You are standing in line at the ticket counter at the airport and are amazed at the number of people traveling in this bad economy.  I guess at Christmas time, everyone goes home, no matter how tight money is.  This certainly doesn’t help you move past the 26 people in front of you any faster, but it does explain the crowd.  Out of the corner of your eye, you see a young man and young woman walking past you.  Dressed in desert camouflage uniforms, carrying heavy backpacks, you immediately know these are U.S. soldiers or marines….not just because of the uniforms, but because of the upright way they walk and carry themselves.  You continue to glance and notice that the woman couldn’t possibly weigh more than 125 pounds, yet she walks upright, head held high, carrying that backpack that must weigh 75 pounds!  Guys and girls in the military, traveling home for a Christmas visit.  This is a common sight.

Your thoughts bounce back to stories you heard from your granddaddy about his service in the United States Army.  He dropped everything, left his family and friends, just to serve a cause that his government thought was important.  You remember how proud he was of his service and how his face glowed when he talked about it.  You know he was proud and you were proud of him.  For a brief moment, you think about walking over to the young man and young woman and giving them thanks for their service to our country.  You know your granddaddy would.  But, this time it is a little different.  After all, you are still mad at our President for getting us into this mess to begin with.  It angers you that the rest of the world looks on us so poorly, mostly because of the mistakes they think we have made in the conduct of this latest war.  The amount of money we have spent on this war maddens you.  So, you stand still and move slowly through the ticket line.  The young man and young woman disappear into the crowd.

Finally, with your bags checked and your ticket in hand, you arrive at your departure gate.  Here too, the crowd is stifling.  You grab the only seat available in the departure area, and get out the magazine you purchased at the gift store.  Just as you start reading, you hear the announcement that Flight 865 is arriving at your gate.  You know it will only take them a few minutes to empty the plane, do a little cleaning, and then you can board.  Finally, you get to leave things behind and begin your Christmas with your family.  As the passengers start filing off the plane, you notice a man and woman, probably in their middle 50s, waiting anxiously and watching every passenger as they walk out the jet way door.  The man is wearing a black ball cap and he looks like a hard working type.  His hands are a little beat up and he looks like he earns every cent he gets.  The woman, apparently his wife, is standing close to him.  The expression on her face is pure anticipation.  Every few moments, she glances up at her husband.  She knows him well, and she knows how he is going to react when this reunion happens.

All of a sudden, a young man walks out of the jet way door, his head high and he is wearing the same desert camouflage uniform and the same heavy backpack as the two you saw earlier.  The man and woman rush over to him, the soldier puts his backpack on the floor, and the man in the ball cap collapses in this soldiers arms.  This hard working guy probably never cries, but this is just too much for him.  After years of dad holding the son up, now the son keeps dad standing straight. Mom stands watching them both with tears in her eyes. This father hugging this  son is probably the best Christmas gift she has ever had.

This reunion brings a flood of tears to your eyes.  You notice many others having the same reaction you have.  You are seeing the reunion of a military family at Christmas time.  For a moment, you wish you had gotten out of line and said something to the young military man and young military woman you saw in the main terminal.  You wish you knew what to say to this family, holding each other in a flood of tears.  You flash back to six years ago when everyone in the airport stood still and clapped with appreciation when a small group of military people walked through the airport terminal.  Back then, after the events of 911, everyone had great gratitude for our men and women in uniform.  You know that personally, you still do.

This is not about politics.  This is not about the last President, or the current one, or the President-Elect.  This is not about Congress, or political parties, or any other of the myriad of things we have been bombarded with; things that created lines between us.  This is about YOUR personal gratitude that there are those who are willing to give their best years in service for those of us who just stand and wait.  This is about people who take a call, knowing that it could well be the last call of their life.  It is about pure, simple gratitude for a job well done.

The Gratitude Campaign knows that showing your thanks is often a little embarrassing, it often seems like an intrusion into the lives of others, and that doing it very publicly is sometimes a little awkward.  They have developed a way to allow you to show your respect and gratitude every time you see a man or woman in uniform, and to do it in a personal way that both YOU and THEY will understand.  Please visit the website of the Gratitude Campaign and view their video.  Learn about the single gesture that you can give, as a sign of gratitude to our men and women serving in the United States military.  It only takes a couple of minutes for you to view the video and a couple  seconds for you to make the sign.  They will nod back graciously, and you will have the comfort of knowing that you showed your real gratitude for a job well done.  Oh, and if you are the type that doesn’t mind open displays of affection, it is OK to grab them and give them a big hug.

The Gratitude Campaign - Please Visit and View the Video

Update 12/20/2008:  I have embedded one of the videos from the Gratitude Campaign for your viewing.  Please take a minute to email a link to this post to your friends, so they can visit our blog and view this very informative video.

Phil Ellis

Note:  The encounter I described in this post is fictional, but I think this exact same situation happens every day.  My thoughts are certainly not those of the fictional character who is mad about our current situation.  This post was written simply to draw attention to the Gratitude Campaign.  I made a blog post about this organization last year at Christmas.  Gratitude for our men and women in national service is just as important this Christmas. If you are interested in reading the post from last Christmas, click here.

We have just added a new feature to www.divesportsblog.com.  You now have the capability to share any post with your favorite social bookmark service or social web site.  At the bottom of each post on our blog,  you will see a SHARE graphic.  Click this graphic and a window will open, giving you access to all of the links to social and bookmarking sites.  You can choose from over 40 sites, such as Co.mments, Del.icio.us, Digg, Facebook, FURL, Google Bookmarks, Squidoo, Technorti, and Yahoo My Web, and many more.  This capability allows you to share our blog content with others and to mark posts of special interest so you can read them later or forward them to your friends.  We encourage you to use this easy and simple tool.  Share the DiveSportsBlog content with your friends and help us expand the popularity of the DiveSports.com network.  Remember, if you like a post, maybe others will!  We are making special emphasis on the Digg network.  If you are not a Digg member, sign up today and DIGG your favorite divesportsblog post.

Phil Ellis

Digg a Gigantic Savings at DiveSports.com

I was doing my morning reading and an article in Kentucky.com really caught my attention.  It appears that the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky has created an attraction that combines the festive celebration of Christmas with the thrill and excitement of the underwater world.  Imagine Santa Claus, his sleigh loaded with toys, being pulled by brightly colored seahorses!  Well, it is for real at this very inventive Kentucky attraction.  Their Scuba Santa Water Wonderland attraction is so popular, it has been featured on several television networks.  Popular with both kids and adults, this is the “must-see” attraction at the aquarium during December.  What a cool way to excite those who love sea life and Christmas?  An excerpt from the article on Kentucky.com is shown below.

Santa Claus has been known to make some dramatic entrances depending upon where you live — from a pirogue in Louisiana to a surfboard in Hawaii — but for the sixth year in a row, he has arrived in Northern Kentucky with a mask and fins and a scuba tank strapped on his bank.

The Newport Aquarium’s Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland has become so wildly popular with kids, and adults, in the tri-state area that it’s been featured on all three major television networks (CBS This Morning, NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America).

Through Jan. 3, visitors buying a ticket to the aquarium will receive free admission to the Water Wonderland exhibit, and be able to “ooohhh” and “aaahhh” with delight as Santa arrives in the world’s largest underwater sleigh pulled by prancing seahorses. In the spirit of the season, even the sharks are happy as Santa dives into their tank to find out which ones have been naughty or nice.

Aquarium admission is $18.95 adults, $11.95 ages 2-12, free for children younger than 2. For a schedule of the Scuba Santa dive shows, call (859) 261-7444 or visit www.newportaquarium.com.

Read the Entire Story at www.newportaquarium.com

Who says Santa can only be found at department stores, in parades, and in chimneys on Christmas Eve night?  Apparently, the folks at the Newport Aquarium have other ideas.  The read in this article seems to indicate a well thought and elaborately produced Christmas attraction.  So, if you are in Northern Kentucky over the holidays, make a little detour to Newport, Kentucky  and visit the real underwater Santa.

Phil Ellis

Merry Christmas from DiveSports.com

I previously wrote this blog post about a Yahoo! News article on the impact that increasing jellyfish blooms  are having on beach goers and water sports participants.  Jellyfish stings are painful and preventing them is important anytime you go in the ocean.  I was thinking that this might be a good time to discuss a very unique product we offer, the Safe Sea Jellyfish Protection lotion.

A jellyfish stings a human as a final step in a complicated mechanical and chemical detection and defense process.  This complicated “signal and reaction” process is not widely understood, but one company has spent millions of dollars defining the steps in the process and developing a response to interrupt the process.  Nidaria Technology recognized that the signal and reaction stinging process of the jellyfish is one of the fastest processes in the natural world.  Common sense indicated that if they could interrupt any part of the process, they could essentially stop the jellyfish from firing the cells that cause the sting.  Their extensive research and development yielded the Safe Sea Jellyfish Protection Lotion.  Safe Sea is a formulation based on the same chemicals that protect a Clown fish from stinging predators.  When properly applied, the Safe Sea lotion simply makes the wearer “invisible” to the jellyfish.  Without the ability to “know” that an organism in making contact, the jellyfish simply doesn’t send the signal to fire the stinging cells.

Safe Sea lotion does even more than protect against jellyfish stings.  The active chemicals are packaged in a pleasant lotion that also provides protection against sunburn.  Available in SPF 15, SPF 30, and a special SPF30+ formulation for children, users can now combine the beneficial effect of stopping jellyfish stings and protection from the burning rays of the sun.  Priced no more than cost of high-quality sunscreens, it seems silly to use any product other than Safe Sea.  Don’t go near the ocean with a supply of Safe Sea jellyfish protection lotion.  You can use the link below to purchase this product right now from DiveSports.com

Safe Sea Jellyfish  Lotion - Available in 4 Different Protection Levels - In Stock Now!

There are a number of internet websites that claim to offer the Safe Sea product.  We have heard that many of them take the orders, but never deliver the product.  DiveSports.com ALWAYS has this product in stock and ready for immediate shipment.  If you have any questions about the Safe Sea product, please give us a toll-free call at (800) 601-3483.

Phil Ellis

Don’t Let Jellyfish Stings Ruin Your Vacation - Get Protection and Treatment Products

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!

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

I don’t think it is a secret that these are not the best times for a small business. I guess even worse for a scuba diving business in this economy…during the winter! But, on occasion, some great news comes along that really cheers me up and makes me laugh with excitement.

My wonderful son, Brad, is going to get married! For a while now, his closest companion has been Brittany Barrett, one of our Dive Masters and an absolutely beautiful and delightful young woman. Brad and Brittany are a perfect match; they have common pursuits, both constantly have the others interests in mind, and they just simply get along as the best of friends. I want nothing but the best for my children and I feel that she is good for him. I am sure he is also good for her. These are good kids and I want their life to be great together. I look forward to having Brittany in our family. They haven’t completed their plans, but I expect a wedding date to be announced for sometime next year. I know they can’t wait to begin this great chapter in their lives and I hope they know that all of their family is as excited as they are.

Shameless Promotion: Just for kicks, I will share a little online special to celebrate this great news. If you make any purchase at www.divesports.com, simply enter the coupon code WEDDING during the check-out process and we will take an additional 10% off of your entire order. Even if you are using another coupon code, this one will work. Everything has to have a limit, so this one will expire on December 25, 2008! Again, congratulations to these two great kids!

Phil Ellis

Good News Special at DiveSports.com

Annual service on scuba diving regulators is important to keep this valuable piece of equipment working correctly. We have long offered professional regulator service for all of the name brand regulators. However, many people simply prefer to do their own service. They like the reliability of doing it themselves and many simply enjoy the challenge of show and thoughtful home maintenance.

There have always been factory limitations on the sale of regulator service parts by several of the major scuba manufacturers. We have been examining our dealer agreements, working with our contacts at the factories, and moving toward making regulator parts available for retail purchase by anyone who believe they have the skill and training to complete these repairs themselves. We have recently added a “click-and-buy” page to our website at DiveSports.com that offers a limited supply of regulator repair kits for home or self-service. While we know that everyone understands that they activity requires skill and training, we want those who make the home service choice to have access to the genuine factory parts to do it properly. We now have annual repair kits for several models of regulators and more will be added in the future. We also offer several tools to make home regulator service easier.

Take a moment to visit our limited selection of regulator service kits and if you are inclined to do your own service, we invite you to use our capability to deliver the genuine factory parts. You can visit this page at www.divesports.com/partskits. Please remember that we will be adding more parts kits for additional brands as we work through the contact provisions. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a toll-free call at (800) 601-DIVE.

Phil Ellis

Now Offering Regulator Service Kits at DiveSports.com

We have set the date for our Dive Sports Annual Christmas Sale and Party for 2008.  This year, we are waiting just a little bit later, offering this great sale on Saturday December 13, 2008.  Like the previous 9 years, we will have lots of food and refreshments, lots of friends and customers, and tons of great sale prices.  We are still working hard to bring in special items for the sale and we certainly will have the lowest prices of the year on the large variety of brand name dive gear we always offer.  Of course, like always, there will be prizes and gift for many.

Watch our website at DiveSports.com and watch this blog for additional details.  No matter what, plan to be here at 8:00 AM on Saturday December 13 for this great sale and party.  We will be open until 8:00 PM, so everyone should be able to find time to visit with us for this great sale and party.

 Phil Ellis

Visit Santa at Dive Sports - Give the Gift of Scuba Diving!

Starting on Black Friday, November 28, DiveSports.com will be hosting a VIP Gear Sale for all of our customers.  We can’t give the details of the sale via our blog or on our website, but we can promise that the savings will be tremendous.  We are expecting to send out the VIP Gear Sale Invitations via email very early next week, so keep an eye on your “inbox” for the invitation….all of the information will be included in the email.  If you haven’t signed up for our email newsletter yet, you can do so by simply typing your email address into the sign-up box in the right hand tool bar of this blog, or by going to our website and finding the email sign up box on the lower left of any page.

The email blast will be the ONLY way to get the information about the VIP Gear Sale, so be sure to sign up now.  Also, encourage your friends and dive buddies to sign up as well.  Keep an eye on your “inbox” and be sure to take advantage of the savings.

Brad Ellis

DiveSports.com — Your Local Scuba Store….No Matter Where You Live!