Amy and Tom Rhodes Adventures Under the Waves

50 Dives in 90 Days Challenge is ON!

2010-10-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe but for the 3rd year in a row, this challenge is becoming extremely popular. This year, we have people taking vacation time to dive...locally! The first weekend has been a success. Many have been in the water, only to discover some of the best visibility of the year! Here are quotes from some of the participants.

"I only have 6 dives in so far, but I am doing 4 dives today and 4 more tomorrow. I plan on having 25 dives in this week!" Randy Jones, Master Scuba Diver.

"The visibility is some of the best I have ever seen at Redondo. " Shane Izzard, rescue diver.

"There were these little eels, some rust colored, some green. All lined up, at least 50 of them together. There was so much life that I can't believe it!" Jayne Alexander, rescue diver.

"I am going to hit my 100th dive, next week, and I will do 100 more by the end of the year." Jason Clee, Divemaster.

I wish I could join everyone in the water right now, but unfortunately, I am getting over a nasty cold. I miss the emerald green water, and looking forward to getting back out there very soon. Meanwhile, we have about 20 divers, all going for the grand prize: 1 year of free nitrox! What they all don't realize is that it is much more than that: They become better divers and ambassadors of local diving.

Coming soon

2010-05-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

I realize we haven't updated this blog in a while, so I will be doing some updates over the next few weeks. Stay tuned! We will have some great info and photos including...

News on the compressor! It will be up and running in a couple of days!
My return to the water after all my drysuits come back from having some much needed TLC.
Northwest Dive and Travel Expo! May 22-23 featuring the entire staff of A-2-Z Scuba and our friends from other dive centers and manufacturer's sales reps.
Our next "Go Pro" night in late June
Summer continuing education classes to sharpen your skills and keep you diving.
Updates on some of your favorite dive sites.
Cool trips coming up in the next 2 years including Cozumel, Palau, Bali and some fun places in British Columbia

...and much more! So, hope to see you all Under the Waves very soon!

Our magical week at Cocoview is almost over...

2009-08-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

It seems like Tom and I just got to Roatan, and now we are confirming our flights to head back to the states. What a great week! Our 2nd trip to Cocoview had a few surprises, but for the most part, was low-stress and very relaxing.

I was the most dive winner this week...24 dives! I logged 3 dives at over an hour long and all others were at least 45 minutes or longer. I did 3 night dives and dove 6 days, finishing up with 2 dives this morning. I was not cold on a single dive. I cannot say that about any other dive I have done in the last 2 years.

We explored a lot of dive sites, most of them within a 5 minute boat ride of the resort. One of my favorites was Calvin's Crack, a swim-thru dive that allowed us to explore "cracks" in the reef. These are actual cracks that formed after earthquakes over the centuries. The reef has grown the deep crevases into slivers over the years creating beautiful reefs for fish and other creatures to live in.

Roatan has discovered 7 Lionfish that have moved into the island. 1 was discovered while we were here and 2 of these invasive species were living in a fish tank in the dive store. This fish is taking over the Caribbean quite quickly and it is being monitored carefully by the folks at REEF.

My personal discovery on this trip is my love for underwater photography. I am not very good, but I am learning more all the time about compositition and lighting. I am looking at a new camera and flash in the future, but before I make any kind of investment, I want to know more. My first step is to get a good photo editing software and learn how to use it effectively.

As for the diving, it is amazing. Roatan has gentle currents and beautiful reefs with sharp dropoffs. Most of my dives are 70 feet or less. There are beautiful coral and seafans, something you don't see in Belize or Cozumel due to hurricane damage. The reef has millions of fish, now getting bigger thanks to the efforts of the Underwater Refuge here on Roatan. There is no fishing on the reefs for the last 4 years so now the fish are repopulating the reefs and they are much bigger than 2 years ago. More lobster and manta rays. My favorite part about diving the reefs are hanging over the steep ledges at 60-70 feet and not seeing the bottom...only deep blue sea. My only regret is not seeing a single shark or turtle. We spoted a Hawksbill on the surface on the way back but none while diving.

So, Tom and I continued this endless game we play called "I can go deeper than you while we are in warm water on vacation". Yeah, it is a silly and a little stupid, but we always are thinking safety first. (disclaimer...newer divers, do not do this. Only for experienced divers who have dives deeper than 120 feet.) So yesterday, on Newman's Wall, I hit 102 feet. He hit 101. So, we go to 107. So I hit 118 and my computer is screaming at me (on 32% EAN) and he is on air. He hits 119. I start singing (yeah, I love being narced) and he starts laughing at me. Mark Romero decides he is going to follow us on the adventure and just shakes his head. We starting a slow ascent while I am doing my best eagle ray imitation. Once back to about 65 feet, Tom grabs my computer and starts his own UW happy dance. Tom wins this round but we will play again some time.

As for our group, everyone had a great time. Tami played with my camera and I think she is hooked. Mark Romero learned that peeing in your shorty isn't such a bad thing. Janice doubled the amount of dives she had under her belt. Mark B discovered he really loves his new flash. Ed has gotten really good with his strobe and Tom was able to do what he loves best...just float with the fish swimming around him and think about nothing but how amazing it is to scuba like this.

Final notes on Cocoview. The bugs in August are brutal so bring the bug spray. If you are going to come here, it is so much more fun with a group that by yourself. We had our own private boat, with divemaster and captain. Because of the experience of our group, we were able to go to sites that others were not. Nitrox is wonderful but not necessary. I loved diving it this week, but Tom, Mark and Tami were fine without it. If you are reading and wondering how can you join us next time, just give me a call at the store and I can let you know when the next trip is.

Welcome to Cocoview

2009-08-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Our first vacation in 2 years is off to a great start! We left the sweltering heat of Seattle on an all night flight with Mark Romero, Tami Stein, Mark Beaubien, and Janice Kolts. Beth and Ed Farrell met us in Roatan. The resort was as wonderful as it was last time we were here. Tom and I got the same room as last time...13. We didn't waste any time and we jumped in and dove in the front yard that afternoon. We played around the wreck of Prince Albert and rediscovered all the greatness of Cocoview's front yard. Of course, I forgot my camera.

Got up and did 4 dives on Sunday! First dive was at 2 Tall, 2 Small, a wall dive with a lot of interesting coral and fish. The biggest difference is the fish are a bit bigger, and there was some significate damage to the reef from the Earthquake a few months ago. Cocoview Wall was our second dive. After a nice lunch, we did Gold Chain and Newman's Wall. I liked Gold Chain a lot; at the end of the dive we saw a school of squid. Newman's wall was a lot deeper than I remember and it was fun poking around and doing macro photography. However, I lost my difusior so most of my photos are overexposed, or blue. I am going to try Mark's Sealife arm tomorrow to see if that helps.

Mark B has a beautiful Canon and Sea and Sea 110y external flash. I am very jealous! He is also shooting in RAW so his stuff is coming out very nice.

We have lots more diving this week ahead of us, including Mary's place on Thursday. More than anything, we are relaxing and enjoying this vacation...so far!

Salt Water State Park

2009-07-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

This old shore dive used to be a favorite with divers back when I first started diving. I never dove it in the early days...not sure why. It had a old, sunken barge and a bunch of tire reefs. After the earthquake in 2001, I heard that the barge had really fallen apart and not really visible.

In 2008, this dive site was re-born! Most of the old tires were removed and 3, long, rock walls were put in, along with some long, concrete poles. The 3 reefs were set 100 feet apart, running shallow to deep. 4 cans were put in to mark the site and a row of concrete blocks, running parallel to the shore, 10 feet apart, to help divers navigate between the rocky reefs. Most of the reefs are made up of medium size bolders, with small rocks on the shallow ends.

The first time I dove here, the vis was so bad I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. The 2nd time, the vis was so amazing that I thought I was in Canada. I swam quickly between the reefs to figure out the entire dive site. I then did a few more dives here and have fallen in love with this dive site.

It is located in Salt Water St Park, and is only open from 830am-830pm every day. Great parking and restrooms with outdoor showers right there. The walk into the water is easy, but depending on the tide, there is either a very long walk or a very long swim to the drop point. It is flat and few bolders so it is very easy.

It takes about 20-40 minutes to explore each reef, so on most dives, you typically only get to explore 1 reef. I have named the reefs...South, middle and North reef. The north is my favorite. It is a little deeper but has a little bit different layout that the other two. However, most of the cool life I have found has been on the South Reef. The last dive I did here was with Ellyn and Scott; two of my staff at A-2-Z. We spotted a couple of octopi, including a Giant Pacific Octopus on the top of the deep end of the reef. Tons and tons of Rat fish were swimming about.

With the exception of that first, low vis dive, I have had very good visibility and very little current. Thanks to a map made by Jeff Schroeder, one of our instructors, it has made this site easy to navigate and explore. Hope you can come dive with me sometime and explore this cool site.

Dive and Travel Expo, 2009

2009-05-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

April 24-26 was the 2nd Dive and Travel Expo in Tacoma.

This was a crazy weekend, with planning taking place over a few months. The weekend actually started on Thursday, with a 2 tank boat dive on Bandito Charters. I dove with John from Manta fins and Glenn and John from Hono Divers from the Big Island of Hawaii. 2 awesome dives and the wolf eels didn't disappoint me this day. I had wolfeels eating out of my hands and playing with me. It was very cool. It also gave me an opportunity to meet Sarah from NW Dive News. The day ended with dinner at the Ram with Jeff and Shawn from Cramer Decker and the team from NWDN.

Friday started off with a bang. Tom went and picked up Dane from the airport. He flew in for the weekend to help us. We had a lot of our divers, diving at Treasure Hunt too that morning. Dane and I went and sat through a seminar for IST, and then set up our booth. Tom and I had dinner with Rick and Kathy from NWDN.

Saturday was very, very busy. Lots of people stopping by the booth and divers in the pool. Scott and Mark worked the pool and Kandi, Nikoal, Brandon and Jason helped on on the floor. Dan worked the Seasoft booth and Dane, Ellyn and I worked the booth. Alison also stopped in and helped for a while. Dane worked the store in the afternoon and Tom ran errands. We attended the film festival that evening, which was okay, but we were disappointed that they didn't show local photos.

On Sunday, Robbie came and worked the booth with me. Alyssa helped out, along with the rest of the team. I also had both Dan and Dane in the booth too, so it gave me a chance to wander the floor a bit, and talk to vendors. Ellyn won a dive trip to Hawaii. Josh Arnett came in 2nd place with his photos he entered in the photo contest. Sunday was a bit quieter, but we still connected with a lot of divers.

Overall, it was a great weekend and it was nice having Dane home, even for a couple of days. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone and talking to so many divers. Looking forward to next year already.

Doing some boat diving...

2009-04-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Got an invitation to dive off one of my instructor's boat yesterday. I haven't done much boat diving this year yet, (I haven't done any this year actually) so I figured it would give me a chance to do some fun diving and relax. So, took Sunday off and headed down to the marina to hook up with Scott, Kandi, Neil, Susan and Kelly for a fun day of diving. Josh was on the boat as "captain for the day" watching over us.

Scott has a pretty nice boat. It is 36' long and very comfortable. As we left the harbor, it was evident that it was going to be a nice day. Considering the crappy winter we had, the warm sun felt so good. By mid afternoon, I was enjoying the rays topside. He and Kandi had plenty of food for us and were awesome hosts for this great day of diving.

His setup is pretty typical of private dive boats I have been on. We gear up on deck and giant stride with a bit of a drop into the water. He had a nice ladder to climb up and we lifted our gear from the swim step, upto the main deck. While water is the true equalizer, getting out of the water proves how good of shape you are in. Unfortunately, I need to spend a few more hours a day to be able to master that part of the day.

3 great dives...Dalco Wall, Z's Reef and Sunrise. I saw 1 octopus but was skunked by wolf eels. Everyone else had fun too. It was still pretty cold in the water (45-46 degrees) but it is evident that spring is here. The top 30 feet was full of algae...a bloom ready to happen. The one thing I really noticed was the amount of scallops in the water; especially at Dalco Wall. The lack of GPOs surprised me. At Z's, Canary Rockfish seemed to be everywhere and hiding in the holes normally saved for GPOs and Wolfeel. Lingcod season is also fast approaching because they were everywhere too. Sunrise Reef never disappoints; always tons of cool stuff to see there. Because of water temps, my dives were about 45 minutes long. I just get too cold; no matter what suit I am diving to stay down longer.

Thanks to all my friends who made yesterday's dives and day off work so enjoyable.

Divers and their pets

2009-04-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

This week, one of our instructors lost their beloved dog. She went everywhere with them, and she would swim out in the water while she was diving. I was so sad because 5 years ago, I lost my faithful companion too. My Sadie would swim to me after diving and even towed me in a few times. For 9 years she was my best friend and it broke my heart when I lost her. It got me thinking...many divers have pets they love too, and have great stories about them.

Many on our staff have pets they love...Dan has Gigi, his lab/whipit mix that is very fast and is very lazy, as you can see in the photo above. Karyn has Petunia and Yuri, a pair of pugs that love to chase each other around. Alison has Geisha, a tiny brown and white dog that has any dog bigger than her running scared. Chip has a dog named Oreo, Brandon has Maggie and Sherman. Alyssa has Frank. Tom Carlson has Stevie. Ellyn has cats...that all act like dogs.

Tom and I have 2 dogs, Lucy and Bradee. Tom got Lucy about 11 years ago has a puppy. We haven't been able to figure out what kind of dog she is except she is one of the truest mutts I have ever seen. Bradee looks like a brown lab when you first see her, but she is actually a pointer that is very fat. Both dogs are older, but very healthy. We also have a cat too, that seems to rule our home and the dogs.

I hope all who are reading this blog today hugs their pets and enjoy the fun they have with them.

Underwater Easter Egg Hunting

2009-03-29T19:41:00.001-07:00

The day started out with snow on the ground, but by mid morning, the sun came out and we had a beautiful day down at Les Davis Park in Tacoma for the Underwater Easter Egg hunt. This year, Divemaster candidates Alyssa Johnson and Ellyn Carmichael were the hosts and emcees for this fun event.

After a winter that just never seems to end, it truly felt like spring on the beach today. There was a light wind, but a blue sky and sunshine! It actually felt warmer too. Kids and dogs were out running on the beach; enjoying the negative tide too. My son was playing too and it never fails: by the end of the day, he was sandy and muddy from head to toe!

We had 6 divers in the water collecting about 8 dozen easter eggs hit by Josh Arnett and Karyn LaBonte. We had kids on the beach gathering eggs too! This year's grand prize was a Night Diver specialty, won by Jessie Miller, who was just certified this year. While underwater, a few "collectors" snapped some photos. Dave Washburn got this cool shot. Apparently, divers aren't the only ones that like easter eggs!

Divers never seem to disappoint when it comes to a potluck lunch. We had chicken, chilli, chips and all kinds of side dishes. There was even some cool little dive flag cookies for dessert. Thanks to everyone who came out and enjoyed the sunny day with us!

Staffing an IDC

2009-03-25T01:54:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest things about being a PADI Master Instructor is helping train dive instructors. The PADI Instructor Development Course consists of 2 parts, the assistant instructor course which I can teach independently, and the Open Water Instructor Course which must be taught by a PADI course director. As a MI, I am allowed to assist the CD but helping evaluate, and give some of the lectures. Many stores offer the full IDC course which allows PADI divemasters to participate to become instructors. However, we have a small OWSI course going on this week with our new course director, Larry Hill. He is a lot of fun, and the staff seems to like him a lot. For me, it is a great learning experience.

I have taught 3 assistant instructor courses so far and the experience I have gained from them has been excellent. However, it isn't the same as sitting through a lecture with a course director. I pick up cool tidbits and even learn a few things. This is the first OWSI I have been through 100% since my IDC staff course last year with Kelly Rockwood. Listening to Larry has given me a new perspective and lots of information that will help me be a better instructor.

I gave the "How to Teach the RDP and RDP ml lecture for the first time yesterday. It was a lot of fun and I know how to improve it next time I teach that one. Today I am in the pool and get to evaluate the confined water teaching presentation and skills. That is going to be so fun!

My goal by the end of 2009 is to have 400 diving certifications, and staff 2 complete IDCs. I am not looking to become a course director in the near future, but the experience and exposure will make me a better instructor and if I did want to go to CD school, I will have the experience that is required to qualify.

Les Davis Project Aware Spring Cleanup

2009-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

On March 19th, A-2-Z Scuba hosted our annual Project Aware Cleanup. 12 people got together at Les Davis Park to clean up the stair area that is the access to this cool shore dive. This last winter we were plagued with storms and flooding that washed a bunch of wood debris up against the shore and made the entry impossible. Here are some before and after photos of the stair area.

Les Davis is an important dive site for our staff and customers. It is 12 minutes from the dive shop and its calm conditions are perfect for training divers. It has a lot to see and some of my best fun dives have happened here. When the stairs were installed in 2006, it really changed this dive site for the better. (see earlier blogs) We depend on this dive site and hundreds of divers a month come here to train and dive for fun.

We had Tacoma Metro parks come and help us chop up the large pieces and took 3 loads of wood away. We have 2 trash cans full of trash that was found on the beach and under the water. The workers helped make sure there were no octopi or gunnels in the bottles collected and released any that were hiding inside. We moved a lot of the large bolders that were a hazard for divers and kayakers to trip on during high tides.

Jim Trask, from Washington Scuba Alliance came to install the new bronze plaque at the stairs. Unfortunately, he needed shorter bolts to make sure it was permanent at the stairs.

The cleanup took about 2 hours, then a few of us went for a fun dive. The visibility was spectacular and it was a great way to end an amazing day at Les Davis. Thanks to all who came and helped clean up this dive area.

Dive dry or wet? An endless debate

2009-03-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

Probably the most popular question I get at the dive shop is, "Should I have a drysuit to dive in Puget Sound?" Many divers assume that diving dry is the only way to go in our colder waters, mainly because they see instructors and divemasters diving dry. Is diving dry the only answer? Actually, "It depends how much diving you want to do in Puget Sound".

Let's start with basic physics. If it is 50 degrees outside with no wind, most people could stand being outdoors with a pair of jeans and a tee shirt on for about 20 minutes, then need to grab a jacket or sweater. If they were from Costa Rica, they might want a coat after standing for about 5 minutes. If they were from Alaska, they could probably stand outside for an hour. Most bigger people could tolerate the 50 degrees better than a tiny person. If there was physical activity involved, that would change a bit. However, if you put your hand in 50 degree water, most people would comment how cold it is immediately. Most people submerged in that water would become hypothermic in a matter of minutes. Water is a better conductor of heat and pulls it away from the human body very quickly. People have difference water temperture tolerance levels based on their body type, sex and locale, but water can kill without proper thermal protection.

A wetsuit traps water next to the skin and it is heated up by the body. The wetsuit insulates the body and protects it, however, the body is still wet and becomes chilled over time. The deeper you dive, the thinner the suit becomes compressed. A drysuit insulates with air and with the ability to wear dry thermal protection allows the body to stay warmer for a longer amount of time.

So, what about diving in a wetsuit in 48 degree water? It can be done, however, there are other factors to take into play. How warm is it at the surface? Is the wind blowing? How deep are you diving? How well does your suit fit? If you have a good tolerance for cold, plan on doing a dive shallower than 80 feet, surface temps were warmer than 50 degrees and a calm day, and you are in a custom fit suit, the answer is yes. You could probably do 2 dives comfortably if it was even warmer at the surface. For everyone else, I would say that the diver would get cold and be extremely chilled exiting the water. If it was the summer, the water was 52 degrees or warmer, surface temps were in the upper 70s or warmer and planning a shallow dive, most divers would probably appreciate diving in a wetsuit.

Most dive professionals and avid Puget Sound divers dive dry. These are people that dive often; typically 4-5 times a month, or longer. They have invested a lot in all their equipment, not just their drysuit and understand what the cold can feel like after the 2nd dive of the day. Are you planning on diving that much? If so, a drysuit will probably be a good option.

Every person is different and the decision to purchase a drysuit can be an economic one as well. A well-fitting wetsuit can run about $200-600, while a basic drysuit can start about $900. All of a sudden, the question changes to, "can I afford to dive dry?" Here are some basic questions a diver should ask him/herself when considering purchasing a drysuit.

How much money can you afford to spend on an exposure suit?
Do I really love diving in cold water and is it going to be something I do a lot?
Am I only going to dive in the summer?
How many dives do you plan on making per month?
Will you be making 1 dive at a time, or 2-3 dives per day?
How deep will you dive?
What is your tolerance to cold?
What is the range of water temperatures where I dive?
How much time and money do you want to do on your exposure suit?

I saw a drysuit ad a few years ago and it made sense to me. It was of 2 photos...the wetsuit diver's logbook, and the drysuit diver's logbook. Take a guess which logbook is thicker. Scuba diving changes your life, and depending on how much you like to dive in Puget Sound will determine when and if you will purchase a drysuit. Think about the questions above and talk to your dive professional about it.

...Time to get the dive gear out!

2009-03-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

As I look out my window, we seem to be enjoying another one of those "pre" spring days here in the Pacific Northwest. I stepped outside and I felt the warmer air on me and for about the last week, I am feeling old man winter is behind us. With that, another great season of diving is here.
Many of us are die-hard, year-round divers. It could be snowing and we are still diving. However many people feel that it is just took cold in the winter, and appreciate the warmer weather to get out and dive. So, what do you need to do to get ready for the dive season?

Pull out your dive gear. Shake it out and bring your regulators and BCs in for annual service. Condition on drysuit seals and wax the zipper. Get tanks visually inspected and filled. Get your storage containers and bags aired out.
Determine what needs to be replaced this year. Make a list and talk to your dive center about upcoming sales that may be going on.
Pick up cleaning supplies for your suit, including defogger. Restock your save a dive kit, or start a new one.
Make sure you renewed your DAN and PADI Diving Society Membership.
What are your education goals this year? Talk to your dive center about classes you would be interested in taking.
Get a scuba review. Even a seasoned diver can benefit from a skill brushup from a dive professional. It is also a good opportunity to get your gear back in the water, before actually heading into the open water.
Talk to your dive buddies and start planning some dives
Pick up the new book, Shore Diving Near Seattle by Kent Wallner. This will introduce you to some new dive sites and get you ready to dive.
Pull out your non-diving stuff you use for diving and get it ready too. Maybe a favorite hat or a water jug.
Finally...go dive!

The good and bad (mostly bad) about purchasing used equipment

2009-02-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

With the current economy, everyone is looking for a good deal. Craigs List is a very popular place to buy and sell equipment. So, 4-5 days a week, I jump on Craigs List too, to see what people are selling.

There are a few gems...really awesome deals on nice equipment that is a great deal. Here are a few "deals" I found just this morning. All 3 of these are deals that should not even be considered.

Two tanks, one has air. These tanks are out of hydro, and will need inspections and such. Also have a good first stage with low pressure line and a tire filler device. Additionally, there is a smoke damaged first stage, two regs and some hoses. This has smoke damage from a garage fire, likely useable as is, but can be rebuilt for sure.

large suit, hardly used, regs, everthing else all in great shape! Perfect for starter[some of my gear is probably 10+ years old but is in good shape.

US Diver Conshelf regulator w/2nd - Daycor BC - weights, snorkel & mask, fins, mittens, booties, hood, knife, light, 80 alum. tank, etc. - all as shown in pic. All new in 1988.

New divers look at these ads and think that they are getting cheap, safe gear, just based on the seller's recommendation. Most of this dive gear has been sitting for years, never been serviced. That is almost as bad as when I hear about students getting gear from an uncle or cousin that is 20 years old. Most of the time, it is crap. And, it is very dangerous!

Last summer, we had a diver get certifed with us and he bought all his gear off Craigs List. He was very proud of herself and told everyone about her great deal; and encouraged everyone to shop from CL. His equipment has been in for service many times, and he has spent as much in servicing, as he would have purchasing new, warrentied equipment. Recently, I heard their was a dive accident, due to faulty equipment purchased on Craig's List. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, but it could happen, and could of easily been avoided.

As a dive instructor, I would recommend that new divers purchase their equipment new from an authorize equipment dealer, AKA, most dive centers. If you cannot help yourself and are going to purchase used equipment...

1. Do not purchase scuba or snorkeling equipment more than 3 years old, no matter how nice it looks.

2. Do not purchase a tank unless you can inspect the inside and outside yourself. If the tank is out of VIP, that is okay (offer $25 less) but out of hydro, do not purchase for more than $25. If the tank is older than 1990, do not buy.

3. Do not purchase anything that is made by a company that is out of business (Dacor, Parkway etc)

4. Bring it to your dive center and have them service and inspect it.

5. Make the sale contingent of having the item checked out.

6. Do not believe anything the seller tells you. They want to get rid of the equipment and want the $$$

7. Do not purchase anything that looks too good to be true. Chances are, you are buying stolen equipment.

8. Ask the seller a lot of questions. When was it purchased? Where? Why are they selling it? How long has it been since it has been serviced?

9. If there is green or white corrosion on any of the gear, do not purchase. If neoprene is hard, do not purchase. If silicone is yellow, do not purchase.

10. Find out how much the item was new. Used equipment, less than a year old that is very new, should be priced 30-50% less than new.

11. DO your homework and research! Know what you are buying.

I don't write this to scare anyone, but merely as a FYI. I want everyone to dive safely and have fun. Getting burned or hurt because of a used equipment sale isn't fun, and can be dangerous.

The smokers of next door.

2009-02-24T00:54:00.000-08:00

One thing I have learned about divers that smoke is that mostly, they are respectful of most of us who do not smoke. They don't litter, they don't smoke around non-smokers and respect the rules. To you, this rant is not directed in any way. Not so, for the rest of smokers out there.

Much to my chagrin, our dive center is next door to, of all things, a tobacco gift shop. It is quite an interesting collection of items they sell, which includes tobacco and products that encourage smoking and marijuania use. The people who manage the store are very nice. However, it is their clientel that never ceases to amaze me. Most of them have no respect for anyone else. They park on our side of the parking lot, many double park their cars, ask to borrow our restroom and many are under the age of 18. I have seen people leave small children, even babies in their car while they go next door to shop. Worst of all, they litter and smoke in front of our store.

I have no smoking signs posted in all my windows, and on the doors. However, I watch people puff just a few feet from my front door, and use their sidewalk as their ash tray. I have told people to pick up their "butts" and have got nasty looks and the occassional "bitch" muttered under their breaths.

Smoking and stupidity must go together with these people I am not sure if the "Oxygen" signs on my door mean anything to them either. Last I checked, O2 is highly combustable, and a lit cigarette is all it would take to change their day. I am not sure but last time I checked, littering and smoking less that 25 feet from and entry way is breaking Washington State law; both come with a heavy penalty.

I am tired of these inconsiderate people so I am looking for new ways to keep them as far away from our family-friendly, smoke free dive store. Any suggestions?

Come play topside, even if the water is too cold for you

2009-02-19T01:05:00.001-08:00

Winter diving in the Pacific Northwest is hard. It is true that the water is typically clearer and the diving is great, but, it is hard! Surface temps in the 30s and 40s make the trek in and out of the water difficult, especially if you dive in a wetsuit. We sell a lot of drygloves in the winter months. The water can be really cold though, even in a drysuit. Some people, just give up.

It doesn't mean you need to stop diving! There are a lot of great options for you, even if funds do not allow you to travel to a warm destination. A-2-Z Scuba can help keep you warm!

For $25, you can rent all the gear, including tanks and weights and go hang out at the pool. The Puyallup HS pool is open for divers the 1st Friday of every month, and every other Saturday. It is a great opportunity to practice buoyancy or just play with your equipment. Water temps are in the low 80s.

The last Wednesday of every month is Enriched air nitrox specialty course. Me and my entire staff dive nitrox and it makes a huge difference, especially diving in the winter. There is no diving required for this specialty. $199, includes book, tables and video.

Check out our activity board. We have a ton of activities going on, and participating in most are free! Here are a few that are coming up in the next 6 weeks...

Dive Travel Seminar, Sunday, Feb 22nd, 7pm-come learn about how to plan your next warm water vacation and some of the tricks the travel professionals know. Location: A-2-Z Scuba

2 Tank boat dive, Porthole charters, Saturday Feb 28th, 1130am loading: We are doing 8 mile (Tac narrows) and Sunrise reef. Cost is $80. If you haven't been on the Mark V, it is probably the best boat I have dove off for winter diving!

Les Davis Marine Park cleanup, Thursday, March 19th, 3pm-6pm: The park has taken a beating after all the winter storms. Come help clean up the entry way and along the shore line. You don't need dive gear to help out. Free!

3rd Annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday March 29th, 2pm: We will have a potluck picnic lunch on the beach. Les Davis Park. Free!

Don't forget, the Northwest Dive and Travel Expo is coming up April 25-26 in Tacoma. We have 1/2 off coupons at the store.

If the cold winter water is freaking you out, we now have drysuits in our rental department! Come try out what everyone is raving about!

So, no excuses! Come drop by the store and jump into the fun. And, before you know it, spring will be here!

Being AWARE of our dive enviroment

2009-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

Recently, it was brought to our attention that the Seattle Aquarium removed an octopus from its den, located at a very popular dive site. Many divers visited this den and took photos to show to friends and the popularity of this octopus den grew. Not since Olive hatched eggs in 2002, has an octopus been so popular with divers. The aquarium pulled her to mate her with a male at the aquarium, and then plan on putting her back. The Aquarium feels that the Giant Pacific Octopus counts were so low this year, that this might be the only opportunity for this octopus to mate.

So, was this a good thing? Many divers were upset, when arriving at her den to see her gone this past week. Many more were even angrier because the aquarium took an octopus from a popular dive site. The chances of her going back to her old den and staying there are slim. She may not even survive the trips back and forth. But, if she does lay eggs, it could mean an opportunity for more life in Puget Sound.

But is it right for humans to monkey with the process? This may be a question that we cannot answer now. However, there are a lot of things we can do to help preserve the water we dive in.

As responsible divers, make sure that our impact underwater is minimal. The best thing we can do is be careful with our buoyancy. If you hunt, make sure you do so within the limits of your license. Don't feed the critters, especially with hotdogs or other non-native food. Clean up trash when you see it. Use biodegradable products to wash your dive gear with. Make sure that when going between salt water/pool/freshwater, that your equipment is clean. Get involved with dive cleanup activities.

I hope to go back to see this octopus in the upcoming months, and that she has eggs hanging in her den. When they are born, there will be more to see at this beautiful dive site and more opportunity for new life in the surrounding waters.

New Year Dive Resolutions

2009-01-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

Every year, people make resolutions. Maybe it is to quit smoking, lose weight or to be healthier. How about businesses? A-2-Z Scuba is making some resolutions of its own, but mainly to let everyone know what is going to happen this year.

1. A-2-Z resolves to offer at least 1 boat dive per month

2. A-2-Z resolves to do more activities; at least one cool activity per month.

3. A-2-Z resolves to train more new divers in 2009, offer more continuing education and double the amount of professionals trained in 2009.

4. A-2-Z resolves to do more for the community and the enviroment. Offer to do more cleanup projects, and be more conscience of the enviroment we dive in.

5. A-2-Z will expand its square footage and build a bigger classroom

6. A-2-Z plans on hiring more staff, offer more training to the current staff and have a new operations manager in place by the end of 2009.

7. A-2-Z will operate leaner, and more efficiant by the end of 2009.

Looking back at 2006, 2007 and 2008, we hit almost all our goals for those years. Our store continues to evolve and expand. We see 2009 as a transitional year, and positioning ourselves to become the leader in PADI scuba training and sales in the Pacific Northwest by 2010.

The most important part of what goes on at A-2-Z, is our staff. They are the heart of the business and they all bring a lot of energy to what we do here. We have added several new members to our divemaster staff and we will have several new instructors add to our ranks this year too.

The Evolution of Les Davis as a dive site

2009-01-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

I have been a certified diver for over 8 years. I have done dives in many different locations, but I have logged more dives at Les Davis Park, in Tacoma, than anywhere else. Why? Because it is an awesome dive location.

I did my first dive here in Feb 2002 with my oldest dive buddy, Greg Towne. He learned to dive here and told me it was a pretty cool spot. I noticed the perch and visibility...or the lack of. I also did my first night dive in Puget Sound here.

Les Davis' attraction is the sunken pieces of the old pier and the old Tacoma Narrows bridge. The depths range from as shallow as 15 feet at extreme low tide, to 80 feet at high tide. The majority of the cool stuff is in the 35-50 foot range. I would take my light, look under places and see all kinds of cool critters. This dive site had one drawback: the visibilty was typically poor, due to the runoff from the Puyallup River.

I didn't venture back to this location very often because of the lack of access. There were rocks to climb down and on several occassions, I nearly fell. Then, in the summer of 2006, that all changed with the installation of the concrete steps at the park.

This site soon became a favorite spot to dive for fun and with new divers. It had restrooms, benches to store and gear up and easy access to the water. More and more divers started diving the park and many started putting more stuff down like permanent anchors, a big tire to swim through and even a computer on a desk. In 2003, someone constructed a fish, out of gridwall and permanently mounted it on top of one of the pilings.

In 2007, I started to notice a change. It seemed, that there was more life and more variety of critters started showing up there. In 2008, a few wolf eels moved in and took up permanent residence under a piling. By mid summer, the amount of lingcods were amazing. On almost every dive I did here in 2008, we saw lingcod, giant pacific octopus and wolf eel. There was as much variety here than diving from a boat at an unfamiliar site. There was so much cool stuff.

I wasn't the only one to notice. Several people I dove with on a regular basis starting telling me how much they loved this site. Everyone also commented on the visibility. What was happening? How come it was so good there?

So, I have a theory, and everyone thinks it is crazy, but here it goes. Because there were so many divers coming here, especially new divers, the silt got stirred up, a lot. When it would settle, it would drift to deeper depths. Because of the wierd weather year that we had, we didn't have jellyfish or a heavy runoff from the river. We had alege blooms but they were small. All this combination of things helped give this site good vis this year.

So, recently, we had a heavy runoff from the river and diving Les Davis this weekend proved that the River plays a huge part in the vis at this site. I noticed about a half inch of silt on top of pilings and rubble. It is going to take time for that to work away from the structures. So, visiblity at Les Davis is going to be limited for a while.

In 2009, expect to see more man-made structures show up at this dive site. I will continue to dive here and monitor it as it evolves. We are hoping for outdoor showers to also be installed this summer.

Now I know why they call it the Sunshine Coast

2008-11-26T07:03:00.001-08:00

Tom and I took 10 divers up to British Columbia November 21-23 to dive the Sunshine Coast. If you are not familiar with the area, it is a 35 minute ferry ride north of Vancouver, BC. It is called the Sunshine Coast because it is in the rainshadow of Vancouver Island and gets more sun than anywhere else in Western Canada. The area is very popular with tourists in the summer for sea kayaking and cycling. It has also been discovered by divers because of the slender fjords, currents and the abundance of life below the surface. It is common to have visibility of more than 80 feet even in the springtime. Water temps are about the same as Puget Sound and can range from a low of 42 in the winter, to 55 degrees in the summer, due to freshwater runoff from the majestic mountains all around. It is common, especially in the spring or after heavy rains, to have 10-15 feet of fresh water on top of the salt water.

Kal Helyar and his wife Ann Bearsell opened their first resort in 1991. They have moved twice and have now settled at their newest resort, Strong Water. It is the English translation of the fast moving tidal channel near their new home called Skookumchuck. It is a 3 minute boat ride from Egmont.

Each year in mid November, my husband and I bring a group of divers up to stay with Kal and Ann at their resort in Sechelt. When they announced they were moving 50 minutes north to Egmont, we were a bit worried about being so secluded and what to expect. We decided that we would give the new place a try. For a lack of a better word...all we could say was, WOW.

The resort sits right on the water, very close to where Porpoise Bay and Jervis inlet meet. It is very close to the Skookumchuck Rapids, extremely fast tidal water that moves through the narrow passage like a river. There is a small, protected bay in front of their property that is an amazing shore dive. The view of the surrounding mountains and the Canadian Rockies is stunning. I have never been in such a beautiful place.

Kal and Ann have buit 5 yurts for guests to sleep in . These structures while look like round tents, are far from anything you would sleep in while camping. They are supported by wood and are well insulated. They have a skylight in the top, to watch the rain, or the huge trees sway above. The beds are very comfortable and the yurts are all propane heated. There is also a small guest house.

The main house has a large kitchen and living area that looks out onto the water. It was a great place to hang out, play cards, eat our meals and drink. Because of the rain, we spent our non-diving time indoors. However, there is a large fire pit for bonfires and a great deck to sit out and watch the water.

There is a road that leads into the property, but it is a private road. So, Kal drives one of the 2 boats over to the dock at Egmont to pick up guests. Egmont is very small, and has a small store and marina. The closest town that has shopping and hospital is in Sechelt. It is very secluded.

We had a great group of divers this year. Besides me and Tom, our brother-in-Law, Ed Farrell flew out from Philly. Regulars from our shop, Bob Braddock and Savannah Mikes joined us. Kirby Pollard, came with us. Seth Tower and his friend Paul from Stanwood joined the group. Barry Brunt who came with us last year, and his friend Will, both from Seattle also joined our group.

It was pouring down rain and the wind was blowing when we first arrived. We loaded up the boat and headed over to the resort. Even in the dark, we could tell it was a special place. Ann made us dinner and we relaxed in the main room of the house for the evening. Tom and I fell in love with our yurt.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect concerning the diving. I loved Tzoomies Narrows and Stagg wall is amazing. Kal promised cool new sites so I trusted him. Our dive sites for the weekend were Captain Island Marker Point Wall, Egmont Point, Sutton Island South, Agamemnon Wall and Swede Island.

We started with Captain Island Marker Point Wall. A sheer, deep wall with cloud and chimney sponges. The visibility was so good we could see cloud sponges, 70 feet down from the surface. The cloud sponges were very healthy and I was able to catch this little rock fish hanging out inside one of the sponges. Because the weather cooperated with us that morning, we had sun filtering down through the water so even at 80 feet, we were able to enjoy all the color. Right at the end of our dive, Kirby found a little decorated crab. I tried to get some good photos, but the crab blended into the rocks too well.

Between dives, Kal drove us past Seal Island. There were a few seals and pups lounging on the rocks and swimming. I was still a bit cold from the last dive, otherwise I would have jumped in and snorkeled with them. The sun had come out and you could see for miles in either direction. The views were spectacular.

Tom and I both had the same favorite dive of the weekend. Egmont Point. Because of gear issues, Tom and I got separated and did not dive together. However, our perception was the same. It was a beautiful drift dive with all kinds of critters to see. The star critter of the trip was Puget Sound King Crab, a very rare sight in Puget Sound, but quite common up there. Barry and Will pointed this big guy out to me. I wish I would have taken some video of this dive. We drifted along with the other fish and it was like swimming in a cold water aquarium. It was amazing.

We headed back to the resort for lunch and then we did an afternoon dive at Sutton Islands. It was a great dive, but not as spectacular as the 2 dives that morning. After our dive, we went back to the resort for a fantastic meal and chatting about the amazing dives that day.

The next day we started off with Agamemnon Wall. Very similar to the wall the previous day, but deeper. I hit 105 feet and took tons of photos. This was my favorite picture. I took a photo of a rock fish peeping out of a cloud sponge, but it was blurry. I was mad but it still was a gorgeous dive. We finished out the day at Swede Island and Tom and I dove with Kirby. He found our one and only Octopus of the trip and Tom got to hold a PS King in his hand.

We then packed up and headed home. We were so sad to leave, and Tom and I decided we were going to come back next year. We really loved the seclusion and the diving was so much better than before. Strong Water Resort is a work in progress and Kal and Ann are working to get it fully operational. By next year, they will have all the hot tubs in and better graveled paths. They are also building steps down to the dock. We are excited to return to see everything they will accomplish.

If you want a beautiful, secluded cold water diving paradise, I highly recommend coming to Strong Water Resort.

New Dive Sites to Explore

2008-11-19T11:03:00.001-08:00

When you dive as much as we do, sometimes, it feels like you are getting into a rut. So, it makes sense that we try to discover new dive sites. Some are good, and some...well, maybe they should be left undescovered. Here are a few dives we have discovered, that are worth trying out.

Thea Foss Park has a cool barge that is sunk 40 feet off shore. Entry is pretty good and nice parking. However, visibility there isn't very good, even on the best vis days of the year. There is 6 inches of silt covering the barge and while there are some cool critters, the shrimp can muck up the vis worse than we can.

Knotts Beach park is just south of the Lobstershop Restaurant on Ruston Way. This is a popular site because it is know for the Wall, starting about 95 feet. However, the park itself is a great spot for training in the shallows and over the years, more and more stuff is getting sunk out there. The eel grass is a favorite place to discover all kinds of cool little critters.

Les Davis Pipeline is a great dive but only for advanced divers (50 or more dives, and rescue diver and above). Because it starts deep, it is advisable that you dive this site with at least a 100cft tank or larger and NO nitrox. It is a bear of a surface swim, but going down the buoy is nice and easy. Once at the bottom, it is about 120'. You can go a little deeper on the pipe, or start heading shallow. This dive should take about 45 minutes to complete, working your way shallow along the bottom. Once past 85 feet, the pipe ends, then it is a cool place to explore. I have see Octo there and stubby squid. It is a fun dive to do at night.

When the tides are good, many divers head to Titlow and Day Island. We also like to ride the currents under the Fox Island Bridge. I have seen a dogfish there and all kinds of cool stuff drifting along with me. I haven't done this dive on a slow current day yet, but it looks pretty amazing to explore.

While I dive these 2 spots often, Les Davis and Redondo Beach have a lot worth exploring again. Les Davis has so much that hasn't been discovered. Recently, a pair of wolf eels have taken up residence and there is a pretty good size octopus living under the rubble. All the gunnels have moved into Redondo lately and there are hundreds of them living in all the man-made structures down there.

Over the next few months, we are going to put together a log of the best dives in the South Sound. Our goal is to have 20 cool shore dives that will give shore divers a lot of choices so they don't get bored doing the same dives all the time.

How to become an A-2-Z Scuba dive groupie

2008-11-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

So, many of you have emailed and called me wanting to know all about becoming a groupie at A-2-Z Scuba. Actually, it is pretty easy. All you do is hang out at the dive shop.

Most of our staff are groupies. But, since they are on the staff, we can't call them that, but they love hanging out at the shop even on their day off. The staff attracts groupies to the store. Most of them can be seen hanging out on the couch, or watching something cool on the computer. They have the dive shop lingo down and are willing to pitch in and help customers as much as the staff does.

The biggest and most popular groupie in A-2-Z Scuba history was the former president of the DDG, Kyle Anderson. I have never known anyone who liked to dive as much as this guy and was very fun to hang out with. He helped coin the phase, "SCCCUBBA is calling" and when someone didn't dive for a while, "...he is dead to me...". He moved back to Boston in late March and we miss him a lot around the shop. He is almost "dead" to us, but luckily, we hear from him once in a while.

Savannah Mikes is our blondest groupie. She started hanging out last summer before she even got certified. She had so much fun diving that she bought everything and started taking classes. She is fun to hang out with and has a cool sense of humor. She is very blond though, and it just adds to her charm.

Family of staff are groupies too. Alica, Chip's girlfriend hangs out at the shop a lot too. She and Chip are ultra-competitive to see who makes 50 dives first. Yolanda, Karyn's significate other is great beach support as well.

Old Chip W. is also a dive shop groupie that isn't only hanging at our shop. He is a DM at Ft Lewis and hangs with all the shops and dives with everyone. We also have our nitrox divers who are in the store 2-3 days a week to fill tanks and tell us stories about what is happening in the Puget Sound.

A-2-Z Scuba groupies are a valuable part of our store and are great for our business. They also help me realize that my little dive shop is not just that, but an oasis for people to hang out and relax. I love it!

DEMA 2008

2008-10-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have returned from Las Vegas! It was quite a trip but lots of fun. We have been having a tough month in sales so I was concerned about what the show would be like.

Day 1

Arrived in Las Vegas to a warm, and sunny afternoon. Checked in at the Sahara and caught a few rays and a nice drink by the pool. The hotel isn't much to stay at, but it was fine for the time I was there. Headed over to the convention center and received the award from Aeris for Northwest Dealer of the Year. That was very cool. Headed over to the Rivera for the PADI social. That was so cool because the photo of me and Alison made it up onto the "faces of PADI" slide show.

I then grabbed a cab to downtown, where I was invited for drinks and dinner with the Aeris and Oceanic group. Very fun! I love downtown and the Golden Nugget is one of my favorite hotels because of the shark tank in the pool!

Day 2

Up early to start in with PADI miniseminars at DEMA. Was able to get onto the floor and started wandering around. Met up with Jeff from Cramer Decker and my team that made it to DEMA, Mike DeAngelo and Mark Romero. Saw and shopped a lot. I got the store some stickers! After the show, we headed over to to the DAN party...Elvis theme! Kelly Rockwood met up with us there, along with John Bachofner, from Vancouver. He was dressed like Elvis and looked fabulous! Kelly took me, Mike and Mark for dinner afterwards where we ran into her friend Ron Stevens from White Rock BC. He is better known as Rogest and has amazing scuba art.

Day 3

Long day of Seminars and meetings. Finally got to see Nicolle Pratt, who was sick for the first few days. Jeff Motts invited me to dinner at Benihanas! I love Japanese food (except sushi) and jumped at the chance to have dinner with him and others from the Cramer Decker team. It was fun and had a few drinks afterwards with them at the Hilton. I wanted to go downtown but everyone was tired...wait a minute...we are in VEGAS BABY!

Dan arrived that evening and he hooked up with Mike and Mark and did guy stuff. I think they might have went to a gentlemen's club but I don't like to ask questions that might give me answers that could scare me.

Day 4

Met with the Cramer Decker advisory board and talked about the future of the company. It was very fun and it was awesome being a part of such a cool group. I had a lot more free time today so did some shopping and checking things out. Met with Lynn and we looked at different vacation options for the store. We are trying to decide on a few options yet. Saw Shelly from Dive Magic and the liveaboard to the Bay Islands is postponed till later next year so we will wait.

I went back to the room, got dressed and went to the DEMA awards show/dinner at the Rivera with the Cramer Decker crew. We were at the VIP Cramer Decker table and I got this beautiful paper weight (see photo) . Jeff was an awesome date but I was sad he didn't want to come downtown with me and my staff.

Met up with Mark, Dan and Mike. Mark went to bed but we headed down to Freemont Street and Kris Graff met us there. We wandered around, I got a large drink and then it mellowed about midnight. It was a little spooky for a Friday.

Day 5

Started the day with the kids seminar. It was very informative. Got over to the convention center and did some more shopping and vacation trip hunting. Got the store set up with a nitrox anaylzer dealer. Chatted with the team and said goodbye to Kelly and Jeff Motts. Mark left early in the day, Dan was leaving on Sunday and Mike and I headed to the airport for our trip home.

Compared to last year, it was good. I did not like Vegas as much as I thought I would because of the amount of walking...it was far to go anywhere! Orlando was better. It was also very expensive. The show is back in Florida next year so I think it will be better. With the condition of the current economy, this show must have been as tough for the vendors as it was for us. However, I love going and would not have missed it!

Redondo diving today

2008-10-19T20:25:00.001-07:00

Went for a fun dive today at Redondo Beach with Kevin Wright, Tami Stein, Kelly Covey and Chip and Alisha. It has been a few months since I had been there so I was looking forward to checking out all the great VIS that I have been hearing about. The vis was great, but the life was even better!

We dropped down on the north side of the research pier with the intent of following the line over to the Bug. The amount of fish around us was amazing. Tons and tons of pile and shiner perch were everywhere. Tami and Kevin had not dove there before so they were in awe of all the cool stuff down there. After making it over to the bug, and poking around the rock wall for a few minutes, we started to head back. We hung out at the pipe boat for a while and it was crawling with gunnel pairs. I took a photo of this great pair towards the front of the boat. There were a few mosshead warbonnets hanging out there too. I could have spent an hour there just poking around, but my buddy was low on air so we headed in. Amazing dive with at least 20 feet of vis.

Drysuits for Rent

2008-10-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

So, after 2 years of trying to figure out how to make it work, we decided to put drysuits in rental. It has always been a goal to put suits in, but trying to decide which suits, and how to make the program work has been a challenge. There has been a lot of resistance from the instructional staff and money for the suits has also been tough.

Seasoft Scuba has decided to finance suits for us. We have decided to go with the TX3, a lightweight open cell neoprene suit that has valves on the wrist. Many of the staff has these suits, and while I had planned on putting in the Whites' Fusion, this deal was a little better and a good place to start.

For the Nov-Dec open water classes, we will start students in wetsuits and move to drysuits the 2nd weekend. Starting in January, we will be able to intergrate the suits into the first weekend. The staff is concerned about the best way to do drysuits safely, and to make sure that the students can do it, but I am confident that they will do well, and everyone will be more comfortable and a lot warmer.

What does a dive shop owner do on her day off...

2008-10-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have actually scheduled a day off! With the new staff trained to handle most emergencies and ready to give our customers the family hug, I take a bit of time for myself. It doesn't happen often.

So...I look around and realize what needs to be done:

1. Laundry

2. Vaccuum

3. Dishes

4. Plan something for dinner

5. Entertain Robbie...well, he is parked in front of the TV so he is good for now.

6. Rake leaves in the yard

7. Clean out my car

8. Wash dive gear from last night

9. Get a haircut

10. Get dressed.

So...number 5 is OK for now, number 10 will probably happen next. As for the rest of the list, I am not so sure. I will need to wander down to the shop sometime this morning and drop the reg off for Dan to look at. (It was breathing wet last night) While there, I will probably get a few things done. I plan on hooking up with a friend in the afternoon for a while. #9 will need to happen today too.

I may only do #10 and then go diving. Or, maybe I will crawl back in bed and watch TV with Robbie all day. I guess I really don't have to do anything. It is, after all, my day off.

DEMA...Viva Las Vegas Everyone!

2008-10-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

In one week, I will be heading down to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend my 6th DEMA show! So, what is DEMA? It is the Divers Equipment Marketing Association. I have been a member for 3 years and while I don't necessarily agree with the politics of this organization, I do enjoy attending the show.

The DEMA show is designed with the dive shop owner in mind. The show itself is 4 days and is a series of booths advertising the newest, coolest stuff in dive equipment, amazing dive destinations from around the world, and other scuba professional associations showing off what is the latest thing for the scuba diving professional. There are parties, meetings and clinics. There are marketing workshops, intense training sessions and a whole lotta networking.

This show isn't for the general public. There are several shows around the world that are designed for the recreational or technical diver. This show is specificly to the dive shop owners, repair techs, instructors, and travel professionals that work in the dive industry.

While DEMA is in some really cool locations like Orlando, Miami, and Las Vegas, I rarely get any time to have some fun. This is a working trip, from the time I get off the plane, until after I am unpacking at home. No time to enjoy the bright lights of Vegas this year! My day starts about 6am with breakfast meeting, and usually ends with networking over cocktails after midnight. I get to see people I talk on the phone with all year long, and get to meet their bosses. In many cases, they want to know my opinion, and what they can do better to help us promote diving and equipment to our customers.

I meet with all our current suppliers about pricing for the following year, product levels and issues I might have with the products they make. I work with them on pricing and usually buy needed items at special pricing. I talk with vendors I am interested in carrying. I wander around and ask questions about competing products. I usually have appointments stacked for 2-3 days straight. This is the majority of what I do at the show.

I usually spend a few hours with our travel agent, Lynn going around to the many travel vendors to see what kind of deals I can get for the upcoming year. This year, we are working on a Honduras Liveaboard, and a trip to Cozumel. With the conditions of the current travel market, we are hoping to land some great deals.

A large part of time I spend with PADI, doing con-ed and learning more about the products they carry to help my business. PADI offers the best training and marketing for scuba education at DEMA and I am proud to be a member. I try to attend workshops geared to me, the dive instructor but I don't always have time. I like to visit with DAN and learn more about their programs as well.

I don't always get a chance to attend the many repair clinics offered at the show, because my time is so limited. 2 of my instructors, Mike and Dan will be attending for the store instead.

For the 1st time, I am attending the DEMA Awards party! I got an invitation from my friend and sales rep from Sherwood, Jeff Motts. It sounds like fun and I even have a pretty dress to wear. This year, I have been named Aeris dive store of the year for the Pacific Northwest. I have also been selected to be on Sherwood's planning board for 2009. I love the appreciation that I am getting from my vendors!

So, what happens post DEMA? Once I get home, I spend 2-4 hours going through all the junk I have collected. I call people back and thank them for the info I received. I typically have about a 2-3 month jump on what is coming for the year and get my store stocked for the holidays. I develop new relationships and usually buy a couple of cool things for the store.

Be watching my blog for my post-DEMA updates.

Beth and Ed Farrell are coming to the PNW!

2008-10-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

So, Tom got an email from his sister Beth today letting us know that she and her husband Ed are coming to visit November 20-25. We are so excited! Last time we saw them was in Honduras diving last year. They live just outside of Philly, and with their crazy work schedule, visiting family on the west coast isn't easy. Ed has never met Robbie, and Robbie was 6 months old last time Beth saw him.

Beth is going to visit with her mom, brother and nieces and nephews while we take Ed up to BC with us to go diving. Whoo Hoo! Ed dove in Puget Sound about 5 years ago, but he has never been to British Columbia to dive. Last time he was here he loved it, so I know he and a wolf eel are going to become BBF!!!

Here is the staff and cast of characters

2008-10-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

I will be blogging so it would be a good idea for me to post who is who!

Me and Tom are the co-owners of the shop. Our son Robbie is there a lot too and loves everyone on the staff. You know you are special when he invites you to play with him.

Dan Estrada and Steven Brack are the 2 main guys at the store. Dan started hanging out late last year and he was so awesome, we gave him a job. Dan became a scuba instructor in June, and just promoted to MSDT. He is also our repair tech and loves all kinds of music. Dan is married (sorry girls and guys) however, his wife doesn't dive...yet! Steven just started with us a few weeks ago and his goal is to be a scuba instructor. He has done almost 20 dives in 2 weeks and he and Brandon have gotten the Daily Diving Guys back in full force. Steven's girlfriend lives in Spokane and he is ready to get her diving too.

Chip Townsend and Alyssa Johnson are our weekenders. Both are working toward divemaster. Chip and his girlfriend are competing to see who hits 100 dives first. Alyssa's boyfriend is our wonderful DM candidate, Nick Rutar.

Our instructional staff is made up of Mike DeAngelo...IDC Staff instructor! He is also a pilot and is known for his lime green apparel. His wife is a warm water diver and his middle daughter is an avid skindiver. Tom "TC" Carlson is one of our newly minted instructors. His wife also preferrs the warmer waters, but his son Ian is ready to get certified...like yesterday! Karyn LaBonte also completed instructor status recently. Karyn has been diving with me from before A-2-Z was born and worked her way up from AOW with us. Her partner is known for braving the cold water on occassion, but loves warm water diving. Tootie Winter just recently joined the staff as an instructor and her husband Marshal is a Divemaster for us too. Kelly Rockwood is our Course Director. She lives in Idaho and comes to visit 2-3 times per year.

I got one of the best support staffs in the dive business. Mark Romero is a new AI and has been divemastering for me since 2003. He is one of my oldest friends and unfortunately, knew me before I was a diver, and knows all my drunken college adventures. My sister Alison Uuereb decided to finally get certified in August 2006, and became a divemaster last spring. Brandon Hall "BHall" wandered into the shop about a year ago while geocashing. He signed up for a class, and the next thing we know, he is a divemaster and the president of the "DDG". His girlfriend just started getting certified and I know we will see a lot of her in Puget Sound. Marshal Winter just started with us and we are getting to know him.

We have a few DM candidates worth mentioning. Eric Knutson has a wicked sense of humor and one of the coolest guys to dive with. Nick, I mentioned earlier, is almost completed the program, except he needs to get some dives in. Both these guys love working with students and are going to be awesome divemasters.

You may here about Dane Carson, former instructor and AM at A-2-Z. He is going to school in Hawaii, where he rarely dives. Sounds pretty crazy, doesn't it?

Rounding out our staff is Lynn Nishimura, our travel agent, and Kathy Johnson, our Accountant.

Be looking for a blog soon entitled, "A-2-Z groupies...a story of those who don't work at the shop, but are there as much as we are."

50 Dives in 90 Days Challenge is ON!

2008-10-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

We decided to see how many people would keep diving even though the weather outside was cold and rainy so me and the staff developed, "50 Dives in 90 Days Challenge". We wanted to get as many people as possible to sign up to dive like crazy by the end of the year. Our divemaster Brandon Hall was all over it in a hurry. He and our new employee, Steven Brack jumped on board and they were getting everyone to sign up. By Sunday afternoon, 10 people had signed up.

Tom decided that anyone who signed up should be invited to a potluck dinner and we would give out the awards to the winners. My goal is to get 40 divers signed up and 15 divers to complete the challenge.

All the staff is excited. Dan, Karyn and Chip got signed up. They are getting the students excited. I will let you know how this is going over the next few weeks. Currently, Brandon is leading the charge with 7 dives!

Welcome and who we are

2008-10-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog!

This is the first entry in our blog where we will chat about diving, our store, A-2-Z Scuba, our awesome staff and great customers we host. I will talk about events and adventures we have had and, if I can figure it out, even post a few photos! This blog will be a lot more personal than our website and other on-line mediums. Just for the record, it is me, Amy that is writing these blogs, however, from time to time, Tom will chime in.

For starters, Tom and I have a great passion for this sport. We love what we do and really enjoy the people that call A-2-Z Scuba their home away from home. We feel everyone who comes in the door is like family to us, and we hope that we are the same for them.

Our goal was never to make a lot of money but to have a cool place for divers to hang out and a family enviroment for our son Robbie to grow up in. We not only sell scuba equipment and classes, but we have developed a dive culture including the "Daily Diving Gang" and the "Living Room" for everyone to hang out in.

So...what about me and Tom? Well, Tom and I met about 6 years ago and on our first date, I told him I dive "all the time, and if you want to date me, you should learn to dive." He got certified a few months later and managed to do about 100 dives within 6 months. He and I married on April 3rd, 2004 at the Lobster Shop Wall beach on Ruston Way. We own a home in Puyallup and our son Robbie just turned 4. Tom is a PADI Master Scuba Diver. I became a PADI Master Instructor this year, in July.

A-2-Z Scuba was something I began developing about 6 years ago. After Robbie was born, I did a lot of research, wrote a business plan and on April 5th, 2006, we opened our doors at 1109 River Road. We built the business from a red air compressor and $5k in inventory, to a half million dollar a year dive store. We certified over 100 divers our first year, over 200 last year and we have already had over 300 people get certified this year. We went from offering open water courses,1 instructor and a Padi Dive center, to a 5 Star, IDC center with 6 instructors, 4 employees and over 200 active divers.

We have had our challenges too. We have had instructors come and go, some months where we could barely make rent and a lot of sleepless nights worrying about how we could do it all. We keep managing to make it through and now, almost 3 years later, we are still here.

I love this business. I think what I love the most isn't the diving or the cool places we have been. It is our dive friends and customers. They give us a reason to be in the store every day and their enthusiasm for diving also drives us to do more.

So, if we haven't bored you too much. Read on, laugh, cry or just enjoy all that we experience. Thanks for reading and supporting us.

Love and Scuba,

Amy and Tom