladies BC offering from most scuba companies will be a well-designed, feature rich vest that does work well for the ladies figure and diving needs.  What is often missing is variety.  Most scuba lines deprive the female diver of the choices available to the guys. TUSA Diving, one of the largest retailers of buoyancy vests in the country, has changed this.  The TUSA Selene Wing is the newest addition to their line, providing a true back-inflation buoyancy vest choice for ladies.  The Selene Wing includes the advanced features typically found in other vests, but designed and sized for the female body frame.  The TUSA Selene Wing buoyancy vest expands upon the Advanced Independent Harness System found on many top-of-the-line TUSA vests, but specific engineering changes have been made to suit the shape and size of the female body form.  The 100% back-inflation bladder on the Selene Wing is a three-dimensional design, with integrated spandex-type panels to assist with complete and rapid inflation and deflation.  The patented TUSA  OPEV rapid inflate/deflate mechanism allows for easy and simply buoyancy adjustments.  The 3D design of the wing makes it as trim as possible, regardless of the level of inflation.  The rolled neck-line of the shoulder straps, combined with the enhanced lumber and back padding provide comfort not found in many other buoyancy vests.  There are many other features that will guarantee satisfaction for the female divers.  Click the link below to visit the TUSA Selene Wing product page on www.divesports.com.

TUSA Selene Wing Ladies Buoyancy Vest - Only $449 at DiveSports.com!

 Now would be a great time to get the lady of your life a truly unique and well designed back-inflation buoyancy vest.  We are certain that the TUSA Selene Wing back-inflation vest will be a welcome addition to the diving kit for any female diver.  Divesports.com has them in stock and ready for immediate delivery!

Phil Ellis

DiveSports.com - Your Local Scuba Divng Store

On March 17, 2008, I made a blog post about the new Tilos Excel Frameless dive mask.  At the time, I reported that sales of this mask had been brisk in the first few weeks of its availability.  Little did I know that these strong sales numbers would continue throughout the year, that it would become our best selling mask for 2008, and that the sales of this mask would continue strong through this Christmas season.  The general rising popularity of frameless masks certainly makes a contribution to the strong sales of this product.  However, the most important factor is the word of mouth from the users.  Over the past 9 months, we have taken a number of orders from people who saw other Tilos Excel mask users at various dive outings and decided they they needed the compact fit, wide field of vision, and attractive look of this mask.  I can’t remember any mask that has garnered this many customer praises and positive reviews from industry sources.  The Tilos Excel is comfortable, provides a wide field of vision, it is the perfect primary or backup dive mask.  The number of first-time and repeat orders for this mask clearly indicate that many customers agree.

In a February 19, 2008 publication of Scuba Diving magazine, results of the comparison of 10 frameless masks were reported.  The Scuba Diving magazine testers were quite impressed with the Tilos Excel and reported very favorably on this product in the comparison.  They were especially impressed with the extended field of view with this mask.  The image attached to this post provides a detail on the field of view.  The quotes below are from that Scuba Diving magazine test:

The Tilos Excel was the big surprise of this review. It had one of the widest fields of view and a budget-friendly price. With a wide bottom and teardrop shapes below the eyes, the lens favors downward viewing, great for finding belts and buckles on a BC. The top narrows at the temples but has high eyebrows that help when looking up. It all adds up to a combined vertical range of 75 degrees, the same vertical field of view as the two Atomic masks in this review. Bonus: The upper and lower corners of the mask have a tread-like texture that helps wet hands grip the mask when donning and doffing.

Read the Scuba Diving magazine review at  www.scubadiving.com

DiveSports.com continues to be one of the largest retailers of the Tilos Excel Frameless dive mask.  This mask continues to be every bit as good and surprising as the testers reported in the Scuba Diving magazine test.  Use the link below to take a look at our product page for this mask.

Tilos Excel Frameless Dive Mask - Only $37.88 - Available for Immediate Shipment

 There is plenty of time to add the Tilos Excel Frameless mask to your Christmas shopping list.  We have an ample supply of these in stock and ready for immediate shipment.  Visit www.divesports.com today and put a Tilos Excel Frameless mask in your shopping cart.  We will have it out to you the same day!

Phil Ellis

Your Local Christmas Shopping Scuba Store, No Matter Where You Live!

We only have a few days remaining until our annual Christmas Party and Sale.  Saturday, December 13, 2008 we will be open from 8AM until 8PM and will have plenty of great sales and deals for your last minute Christmas shopping.  Plan to join us for a good time, snacks, soft drinks and lots of fun.  Remember, we will be offering the Open Water Scuba Diver $99 tuition certificates again this year.  There is no better gift for a friend or loved one.  Quantity on these is limited, so get here early and make sure you get this great gift.  If you have any questions about our Annual Christmas Party and Sale, give us a call at (800) 601-3483.

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

The continuous improvement we see in underwater point-and-shoot digital cameras is simply amazing.  The list of features on these cameras grows steadily, while the ease of use gets better and better.  For several months, we have been waiting for the newest release from the premier underwater imaging company,  Sea & Sea.  Finally, it has arrived!  We are happy to now offer the Sea & Sea DX1200HD underwater digital camera.  This camera REALLY stretches the capability of the point-and-shoot camera.  With a whopping 12.0 mega pixel image size, this camera produces the highest quality photograph on the underwater market.  A 3X optical zoom provides the ability to frame your image easily under water.  Of course, framing your image is made much simplier by the gigantic 3″ color LCD monitor.  The size of this monitor finally gives you the chance to review and enjoy your pictures right on the camera.   If that isn’t enough, the Sea & Sea DX1200HD camera also captures high-definition video at 30 frames per second!  Of course, storage of your images is easy with the capability to accept the 8GB SDHC storage card.  For additional details on this cool new camera, click the link below to visit the product detail page on our website.

Sea & Sea DX1200HD Digital Camera - Only $599.95 - Ready for Shipment Now!

We have a limited number of these cameras in stock and ready for immediate shipment.  With our low FREE SHIPPING threshold, you only pay for the camera….we deliver it directly to your door!  If you have any questions about this new Sea & Sea digital camera, give us a toll-free call at (800) 601-DIVE.  Remember, DiveSports.com is your local scuba store, no matter where you live!

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com

Most scuba divers love the sport so much, it occupies all of their leisure thoughts. Often times, our non-diving friends are amazed that we want to talk about nothing but scuba diving. Well, we shouldn’t let the Christmas season be any different! DiveSports.com now has a variety of scuba Christmas cards that allow you to remind ALL of your friends that you have a cool time, enjoying the cool sport of scuba diving. Thanks to Innovative Scuba, you can send a Christmas greeting card with a dolphin pulling Santa and his sleigh, Santa sitting on a boat in warm Caribbean water, Santa swimming merrily along with the fish, and several other Christmas and Santa themes. With 5 different designs, you are sure to find one that will tickle you Christmas red. All 5 designs are available in packages of 12 cards and envelopes, and come to you for only $12.95 per 12 pack. Let the Christmas season be another reminder that you and your family are scuba divers. Pick up a couple of packs of scuba Christmas cards and get them in the mail today!

Scuba Diving Christmas Cards by Innovative Scuba

Phil Ellis

Your Local Scuba Store, No Matter Where You Live

Every diver needs a good dive light. Of course, the technology of LED lighting is rapidly becoming the technology of choice for all types of lighting, and diving is no different. Over the past two years, we have watched the technology evolution of LED dive lights with amazement. They are now brighter than ever before, with reliability that cannot be equaled with standard bulb technology, and the extremely long battery burn times are just amazing. Unfortunately, the prices of LED dive lights can be daunting, and many of the brands and models are amazingly expensive. Princeton Tec, the leader in diving lights, offers one of the most impressive values in LED light technology…the Princeton Tec Shockwave LED.  At only $109.99, this light provides a pure white beam, over 400 lumens of light output, 20 hours of burn time, and a dual-intensity switch. The focused lens directs the three LED modules into the most even light beam we have ever seen, providing in-water penetration unlike any light of its type. The Princeton Tec Shockwave LED is now available from www.divesports.com for only $109.99. Click the link below to read more about the Princeton Tec Shockwave LED light.

Princeton Tec Shockwave LED Dive Light - Only $109.99 at DiveSports.com

Be sure to take a look the the light beam comparison photographs at the bottom of our website product page.  This is certainly not a scientific evaluation of the light beam, but it does provide a pretty good reference to measure the power of this light.  We are sure you will agree that this light, at this price, represents the best buy currently available in underwater lighting. Now would be a great time to get this light and make someone VERY happy at Christmas. If you have any questions about this super-bright dive light, give us a call toll-free at (800) 601-3483. We will answer any questions you have.

Phil Ellis

Your Local Scuba Store - No Matter Where You Live!

The motto “Always Be Prepared” is not just for the Boy Scouts. There are endless stories of divers who travel great distances to a dive site, only to find that they are unable to complete the dive or unable to use their primary equipment due to failures or breakdowns. In many cases, dive site equipment problems can easily be solved with the correct tools and supplies.

Innovative Scuba offers the Divers Deluxe Tool Kit, a convenient zipper pouch containing all of the wrenches, screwdrivers, spare o-rings, hex wrenches, pliers, and other gadgets necessary to do those emergency field repairs. A supply of zip-ties, o-ring picks, and silicone grease is also provided. This unique collection of scuba-specific tools allows you to do the things necessary to save those dives that might otherwise be lost, and to do the type of routine maintenance necessary to keep your equipment working right all of the time. Every diver should have the proper tools to do emergency repairs, and this convenient package gives them to you. DiveSports.com has these available and ready to ship now. Click the link below to read more about the Innovative Scuba Deluxe Divers Tool Kit.

Innovative Scuba Deluxe Divers Tool Kit - Available at DiveSports.com

If you have any questions about this product, please feel free to give us a toll-free call at (800) 601-DIVE. Don’t go diving again without the ability to make the field repairs necessary to complete all of your dives safely.

Phil Ellis

Deluxe Divers Tool Kit at DiveSports.com